Safe & Supportive Schools
Areas within the Safe & Supportive Schools element include the following:
- Engagement: School engagement is essential towards building academic success and a positive school climate. Engagement in school is a process of events and opportunities that lead to students gaining the skills and confidence to cope and feel safe in the school environment. These events and opportunities include relationships, respect for diversity and school participation.
- Safety: School safety refers to the security of the school setting and school-related activities as perceived and experienced by all stakeholders, including families, caregivers, students, school staff, and the community. School safety encompasses both emotional and physical safety, and is influenced by positive and negative behaviors of students and staff as well as the presence of substance use in the school setting and during school-related activities.
- Environment: School environment refers to the extent to which school settings promote student safety and student health. Environment is inclusive of all aspects of a school – its academic components, its physical and mental health supports and services, its physical building and location within a community, and its disciplinary procedures.
Each of these sections in the Safe & Supportive Schools element provides links to materials and resources that are available on sub-components of Engagement, Safety, and Environment. The Student Interpersonal Skills Standards may be accessed from this element. While still a work in progress, materials and resources are available and aligned to these new standards.
Click here to access the Student Interpersonal Skills Standards: Student Interpersonal Skills Standards
In addition, users can locate information on Act 126. This act requires professional development for all school entities in specific areas:
- The recognition and reporting of child abuse
- The Pennsylvania Educator Misconduct Act
- The maintenance of professional relationships with children
You can access a step-by-step guide to the Safe and Supportive Schools element by clicking here.