Twenty-first century education is about connections, collaboration, and problem-solving. As we prepare students for their potential beyond the classroom, schools must approach the future within a global context. Whether inside or outside U.S. borders, our students will need to communicate with and understand people of other cultures throughout their education, careers, and travels. We are […]
Globalizing Schools in America: Strategies for Principals
Student Voice: The Most Important Sound in the School
Guest post by Bobby Bennett In 2012, I became principal of my alma mater—only the second alumnus since the 1890s to have such an opportunity. No pressure! Eager to begin the work of serving my community and school improvement, I held a series of meetings with staff and the school community over the course of […]
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Internet and Wireless Safety
Download (.pdf) During the past decade, the rapid development of internet technologies and the increasing use of social networking websites and cellphones have created both opportunities and challenges for secondary school leaders. Consider the following findings from recent studies: 93% of all youth ages 12 through 17 use the internet, and 75% have a cellphone […]
Building CultureCommunicationEducation PolicyInnovationLeading LearningOtherSchool SafetyTechnology & E-learning
School Discipline
To encourage the limited use of suspension, expulsion, and other punishments that remove students from instruction and offer recommendations for alternative methods to address school discipline. Time out of school has huge implications for student achievement and future success. “Being suspended even once in ninth grade is associated with a twofold increase in the likelihood […]
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Safe Schools
Purpose: To offer recommendations aimed at fostering safe learning environments and protecting the safety, health, and well-being of all students and educators. Learning occurs best in an environment that nurtures each individual to live the shared norms, values, and beliefs to grow in a safe, caring, and high-performing school community. A school leader’s first responsibility […]
Building CultureEducation PolicyEthicsOtherSchool SafetyWellness
Mental Health in Middle Level and High Schools
To articulate recommendations that promote student mental health as a critical component of improving school climate, safety, and learning, and to provide school leaders with best practices for dealing with teen suicide and other school crises related to mental health. A U.S. Surgeon General report indicates that one in five children and adolescents will face […]
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Lessons Learned From a School Shooting: Information Sharing is Key Element
By Sarah Goodrum Research on violence prevention in schools focuses on building positive climates and sharing information. A positive climate increases students’ willingness to report concerns to school staff. There is less research examining the climate among school staff; yet, this climate also shapes whether teachers report concerns about students and how administrators respond to concerns […]
Building CultureEquityEthicsOtherSchool Safety
Activity 2: Communicating with Your School and Community in Responding to Traumatic Events
Activity Guide Traumatic events are a part of our reality. The media and technological advances have given us instant access to information, but accessing this information can have serious effects on the students and adults in our school buildings. Knowing how to recognize the signs of someone who is impacted by these events is critical. […]
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Module 11: Safe And Healthy School Environments
In this module, explore how to develop effective school safety plans among staff and students. Take a 360-degree approach to student safety by investigating the multiple facets affecting student well-being and learning. Explore how school leaders can create a school environment that makes it safe to report potential threats and how policy recommendations related to crisis and […]
Building CultureEquityEthicsOtherSchool Safety
Charter Schools
To promote educational excellence for all students through equitable accountability, certification, and licensure requirements for charter schools, as well as improved research about the performance of charter school students as compared to traditional public school students. Since the first charter school opened in Minnesota in 1992, the movement has grown at an astounding pace. The […]