Identify a recent case of school violence, and then research the school administrators’ response following the incident. Examples of possible topics include: Columbine, Virginia Tech, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Sandy Hook Elementary School, and the Phoebe Prince suicide.
Then, prepare a final paper that analyzes your selected incident, and the subsequent response from school administrators. Your paper should include, but is not limited to, the following:
• Introduce and describe your selected incident.
• Explain the school administrators’ response.
• Conduct an analysis by addressing the following:
o Research and explain the policies in place before the incident. Were strategies in place to create a culture of safety?
o Indicate students’ expectations. Determine their level of awareness of policies related to this incident before it occurred.
o Identify and explain policy changes that resulted from this incident.
o Describe educational activities that were implemented to inform and support the student population. Some examples are listed below:
Provide guidance.
Identify abusive behavior.
Determine if any instructional practices changed due to the incident.
o Summarize how the incident was communicated to the media.
o Summarize how the incident was communicated to parents or other family members.
• Summarization:
o Summarize media action surrounding the violence and what was reported by media outlets. You may select a specific news station, newspaper, or reputable magazine.
o Summarize and evaluate the response by police, administrators, parents, students, and others directly involved with the incident. How did the local community as a whole react?
o Create a policy or policies based on your analysis of the response and best practices in school safety to prevent and respond to school violence similar to the case explored in this assignment. As a school leader, what would you have done differently?