ERIC Number: ED551168
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 106
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-2677-5259-8
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Perceptions of Crisis Management in a K-12 School District
Tucker, Joy
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Missouri Baptist University
This multiple-case qualitative study was conducted to examine the perceptions of community members, students, and staff regarding school crisis management following a 2006 tornado and 2010 bus accident in a small rural school district in Missouri. Online surveys were collected from 66 participants, and 10 follow-up interviews were completed with students and community members. Analysis of the data resulted in the development of five themes for improvements in the event of future emergencies: (a) prepare for more complete and effective communication during and following an emergency; (b) provide for additional safety training in general; (c) account for every child prior to releasing students to anyone; (d) avoid use of back two rows on any buses; and (e) allow students to be able to use cell phones. Conclusions of the study included the following: Nearly 100% of the respondents felt a high degree of confidence in the district; however, they did have recommendations on ways to improve the district's response to emergencies. Recommendations included developing a parent advisory team to assist with communication during crises; providing parent advisory team training for emergency preparation; providing further training for students in several areas of concern; using the parent advisory team to assist with accounting for every child during and following emergencies; ensuring that every building has a backup paper copy of demographic information on all children; eliminating the use of the two back seats on school buses; and re-examining the school district policy on cell phone use. Recommendations for future research include researching the lessons the Joplin School District learned after its massive tornado of May, 2011; investigating other school districts that have instituted a parent advisory team to assist with emergencies; and developing an updated safety guide with greater detail than the current safety guide. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Crisis Management, Case Studies, Qualitative Research, Elementary Secondary Education, School Districts, Traffic Safety, Accidents, Bus Transportation, Natural Disasters, Weather, Online Surveys, Interviews, Rural Areas, Students, School Personnel, Community, Student Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Community Attitudes, Interpersonal Communication, Safety, Safety Education, Telecommunications, Handheld Devices, Parent Role, Parent Participation, Demography
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Missouri
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A