Making School a Safe Place

Schools can enhance threat-assessment processes without alienating students and families.

School safety has become a top priority for principals. But are they taking the right steps?

Small changes in classroom interactions can make a big difference for traumatized students.

School shootings are difficult to predict, but educators aren't powerless to prevent them.

Faced with problematic student behaviors, a principal turned her staff's attention to trauma and relationship building.

Should mindfulness be a part of your school's safety plan?

Educators need to know when and how to probe deeper into student conflicts—especially in the case of cyberbullying.

Students with invisible disabilities often feel isolated in school. But they desperately want to belong.

Do students feel valued and able to express themselves in school? Not enough, recent surveys show.

With two gender-nonconforming kindergartners entering his school, a principal found he had to change his thinking.

Teacher mental health is vital to safe and healthy schools, but it often gets neglected.

Helping students feel safe in school requires a soft touch.

Let's use practices that teach positive behaviors rather than punish. Watch the video.

Creating a psychologically safe climate for adults requires vulnerability.

To recruit more educators of color, improve students' experiences.

ASCD's years of promoting a Whole Child approach are paying off—but there's more to do.

Reader responses to recent issues of EL.

Readers reflect on ways they make their students feel safe.

An interview with the 2019 National School Counselor of the Year and school counseling chair at Jones College Prep High School, on building trust with students.

Findings from the study, "Can Restorative Practices Improve School Climate and Curb Suspensions? An Evaluation of the Impact of Restorative Practices in a Mid-Sized Urban School District," published by Rand Corp.

In this new book, Tina M. Owen-Moore takes a reflective look back at the hard work and, yes, love, that went into creating a school whose mission is to make everyone feel safe and included, no matter who they are.