Insights from Developing and Implementing a Novel School Community Collaborative Model to Promote School Safety

Area of Science:

• Education Policy
• Community Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• School Resource Officer (SRO) programs are often implemented to enhance school safety and discipline.
• Evidence suggests SRO programs may not effectively reduce school violence or improve disciplinary outcomes.
• A need exists for alternative approaches to school safety and discipline that are community-centered and culturally responsive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and implementation of a culturally responsive framework for school safety.
• To establish a School Community Collaborative (SCC) to reform an existing SRO program.
• To promote school safety and reduce punitive measures through community engagement.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative partnership was formed between a school district, county, and university.
• A culturally responsive model was adapted to guide the co-development of the SCC.
• The SCC involved diverse school community members, including students, parents, staff, administrators, and law enforcement.

Main Results:

• The SCC process was successfully co-developed and implemented over a 5-week period with 16 community members.
• The SCC revised the school district's Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with law enforcement regarding SROs.
• Participant feedback was favorable, with 89% reporting the inclusion of diverse voices in the process.

Conclusions:

• The co-development and implementation of a School Community Collaborative (SCC) process in schools is feasible.
• The SCC facilitated community-engaged evaluation and revision of the SRO MOU.
• This approach offers a model for reforming school safety practices through inclusive community collaboration.