Hanover, Maryland (CNN) Representatives of the Federal Commission on School Safety, including its leader Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, visited a Maryland elementary school on Thursday to focus on a framework aimed at improving school climate.

The commission's trip to Frank Hebron-Harman Elementary School -- its first school visit since the commission was created earlier this year -- focused on "positive behavioral interventions and supports," or PBIS, a framework with the goal of improving school climate and student behavior across a wide range of outcomes like discipline and academics.

After visiting several classes at the elementary school, DeVos briefly acknowledged the reason the commission was formed: It was part of the Trump administration's response to the deadly February shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead. She described the incident as a "terrible tragedy."

"In the aftermath, students and educators alike understandably fear that this could happen in their own school. Parents dread getting a phone call that too many other parents have experienced," she said, adding that the President instructed her agency and the others involved with the commission to "immediately work with states and schools to improve school security, expand access to mental health programs and increase investments in violence prevention programs.

"Today we're looking at concrete examples of a school taking a holistic approach to foster a safe and supportive culture thanks, in part, to their implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports," DeVos said.

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