	Introduction

The No Child Left Behind Act ( P.L. 107-110 ) amended and reauthorized the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as Part A of Title IV—21 st Century Schools. SDFSCA is administered by the Department of Education (ED). Although the SDFSC program is the primary federal government program targeted to reduce drug use and violence through educational and prevention methods in the nation's schools, it is one of several substance abuse and violence prevention programs funded by the federal government. ED, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) administered 48 of the programs. School Safety

Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2006 ( Indicators Study ), a joint publication by ED and DOJ, provides the most recent federal data on school crime and student safety. The report states that "it is difficult to gauge the scope of crime and violence in schools given the large amount of attention devoted to isolated incidents of extreme school violence." Preliminary data revealed that 28 youth ages 5 to 18 were victims of school-associated violent deaths from July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005—that is, 21 homicides and 7 suicides. Those figures translated to about one homicide or suicide of school-aged students at school per 2 million students enrolled during the 2004-05 school year. In 2004, 12-to-18-year-old students were victims of about 1.4 million nonfatal crimes at school. The Indicators Study stated that "Our nation's schools should be safe havens for teaching and learning, free of crime and violence." Researchers discovered the following:
As mentioned above, less than 1% of all homicides among school-aged children, 5 to 19 years, occurred in or around school grounds or on the way to and from school; 65% of school-related deaths were students, 11% were teachers or other staff members, and 23% were community members who were killed on school property; 83% of school homicide or suicide victims were males; 23% of the fatal injuries occurred inside the school building, 36% happened outdoors on school property, and 35% occurred off campus; and The deaths occurred in 25 states across the nation and took place in both primary and secondary schools and communities of all sizes. The update suggested measures that might help prevent school-associated violent deaths as follows:
—Encouraging efforts to reduce crowding, increase supervision, and institute plans/policies to handle disputes during transition times that may reduce the likelihood of potential conflicts and injuries;
—Taking threats seriously: students need to know who to go to when they have learned of a threat to anyone at the school, while parents, educators, and mentors should be encouraged to take an active role in helping troubled children and teens;
—Taking talk of suicide seriously: it is important to address risk factors for suicidal behavior when trying to prevent violence toward self and others;
—Promoting prevention programs that are designed to help teachers and other school staff recognize and respond to incidences of bullying between students;
—Ensuring at the start of each semester that schools' security plans are being enforced and that staff are trained and prepared to use the plans. There has been a spate of school-related violent deaths and injuries thus far in the 2006-2007 school year. OxyContin use increased among 8 th and 10 th graders, but slightly declined among 12 th graders. The proportion of 8 th , 10 th , and 12 th grade students who reported using such drugs to get high translated to one in every 25 students in 8 th grade and one in 14 high school seniors. Teen cigarette smoking rates continued to show a decline in all grade levels in 30-day use with the greatest decrease among 12 th graders. Similarly, smokeless tobacco use declined only among 12 th graders who had used the product 30 days prior to the survey. Other Illicit Drug Use

In 2006, as previously mentioned, researchers found no or very little decline at any grade level in the use of LSD, hallucinogens other than LSD, cocaine powder, inhalants, crystal methamphetamine ("ice"), heroin, narcotics other than heroin, tranquilizers, sedatives, various club drugs, and steroids. In 2006, only 10 th graders showed a further decline in use of the drug, which was statistically significant, although their belief that there was a great risk in using the drug slightly declined after an increase in that belief in 2005 over 2004. In 2005, alcohol use declined in all three grades. Grants are authorized for state programs and for a variety of national programs to promote school safety and assist in preventing drug abuse in the nation's schools. As previously stated the SDFSC Act is up for reauthorization in the 110 th Congress.
The No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-110), amended and reauthorized the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) as Part A of Title IV—21st Century Schools. The act is up for reauthorization in the 110th Congress. The Department of Education (ED) administers SDFSCA through the SDFSC program, which is the federal government's major initiative to prevent drug abuse and violence in and around schools. State grants are awarded by formula to outlying areas, state educational agencies, and local educational agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Also, funds go to state Governors for creating programs to deter youth from using drugs and committing violent acts in schools. National programs are supported through discretionary funds for a variety of national leadership projects designed to prevent drug abuse and violence at all educational levels.
Other federally sponsored substance abuse and violence prevention programs are administered in the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and other agencies. Those programs are not discussed in this report.
A joint Department of Education and Department of Justice (DOJ) study (Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2006) states that "Our nation's schools should be a safe haven for teaching and learning free of crime and violence.... However, it is difficult to gauge the scope of crime and violence in schools given the large amount of attention devoted to isolated incidents of extreme school violence." ED and DOJ data show that from July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005, there were 21 homicides and seven suicides at school of 5- to 18-year-old students, which translated to about one homicide or suicide of such a student at school per 2 million students enrolled in the 2004-05 school year. Also, in 2004, 12- to-18-year-old students were victims of about 1.4 million nonfatal crimes at school. A spate of school violence deaths and injuries occurred early in the 2006-2007 school term, prompting renewed interest in the issue, including a White House conference on school safety.
A study conducted by the University of Michigan (2006 Monitoring the Future), revealed a continued general decline in illicit drug use by all 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students. In 2006, very little or no declines in drug use occurred in any grade of such drugs as inhalants, LSD, cocaine powder, methamphetamines, heroin, tranquilizers, sedatives, various club drugs, steroids and others. There was little change in MDMA (ecstasy) use among 8th and 10th graders, but a very small increase in annual use among 12th graders. Marijuana use continued to decline among 10th and 12th graders, but stopped declining among 8th graders. After decreasing slightly in recent years among all grades, crack cocaine use showed a further decline among 10th graders. OxyContin use increased among 8th and 10th graders, but declined among 12th graders. Vicodin use slightly increased among all three grades. Alcohol use, cigarette smoking, and smokeless tobacco use declined only among 12th graders who had used the product 30 days prior to the survey. About one in every 25 8th graders and one in every 14 high school seniors abused over-the-counter cough or cold medications.