The term sequestration refers to an approximate 8.4% across the board cut on both discretionary and some nondiscretionary (mandatory) programs that will take place on January 2, 2013 as stipulated by the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011unless Congress acts.

The BCA calls for a total of $1 Trillion in caps on annual appropriations bills through 2021. It also created a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to try and come up with an additional 1.2 Trillion in cuts. If the Committee failed to produce a plan, then the BCA calls for sequestration - automatic cuts across the board in discretionary spending (including military and domestic) and some mandatory (nondiscretionary) programs. The Committee was not successful and so the automatic sequestration cuts are scheduled to go into effect on January 2, 2013.

According to the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) in its new report, "Cut Deep: How the Sequester will Impact our Nation's Schools," a survey of 1,060 superintendents, the cuts will result in eliminations to personnel, curriculum, facilities and operations. According to the superintendants surveyed, the most significant reductions would be professional development, which is especially worrisome considering the training that school personnel will need given the requirements under both the Common Core curriculum and assessments.  Complete article and links. 

Bullying in Schools: Understanding Bullying and How to Intervene with Schools  

Over the past twenty years, increasing attention has been paid to children's experiences with peer harassment in American schools. An estimated 15 percent to 30 percent of American students are identified as either victims or bullies. In a recent survey of 1200 students from 85 schools, 98 percent reported that bullying occurred in their schools. Forty percent reported being bullied and 76 percent reported that they had witnessed other students being bullied (Schroeder, 2002). Research has identified negative outcomes on children's development not only for victims of peer harassment, but also for the perpetrators and peers who witness it (see Hawker & Boulton, 2000 for review). As American schools have focused on providing safe and secure environments to maximize children's ability to learn and develop, there has been increasing concern with recognizing, intervening, and preventing peer harassment or victimization within schools. A number of school-based bullying prevention/intervention programs and curricula have been developed and implemented.  Read full article. 

University of Southern Florida 2012 Youth Suicide Prevention School-Based Guide    

The Youth Suicide Prevention School-Based Guide is designed to provide accurate, user-friendly information. The Guide is not a program but a tool that provides a framework for schools to assess their existing or proposed suicide prevention efforts (through a series of checklists) and provides resources and information that school administrators can use to enhance or add to their existing program. First, checklists can be completed to help evaluate the adequacy of the schools' suicide prevention programs. Second, information is offered in a series of issue briefs corresponding to a specific checklist. Each brief offers a rationale for the importance of the specific topic together with a brief overview of the key points. The briefs also offer specific strategies that have proven to work in reducing the incidence of suicide, with references that schools may then explore in greater detail. A resource section with helpful links is also included. The Guide provides information to schools to assist them in the development of a framework to work in partnership with community resources and families.  Download parts or complete guide, free.

Both researchers and oversight committees share concerns about patient safety in the study-related assessment of suicidality. However, concern about assessing suicidal thoughts can be a barrier to the development of empirical evidence that informs research on how to safely conduct these assessments. A question has been raised if asking about suicidal thoughts can result in iatrogenic increases of such thoughts, especially among at-risk samples. The current study repeatedly tested suicidal ideation at 6-month intervals for up to 2-years. Suicidal ideation was measured with the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire Junior, and administered to adolescents who had previously received inpatient psychiatric care. Change in suicidal ideation was tested using several analytic techniques, each of which pointed to a significant decline in suicidal ideation in the context of repeated assessment. This and previous study outcomes suggest that asking an at-risk population about suicidal ideation is not associated with subsequent increases in suicidal ideation.  Full study.

Precipitating Events in Adolescent Suicidal Crises: Exploring Stress-Reactive and Non-Reactive Risk Profiles   

Factors distinguishing adolescents who experienced a precipitating event in the week preceding a suicidal crisis from those who did not were examined. Among 130 suicidal inpatients (mean age = 15.01 years), those who experienced a precipitating event reported significantly lower depressive symptom scores, better perceived problem solving, less suicidal intent, and a lower rate of prior suicide attempts than those without a precipitating event. Levels of trait impulsivity, suicidal ideation, and current attempt status did not differentiate groups. Findings provide preliminary evidence consistent with at least two possible pathways to a suicidal crisis. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.  Complete summary.       

The report was released in late June and published in the Journal of School Psychology.  The findings reiterate what many student transporters as well as special education teachers have known for some time. Kevin Jennings, former deputy administrator for the U.S. Department of Education's Safe and Drug-Free Schools (now Safe and Healthy Schools), made similar comments during a presentation at the 2010 NAPT Summit in Portland, Ore. The Department of Education partnered with NAPT to complete and offer the free training modules for school bus drivers on responding to and preventing bullying.

"These results paint a fairly bleak picture for students with disabilities in terms of bullying, victimization and disciplinary actions," said Susan Swearer, professor of educational psychology at the University of Nebraska a national expert on school bullying.  More.

Building the Capacity of Charter Schools: Effectively Serving Students with Disabilities