PREVENTING PROBLEMS BY PROMOTING POSITIVE PRACTICES (P5) FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

The training curricula has school and community-based applications for school resource/security officers.  The training includes positive practices to improve school climate along with strategies for problem solving and relationship building with youth.  

SRO/SSOs and school personnel improve school climate by promoting positive practices. When collective efforts are made to develop an authoritative climate of high structure and high support, all students and school personnel benefit. School personnel should focus on individual goals and school-wide climate goals that are aspirational (promotion focus) and address school problems (prevention focus). SROs/SSOs improve their interactions with youth by understanding implicit biases, youth development and behavior. Safer schools and communities are cultivated when SROs/SSOs work with school personnel to engage in positive practices.

How was P5 developed? 

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) funded the curriculum that was developed over a two-year period and after a) thorough literature reviews; b) three in-depth interdisciplinary focus groups; c) extensive telephone interviews with advocacy organizations; d) curriculum sections contributions and review by nationally-recognized SROs; e) a full-day curriculum review session by seven National Association of School Resource Officers training instructors and; f) editorial feedback and direction from the COPS Office and National Institute of Justice (Dept. of Justice) and Civil Rights Division (Dept. of Education). 

WHERE WAS P5 PILOTED?

In 2016, under a separate cooperative agreement with COPS, the curriculum was piloted in a two-day joint training session with school representatives of; (1) Wicomico County Public Schools (e.g., principal or assistant principal) and school resource officers of the Wicomico County Sherriff’s Office; and (2) St. Mary’s County School Safety Center’s school security officers and the County’s Sherriff’s school resource officers. Both Counties are currently implementing positive practice strategies via an action plan to affect a positive school climate. 

What are the modules? 

Primary learning outcomes by module are:

Module 1. Positive School Climate

• Three elements of a positive school climate: safety, environment and relationships
• Reports from federal agencies and national association emphasizing the importance of a positive school climate
• Developing an authoritative school climate in order to create a safer school
• School-wide practices and interventions (e.g., Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, Promoting Positive Practices)

Module 2. Youth Development

• Youth development concepts (e.g., adolescent brain)
• Diverse cultures (national, family, community, peer) and diverse student worldviews
• Risk factors and strengths affecting student development and behavior
• Youth negative/antisocial and positive/prosocial behavior and the hierarchy of needs (motivation)

Module 3. Positive Relationships

• De-escalation, restorative, and communication techniques to build positive relationships with students, school personnel and community
• Recognition of implicit biases in order to alter actions and reduce micro aggressions toward youths

Module 4. Problem Solving

• SARA problem solving model of community policing
• Three applications of problems solving to address school climate

Module 5. Teaching Students to Solve School Climate Problems

• Empower students to solve school climate problems in the classroom, in a club or during a one-day training event

Action Planning

• Personalized action plans are developed to promote strategies benefitting safety, relationships, and environment

HOW DOES THIS TRAINING DIFFER FROM OTHER TRAINING? 

• Curriculum developed with feedback from four federal partners
• Curriculum developed in order to complement existing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) (e.g., Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports).  
• Delivery model of training is a multi-disciplinary approach with a school/ developmental psychologist and a school security professional (SRO or SSO)
• Modules focus on promoting positives and preventing negative problems
• Training ends with action planning to improve school personnel practices
• Train-the-trainer option available in order to do in-house training
• Customization of the curriculum available for partners
• Technical assistance and follow-up beyond training

WHAT ARE THE LEARNING OUTCOMES, POSITIVE PRACTICES, IMPACT OF TRAINING?

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