Cover of Guiding Principles for Creating Safe, Inclusive, Supportive, and Fair School Climates, includes collage of photos with students and teachers interacting Download PDF

This resource identifies five guiding principles and suggests actions schools and school districts can take
to create inclusive, safe, supportive, and fair learning environments. The resource also lists federal
resources to support these efforts. The five guiding principles are:

  1. Foster a sense of belonging through a positive, safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment.
  2. Support the social, emotional physical, and mental health needs of all students through evidence-based strategies
  3. Adequately support high-quality teaching and learning by increasing educators’ capacity
  4. Recruit and retain a diverse educator workforce
  5. Ensure the fair administration of student discipline policies in ways that treat students with dignity and respect (including through system-wide policy and staff development and monitoring strategies)

Published by the U.S. Department of Education, March 2023

Topics: school discipline, discipline