NCJ Number
46701
Date Published
1976
Length
15 pages
Annotation
THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PRACTICES OF SCHOOLS THAT CAN CAUSE AND SOMETIMES TEACH DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR ARE OUTLINED, ALONG WITH WAYS IN WHICH SCHOOL DISRUPTION CAN BE REDUCED.
Abstract
LITTLE RELIABLE EVIDENCE EXISTS, BUT OBSERVERS AGREE THAT MUCH STUDENT-PERPETRATED VIOLENCE AND DISRUPTION ARE CAUSED BY SCHOOL POLICY, SCHOOL, PROCEDURES, AND VARIOUS TYPES OF HABITUAL BEHAVIOR THAT DISTINGUISH DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. FOCUSING REMEDIAL EFFORTS ON THOSE ATTRIBUTES OF SCHOOLS THAT PRECIPITATE DEVIANT OR DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IS BOTH MORE ECONOMICALLY EFFICIENT AND EDUCATIONALLY PRODUCTIVE THAN DIRECTING RESOURCES TOWARD INDIVIDUAL CONTROLS OR REMEDIATION. MUCH STUDENT BEHAVIOR IS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRIBUTES THAT ARE NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO CLASSROOM ACTIVITY. THOSE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SCHOOLS THAT CAN CAUSE DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR ARE IDENTIFIED AS IMPERSONAL AND DEPERSONALIZED INSTITUTIONS, MISEDUCATIONAL AND MALADAPTIVE PROCEDURES, AND SUCH VARIOUS ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS AS CENTRALIZATION AND SPECIALIZATION. THESE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS CONSTITUTE ESTABLISHED NORMS THAT STRONGLY INFLUENCE WHAT PEOPLE DO IN THE SHCOOLS, AND THESE NORMS CAN EVEN INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR IN A NEGATIVE WAY. ENTRENCHED NORMS THAT ARE CAPABLE OF ELICITING UNDESIRED BEHAVIOR LIE IN PATTERNS OF COMMUNICATION, DECISION-MAKING AND AUTHORITY RELATIONSHIPS, RULE-MAKING, RELATIONSHIPS OF TEACHERS WITH PARENTS, AND CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES. PERSONNEL IN DISRUPTION-PRONE SCHOOLS MUST LEARN TO RECOGNIZE THESE NORMS AND MUST BE TAUGHT HOW TO IMPLEMENT NEW ONES. THREE POSSIBLE REMEDIES HOLD PROMISE TO REDUCE SCHOOL DISRUPTION: BEGIN NEW MODES OF COMMUNICATION, DECISIONMAKING, AND IMPLEMENTATION, THAT IS, DEVELOP NEW NORMS FOR THE SCHOOLS; START PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL PERSONNEL TO ENABLE THEM TO PRACTICE SKILLS FOR CHANGING THE SCHOOLS; AND START PRESERVICE AND INSERVICE ADMINISTRATOR TRAINING PROGRAMS TO DEVELOP SKILLS IN PROMOTING COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT IN SCHOOLS. IN ORDER TO DEVELOP CURRICULUM FOR PRESERVICE AND INSERVICE PROGRAMS, AN OUTLINE IS PROVIDED, FOCUSING ON THE TEACHER AS PERSON, THE EFFECTIVE USE OF THE DYNAMICS OF HUMAN GROUPS IN SCHOOLS AND CLASSROOMS, THE FOSTERING OF BEHAVIORAL CHANGES IN STUDENTS, THE OPERATION ON OF THE SCHOOL TO PROMOTE LEARNING, AND THE EFFECTS OF SCHOOL DISTRICT, STATE AND FEDERAL POLICIES ON LEARNING. TO CREATE THE DESIRED EDUCATIONAL CLIMATE, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO BRING TOGETHER ALL LEVELS OF THE STAFF, THUS MINIMIZING STATUS DIFFERENCES AND OPENING COMMUNICATIONS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DJM)