Policy Recommendation Paper

Policy Recommendation Paper

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Policy Recommendation Paper

Description of the Policy Recommendation and Rationale

The policy provided is aimed at improving the social and environmental conditions of schools, thereby reducing incidences of bullying. one of the recommended policies is the mitigation of effects of bullying through including every stakeholder to participate in the process of interaction and communication. As such, it becomes necessary for students to interact in a way that reduces discrimination, which is one of the chief causes of bullying. Storey, Slaby, & Donelly (2011) state that an avenue of respect and tolerance will go a long way in helping stakeholders to let their issues be known to others, which will bring about efforts to achieve solutions. The policy will involve strategic forums carried out within the education institutions, and those that allow equal chance for stakeholders to speak, thereby airing their problems. It may be particularly challenging for younger people, as they experience more trouble communicating thoughts and emotions about their situations.

As such, it is important to have a psychologist who will be able to facilitate this type of communication. It is crucial for figures of authority such as teachers, parents, and community leaders to emphasize and encourage young people to speak out and present their issues. The meetings can be held within the school auditoriums or other large halls, which allow sufficient space to allow people to attend and participate. Depending on the type of institution, environment, and population, education leaders will be able to determine the frequency of these meetings. For instance, at risk children, such as those who do not come from stable homes, and those who come from a lower economic demographic are more likely to face social issues dealing with bullying. As such, schools, which have large proportions of such children, should hold more meetings.

Time Line and Lifespan of the Policy Plan

The timeline of the policy plan will be used to determine how effective it has been throughout the institutions of learning. Several factors will be taken into consideration when determining the length of a sensitive policy such as this. Foremost, the level of success in implementation will be a key factor to consider when deciding on how long it will take. In many cases, it is likely to experience less success when education institutions have not taken enough effort to make it effective. Secondly, the timeline will be decided on how successful it will be within a year. Success will be measured through evaluating the difference in environment atmosphere of the institution. This can be measured through determining the difference of number of bullying reports before and after the policy was implemented. It can be measured on a monthly or quarterly basis to evaluate the sequential progress from a quantitative aspect (Dunn, 2008). Another method that can be used to determine success is through the evaluation of student’s state of mind before and after the policy implementation. A qualified professional psychologist will be able to determine this from a general perspective rather than an individual one. Lastly, another method to be used is through evaluating the experiences of victims of bullying within the school. Should the general result indicate that bullying has not been mitigated from the program, this would mean that it is not successful.

Placement of the Organization’s existing Operations Overview

The existing operations of bullying do not contain any solid measures of preventing bullying. Granted, many educational institutions openly condemn bullying of any kind within the schools. However, there has been little effort to punish, provide counseling, and incorporate preventive measures. In some cases, the culture of bullying may not be taken with the level of gravity it so deserves, which leaves victims suffering in silence. As such, it is important to place strict measures that prevent bullying. Through taking bullying seriously, it will allow young people to become more sensitive about its effects, thus strive to report, mitigate, and prevent it. One of the placement strategies will involve inclusion of school counselors as part of the overall meeting program. They can be used to identify specific issues dealing with the mental and psychological overview of students as far as bullying is concerned

Provisions for Monitoring and Evaluation

It is important that the United States Department of Education provide a practical system of organization, which allows them to measure progress of the implemented policies. For instance, elected officials will be able to receive reports of the programs from each public education institution within the state, thereby facilitating a statewide analysis. If possible, the official can be able to attend some of the meetings to gain a firsthand experience of the specific issues, solutions, communication strategies, and participants of the school, which enhances their quality of analysis. This is a measure of providing effective supervision within the country, which allows the government to institute measures geared towards solving presented problems. Such a type of supervision will allow stakeholders to identify specific issues of bullying. This will go a long way in enhancing feasible solutions.

References

Dunn, W. N. (2008). Public Policy Analysis: An Introduction (4th ed.). Retrieved from The    University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Storey, K., Slaby, R., & Donnelly, E. (2011). Bullying Prevention [PDF]. Education Development Center, Inc.