Create and maintain a school climate and learning environment that is safe for, respectful of, friendly toward and responsive to persons of all racial, cultural, ethnic and socioeconomic groups; of all faiths, family structures, and sexual orientations and identities; and with any special health need, developmental delay, or disability. Such a climate and environment must apply to students, staff and families.

Ensure that district health, mental health, food service, and safety policies and procedures are congruent with federal, state, and local regulations as well as with current case law concerning school health and safety.

Maintain confidentiality of students' and staff members' health and mental health information including both personal and family health data.

Designate a "school health and safety coordinator" position at each school and at the district level. Individuals holding these positions should have the knowledge and skills necessary to integrate schools' health, mental health, and safety programs, to reach out to and involve families, and to collaborate with community agencies.

Establish a school and/or district health and safety advisory council that is composed of diverse members of the school and community, including family members of students and student representatives.

Establish and maintain a school health and safety team composed of selected school-employed staff and contractors responsible for planning and implementing various components of a school health and safety program.

Train all school staff on health and safety procedures so that they know what to do and whom to call at the outbreak of an urgent situation or emergency. Include training that prepares staff for urgent situations that may occur when there are students or staff with diabetes, asthma, seizures and allergic disorders.

Develop collaborative relationships with service providers in the community, including providers of health, mental health and dental services, emergency services, hospitals, rehabilitation services, local health departments, social service agencies, youth service providers, child care and after-school programs. Written agreements should be established for specific contract-related services to schools.

Involve students, families, staff, administrators, and school board members in development of school health and safety policies and communicate these policies to them. Provide necessary training to implement policies. Monitor and evaluate policies' implementation and impact.

Schools and districts need to base plans for developing their coordinated health and safety programs on a thorough needs assessment of the health, mental health, and safety-related needs of students and staff as well as school and community assets and resources.

Select and implement curricula, programs, and services that have scientific evidence for effectively reducing health risks or injuries, for improving health (including oral and mental health), safety, or academic outcomes, or for improving related knowledge, practices, and/or attitudes. For content areas that are new, emerging, or for which there are little data, choose curricula, programs, and services that utilize effective theories, practices, and/or principles.

Engage students' families and homes, service agencies, youth-serving organizations, local businesses, faith-based institutions, and other community resources to enhance school health, mental health, and safety programs.

Conduct periodic and ongoing evaluation of coordinated school health and safety programs and their components. Include process evaluation and quality assurance, evaluation of programs' effectiveness (including performance measurements), and evaluation of programs' impact on the entire school population.

Hire or contract with health, mental health, and safety related professionals who have completed the appropriate academic training for their field and are licensed, credentialed, or certified to provide the services and education for which they are responsible.

Personnel who are not members of a health profession but are trained to assist these professionals (i.e., paraprofessionals) may provide many services that students need at school. Establish clearly written guidelines and policies outlining what responsibilities may be delegated to health and mental health paraprofessionals.

Support the participation of health- and safety-related staff members in professional development opportunities that are designed to help them remain current in their fields and maintain credentials and/or licenses.

Before allowing new employees or volunteers to have contact with students, ensure that they have no criminal background, particularly in child abuse or in child sexual molestation or assault.