I. Office of Safe and Healthy Students

The Office of Safe and Healthy Students (OSHS) administers, coordinates, and recommends policy for improving the quality and excellence of programs and activities that are designed to:

• Provide financial assistance for:  drug and violence prevention activities; activities that promote the health and well-being of students in elementary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education; and school preparedness activities that contribute to improved conditions for learning.  Activities may be carried out by other Federal agencies, State and local educational agencies, and other public and private nonprofit organizations.
• Participate in the formulation and development of ED program policy and legislative proposals and in overall Administration policies related to violence and drug prevention; draft program regulations.
• Participate in interagency committees, groups, and partnerships related to:  drug and violence prevention, school preparedness; homeland security; missing and exploited youth, trafficked youth, and school health. 
• Participate with other Federal agencies in the development of a national research and data collection agenda for drug and violence prevention and preparedness.
• Administer the Department's programs relating to citizenship and civics education.

OSHS is headed by a Director, who reports to the Assistant Secretary and/or respective Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, and advises the Assistant Secretary and/or Deputy Assistant Secretary on matters related to the programs administered by OSHS.  The Immediate Office of the Director provides overall direction, coordination, and leadership to the following major program elements:

• Safe and Supportive Schools
• Health, Mental Health, Environmental Health, and Physical Education
• Drug-Violence Prevention
• Character and Civic Education
• Homeland Security, Emergency Management and school preparedness.

OSHS is divided into three subordinate units:

Safe and Supportive Schools Group (S3) administers Title IV, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) authorized by ESEA, as amended, and other programs related to developing and maintaining safe, disciplined, and drug-free schools. In particular, this Group administers the Safe and Supportive Schools (S3) grant program and a number of interagency agreements with a focus on but not limited to:  bullying, school recovery research, data collection, drug and violence prevention activities in elementary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education. This group provides national leadership on issue and programs in character, and civic education, including reporting on issues and programs, disseminating information, and providing technical assistance, and providing financial assistance for citizenship and character education activities in elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education. This groups activities may be carried out by State and local educational agencies and by other public and private nonprofit organizations. (Group Leader: Paul Kesner)

Specifically, the group has lead responsibility for the following programs:

• Safe and Supportive Schools (Discretionary Grants)
• Governors' Grants (Formula Grants)
• Grants to States to Improve Management of Drug and Violence Prevention Programs (Discretionary Grants)
• Safe and Drug-Free Schools Native Hawaiian Program (Discretionary Grants)
• State Formula Grants for SEAs (Formula Grants)
• The Challenge Newsletter Grant Competition (Discretionary Grant)
• Partnerships in Character Education Program (Discretionary Grants)
• Civic Education
  • Civic Education - Improve Public Knowledge of and Support for Democracy
  • We The People
  • Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange Program (Discretionary Grants)

Healthy Students Group administers programs that promote violence prevention, alcohol abuse prevention, and the health and well-being of students and families as outlined in Title IV and V, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) authorized by the ESEA, as amended. Programs authorized under this legislation provide financial assistance for activities that promote the health and well-being of students in elementary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education. This group administers the Safe Schools/Healthy Students, Physical Education, Alcohol Abuse Prevention, Higher Education Alcohol Programs, Drug Testing, and School Counselors programs. Activities may be carried out by local educational agencies and by other public and private nonprofit organizations. (Group Leader: Norris Dickard)

Specifically, the group has lead responsibility for the following discretionary programs: 

• Safe Schools/Healthy Students Discretionary Grants (Discretionary Grants)
• Models of Exemplary, Effective, and Promising Alcohol or Other Drug Prevention Programs on College Campuses (Discretionary Grants)
• School-Based Student Drug-Testing Programs (Discretionary Grants)
• Discretionary Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse (Discretionary Grants)
• Grant Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking and Violent Behavior Among College Students (Discretionary Grants)
• Grants for Coalitions to Prevent and Reduce Alcohol Abuse at Institutions of Higher Education
• Mentoring Grants (Discretionary Grants)
• Carol M. White Physical Education Program (Discretionary Grants)
• Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Discretionary Grants (Discretionary Grants)
• Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems (Discretionary Grants)
• Foundations for Learning Grants Program (Discretionary Grants)

Center for School Preparedness, herein known as "the Center," administers programs that promote the ability of schools to prepare for and respond to crisis and disasters (natural and man-made).  The Center also has responsibility for addressing issues related to homeland security. The Center is responsible for Project SERV (School Emergency Response to Violence); Readiness Emergency Management for Schools; Emergency Management for Higher Education; Homeland Security Activities; Disaster Response Coordinated with FEMA and DHS. In addition to the above activities, the Center is responsible for maintaining close contact with school security police chiefs, School Resource Officers, and emergency first responders. (Acting Group Leader: Tara Hill)

• Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (Discretionary Grants)
• School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) (Discretionary Grants)
• Educational Facilities Clearinghouse
• Emergency Management for Higher Education
• Emergency Planning

OSHS staff also implement several other provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. These provisions are consistent with the office's mission to support the creation of safe, disciplined, drug-free and healthy learning environments for students, and include:

• Gun-Free Schools Act (Title IV, Part A, Subpart 3, Section 4141)
• Transfer of Disciplinary Records (Title IV, Part A, Subpart 4, Section 4155)
• Pro-Children Act (Title IV, Part C)
• Unsafe School Choice Option (Title IX, Part E, Section 9532)