Unsafe School Choice Option
The Safe and Drug-Free Schools Advisory Committee Meeting 23 October 2006
USCO—the Policy
Section 9532 of NCLB Each State receiving funds under this Act shall establish and implement a statewide policy requiring that a student attending a persistently dangerous public elementary school or secondary school, as determined by the State, in consultation with a representative sample of local educational agencies,…
USCO—the Policy
…or who becomes a victim of a violent criminal offense, as determined by State law, while in or on the grounds of a public elementary school or secondary school that the student attends, be allowed to attend a safe public elementary school or secondary school within the local education agency, including a public charter school.
USCO Determinations
• 2003-04 School Year
– 47 determinations – 5 States
• 2004-05 School Year
– 41 determinations – 4 States
• 2005-06 School Year
– 36 determination – 7 States
ED Efforts
• • • • Non-Regulatory Guidance Workshops and Meetings Data Grants Monitoring and Technical Assistance
USCO Issues
Non-Regulatory Guidance • Is non-regulatory
– No basis to regulate – ―states shall establish‖
• Is guidance
– ―Highlights some important aspects of USCO, and provides guidance on some provisions that may be useful in administering these requirements.‖
USCO Issues
• Period of time
– Many states have defined PDS as schools school that meet established criteria over a period of two or three years. – NRG strongly encourages States to define PDS based on a shorter period, specifically one school year. (B-5)7
USCO Issues
• Data
– Collection
• School safety data is often aggregated by county or district level not school level
– Consistencies in coding/interpretation of data
• Definitions of criminal actions may vary within a state • If using criminal data; may not be reflected in school collected data
– Management of data
• Definitions are not necessarily aligned with current data collections • NRG encourages states to use UMIRS data
USCO Issues
• Incidents used in determinations
– Only Criminal offenses used by many – NRG (B-4) suggest objective data encompassing areas that students and parents would consider in determining a school’s level of safety, including violent offenses
USCO Issues
• Types of data that could be used:
• Bringing a firearm to school • Results from student surveys about fights on schools grounds • Data on gang presence on school grounds
USCO Issues
• Labeling
– Stigma – Economic implications
USCO Issues
• Financial Constraints
– Financial support for a new data collection process – No allotment of funds to improve schools deemed ―persistently dangerous‖ – Busing/transportation
• Lack of transfer opportunity
– Often there is no other school in the LEA to accept a transfer student
USCO Issues
• In cases of victimization, often the burden of transferring is on the victim rather than the perpetrator.
• Wide scope of state laws/regulations, data collection challenges, and financial constraints indicate that a model USCO policy would be difficult to offer • Perhaps more effective to offer a clear list of items for states to use in policy development
• Nomenclature
– Persistently Dangerous School is pejorative
• Watch List
– To provide TA and support to schools with safety concerns
• Training and TA for LEAs in collection of data and compliance
• Threshold or definition of what constitutes PDS • Clear indication of what data sources will be used and who is responsible for collection and interpretation