Worksheet 6: Selecting the best public policy solution

 

Date: February 12, 2003     Group Members: John Smith, Jane Doe, and Joe Shmoe

 

Your problem (phrase): 

Bullying in P.S. 186

 

List the three public policy alternatives from Worksheet5. Create a short word or abbreviation to summarize each policy and write it at the end of each policy (see example).

  1. Purchase and implement Steps to Respect, a school-wide bullying prevention program used in language arts classes in many schools.
  1. Develop a clear definition of bullying and post it in all classrooms.  Include a list of actions for violations: first offense: warning; second offense: detention and phone call to parents; third offense: suspension and meeting with parents.
  1. Develop a clear definition of bullying and post it in all classrooms.  Establish an after school program to be conducted by the school guidance counselor.  Bullying students would have to participate in twelve hours of counseling.

Use the format in the example to complete the matrix below:

 

 

 

 

 

EFFECTIVENESS

 

FEASIBILITY

 

 

 

HIGH

 

MEDIUM

LOW

 

HIGH

 

 

 

 

Steps to Respect

MEDIUM

 

DEFINE/Punish

 

 

Define/Counseling

 

LOW

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discuss the reasons for your decisions in the matrix.

Purchasing and implementing Steps to Respect would be an effective policy for this program has excellent results in numerous school districts in reducing bullying behaviors.  However the district recently purchased new literature books and did extensive staff development to create a new language arts curriculum so the feasibility of this policy is very low.

Posting a definition and punishments for bullying would certainly lower the number of incidents of bullying although it does little to address underlying causes of the problem.  It is highly feasible for there are no major costs to implement it.

Posting definitions and then providing counseling would be very effective for many students but the school could probably not require all offenders to participate if parents objected.  The feasibility would be very low for it would be very expensive and it would reduce the time that the counselors could devote to other needs.

 

Discuss why your group prefers one alternative over the other two alternatives.

We believe that posting a definition and punishments can be enacted quickly and inexpensively (high feasibility) and will immediately begin to reduce the problem.  Although Steps to Respect may be a more effective solution it is an expensive program and our school has just implemented a new language arts curriculum.  Counseling also would be too expensive to implement now and it would reduce other work of the guidance counselors.

 

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