The College of Education
Announces the Final Examination of
Nancy Robinson Kelley
for the degree of
Doctor of Education
October 14, 2015 at 11:00 am
215B Ball Hall, University of Memphis
Memphis, TN
Biographical Sketch
Bachelor of Art, Psychology, Memphis State University
Master of Art and Teaching, Elementary Education K-8, Memphis State University
Educational Specialist, School Counseling K-12, The University of Memphis
School Administration and Supervision K-12, The University of Memphis
Advisory Committee
Richard James, Ph.D., Professor, Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Research, Committee chair
Pam Cogdal, Ph.D., Professor, Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Research
Chloe Lancaster, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Research
Steve Zanskas, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Counseling, Educational Psychology, and
Research
Major Field of Study
Counselor Education
Period of Preparation: 2012 – 2015
Comprehensive Examination Passed: October 2014
CRISIS RESPONSE TEAMS IN THE SCHOOL SETTING: BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED
Abstract
In recent years, more attention has been focused on crisis management in school settings, attributable in part to a heightening awareness of student mental health and violence in the schools. As such, there are different models of crisis response designed for school teams to utilize in the event of a crisis situation that address the needs of students, staff, and other stakeholders. The purpose of this action research study was to conduct an analysis of a local, suburban area District School Crisis Response Team’s (DSCRT) model for crisis response in an attempt to produce a lessons learned, best practices approach for school crisis situations. Based upon the purpose of this study, the following questions guided this research:
- What are the strengths and limitations of a local school district model for school crisis response situations?
- How does being involved in a school crisis response impact crisis team members in a professional way?
- How does being involved in a school crisis response impact crisis team members in a personal way?
The research included an investigation of archival data to gain an understanding of team members’ perspectives of the local model’s crisis response procedures and answer the research questions. The three sources of archival data included the following: survey responses from DSCRT members, field notes from the DSCRT coordinator, and other documents relative to the crisis events of the 2012-2013 school year. Additionally, the researcher explored best practices from different models of school crisis response, including the FEMA model for school emergency response. Data analysis involved the exploration of all archival data in order to generate best practice thematic units in crisis response. The researcher discovered five thematic topics to include the following: Team Strengths, Team Limitations, Professional Impact, Personal Impact, and Crisis as a Unique Event. Based on the premise of action research, this study sought to not only improve the researcher’s practices for crisis response work in future school crisis situations, but to also share lessons learned with colleagues, counseling professionals, and others involved in the work of school crisis response.