In order to address what has been done to improve student behavior and school safety and why various programs work, under what conditions they work, and for what students, the U.S. Department of Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and the Office of Special Education Programs collaborated, in 1997 and 1998, to learn about schools that managed to reduce discipline problems and improve the learning and behavior of all students, including those with disabilities. This report describes and analyzes findings from a study that conducted site visits at 3 research-based programs (Westerly Public Schools, Rhode Island, Project ACHIEVE Polk and Hillsborough County School Districts, Florida, and Effective Behavior Support, Second Step, Lane County, Oregon) implemented at 10 schools employing resources from Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. The study analyzed what they had in common, and why they worked. Site visits were conducted by a research team accompanied by expert panels. Each site visit included six focus groups that provided descriptions of their experiences in dynamically changing schools and programs. The first three sections of the report consist of a short background describing the need for safe, drug-free, and effective schools for all students; a description of the study methodology; and summary descriptions of the three programs visited. The fourth section of the report presents major cross-site findings describing common program components, effective practices, approaches, and programs, community-based collaboration, challenges to change, and special circumstances. The programs and schools visited reflect a set of underlying principles: (1) safe schools are everybody's business; (2) safe schools are one family; (3) safe schools are caring schools that value and respect all students; (4) safe schools have high academic standards and provide students with the support to achieve these standards; (5) safe schools have high behavioral standards and provide students with positive support to achieve these standards; (6) safe schools are strategic schools; (7) safe schools combine three approaches: schoolwide prevention efforts, early intervention for students found at-risk for behavioral problems, and targeted individualized interventions for students with severe behavior problems; and (8) safe schools view the school as part of the larger community. References