This guide is written from the perspective of school-based efforts to help address social problems and drug use among children. Although schools are not solely responsible for the nation's drug problems, the solution will require collaborative efforts among schools, families, communities, and social institutions. No longer are schools just a setting to deliver prevention; they have the potential to act as powerful protective influences in students' lives. This is the concept behind a protective school. The physical and psychological atmosphere serves to promote healthy youth development in protective schools. The ten principles that foster a creation of such a school are outlined in this guide, and can be applied by educators, school administrators, policy makers, community leaders, and parents. The principles are: (1) forging a vision of success; (2) building a protective school culture; (3) increasing leadership commitment; (4) supporting a strong academic program; (5) implementing research-based prevention; (6) providing a continuum of services; (7) providing professional development; (8) strengthening home-school-community relationships; (9) leveraging funding and resources; and (10) using data to guide decision making. Additional resources are listed throughout the guide. (Contains 55 references.) (JDM)