Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2004

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Bradley V. Balch

Second Advisor

Robert L. Boyd

Third Advisor

Eric M. Hampton

Abstract

Recurring incidents of school violence indicate the need for effective school crisis plans with unique strategies. Acts of international terrorism combined with highly sensationalized school shootings, although rare but significant, generate demands for additional measures of school safety. This study was designed to investigate the status of crisis preparedness in Indiana schools. The study attempted to determine the adequacy of school crisis plans based on state and federal recommendations for school safety. School crisis strategies and practices were assessed to determine which policies and procedures were in place. Principal experiences were explored to determine the degree of incidence for the more severe kinds of crises facing American schools today. Further examination analyzed whether demographic factors play a part in crisis preparedness, such as gender, grade levels of the school, and the size and location of the school organization. The methodology of the study utilized quantitative and descriptive analysis. A stratified random selection of 200 schools was taken. Data was collected and analyzed from 119 Indiana public school principals responding to surveys sent to fifty elementary schools, fifty middle schools, and one hundred high schools. The study found that location, size, and principal gender were significant factors in determining school crisis preparedness. Grade level was not a significant factor. Analysis of crisis strategies determined that 78% iv. of principals reported use of fourteen recommended safeschool strategies. For analysis of school practices, 63% of principals reported use of non-recommended, non-useful practices. For analysis of principal experiences, 41% of middle school principals reported having incidents involving guns at their schools. Overall, principals experienced 58% of the severe crisis experiences listed on the survey, ranging from bomb threats to guns in schools.

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