The Positive School Safety Program (PSSP) for School Officers: Implementation Processes and Outcomes.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Criminology
• Public Health

Background:

• Many U.S. students attend schools with officers, impacting school climate.
• Traditional approaches may lead to increased school-based arrests.
• There is a need for positive behavioral management strategies in schools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the implementation and outcomes of the Positive School Safety Program (PSSP).
• To assess the impact of PSSP on school officers' knowledge, attitudes, and confidence.
• To evaluate the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of the PSSP.

Main Methods:

• Convergent, mixed methods longitudinal design.
• Quantitative surveys administered to 25 officer coaches at three time points.
• Qualitative interviews with coaches and untrained officers, analyzed thematically.
• Mixed effects modeling for quantitative data; descriptive analysis for perceptions.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in coaches' knowledge, confidence, and willingness to use positive behavioral management skills.
• Coaches reported high program acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility.
• Qualitative data aligned with quantitative findings, showing positive self-reports.

Conclusions:

• The PSSP effectively enhances school officers' capacity for positive behavioral management.
• Peer-to-peer coaching models like PSSP are viable for improving school climate and reducing arrests.
• School districts should consider implementation determinants for successful adoption of such programs.