The Relationship between School Crime Statistics and Its Impact on School Success

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

Anthony C. Greene Dr., Miles CollegeFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Miles College

Second Presenter's Institution

Vernandi R. Greene

Third Presenter's Institution

Tujuana G. Hinton

Fourth Presenter's Institution

NA

Fifth Presenter's Institution

NA

Location

Harborside East & West

Strand #1

Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Safety & Violence Prevention

Relevance

“Our nation’s schools should be safe havens for teaching and learning, free of crime and violence.” (Henry, Stuart. What is School Violence?: An Integrated Definition. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. January 2000.) “Any instance of crime or violence at school not only affects the individuals involved, but also may disrupt the educational process and affect bystanders, the school itself, and the surrounding community.” (http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/ 2014/06/10/incidents-of-school-crime-and-violence-on-the-rise-for-students-and-teachers ) Many educators would argue that a safe environment is a prerequisite for productive learning and that student’s fears in school may decrease engagement and achievement. According to Joanna Lacoe, some children are just “Too Scared to Learn.” Therefore, we need to transform our schools into safe havens of learning and assisting them in the development of their emotional and social growth. The aim of this presentation is to transform data into action. This presentation will provide strategies to understanding what can do done to ensure a safe school environment on minority school campuses. The presentation will focus on two of the 5H conference strands: Strand 2: Heart – Social & Emotional Skills and Strand 3: Hands – Safety & Violence. Other than using historical data, the presentation will also use survey data and qualitative data from open ended question responses. This presentation will offer statistical data on how the issue of violence on minority campuses is affecting secondary and post-secondary schools. The presentation will then infuse practical, as well as research based solutions to the at-risk issues.

As it relates to Strand 2: Heart, “Social and Emotional Issues”, past research studies have overwhelming demonstrated the effects social and emotional issues on academic success. Therefore, creating positive, safe and orderly environments for minority students is paramount for school success. In relation to Strand 3: Hands, Safety & Violence, the presentation will detail ways of ensuring safety for all students on today’s campuses.

Brief Program Description

Without hard data in place, nothing separates the merits of what can be done to promote student learning. This presentation will focus on using data driven solutions to develop positive school environments using statistical information. This presentation will help secondary and post-secondary educators by:

• Analyzing current and historical statistical data
• Identifying best practices needed to promote student learning.

Summary

In addition to national data, results will be shared from survey data collected over the past three years as it relates to violence on minority campuses. This presentation is designed to give secondary and post-secondary educators information to focus on data driven solutions to this problem using statistical information and a collaborative learning approach. The field of education has a number of challenges in terms of policy planning, and statistics are particularly important as they often provide some of the only objective information that administrators use when making organizational and curricular decisions. Without this hard data in place, often nothing separates the merits of the various arguments that people on different sides of policy decisions make supporting their own cases (https://www.reference.com/education/importance-statistics-education-f8956668ca721057 )

According to President Barack Obama, December 16, 2012 "This job of keeping our children safe, and teaching them well, is something we can only do together, with the help of friends and neighbors, the help of a community, and the help of a nation."

Schools were once thought of as a safe haven away from community and society distractions. Schools were thought to be insulated from the violence and commotions of the world as a whole. However, societal problems and dilemmas are now at the front door of our schools and can no longer be ignored. This team of students along with secondary and postsecondary educators will look at one of the most frightening and alarming issues facing educators across the nation. This solution based presentation offers to Empower Educators with realistic solutions based data driven information through the identification of threats that educators face daily. This solution based presentation will use a systematic process design using research based student engagement and student recommendations to identify reasons for on-campus violence; review prevention focused risks and protective and infrastructure factors.

Evidence

Our presentation will be based on current research and statistical data collected through student surveys, open-ended responses, and U.S. Department of Education information. The presentation offers positive steps to reduce school violence on minority school campuses by identifying the causes and offering proven strategies to reduce their occurrences. Attention to a school’s psychological environment (Education Digest, Oct2014, Vol. 80 Issue 2, p15-19, 5p) is also an essential component. An important first step in systematic change to prevent violence is to look at the existing data. Assessment efforts will include descriptions of the types of violence that occur, the experiences of various stakeholders with violence, the context within which violence occurs and how that context contributes to violence (Michael J. Furlong, Erika D. Felix, Jill D. Sharkey, and Jim Larson, Preventing School Violence: A Plan for Safe and Engaging Schools, (www.nasponline.org/Documents/Resources%20and%20Publications/Handouts/Families%20and%20Educators/Student%20Counseling%20Violence%20Prevention.pdf). Federal resources, as evidence on the importance of the topic include: Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) supports efforts to create safe schools, respond to crises, prevent alcohol and other drug abuse, ensure the health and well-being of students, and teach students good citizenship and character. The agency provides financial assistance for drug abuse 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. (http://www.ed.gov/osdfs). The Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Education, with guidelines to assist institutions with Title IX compliance related to sexual harassment, titled “Sexual Harassment Guidance: Harassment of Students by School Employees, Other Students, or Third Parties.”( http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html), and the Office of Postsecondary Education Campus Security Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, which maintains a web-site for campus security statistics, authorized by Congress with the 1998 amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965, to help potential college students and parents research criminal offenses on college campuses. ( http://www.ope.ed.gov/security).

Biographical Sketch

Anthony C. Greene, PhD; Associate Professor Miles College and Supervisor of National Testing. Adjunct Professorship at Alabama State University, Atlanta University, University of Alabama, Concordia University- Portland. Past School Superintendent (Fairfield City Schools), Director of Psychological Services, and Principal. Over 35 years in education.

Vernandi Greene, MEd; Adjunct Professor Miles College. Assessment and Psychology instructor. Over 15 years in education.

Tujuana Hinton, MAT; National Board Certified Teacher. Presenter, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Baltimore County Public School. Mathematics and Pre-Engineering instructor in Middle School and High School and Junior College. Over 8 years in education.

Selected Students from Miles College

Keyword Descriptors

Crime Statistics Data-Driven Impact School Success Collaborative Secondary Post-Secondary

Presentation Year

2017

Start Date

3-7-2017 4:00 PM

End Date

3-7-2017 5:30 PM

Recommended Citation

Greene, Anthony C. Dr., "The Relationship between School Crime Statistics and Its Impact on School Success" (2017). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 68.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2017/2017/68