NCJ Number
113951
Date Published
1989
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the three-year project, 'Using the Law to Improve School Order and School Safety.'
Abstract
The project's hypothesis is that adequate respect, understanding, and appreciation for the law by educators, parents, and students can be the basis for improving school order and safety. The project, conducted in four inner city Chicago elementary schools, consisted of three phases: research gathering, developing of safety codes and procedures, and implementing and evaluating the new codes. The research gathered notes that teachers were subjected to verbal abuse, that students felt unsafe in school, and that physical fights between students were the most pressing discipline problem. Teachers questioned were not knowledgeable of State law, court decisions, and district policy related to school discipline. Results of surveys indicate that teachers use disciplinary practices that are inappropriate or prohibited. The implications of these findings are discussed, as well as intervention efforts to develop local discipline and safety codes. These codes were incorporated into a single manual emphasizing positive approaches to discipline and the prevention of discipline problems. Other efforts that the schools are utilizing are also presented, such as orientation meetings, and agreement forms. Evaluation of the project will take place at the end of the 1988-1989 school year.