Safe and Supportive Schools

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Six Lever Topics

Implementation Lever 1: Leadership and Culture:

Leadership fosters the creation of a safe and supportive school by developing and implementing a strategic and integrated plan to improve climate, culture and supports for students, staff, and the community.

Implementation Lever 2: Family Engagement:

Safe and supportive schools have structures in place to enable staff to partner effectively with all families and community members to support the educational success of their children.

Implementation Lever 3: Professional Learning Opportunities

School leaders, teachers, and staff engage in professional development and other targeted learning to improve school climate, culture, safety and social and emotional learning based on the needs of all staff, students, and families.

Implementation Lever 4: Access to Resources and Services

Safe and supportive schools ensure that all students and families have access to culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate supports, programs, and services made available in school, and through partnerships with external service providers that are integrated into the whole school learning environment. "Supports" include a wide range of things such as supportive relationships, access to food, access to stable housing, access to medical care, access to academic support, access to after school opportunities, as well as mental health services.

Implementation Lever 5: Teaching & Learning that Fosters Safe and Supportive Environments:

Students improve their learning in classroom and school cultures that are safe and supportive, and leverage diversity and culture to deepen learning.

Implementation Lever 6: Policies and Procedures

Safe and supportive schools have policies, procedures and protocols that are student-centered, equitable and unbiased.