[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 82 (Thursday, June 10, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1217-E1218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS: A MODEL IN SCHOOL VIOLENCE 
                               PREVENTION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 10, 1999

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate 
the Prince George's County School System as one of our Nation's most 
innovative and successful school violence prevention programs. In the 
wake of the tragedies at Columbine and Conyers High School, it is 
important to highlight those schools which serve as a model for other 
school districts to follow.
  As the 18th largest school district in the nation, the faculty and 
staff of the Prince George's County Public School system educates one 
of the most diverse student populations of any district in the Nation. 
This week, as we continue our dialogue and focus on solutions to making 
our schools a safer place to learn, perhaps we can look to many of the 
programs already in place in Prince George's County and across the 
State of Maryland.
  Under the direction of retiring Superintendent Dr. Jerome Clark and 
Dr. Patricia Green, Chief, Divisional Administrator for Pupil Services, 
Prince George's County has implemented a regimen of programs including 
peer mediation, early intervention, and placement of probation 
specialists within schools.
  The Peer Mediation program has been one of the most successful. By 
placing a peer mediation teacher on staff at each of the 20 high 
schools and 26 middle schools, students are learning now to intervene 
and peacefully resolve conflicts. The program has recently been 
instituted on the elementary school level where teachers and guidance 
counselors at more than 100 of the district's elementary schools are 
trained on the importance of creating a healthy learning environment.
  Another program, called the ``Justice in Cluster Program'' has been 
so successful that the State of Maryland used the program as the model 
to create the statewide ``Spotlight on Schools.'' By teaming up with 
the Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice, each cluster of schools is 
able to provide two probation specialists who work with the local high 
school, middle school, and elementary schools to assist guidance 
counselors, peer mediation teachers, school psychologists, and 
administrators in working with troubled students and ensuring that they 
remain out of the juvenile justice system.
  Early intervention programs are also proving to be successful. 
``Second Step,'' a program featured in a 1997 study by the University 
of Washington, teaches children to change attitudes which may lead to 
violent behavior. Through learning empathy, impulse control and anger 
management, students in kindergarten through grade six are learning how 
to react nonviolently to various situations. The program is currently 
in place in 67 elementary schools and the Prince George's County School 
System has been asked by the Maryland State Department of Education to 
become the regional training center so that other school districts can 
replicate this successful program.
  These are just three of the many positive programs being implemented 
just beyond the

[[Page E1218]]

borders of our Nation's Capitol. With a number of successful federal 
programs in place like D.A.R.E., G.R.E.A.T., and the COPS program, we 
are in a position to provide a comprehensive plan for reducing school 
violence. I salute the Prince George's County Public School System for 
its dedication to safety and encourage my colleagues to look to this 
school system as one which may have solutions to the many problems 
facing our education system.

                          ____________________