Perceptions of Elementary School Parents, Principals, and School Resource Officers Regarding Visitor Management Systems and School Safety
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Lindenwood University Digital Commons@Lindenwood University Dissertations Theses & Dissertations Spring 2-2019 Perceptions of Elementary School Parents, Principals, and School Resource Officers Regarding Visitor Management Systems and School Safety Janalee Olhausen-Kaylor Lindenwood University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/dissertations Part of the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons Recommended Citation Olhausen-Kaylor, Janalee, "Perceptions of Elementary School Parents, Principals, and School Resource Officers Regarding Visitor Management Systems and School Safety" (2019). Dissertations. 101. https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/dissertations/101 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses & Dissertations at Digital Commons@Lindenwood University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Lindenwood University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Perceptions of Elementary School Parents, Principals, and School Resource Officers Regarding Visitor Management Systems and School Safety by Janalee Olhausen-Kaylor February 2019 A Dissertation submitted to the Education Faculty of Lindenwood University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education School of Education Perceptions of Elementary School Parents, Principals, and School Resource Officers Regarding Visitor Management Systems and School Safety by Janalee Olhausen-Kaylor This Dissertation has been approved as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education Lindenwood University, School of Education Declaration of Originality I do hereby declare and attest to the fact that this is an original study based solely upon my own scholarly work at Lindenwood University and that I have not submitted it for any other college or university course or degree. Full Legal Name: Janalee Olhausen-Kaylor Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Shelly Fransen, my dissertation chair and advisor, for all of her guidance and encouragement throughout this process. She was the persistent voice of reason and a tremendous support and source of motivation whenever it was needed. Thank you to Dr. Sherry DeVore and Dr. Danny Humble for their support, advice, and suggestions in helping complete this project. I appreciate both of you for not giving up on me. Thank you to the area school administrators, school resource officers, and parents who allowed me to gain information for my study through personal and focus group interviews. I would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the administration, teachers, and staff at the Alpena School District. Nowhere have I found a more dedicated, supportive, and compassionate group of educators when it comes to putting the needs of students as a priority and meeting the needs of individual students. I especially want to thank my best friend, Leesa, for her constant and unconditional love, support, and encouragement throughout this project. Her dedication to caring for my mother and our “funny farm” allows me to be a better person and administrator. Finally, I would like to thank my two boys, James Patrick and JonPaul Michael, for reminding me that happiness should be the end result of any journey. Thank you for your words of wisdom and understanding in the pursuit of my happiness. You have kept me motivated and focused on the priorities in life that are most important. ii Abstract Currently, three out of 10 parents fear for their students’ safety while attending classes within the public school setting (McCarthy, 2015). This study focused on two elements that directly affect safety within schools: visitor management and intruder prevention. To analyze each of these two elements, qualitative methodology was utilized through four focus groups to determine the perceptions of Elementary school administrators, parents, and school resource officers on school safety. After conducting multiple interviews, four common themes emerged. The first theme was monitoring access to school buildings. Participants asserted taking an active approach in this area would increase the overall safety of students. The second theme discussed by multiple participants was to take additional measures to make the entrances of school buildings secure. The third theme that emerged was the importance of the role of the school resource officer. The fourth and final theme that developed was the importance of training and communication for administrators, school resource officers, staff, students, parents, and community members. After facilitating focus groups and analyzing the data obtained, it became evident the measure of a safe school depends on two variables. These variables are (1) to create a safe building for students managed by procedures designed with student safety at the forefront and (2) to employ trained individuals with the purpose of generating a positive and secure atmosphere. The data collected in this study could prove useful to district administrators wishing to design a safe and secure learning environment for students. iii Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................ iii List of Tables.................................................................................................................vii Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 Background of the Study ...................................................................................... 2 Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................... 4 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................... 5 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................... 6 Research Questions ................................................................................. 6 Significance of the Study ..................................................................................... 6 Definition of Key Terms ..................................................................................... 9 Limitations and Assumptions .............................................................................. 9 Summary ............................................................................................................ 9 Chapter Two: Review of Literature ............................................................................... 11 Theoretical Framework ...................................................................................... 13 History and Background of Management Systems .............................................. 15 Types of Visitor Management Systems .............................................................. 18 Nationwide Background Check .............................................................. 19 Registry of Visitors................................................................................. 20 Student Information System ............................................................................... 21 Other Forms of Security ..................................................................................... 22 Check-In System/Hall Pass ..................................................................... 23 Locked Doors and Controlled Entrances ................................................. 23 iv Surveillance Cameras ............................................................................. 24 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ............................................ 26 Open-Records Laws ............................................................................... 26 School Security Officers/School Resource Officers ................................ 26 School Safety Law ............................................................................................. 29 Training of Teachers, Staff, and Students ........................................................... 31 Parent Views ...................................................................................................... 35 Summary ........................................................................................................... 37 Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................ 39 Problem and Purpose Overview ........................................................................ 39 Research Questions ............................................................................... 40 Research Design ............................................................................................... 40 Population and Sample ...................................................................................... 41 Instrumentation ................................................................................................. 42 Data Collection ................................................................................................. 44 Data Analysis .................................................................................................... 45 Ethical Considerations ...................................................................................... 46 Summary .........................................................................................................