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Chapter 1: Using Data to Make a Difference
One of our nation's top priorities is to keep schools safe
by providing a place where students can learn and teachers can teach free
from threats of harm. Effective data collection and analysis provide educators
with a powerful set of tools for achieving this goal (Johnson, 1996).
Valid data that allow comparability within and across states and school
districts are of great value to governing agencies, policymakers, funding
sources, and the general public. Valid data are of even greater value
to schools. This chapter discusses the rationale for how effective use
of incident data can make a difference in school climate and student learning.
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The most important reason to collect incident data is to use the information to promote school safety and learning. |
Information can be gathered in a number of ways for a variety of purposes. The most important reason to collect incident data is to use the information to promote school safety and learning. There are many ways to do this. Data enable administrators to assess the impact of programs that have been implemented to promote school safety and to assess whether additional efforts are needed. Data provide the basis for grant applications. Incident data are also useful in assessing the costs associated with discipline problems and allocating resources appropriately. One large school district, after assessing its incident data, recognized the need to address attendance issues which were costing students valuable instructional time. The district hired a dropout specialist, instituted an in-school suspension program for truants, and limited the number of days for which a student could be suspended in any one semester (Brown, 2000).
The primary mission of schools is to promote learning. Safe and orderly
learning environments are a correlate of effective schools (Pepperl
and Lezotte, 1999; Lezotte, 1991; Edmonds, 1979). Thus, just as a safe
and healthy school climate contributes to effective teaching and learning, disruption, violence, and threats of violence greatly impede learning.
Many schools have seen academic benefits from the use of strong data
collection systems as part of violence prevention and school improvement
efforts, as illustrated below.
1.2 Improving School Safety
Educators and the public want schools to be safe and orderly. Assessing school safety and using data to conduct safe schools planning are key to reaching this goal. Assessing school safety. Many experts such as Stephens (2000) and Dwyer, Osher, and Warger (1998) have encouraged school administrators to assess school safety and take proactive steps to build safe schools. Office discipline referrals are key to assessing school discipline needs and to monitoring the effects of reform efforts. In addition, a systems approach to effective behavioral (and instructional) support requires the use of data to support decisionmaking. Discipline data are necessary to ensure that
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Data need to be reviewed in context. |
Data need to be reviewed in context. Schools with high suspension rates could be those with high levels of disorder. High suspension rates could also represent a physical plant problem, such as poorly designed buildings with narrow halls and stairwells conducive to pushing and shoving, a behavior which often leads to fighting. Significant overenrollment can have the same effect on student behavior. Schools that do not tolerate misbehavior can also have high suspension rates as they work to effectively manage student misbehavior, school disorder, and crime. It is important that administrators are attuned to contextual issues when making policy decisions (Clay, 1996).
Safe schools planning. Many states now require school or district safety plans (e.g., Florida, New York). The goal of safe school planning is to create and maintain a positive and welcoming school climate, free of drugs, violence, intimidation, and fear. A safe environment is necessary for teachers to teach and students to learn. Safe school planning provides an action plan and is an ongoing, systematic, and comprehensive process that addresses both short-term and long-term safety measures in working toward the elimination of violent attitudes and behaviors in the schools. School crime reporting and tracking and assessment of trends over time are essential components of a safe school plan. They enable schools and districts to monitor their mission, and to measure whether they are meeting their safe schools goals (Holcomb, 1998; Stephens, 2000). 1.3 Managing Resources | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Collecting and using incident data can help schools effectively use scarce resources. |
Collecting and using incident data can help schools effectively use scarce resources. Schools have a financial responsibility to taxpayers to ensure that resources bring maximum benefit to both safety and the learning enterprise. Preventing problem behavior ensures that the majority of resources go to classrooms and that already limited resources are spent for instructional purposes rather than for graffiti removal and vandalism repairs (California Department of Education, 1995).
Riley and McDaniel (1998) argue that incident data should be used to drive resource decisions. The California Department of Education (1995) highlights the financial benefit to safe school planning. The process of conducting a needs assessment may enable a school to qualify for outside grant funds and resources-accurate and reliable data may enable schools to demonstrate their need for additional resources. For example, in past years, many states distributed Safe and Drug-Free Schools Greatest Needs funds based on the level of problem behavior in schools.1 One condition of Safe and Drug-Free Schools funding is that it be used on efforts that research has demonstrated to be effective; incident data can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention interventions. Many types of incident reporting are also required by districts, states, and the Federal Government. Well designed incident reporting systems will save time, a limited resource, when schools and districts are required to complete these reports.2 Sugai and colleagues (2000) state that "school-wide discipline systems are the foundation from which all other efforts are based and directed." The Sugai article
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School-wide discipline is both proactive and reactive. |
In another article on the subject (Sugai et al.,
1998), the authors explain that school-wide discipline is more than simply
establishing rules for problem behavior and then enforcing those rules
by reacting to students who violate them. School-wide discipline is both
proactive (positive and preventive) and reactive (responsive and ameliorative),
and it emphasizes the establishment of a predictable, safe environment
where successful teaching and achievement are promoted. In addition, the
effectiveness of a school-wide discipline system is related to the effectiveness
of the instructional support systems (e.g., literacy) that are in place
(Shinn, 1997; Kaminski and Good, 1996; Kame'enui and Simmons 1998; Sugai
et al. 1998).
Schools that have been successful in implementing school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports have found
Patterns in incident data indicate where prevention programming is
needed (Sprague et al., 1999). For example, as Banks (2000) explains, bullying can dramatically affect the ability of students to progress
academically and socially. If a school identifies a pattern of bullying
in its incident data, then a bullying prevention program would be a
prudent use of resources. Stephens (1994) describes one instance where, by having and using a good incident data system, administrators were
able to determine that nearly every time a fight occurred on campus
it involved a certain group of female students who had formed a "dance
club." They learned that this club was really a new gang and were able
to take measures to put a stop to the emerging gang activities.
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With reliable data, school administrators will have information essential to problem solving. |
Without systematic, data-based decisionmaking procedures, the implementation of the best discipline system is likely to be ineffective. School-wide discipline planning-setting the stage for positive reinforcement of responsible student behavior and developing strategies for getting students back on track when their behavior is disturbing learning-serves as an instrument enabling effective instruction and learning to take place. With reliable data, school administrators can work more efficiently. They will have the information essential to solving problems, selecting appropriate interventions, and providing better support for student learning (Nakasato, 2000). Incident data can also be used to assess the effects of interventions (Flannery, 1998).
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