The School Safety Study: The SRO Intervention

• In Event: Research on Police in Schools: The School Safety Study

Abstract

The study consists of web-based surveys administered to all SROs assigned to work at the treatment and comparison schools for at least two months during the 2015-16 school year. To date, 76 SRO surveys have been completed, for a response rate of 67%. In addition to the web-based surveys, the study includes interviews with law enforcement agency representatives knowledgeable about the agency’s SRO program. For treatment schools, the law enforcement agencies represent the grantees who received DOJ funds to place SROs in the treatment schools. For comparison schools, the law enforcement agencies represent non-grantees who placed SROs in the comparison schools, if there are SROs in the comparison schools. Interviews with up to 55 agency representatives are ongoing.
This presentation will describe the SRO programs in the treatment and comparison schools using data from the SRO survey and law enforcement agency interviews. First, the SROs will be described in terms of demographics and prior experience. Then, data on SRO dosage, approach, activities, training, supervision, hiring and placement procedures, and program costs will be described and compared for the treatment and comparison schools. Implications for potential moderator variables to be used in the main outcome analysis of the study will be discussed.

Authors

• Ben Korelitz, Westat

• Michele Harmon, Westat