Research & Presentations
Interesting Reads and Presentations: School Safety and Education Policy
Click author(s) to download
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Understanding the big picture. What can states and districts do? Presentation from Virginia Department of Education's 2020 Equity Summit.
Anderson, 2020
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What legislative actions should be considered (Policy Brief)?(Anderson & Anderson, 2020)
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Does increased funding for SROs improve discipline outcomes?(Anderson, 2018)
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How can we reduce recidivism or recurrent suspensions?
(Anderson, Howard, & Graham, 2007)
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How do Black youth feel about school safety?
(Anderson, M.B.L., 2018)
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What does the data show about the C.O.P.S. program in schools? (Weisburst, 2019)
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What does the data show about the C.O.P.S. program in communities? (Weisburt, 2019)
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When did it become a crime for making adults mad?
(Teske & Huff, 2011)
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Where can I find an example of a report that my school district could use?
(Edwards, Edwards, & Howard, 2020)
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Politics and education inequality. How did we get here?
(Anderson, J.D., 2015)
Five Action Steps to Improve School Safety in Every State
5 Action Steps
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Review recommendations #3, #5 and #7 in the policy brief
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Review your state's education plan to see what it says about discipline and safety (these plans are long, so start with Section A6 - School Conditions)
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Review Data Quality Campaign's suggestions for a good state report card
- View the Data Quality Campaign's spreadsheet to see the strengths and weaknesses of your state's report card
- Contact your state/local superintendent, state/local boards of education, and state representative to ask questions, share your concerns, and initiate change.
What should I ask?
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Does our district use school resource officers or some other form of security (such as private security)?
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Are the school resource officers or private security firms paid from local, state, or federal funds?
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Where can I find the financial records for school resource officers or private security?
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What are the criteria for becoming a school resource officer?
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What training is required for school resource officers (or school security officers)?
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Do the school resource officers have to undergo mental health, stress, or improper conduct screenings?
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What are the protocols for making arrests?
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Where can I find data on how many school-based arrests were made over the past 3 years?
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How are school resource officers or school security officers evaluated?
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Do we have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on file that describes the roles and responsibilities of school resource officers (or private security)?
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Where can I find the MOU?
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How often is the MOU updated?
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Is there a public comment period or process used when developing the MOUs?
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Do we administer school climate surveys or develop reports that discuss school safety?
About
SchoolSafetyPolicy.org
SchoolSafetyPolicy.org is an unaffiliated website managed by
Kenneth Alonzo Anderson, Ph.D.
Anderson aims to provide useful research and resources for policymakers, families, school and district leaders, and other stakeholders to transform schools into safe and rigorous learning environments.
Biography
Kenneth Alonzo Anderson is Associate Provost of Undergraduate Studies and Professor of Education. Informed by his experiences as a middle school teacher, Anderson’s primary research interests include using large-scale statistical techniques to examine school improvement policies and practices that lead to equitable outcomes for Black and underrepresented students. Anderson has examined school safety, climate, and discipline issues for almost 15 years. Working through the U.S. Department of Education’s Regional Education Laboratory program, Anderson served as Principal Investigator on a longitudinal, statewide disciplinary technical assistance project with the Virginia Department of Education to inform strategies for minimizing suspensions and referrals to law enforcement. Anderson earned his doctorate in curriculum and instruction, with a minor in educational research and policy analysis from NC State University.
Safe School
In the News
Anderson's work has been used to inform federal legislation noted on countable.us and featured in outlets such as The Root, NBC News, The Oracle, GovTech.com, Policeone.com, News & Observer, and more.