Model Program

SafeMeasures is a student-led collaborative action research process that has been used in K-12 schools across the country to help schools lower dropout rates, reduce bullying, improve school safety, prevent violence, encourage inspired teaching, and enhance student leadership and learning. The Safe Measures process provides opportunities for a highly diverse group of students to work as leadership partners and researchers within their school, and enables teachers and students to work together to understand and solve challenging problems. Through data collection, analysis and reflection, and the development and implementation of research-based projects that target specific needs identified through their school's data, students and teachers can take effective action to create more respectful and effective schools. Schools that have effectively used the Safe Measures process to improve school climate and respect have also seen an increase in student academic performance on state achievement tests.

Program Descriptors Include:
Academic Improvement, Attendance/Truancy, Behavior Management/Discipline, Bullying/Violence, Community Collaboration, Family/Parental Involvement, Literacy Development, Professional Development, Service Learning

Starting Date: 2002
Students Served Per Year: 500+
Last Verified: 2010

Program addresses the following:

Individual factors

• High-risk social behavior
• Poor attendance
• Low educational expectations
• Lack of effort
• Low commitment to school
• Misbehavior

Family factors

• Low education level of parents
• Low educational expectations
• Low contact with school
• Lack of conversations about school

School factors

• Limited resources: expenditures per student/ teacher salaries/ student-teacher ratios
• School size: too small/too large
• Race/ethnicity
• School math achievement
• School policies and practices
• Student engagement
• Teacher expectations

Community factors

• Youth social attitudes

Program promotes the following:

Relationships

• Presence and involvement of caring, supportive adults
• Good relationships with parents, peers, and teachers
• Involvement with positive peer activities
• Perception of support from adults and peers

Independence

• Healthy/conventional beliefs and standards
• Positive/resilient temperament

Competence

• Self efficacy

Creativity

• Problem-solving skills
• Flexibility

Optimism

• High expectations by community, family, school, and self
• Optimistic

Safe Measures has been used effectively in K-12 schools across the country to lower dropout rates, reduce bullying, improve safety, prevent violence, and promote student leadership, and encourage engaging and inspired teaching. The use of collaborative action research as a school improvement process has been shown to effect changes in school culture and educational practices (Sagor, 2005). Likewise, our research, published in Educational Leadership (Preble & Taylor, 2009), shows that when the principal invites a highly "diverse group of students" to work as leadership partners to improve their school, it sends a powerful message to adults and students alike that respect for everyone in this school matters. In addition, schools that have effectively used the Safe Measures process to improve school climate and respect have also seen student academic performance on state achievement tests increase by nearly 11% (Preble & Newman, 2006).

How evaluation data was collected:
Outside experimental studies
Data collected and analyzed at school/district level