NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Talk of the Sound recently obtained several reports and other documents related to School Safety and Security in the New Rochelle school system from the period 2009 to 2012. Some are low quality photocopies. We will present several of them over the coming weeks.
The Communities That Cares (CTC) Youth Survey was administered in the spring of 2009 and 2010 to students in grades 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th in the City School District of New Rochelle. The CTC Youth Survey measures 1) risk and protective factors that are correlated with a number of adolescent behaviors including substance use, delinquency and other problem behaviors in adolescents, 2) the prevalence of drug use, and 3) prevalence of other antisocial behaviors.
In 2009, there were 2,249 students and in 2010, there were 2,267 students who completed valid survey. In 2010, there were 651 students in 6th grade, 688 students in 8th grade, 524 students in 10th grade and 404 students in 12th grade who completed the surveys with half (50%) being male and half being female. The majority of the students identified themselves as Hispanic/Latino (35%), with the next largest group being White (27%) followed by African American (19%), Other/Multiple (16%), and Asian (3%).
To the best of our knowledge these annual reports were never shared with the public. Talk of the Sound will publish the results of the survey in future articles but for now we are publishing the programs used to address the results of the survey to guide prevention and intervention efforts, such as those supported by the Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) initiative, which are designed to assist the school district in reaching the goal of ensuring that students in New Rochelle are safe, healthy and ready to learn. The City School District of New Rochelle was awarded the four year SS/HS grant beginning in 2008, which is funded by three Federal agencies: U.S. Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, and U.S. Department of Justice. Below are some of the many programs and services that are being implemented through the SS/HS:
• G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education and Training) is a violence prevention program that is being implemented by New Rochelle Police Officers in the middle schools.
• Olweus Bulling Prevention Program is designed to prevent and reduce bullying and is being implemented in the elementary schools.
• Smart Moves (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training) is a prevention program that addresses the problem s of drug and alcohol use and premature sexual activity with students ages 6 to 13.
• Staying Connected with Your Teen program teachers parents of teens, ages 12 to 17, how to improve their family management practices and enhance family bonding.
• PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) develops school-wide systems that support staff to teach and prom ote positive, appropriate behavior in all students.
• Best Buddies program pairs individuals with intellectual disabilities in one-on-one friendships with high school students.
• Response to Intervention (RTI) is implemented in all the schools to reduce behavior problems that directly affect student academic achievement.
• Multi Family Groups is designed to help improve parenting skills and family relationship processes (child management skills, family communication and parent/child interaction). The groups will be targeted for families with children ages 7 to 12 with behavioral difficulties.
• Parent Child Home Program is designed to improve school readiness in young children. The program is for children 18 months to 3.5 years old and their parents/guardians.
