Publications

NSBA Publications

Reimagining School Board Leadership: Actions for Equity

February 2021

The Remaining School Board Leadership: Actions for Equity Guide is a collaboration between NSBA’s Dismantling Institutional Racism in Education (DIRE) initiative and Center for Safe Schools that focuses on acknowledging and understanding current events and the historical issues of systemic racism in America. This resource establishes a drive for school boards to rise to these current challenges our school systems are facing to transform public education, with a focus on equitable access to world-class education for every student.

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Adverse Childhood Experiences

March 2019

This white paper provides an overview of ACEs, what it means for readiness to learn, and the role of school boards in providing leadership and capacity that will result in meaningful support for students and systemic change for school communities.

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Drugs, Substance Abuse, and Public Schools

January 30, 2019

Drugs, Substance Abuse, and Public Schools - A Legal Guide for School Leaders Amidst Evolving Social Norms.

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Fostering Safer Schools

August 17, 2018

Fostering School Safety offers school board members legal guidance to help school boards find best practices for their districts. The guide covers policies and programs that promote safe learning environments and ideas on how to collaborate with local law enforcement officials to assess threats.

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Coercion, Conscience, and the First Amendment

January 2018

Legal guide for public schools on the regulation of student and employee speech.  Q&A format designed to aid in conversations as policy is being developed.  Get answers to these questions:  do students have a constitutional right to free speech at schools?  Is a student’s right to free speech at school absolute? What if a student wants to “take a knee” during the National Anthem? and more!

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February 2018 - Appendix to this guide: Navigating Student Walkouts & Mass Protests

This checklist aims to help school boards and district leaders prepare for these activities in their schools and communities.

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Out of the Loop

January 2018

Nearly 20 percent of the country’s students are enrolled in rural schools, yet are not provided the same focus in national policy or research as students in urban and suburban school districts. “Out of the Loop,” a new report from the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA), Center for Public Education (CPE), finds that poverty, isolation and inequities are exacerbated for rural students by the lack of attention to the unique needs of this considerable student population. 

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2016 Transgender Students in Schools

Updated May 4, 2017

"Transgender Students in Schools" is not intended to provide one size fits all legal advice for what are very sensitive and complex social and legal issues. We urge school boards and their communities to use this guide "Transgender Students in Schools" as a balanced, objective resource in your conversations, and to support the mission of public schools to educate our nation’s children in safe learning environments. Version 10 (May 30, 2017)

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Data Security for Schools: A Legal and Policy Guide for School Boards

January 28, 2017

Using an FAQ format, this guide offers school boards information to help them ensure that their districts have sound policies and practices in place to protect all the data created, collected and stored as part of school operations and to respond appropriately in the event of a data breach.

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Final Report of the Federal Commission on School Safety 

December 18, 2018

Utilizing the information gathered, the Commission report offers a holistic approach to improving school safety, ranging from supporting the social and emotional well-being of students to enhancing physical building security. Acknowledging there can be no one-size-fits-all solution to this complex problem, the final report serves as a resource guide for families, educators, law enforcement officers, health professionals, and elected leaders to use as they consider the best ways to prevent, mitigate, and recover from acts of violence in schools. The recommendations are based on efforts that are already working in states and local communities.

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