It is essential that all school administrators, teachers, staff, stakeholders, students, families and communities read Securing the Schoolyard: Programs and Practices that Promote Safety and Prosocial Student Behavior. Strikingly revealed is that school violence does not just occur in the United States, but across the entire world and can be far more emotionally harmful than anyone realizes. In their work, the authors provide strategies and suggestions that will ensure safety is paramount for all students but take particular care to provide strategies for lesser recognized groups of students, such as students with disabilities and other marginalized populations. -- Charles D. Zimmerman, M.S.S., special ggent (retired), U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of the Inspector General
With school violence seemingly on the rise, it is important that school districts, educators and parents read Securing the Schoolyard: Programs and Practices that Promote Safety and Prosocial Student Behavior. The authors provide a plethora of information that will assist schools in keeping the students in and outside of its walls safe. From the staggering statistics on school violence and bullying, to the myriad of safety protocols to protect students, teachers and parents alike will recognize and understand the vital role that schools and students themselves have in keeping the educational community safe. -- Judith L. Klimkiewicz, EdD, senior consultant for K-12 College/Career Education and Workforce Development, Commissioner's Office, Massachusetts, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, superintendent of schools, retired, Nashoba Valley Technical School District, MA
What could be more important topics in this day and age than those covered in Securing the Schoolyard: Programs and Practices that Promote Safety and Prosocial Student Behavior? This book offers sound strategies that all school personnel can understand and implement, the authors make important connections between safe school environments and student engagement, prosocial behaviors, and health and wellbeing, including mental and emotional health. The book blends theories and research from many disciplines, yet it remains practical in its suggestions and protocols to ensure that when our children and adolescents head off to school each day, they will return safely, excited about what they have learned and experienced during the school day and extracurricular activities. -- Martha H. von Mering, executive officer of special education & related services, Springfield Public Schools, Springfield, MA
This is a much-needed book. Securing the Schoolyard: Programs and Practices that Promote Safety and Prosocial Student Behavior provides concrete strategies to help school leaders address the crisis in contemporary schools. The authors begin with a history of violence in American schools. From there, they provide critical information on what contemporary schools both here and abroad are doing to stem the tide of violence. Such important topics as bullying, cyberviolence, and the role of society and media are included, giving readers a broader understanding of how our definitions of violence have changed over time. While many scholarly books consider theoretical approaches to violence prevention, Securing the Schoolyard: Programs and Practices that Promote Safety and Prosocial Student Behavior is extremely clear in offering programs and practices that can be implemented in our schools and community partnerships. -- Elizabeth J. Bienia, EdD, principal, Alfred Glickman Elementary School, Springfield Public Schools, Springfield, MA
