Winter 2001
Volume 3, Number 2
  


Program offers teachers strategies to prevent

By Deborah A. Benedetti

The key to preventing school violence is education, according to Dr. Dixie Winters, instructor of education at Penn State York. The goal is to stop violence from happening by educating teachers and others who work with young people on how to control disruptive students and bullies.

Violent outbursts by students at schools across the United States, such as those at West Paducah, Ky., in 1997; Jonesboro, Ark., in 1998; and Littleton, Colo., in 1999, have left many teachers, students, parents and community members wondering how these tragic situations can be prevented.

To help address preventing school violence, Winters developed an intensive, weeklong seminar: “Pathways to Student Success: Removing Barriers to Learning.” The program brought together 43 teachers and representatives from social agencies in the York, Pa., area. The format involved morning presentations by nationally and internationally known education experts and afternoon strategy sessions.

“I believe there has to be a community, multifaceted approach to preventing school violence,” Winters said. “Teachers need strategies to control disruptive students, such as anger de-escalation tactics. Teachers also need to learn to recognize when kids are getting out of control, and they need to recognize who the bullies are, as well as who is being bullied.

“Teachers tell us that they get plenty of information at conferences about the problem of school violence, but what they desperately want is information about what to do about the problem,” she said.

Winters designed “Pathways to Student Success” to provide participants with practical solutions. Program evaluations were overwhelmingly positive about the content of the program, she noted.

“Many of the participants asked us to offer the program again,” she said. “Their comments were very gratifying.” Program speakers were:
  • Dr. Mark Greenberg, Bennett Chair of Prevention Research and professor of human development and family studies at Penn State, discussed “What We Know about Prevention: Theory to Practice.” He is director of the Penn State Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development and associate director of the Children, Youth and Families Consortium.

  • Marcia D’Arcangelo, program manager and producer for the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, talked about “Brain Research and Learning.” She is the writer and producer of The Brain and Reading and The Brain and Early Childhood series.

  • Wayne Sakamoto, violence prevention/intervention coordinator for the Safe Schools Unit of the San Diego County Office of Education, spoke on “Risk Assessment/Identification.” He has received state and federal recognition for his successful gang and youth violence prevention and intervention programs.

  • Dr. Vicki Flerx, research assistant professor at the Institute for Families in Society at the University of South Carolina, discussed “Bullying Prevention Practices.” She conducts training for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, one of the top 10 Blue Print Programs.

  • Brian McKain, child and adolescent psychiatric nurse clinician with the STAR-Center of Western Psychiatric Institute/UPMC Health Systems, spoke on “Prevention Planning: All Aspects.” He conducts workshops in threat assessment techniques for safe school planning.

  • Sherry Wong, director of training and development for Developmental Research and Programs, discussed “Promising Programs that Work for All.” She developed the Communities that Care training program and authored the planning kit and prevention strategies for the program.
Dr. Dixie Winters, instructor of education at Penn State York, organized a weeklong seminar focused on preventing school violence for area teachers and professionals who work with young people.
Winters joined the Penn State York faculty in September 1999, after retiring from a career in public education. Before becoming a Penn State faculty member, she was a secondary school teacher and language arts coordinator in Lancaster County. Her field was secondary English. As a graduate student, she focused her attention on the issue of school violence.

At Penn State York, she has developed a school safety course, with Penn State graduate student Elizabeth Coyle, which is being offered at Penn State Schuylkill. In addition, Winters serves as a consultant for the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Center for Safe Schools, a clearinghouse for school violence research and information. She also teaches in the focused master’s degree in education program offered jointly by Penn State York and Penn State Harrisburg.

Winters is exploring the possibility of developing a new “Pathways to Student Success” program for York-area teachers and professionals who work with young people.

  

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