Spotlight on Making Schools Safe and Welcoming for All Students and Staff
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A focus on school climate is an essential component of any initiative to improve outcomes for the whole child, whole person, and whole community. School climate encompasses everything that makes a school community healthy and whole, where students can learn and thrive.
This Spotlight highlights resources to support policymakers and education leaders in making informed, evidence-based decisions about school safety and climate.
Be sure to visit our Justice & Prevention and Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities Area of Work pages to learn about our research and services to improve climate and safety.
Check out our recent School Safety & Climate E-Bulletin for more resources.
Maintaining the Physical Safety of Students and Staff
The WestEd Justice & Prevention Research Center (JPRC) studies efforts to keep students and staff safe to contribute to the evidence base that policymakers and other interested parties can draw from when making decisions about strategies. The JPRC’s rigorous research examines a variety of tools educators are trying to decrease incidents of school violence.
Add this sampling of JPRC reports to your library of school safety research:
- Perceptions of State School Safety Center Supports and Services
- Learning From the Experiences of Texas Schools Implementing Behavioral Threat Assessment Programs
- What a Systematic Review of 32 Evaluations Says About the Impact of School-Based Law Enforcement
- Five Misconceptions About School Shootings
Creating Safe and Supportive Learning Environments
The California Center for School Climate, Center for the Improvement of Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety, and initiatives such as Project Cal-Well offer a wealth of resources designed to address school climate issues, from getting staff buy-in for climate initiatives to designing learning-positive classroom environments.
Download and share the following resources:
- Reframing and Understanding Staff Resistance to Advance Positive School Climates
- Designing Safe and Supportive Physical Classroom Environments: A Checklist
- Family Guide to Supporting Young People’s Mental Health and Well-Being: Information, Tips, and Resources
- Understanding the Experiences of LGBTQ Students in California
Listen to audiocasts about how schools and districts are using innovative and effective strategies to cultivate positive school climate:
- Beyond SEL: Stories of Well-Being, Connection, and Equity in Schools
- California Center for School Climate Audio Gallery
Subscribe to the E-Bulletin
Stay informed about WestEd’s research, resources, services, events, and career opportunities by subscribing to our E-Bulletin. Our January 2024, Volume 2, issue explores strategies for improving school safety and climate. The issue features resources about the following:
- Services: Increasing Safety and Improving Climate
- Youth Perspectives on School Safety
- School-Based Law Enforcement
- Perceptions of State School Safety Center Supports and Services
- Transforming School Climate Mindsets and Ecosystems
- Create High-Quality Physical Classroom Environments
- Students Shaping School Climate Policy and Practice
- Addressing Staff Resistance in School Climate Initiatives
- 15 Activities That Promote Staff and Student Connection
View the January 2024, Volume 2, E-Bulletin.
Follow Us on Social Media
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Related Resources
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Learning From the Experiences of Texas Schools Implementing Behavioral Threat Assessment Programs
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