Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
John Reynolds
Committee Member
Paulette Ebbs
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
academics, after-school tutorial program, anger management, armed robbery, character education, child molestation, conflict resolution, criminal justice system, drug trafficking, economically difficult situations, elementary school students, family socio-economic position, juvenile courts, kidnapping, middle school students, murder, parent involvement, parental duties, parental involvement, possession of a weapon at school, Project Success, recidivism, Riley Learning Center, school-level involvement, students, Superior courts, tutoring, violence prevention
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to reduce the number of students at Riley Learning Center who re-offend and return to the criminal justice system. All students attending the Riley Learning Center (RLC) had been found guilty or adjudicated in the Superior or Juvenile courts on one or more of the following offenses: aggravated assault, murder, kidnapping, child molestation, armed robbery, possession of a weapon at school, drug trafficking, and/or carjacking.
There are several possible causes for the increase in the rate of recidivism of RLC students. One major possible cause for the increase in the rate of recidivism could be related to the socio-economic position of the student’s family. According to Lempers-Clark and Simons (Major, 1989), families living in economically difficult situations often lead parents to perform their parental duties less well and, at times, inconsistently.
Information gathered over an 8-year period (1995-2003) showed that students at RLC re-offended at a rate of 44%. A program, “Project Success,” was created to reduce the recidivism rate among the elementary and middle school students at RLC. The program concentrated on academics, character education, conflict resolution/anger management and parental involvement.
Research showed that intervention strategies that focus on conflict resolution/anger management would be effective in redirecting these students. The writer used Project Success as an intervention strategy to reduce the number of students who re-offend by teaching them how to resolve conflict without resorting to violence. In addition, students were tutored and provided additional academic help through an after-school tutorial program. There was also a strategy to increase parental involvement at the school level.