The participants in the group discussions focused on potential issues that state and federal legislators should consider as they consider policies aimed at improving school safety.

• Do not impose cookie-cutter solutions.  Schools need flexibility in spending resources.
• Heed the research.  Look for what is working, and what is not.
• Expand federally funded service-learning programs such as Americorps.
• Consider family education.
• Support programs that give parents the flexibility they need to visit schools without being penalized by their employer.
• Expand scholarship opportunities for mentors.
• Take leadership in more succinctly pulling together and disseminating research on school violence (use distancelearning technology to help reach smaller communities).
• Provide more support for Head Start and homebased programs.
• Institute gun control.
• Pass a parent involvement act to give parents tax credit for school involvement. 
• Allow decision on programs to be made at local level.
• Do not overlegislate the problem (at state or federal level).
• Look at federal policies with regard to impact on schools, communities, and families.  Focus is perceived to have been on control and containment rather than on prevention and intervention.
• Give more attention to mental health issues (health care).
• Address growth of violent images in society (TV, movies, music, etc.).