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ERIC Number: ED555987
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 344
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-3035-2646-6
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Impact of Function, Experience, and Training of School District Police on School Climate
Denham, Magdalena
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Sam Houston State University
Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the impact that function, experience, and training of Independent School District School Resource Officers (ISD SROs) have on school climate. The participants were ISD SROs (n = 172) and teachers (n = 162) located in middle and high schools in Texas. Method: The Role of Law Enforcement in Schools: A National Survey (Travis & Coon, 2005) provided scores for ISD SROs' function and experience. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards in Education (TCLEOSE) supplied officers' training records. The School Resource Officers and School Climate Survey (Oaks, 2001) yielded scores for school climate. Student attendance and dropout rates were obtained from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Data were analyzed using reliability analyses, a one-way MANOVA, Spearman "rho" correlations, and simple linear regressions. Findings: Reliability analyses confirmed that the scores from the sample were reliable; thus the following findings are reliable. Several findings were noted. First, a statistically significant and a large effect size difference was found between middle and high school ISD SROs. This indicated that high school ISD SROs engaged in law enforcing and in advising and mentoring staff more frequently than did middle school officers. Second, statistically significant, small to moderate effect size, and weak to moderate strength relationships were found between ISD SROs' function and school climate as perceived by teachers. Specifically, teachers believed that ISD SROs promoted the atmosphere of trust, caring, and respect when they advised and mentored students and families, engaged in school events, and engaged in school safety planning. Additionally, teachers believed that when ISD SROs increased advising and mentoring students and families, most school climate indicators improved. Third, according to school accountability data, ISD SROs on campuses with poor school climate, as reflected by problems with attendance and dropout rates, spent more time on (a) law enforcing, (b) advising and mentoring staff, (c) advising and mentoring students and families, and (d) engagement in school events. Fourth, experience and training variables had no positive or negative impact on school climate. These findings have implications for future school climate and school police assessments. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Secondary Education; High Schools; Middle Schools; Junior High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A