The Office of Safe and Drug Schools and the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will host a national truancy prevention conference Dec. 6-8, 2004, in Washington, D.C.

OSDFS announces the availability of the Practical Information on Crisis Planning brochure. This companion brochure to the full Crisis Planning Guide provides general information and guidelines on how to be prepared for a crisis. (August 2004)

OSDFS announces the FY 2004 Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program grant awards. (July 2004)

The Unsafe School Choice Option Non-Regulatory Guidance is now final. (May 2004)
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OSDFS is currently seeking qualified peer reviewers to read and evaluate grant proposals submitted under several programs. The peer review process uses a web-based system allowing reviewers to read and score applications from home. For more information, please visit www.osdfspeerreview.org. (April 2004)

OSDFS, in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, announces the availability of Safe Lanes on Campus. (March 2004)

OSDFS announces availability of the application package for the FY 2004 Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Models on Campus competition. (March 2004)

OSDFS announces availability of the following application packages for FY 2004: the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program, the Carol M. White Physical Education Program, Partnerships in Character Education, and Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse. (February 2004)

A new question and answer has been added to the non-regulatory guidance for the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) State Grants Program. The question and answer address some concerns about the impact of SDFSCA provisions on students who need to receive medication or monitor a medical condition while at school. (January 2004)
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OSDFS has posted information and resources for schools on preventing the spread of influenza. (January 2004)

Final deadlines are announced for implementation of the Unsafe School Choice Option requirements in Section 9532 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act. (June 16, 2003)

Characteristics of Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act SEA and Governors' Programs: 1999-2000 is now available online. The report, based on information submitted by the States, provides details about the implementation of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act State Grants program for school year 1999-2000.

Student-led Crime Prevention: A Real Resource with Powerful Promise will provide principals, and other school administrators as well as teachers, school resource officers, and interested community members with the basis to articulate how students can help make the school safer and the steps for considering and establishing student-led initiatives.
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The importance of reviewing and revising school and district plans cannot be overemphasized, and Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities, a Guide developed by the U.S. Department of Education, is designed to help navigate this process. The Guide will give schools, districts and communities the critical concepts and components of good crisis planning, stimulate thinking about the crisis preparedness process, and provide examples of promising practices. Secretary Paige has made the review and revision of school emergency response and crisis management plans one of the Department's strategic objectives.
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Casual contact with a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) patient at schools has not resulted in reported transmission in the United States. However, schools are concerned about how to manage students who may have been exposed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a document called "Interim Domestic Guidance for Management of School Students Exposed to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)." The guidance is available on the CDC website.

The Emergency Planning website provides school leaders with information they need to plan for any emergency, including natural disasters, violent incidents and terrorist acts. (March 2003)