An exploration of the relationship between students' and teachers' perceptions of school safety and the importance of safety strategies

The current study was designed to explore teachers' and students' perceptions of school safety and the importance of safety strategies. The two main aims of the research were to: (1) examine the importance of safety strategies to teachers and students; and (2) investigate the association between school climate variables and major safety issues from the Safe and Responsive Schools (SRS) survey (Skiba, Simmons, Peterson, & Forde, 2006). One hundred and eighty-two students from grades 9-12 and 32 teachers participated in the current study from one high school in Northwest United States. A new quantitative measure was created for this study (using successful safety strategies and best practices identified in the current literature) to assess the perceived importance of safety strategies, entitled the Indicators of Preferences for Safety Strategies (IPSS) survey. Overall, results indicated that teachers' and students' perceptions of school safety were significantly different. Following findings from Skiba et al. (2006), teachers' perceptions of the Connection/Climate items were significantly greater than students'. Additional results revealed that four factors emerged from the IPSS survey: Rule Enforcement, Education, Control and Surveillance, and Counseling. Students' feelings of school safety were associated with ratings on the importance of safety strategies, such that ratings on the Connection/Climate and Incivility and Disruption scales significantly predicted the perceived importance of Rule Enforcement strategies

iii AN EXPLORATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS ’ AND TEACHERS ’ PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL SAFETY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY STRATEGIES

I would like to acknowledge the guidance and support provided throughout the process of developing and writing my thesis. Special thanks to Debbie Handy (my advisor) for all her patience, energy, and thoughtfulness throughout the entire thesis process. You, and Deb Nelson, have pushed me to strive for my very best when I needed it the most, and I will never forget that. I would also like to acknowledge my committee members, Tom Power and Linda Mabry, for all their helpful insight. I am forever grateful to my fellow graduate students for their support and encouragement, especially: Sam Grant (and Josh too), Janelle Hood, and Tiffany Wigen. Finally, special thanks to my family (above all my parents, Betsy, Gail, and Robin) and friends (in particular Heidi, Brian, and Carolyn) who have listened and supported me during the last two and a half years. You all mean so much to me