Improving School Climate and Safety David Esquith, Director Office of Safe and Healthy Students U.S. Department of Education October 2016

ED and the History of OSHS 1987 – “War on Drugs” 1994 - “Gun Free Schools Act” - violence prevention 1999 – Columbine - school shootings 9/11/01 - emergency management 2002-5 – NCLB - Mentoring, Student Drug Testing, MH Integration 2009 – Pandemic flu 2010 – Bullying 2012/13 – Newtown and “Now Is the Time” – emergency preparedness, school climate, mental health services, school safety 2015/16 - ESSA

Select Current OSHS Issues School Safety: shootings, violence, including gender-based violence and sexual harassment and assault, bullying, hazing School Discipline: suspensions and expulsions Emergency Management Planning and Preparedness Recovery from natural and man-made disasters Physical and Mental Health: healthy eating habits, suicide Substance Abuse Trafficking in Persons

Emerging Issues for OSHS Countering Violent Extremism Transgender Youth Discrimination Sextortion

Takeaways Schools are safer than they have ever been, and there is still a lot of work to do. Policy Choices: Avoiding a “One or the Other” The Biggest Threats to School Safety and School Climate

Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2014 Information from… Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2014 U.S. Department of Education, Institution of Education Sciences: National Center for Education Statistics U.S. Department of Justice Office, Office of Justice Programs: Bureau of Justice Statistics

The percentage of students who reported being afraid of attack or harm at school decreased from 12% in 1995 to 3% in 2013. Students’ Perceptions of Personal Safety at School and Away From School Fear and Avoidance Indicator 17: Students’ Perceptions of Personal Safety at School and Away From School The percentage of students who reported being afraid of attack or harm at school decreased from 12% in 1995 to 3% in 2013.

Weapons on School Property, Grades 9-12 Access to Firearms, Ages 12-18 Students Carrying Weapons on School Property Anywhere and Students’ Access to Firearms 1993-2013 Weapons on School Property, Grades 9-12 Access to Firearms, Ages 12-18 Total reports of students carrying a weapon once in the past 30 days on school property has declined. 12% (1993) to 5% (2013) The percentage of 12-18 year olds reporting access to a loaded gun without adult permission has decreased. 7% (1993) to 4% (2013) Indicator 14: Students Carrying Weapons on School Property & Anywhere & Students’ Access to Firearms Between 1993 & 2013, the percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported carrying a weapon on school property 1 day during the previous 30 days declined from 12% - 5%. In every survey year from 1993 to 2013, a higher percentage of male students than of females reported carrying a weapon both on and off school grounds. The percentage of 12 to 18 year old students reporting that they had access to loaded gun without adult permission decreased from 7% in 2007 to 4% in 2013.

Nonfatal Student and Teacher Victimization: Theft 11.4% reported theft in 1992. 1.8% reported theft in 2013. Theft has declined tremendously. 4) Between 1992 and 2013, thefts at school declined from 114 per 1,000 students to 18 per 1,000.

Bullying at School and Cyber-Bullying Anywhere Bullying among students ages 12 to 18 dropped to 22% in 2013 after remaining between 28% and 32% for the period from 2005 -2011. Indicator 11: Bullying at School and Cyber-Bullying Anywhere In 2013, a higher percent of females than of males reported they were made fun of, called names or insulted (15% vs 13%), where a higher number of males than females reported being pushed, shoved, tripped or spit on (7% vs 5%). Idea: Boys face more physical bullying, women face more verbal confrontations. DATA REPLACED WITH: “according to new data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the reported prevalence or bullying among students 12 to 18 dropped to 22% after remaining stubbornly at 28% for the previous decade.”

Nonfatal Student and Teacher Victimization: Decrease Summary Chart Rate of nonfatal victimization against students ages 12–18 per 1,000 students by location: 1992–2013

Challenges Middle Schoolers Teachers Being Victimized Gangs Drugs/Alcohol

Bullying in Middle School 50% of these incidents were not reported to an adult. 25% of middle school students experienced bullying in the 2012-2013 school year. 25% of middle school students experienced bullying in the school year 2012-2013. 50% of middle school bullying incidents were not reported to an adult in the 2012-2013 school year.

Policy Choices: Doing Both 1. Keeping schools and classroom orderly and safe. 2. Effectively addressing the real threats to school safety and conditions for learning.

Math Quiz 2. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. 1. A ball and a bat together cost $1.10. 2. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. 3. How much does the ball cost?

Year Number of Active Shooter Incidents at K-12 Institutions 2000 2001 2 2002 2003 3 2004 1 2005 2006 6 2007 14 2008 2009 2010 4 2011 2012 2013 27 13 Number of Active Shooter Incidents at Institutions of Higher Education

The Practical Maximizing the Use of Emergency Planning Human Trafficking, Countering Violent Extremism, and Emergency Planning Threat Assessments

The Biggest Threats to School Safety and Conditions for Learning ?

The Biggest Threats to School Safety and Conditions for Learning Loneliness Fear Hopelessness

The Biggest Threats to School Safety and School Climate Loneliness – vulnerability to bad influences and predators Fear --- fight or flight; violence Hopelessness – self-loathing and self-harm; depression and suicide; drug abuse

Communities that Care Social Development Strategy Opportunities for Active Participation, meaningful interaction, and prosocial Skills need to succeed Recognition – consistent praise for effort, improvement and achievement Leads to Bonding – emotional connection to people who provide recognition Clear standards of behavior

Sally’s Favorite Teacher Ms. Jones

Believing In Everyone What work do we have to do to believe in everyone? Recognizing and addressing our biases and prejudices. Finding the good and nurturing it.

Resources National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/ ED School Climate Survey https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/edscls Readiness in Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance Center https://rems.ed.gov/ www.communitiesthatcare.net

Title IV Part A Guidance https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-releases-guidance-encouraging-well-rounded-education

David Esquith, Director Office of Safe and Healthy Students U.S. Department of Education David.Esquith@ed.gov (202) 453-6722