Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Doug Eury
Committee Member
James Ann Lynch
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
African American, Caucasian, Hispanic, discipline, discipline referrals, diversity training, faculty training, female students, gang-related violence, gangs, high schools, male students, metropolitan areas, multicultural schools, peer mediation, perception surveys, prevention programs, school climate, school culture, school resource officers, school safety, school violence, secondary schools, staff training, student mediation, student perceptions, students, violence prevention, violence prevention programs
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a violence prevention program at Robert Wood Johnson Memorial Comprehensive High School (hereafter referred to as Johnson High School) on the safe school component of the school climate through discipline data and perceptions of school personnel and clients about safety. Johnson High School, which is located near a large metropolitan area in the south, is a multicultural school with approximately 1,032 students. The school opened in 1972 with approximately 1,200 predominately Caucasian students. With the growth in the community over the last 30 years, there was a noted shift in the school climate. The number of gang and school violence related discipline referrals increased substantially 5 years prior to the study.
During 1999-2003, various interventions were implemented, which included gang task force involvement, resource safety officers being hired, expanded discipline policies, student mediation training, and faculty and staff diversity training. This study used archival discipline data and pre- and post surveys and interviews to determine the effects of the violence prevention program at Johnson High School.
The results of the study indicate that even though school violence and gang-related discipline referrals increased, so did total discipline referrals. The ratio between these 2 remained even over the period studied. From 1999-2003, there was a 5.06% decrease in the ratio of violence and gang-related discipline referrals and total discipline referrals. Hispanic, African-American, and male incidents increased substantially greater than Caucasian disciplines with a noted rise in female incidents over the same period. Perception surveys and interviews revealed a 75% and greater level of satisfaction for participants, teachers and students.