A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Dear Colleague:

Following the tragic shooting at West Paducah High School in December 1997, President Clinton directed the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice to prepare, for the first time, an annual report on school safety. The first Annual Report on School Safety provides parents, schools, and the community with an overview of the scope of school crime, and describes actions schools and communities can take to address this critical issue.

The recent tragedies experienced by the communities of Springfield, Oregon; Edinboro, Pennsylvania; Jonesboro, Arkansas; West Paducah, Kentucky; Pearl, Mississippi; and others have made an indelible mark on the minds and hearts of all Americans. Yet, it is important to remember that ninety percent of our schools are free of serious, violent crime. While our schools are among the safest places for students to be on a day-to-day basis, any school crime is too much.

School violence is a complicated societal problem. It is not, however, insurmountable. Many schools have created safe and sound environments, overcoming the influences of violence in their communities. Many schools have developed successful comprehensive school safety plans that incorporate effective, research-based programs and strategies; zero-tolerance policies for drugs and weapons; and community collaboration.

School safety must be a priority not only for schools, but for the entire community as well. In particular, it is imperative that we work toward three priorities:

• Improving data collection and identifying data gaps at the Federal, State, and local level will help improve prevention activities and the allocation of scarce drug and violence prevention resources. Schools and communities cannot develop effective strategies without a thorough understanding of the nature and extent of youth drug use and violence.
• Community leaders and organizations must be involved in the development and implementation of school safety plans. Active participation from parents, teachers, students, law enforcement, elected officials and business leaders, to name just a few, is needed to help create and maintain schools in which students and educators alike feel safe and secure, and where they can confidently pursue the primary business of schools--education.
• No single program or strategy can effectively meet the needs of all students.

We hope that this report will encourage schools, families, and communities around the country to adopt these priorities and take action against crime and violence in their own schools and communities. This first Annual Report on School Safety is dedicated to all of the students and teachers who have lost their lives at school. We must never forget them.

[Executive Summary]