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Evidence of SuccessRecent Successes Recent SuccessesDecrease in DAEPs saves district more than $215,000In the Clear Creek Independent School District outside of Houston, Texas, in 2007-2008, the first year of implementing the Safe School Ambassadors program, mandatory DAEPs (District Alternative Education Placements) for drugs, alcohol, weapons, fights and assaults declined from 316 students to 230 students. That 27% decrease saved the district more than $215,000. Weapons Located; Fight Prevented“This morning a Safe School Ambassador reported a serious safety concern to his teacher/family group advisor. Ambassadors are trained to report to an adult if there is a serious safety concern. He said there were rumors about a serious fight that was going to happen after school, with lots of weapons involved. He said one student had shown him a crow bar in his backpack. We worked on this situation from about 9:30 - 3:30 today. We did find two students in possession of 3 and 3 1/2” locking blade knives. We did find the crow bar, intended for use in the fight. We prevented the fight and did end up with three five-day suspensions and two expulsion recommendations…but our kids are safe, no one was hurt, and there wasn’t a fight. You can’t measure the success of this by a reduction in suspension numbers, but you can measure the success by a safer school where students are trained to and feel comfortable reporting to adults on campus. It was a tough day, but I am proud of many of our students. When I told the young boy I was proud of him for being brave and smart, reporting to us, he replied, ‘Of course I did that. I am a Safe School Ambassador!’” - Principal, Middle School, California What Ambassadors Do & SayAs Told By Ambassadors“A guy at school had been saying really obscene things to girls.” Ambassador action: “I asked him how he would feel if someone said that to his mother or sister.” - Santaluces High School, FL “My classmate was going to get into a fight.” Ambassador action: “I asked him if it was really worth a suspension, and he stopped.” - Eagles Landing Middle School, FL “Someone was harassing my friend and my friend was doing his best to ignore that person but losing his patience.” Ambassador action: “I told my friend that it wasn’t worth fighting with the person because in the end nothing would be settled.” - Santaluces High School, FL “A friend told me he had tried to commit suicide. He told me online, he said he might try again and then he got off the internet.” Ambassador action: “I called him and talked with him for an hour or so showing support and helping him. He got professional help.” - Atlantic High School, FL “We heard that someone might bring something to school to hurt somebody.” Ambassador action: “We told the guidance counselor.” - Polo Park Middle School, FL As Told By AdultsAfter a dispute between two racial gangs escalated into a “race riot” at one of our high schools, the District hired a professional gang mediator. A very influential Ambassador convinced key gang members to sit down at the table, and after participating in the sessions was the first to rise and sign the truce that had been hammered out; the truce has held for more than eight months. - Dave Heard, Director of Safety & Security, Perris Union High School District, CA “Two Hispanic female Ambassadors reported to their advisor that two ninth grade Hispanic boys (recent immigrants) were talking and touching girls inappropriately. The advisor along with a bi-lingual counselor sat down with the boys and explained how that behavior is not appropriate in our culture. No incidents have occurred since.” - Barry Sullivan, Program Advisor, Elsie Allen High School, CA “A student brought a gun to school right before the holidays. Five freshmen were seen passing it around. Two Ambassadors reported this to the office. The gun was confiscated before it could be used.” - Karen Senier, Program Advisor, Sheridan High School, CO Impact of Ambassadors
See more Benefits to Schools Download Measurement and Impact for highlights of the impact Ambassadors can have Frequency and Effectiveness of Ambassador InterventionsThis report answers basic questions about how often Ambassadors do intervene, and what impact those interventions have on the overall climate of their school. Using information gathered from a variety of sources, including Ambassador Action Logs, surveys, interviews, and analysis of school discipline data, the report shows that when the program is implemented with fidelity to the design, the results can be powerful. Download Report What Others SayComments from Ambassadors“I think that this is a great way to keep our school a safer place. Our students can now focus more on grades and schoolwork, rather than how people will make fun of them today, or who might try to hurt me physically or emotionally. It is such a great feeling of accomplishment knowing that you can help your school stay safe.” - Glen Edwards Middle School, CA “Being a Safe School Ambassador has taught me to look past the little problems and also to not feel stupid in getting help.” - Sheridan High School, CO “I have gained great skills to help people, better attitude because you have to be good to be a good ambassador, and new friends because you get to meet new people.” - Nelson Avenue Middle School, CA “I think it is so great that ambassadors can really make such a difference on our campus. The meetings that we are having are so great. We can share ideas with one another and we don’t have to be embarrassed.” - Berrendos Middle School, CA Comments from Adults“The basic premise of the Safe Schools Ambassador program is absolutely brilliant. Engaging and empowering student leaders is so obvious, yet it took SSA to bring it all together. As a retired cop who has found a second career in education, I look at the classroom environment with different eyes…falling back to old habits, I always view things from a safety perspective first. The SSA Program fits with my cop prism, because it engages the community leaders as problem solvers.” - Marvin Reyes, Executive Director, Office of Safety and Security, Fresno Unified School District, CA “IT WAS AWESOME!!! I was a bit skeptical about how the kids would react to the training but by the end I was quite surprised. Often times when adults are exposed to such wonderful programs we think they are great but unfortunately the kids often don’t feel the same. However, by the end of the two day training I was able to see what an impact the training had on the kids. Many could see the value in what they had learned and are anxious to get back and start using their newly acquired skills. The other adults were equally impressed…. By the way, who said that teasing, bullying and name calling has to be part of adolescent life? Thanks for giving us a way to change that!” - Nancy Robert, Teacher, Berrendos MS, CA “As Administrator of Student Services, I work with a variety of discipline situations that nowadays are often based upon the “relational aggression. ” We have a bullying training every year for students; but, SSA is an ongoing program that looks simple, offers strategies that students can remember and can use, and it empowers the students – particularly that second layer of less-involved students – to have a voice in their own safety and the safety of those they care about.” - Mary Ann Carousso, Student Services Administrator, Kings Canyon Unified School District, CA “This violence prevention program combines research-based practices and diverse youth leadership to build a caring school community. The Safe School Ambassadors demonstrated both simple and sophisticated techniques that engage them to stop potentially violent situations. They have learned skills that can profoundly affect their friends, their schools and their community, and they are excellent representatives of how youth can be an invaluable resource to our schools. I was particularly impressed by the students’ stories of how frequently they intervene in situations of verbal abuse, deliberate exclusion and bullying. It is clear that a trained cadre of Safe School Ambassadors can make widespread changes in the learning environment. Bullying and violence are powerful forces in our schools, but they can be overcome by the collective work of positive youth and adults when they are empowered by a program such as Safe School Ambassadors.” - Lynn Garric, Safe Schools Manager, Sonoma County Office of Education |