The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) administers, coordinates, and recommends policy for improving quality and excellence of programs and activities that are designed to:

• Provide financial assistance for drug and violence prevention activities and activities that promote the health and well being of students in elementary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education. Activities may be carried out by State and local educational agencies and by 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; drafting program regulations.

• Participate in interagency committees, groups, and partnerships related to drug and violence prevention, coordinating with other Federal agencies on issues related to comprehensive school health, and advising the Secretary on the formulation of comprehensive school health education policy.

• Participate with other Federal agencies in the development of a national research agenda for drug and violence prevention.

• Administer the Department's programs relating to character and civics education.

Organization

The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools is under the supervision of the Assistant Deputy Secretary who reports to the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary on policy and program administration matters. The Immediate Office of the Assistant Deputy Secretary provides overall direction, coordination, and leadership to the following major elements:

• Health, Mental Health, Environmental Health, and Physical Education
• Drug-Violence Prevention - State Programs
• Drug-Violence Prevention - National Programs
• Character and Civic Education
• Policy and Cross-Cutting Programs

SDFSC Advisory Committee

The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Advisory Committee, authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act, was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. The Committee was established to provide advice to the Secretary on Federal, state, and local programs designated to create safe and drug-free schools, and on issues related to crisis planning. As outlined in section 4124(a), the Committee will consult with, and provide advice to, the Secretary for the programs listed in section 4124(b) that are already carried out by the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.