Pubdate: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 Source: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) Copyright: 2004, Denver Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/371 Author: Holly Yettick STUDENT VIOLATIONS ON THE RISE Officials cite 'less tolerance in schools' for higher numbers Colorado pupils got caught more often last year smoking, taking drugs, carrying weapons and being habitually disruptive at school. But they drank and fought less, according to a Rocky Mountain News analysis of 2003-2004 School Accountability Report data released earlier this month. The total number of discipline violations in all categories increased 4.7 percent to 118,044 over the year before. The biggest increase - 6 percent - was in the "other" category, which includes such violations as willful disobedience, defacement of school property and stealing. The number of fights and assaults dropped 20 percent, more than any other category. The overall increases outstripped enrollment growth, which increased 0.8 percent last year. That doesn't necessarily mean the state's schools are more drug-ridden or dangerous, educators said. "Generally speaking, since Columbine, there's been a heightened awareness of the dangers of, certainly, bullying," said Dave Smith, director of prevention initiatives for the Colorado Department of Education. "What happens as school personnel become more sensitive to certain kinds of issues is that they identify it more readily. It's a surveillance issue. "There's less tolerance in schools." Smith hadn't yet reviewed the School Accountability Report's discipline data, but he noted that suspension and expulsion data in recent years tell a different story. The percentage of students suspended last year decreased slightly to 15.6 percent, while the percentage of students expelled has held steady for the past three years at 0.3 percent. "At each school, in each situation, we want to look behind the numbers and see what's going on," said Mark Stevens, spokesman for Denver Public Schools. "If there's anything really indicating serious violence, we're going to take it seriously. "But the numbers alone don't tell the story." Strict weapons searches The News analysis measured the rate of violations per 1,000 students in schools across Colorado with at least 100 students. Gove Middle School at 14th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Denver had the state's second-highest rate of weapons violations. Henry Middle School in southwest Denver and McGlone Elementary School in northeast Denver tied for third. But when Stevens examined the numbers, he discovered that "dangerous weapons" found at Henry included a Gothic finger ornament, a BB gun fired on the way home from school, and a utility knife containing scissors and a corkscrew. McGlone's "weapons" included firecrackers and a fingernail clipper. All, however, fit the state's definition of a dangerous weapons, which includes toy guns and "any object, device, instrument, material or substance that could be used or intended to be used to inflict death or serious bodily injury." "The conscientious schools, in terms of public relations, will appear to get burned by this," Stevens said. "But they're the ones following the law to the letter. The appearance may be damaging to their image, but they're doing the right thing." The Keating Continuing Education Center in Pueblo had the state's highest rate of weapons violations. But during his six years at the school, Principal Greg Millard said no student has been caught carrying a gun or threatening anyone with a knife. That's despite the fact that the school houses expelled middle and high school students from neighborhoods dominated by rival gangs. Millard says all of his school's weapons violations involve knives, most found during the mandatory searches students must undergo if they sneak off campus during the day then return. "I'm a parent," Millard said. "I have a son who's 11 years old. I bought him his first pocket knife. It scares me so much that he might leave it in his pocket and bring it to school. "I've been on him and on him and on him. A lot of these parents are single parents, working parents, so the kid puts the knife in his pocket and goes to school." Vigilant about alcohol, drugs When West End Schools Superintendent Duane Benny looks behind his numbers, he does see a problem. "We feel, overall, that we have an alcohol problem in the community," Benny said. Nucla High School in his rural western Colorado district had the state's highest rate of drug and alcohol violations. Benny said almost all of the 16 violations stemmed from drinking at two weekend parties. West End students who participate in extracurricular activities or sports get in trouble at school even if they drink off campus, Benny said. The state's definition of drug and alcohol abuse extends only to "school-sanctioned events." At the two metro-area schools with the highest rates of drug and alcohol violations, most of the incidents involved marijuana, not booze. Principals at both schools said their rates signified not a problem, but a zero-tolerance policy. "My five campus supervisors have had formal training for recognizing students who are high," said Kerry Moynihan, principal of Thornton High School, which also had the highest overall number of drug violations in the state. "They are highly vigilant. This has been an area of focus for our school. We are trying to increase our academic scores and we can't do that if students don't take their education seriously." Katie Myers, assistant head of Compass Secondary Montessori charter school in Golden, said her school's small, close-knit community makes it difficult for students to hide drug use. "We create an environment where the students feel very comfortable coming forward," she said. "I think anybody who chooses to use drugs doesn't like going to school here because we find out." Horseplay, fights, assaults At Rangely Middle School in rural northwestern Colorado, Principal Shelly Cowell holds herself partially responsible for her school having the highest rate of fights and assaults measured by the News. "I was a new principal here last year," she said. "My interpretation of what was classified as an assault might have been different than what other people do." The state defines assault as "student behavior on school grounds that, if committed by an adult, would be considered (first-or second-degree) criminal assault." Cowell said she defined assault as any unprovoked act of physical aggression. She said parents wanted a more clear-cut approach that was even stricter. So this year, Rangely instituted a "hands-off" policy that punishes any act of aggression with after-school detention, even if the kids say they were just playing around. Cowell said horseplay during the first weeks of school resulted in a broken leg and neck muscles pulled badly enough to require a neck brace. Those involved were punished. For the past month and a half, Cowell said she's had no violations. "It has taken the first nine to 12 weeks to understand hands off is hands off," she said. Jefferson County middle schools dominated the list of metro-area schools with high rates of assaults. Jeffco spokesman Rick Kaufman says that jibes with district figures showing expulsions increased last year, especially at the middle school level. "It's very difficult to really find a rational reason for why students are assaulting other students," he said. "At every level, we see trending where students feel safer." - --- MAP posted-by: Josh