MODEL FOR DELINQUENCY PREVENTION IN AN URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (FROM THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON POVERTY AND SCHOOL CRIME - V 2, 1978 - SEE NCJ-59837)

• NCJ Number: 59848
• Author(s): B S WERBER
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 17 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A COST-EFFECTIVE AND REPLICABLE MODEL FOR DELINQUENCY PREVENTION IN AN URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS DESCRIBED.

Abstract

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY AND SELF-CONCEPT THEORY MAINTAIN THAT CERTAIN VARIABLES WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT TEND TO SHAPE AND MAINTAIN BEHAVIOR. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN IS BASED ON THIS ASSUMPTION, THAT THE MANIPULATION OF INDEPENDENT VARIABLES CAUSES CHANGES IN DEPENDENT VARIABLES. WITH LEARNING DEFINED AS AN OBSERVABLE CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR, THE IMPLICATION FOR SCHOOLS IS CRITICAL IN THE SENSE THAT ANY COST-EFFECTIVE AND REPLICABLE MODEL MUST BE BASED ON SKILLS RATHER THAN ON CREATIVITY. FOR ANY EDUCATIONAL OR DELINQUENCY PREVENTION PROGRAM TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON A LARGE SCALE, IT MUST ACCEPT ALL TEACHERS INTO ITS PROJECTS. NO ONE CURRICULUM PACKAGE WILL SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS IN EDUCATION. IN ADDITION, PRESERVICE TRAINING IS USEFUL IN THE SHARING OF NEW INFORMATION RATHER THAN IN CHANGING HOW TEACHERS PERFORM. THE ONLY SUCCESSFUL WAY OF CHANGING TEACHER BEHAVIOR IS THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CONTINUOUS INSERVICE EDUCATION. TO REMEDY PROBLEMS IN EDUCATION AND TO PREVENT DELINQUENCY, THE PROPOSED MODEL ENCOMPASSES INDIVIDUAL CRITERIA-REFERENCED INSTRUCTION, A SYSTEMATIC TIME AND SPACE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, A MOTIVATION SYSTEM, A DATA FEEDBACK SYSTEM, AND A PROFESSIONAL STAFF TRAINER COMPONENT. AN ILLUSTRATION OF MODEL IS PROVIDED. (DEP)