Annual Report on School Safety--October 1998

A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

References

For specific information about the studies used for this report, please see Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 1998, by P. Kaufman, X. Chen, S. P. Choy, K.A. Chandler, C.D. Chapman, M.R. Rand, and C. Ringel. U.S. Departments of Education and Justice. NCES 98-251/NCJ-172215. Washington, DC: 1998.

Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 1998 can be downloaded from the World Wide Web at http://nces.ed.gov or http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/. Single hard copies can be ordered through ED Pubs at 1-800-4ED-PUBS (NCES 98-251) (TTY/TDD 1-877-576-7734), and the Bureau of Justice Statistics Clearinghouse at 1-800-732-3277 (NCJ-172215).

National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS),Bureau of Justice Statistics. Administered for the Bureau of Justice Statistics by the Bureau of the Census, this is the nation's primary source of information on crime victimization and victims of crime. The study was initiated in 1972 and redesigned in 1992, and collects detailed information on the nature and frequency of the crimes of rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and simple assault, theft, household burglary, and motor vehicle theft experienced by Americans and their households each year. The survey measures crimes reported as well as those not reported to police.

School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (SCS), National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics. This survey was conducted in 1989 and 1995 to gather additional information about school-related victimizations on a national level. The survey asks students a number of key questions about crime and violence inside school, on school grounds or on the way to and from school. For more information about the SCS, see K. A. Chandler, C. D. Chapman, M. R.Rand, and B. M. Taylor, 1998. Students' Reports of School Crime: 1989 and 1995. U.S. Departments of Education and Justice. NCES 98-241/NCJ-169607.

The National Household Education Survey (NHES), National Center for Education Statistics. This study collects descriptive data from a representative sample of households in the country on the condition of education in the United States. The study was conducted in 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1996. In 1993, the study focused on school safety and discipline. For more information about this component of the study, see J. M. Brick, M. Collins, M. J. Nolin, P. Ha, M. Levinsohn, and K. Chandler, 1994. National Household Education Survey of 1993, School Safety and Discipline Data File User's Manual (NCES 94-193).

Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS),National Center for Education Statistics. This school-focused study, conducted in 1987-88, 1990-91 and 1993-94, surveys schools, principals of selected schools, a subsample of teachers within each school and public school districts. The report focuses on the Public School Teacher Questionnaire from the 1993-94 SASS. For more information on SASS, see R. Arbramson, C. Cole, S. Fondelier, B. Jackson, R. Parmer and S. Kaufman, 1996. 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey: Sample Design and Estimation (NCES 96-089).

National School-Based Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This study is one component of the larger Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), an epidemiological surveillance system developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor youth behaviors that most influence health. The YRBS focuses on behaviors that result in significant mortality, morbidity, disability and social problems during both youth and adulthood. The report uses 1993, 1995 and 1997 YRBS data. For more information contact the Division of Adolescent and School Health at (770) 488-3259.

Fast Response Survey System: Principal/School Disciplinarian Survey, National Center for Education Statistics. This study was conducted during the spring and summer of 1997. The FRSS is a survey system designed to collect small amounts of issue-oriented data within a short time frame, and with minimal burden on respondents. The FRSS Principal/School Disciplinarian Survey focused on incidents of crime/offenses and specific discipline issues in schools. For more information on the FRSS, see S. Heaviside, C. Rowand, C. Williams and E. Farris, February 1998. National Center for Education Statistics. Violence and Discipline Problems in U.S. Public Schools: 1996-97. U.S. Department of Education. NCES 98-030.

Monitoring the Future (MTF): A Continuing Study of American Youth, University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. This is an ongoing survey conducted to study changes in important values, behaviors and lifestyle orientations of American youth. Since 1975, the study has surveyed a large, representative sample of U.S. high school seniors. Survey topics include attitudes toward education, social problems, occupation claims, marital and family plans, and deviant behavior and victimization.

Data Source for School-Associated Violent Deaths. The information regarding school-associated violent deaths was drawn from a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This was the first nationwide investigation of violent deaths associated with schools conducted in the United States. For more information about this study, see S. P. Kachur, et. al., "School-Associated Violent Deaths in the United States, 1992 to 1994," Journal of the American Medical Association 275 (22) (1996): 1729-1733.

Roth Middle School
Dayton, OH

School Safety Focus:

PACT Program.
Strong support personnel.
Administrative approaches including shared decision making, team structure, block scheduling.

Demographic Information:

Middle school, grades 7-8.
600 students, 75 percent African-American, 25 percent Caucasian.
Urban.

Contact Information:
Fay Day, Principal
Roth Middle School
4535 Hoover Avenue
Dayton, OH 45417
937-268-6754
Fax: 937-268-0864

In the Dayton, OH, school district, of which Roth Middle School is a part, violence has been a growing concern, along with the possession of weapons and high expulsion and suspension rates. Since 1992, all middle and high schools in the district have installed metal detectors. In 1989, the Positive Adolescents Choices Training (PACT) program, a violence prevention program directed at African-American middle school youth, was initiated.

PACT is just one part of Roth's comprehensive approach to school safety that includes specific administrative approaches, a strong student support system, and several other programs. (For more information about PACT refer to chapter 3, Model Programs.) The administrative approaches include an emphasis on shared decision making and a team teaching structure. A part-time social worker and the school psychologist provide high-quality support services to students and their families. PACT focuses on the development of social and anger management skills in order to provide students alternatives for solving interpersonal problems. Teachers are asked to refer students to the program, which meets twice each week for one semester. The sessions are scheduled in the special subject block so that students do not miss academic classes. About 50 students are served each semester. Followup with these students is built in to the overall plan.

PACT has been regularly evaluated since its inception in 1989. A 1992-93 study showed that PACT participants demonstrated a 50-percent reduction in physical aggression at school, maintained behavioral improvements beyond participation in the program, and had 50 percent fewer overall and violence-related juvenile court charges than students in a control group that did not receive PACT.

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[Chapter 4: Resources]