School Safety Project: Product Evaluation, 1990-1991.

N

24

Crime; Crisis Intervention; Delinquency; Elementary Secondary Education; Prevention; Program Evaluation; School Safety; School Security; Security Personnel; Vandalism; Violence

A districtwide school safety project implemented in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1990-91, the third year of its operation, is evaluated in this report. The project is evaluated on the basis of the following objectives: employment and training of home-school liaison officers; establishment of an advisory council; development and implementation of school-based initiatives; and reductions in violence and vandalism. A review of records indicated that the first three objectives were met; however, the fourth was not. Reports of criminal or delinquent acts increased by 47 percent. The increase may be attributed to a normal cyclical pattern and increased probability of reporting. Recommendations for improvement include establishing documentation procedures for training sessions, measuring student/staff perceptions of violence levels, and developing basic security plans for each school level. Appendices, comprising about half the document, contain topics addressed in the training programs and council meetings, and a cost analysis for 1990-91. A table of violence and vandalism statistics is also included. (LMI)

1992

ED343267