BJA FY24 STOP School Violence Program

Caddo Parish Public Schools (CPPS) is comprised of 55 schools (urban, suburban, and rural), has 38,832 students and 5,000 staff. Caddo Parish (Shreveport), where CPPS is located, is the third largest parish in Louisiana with a population of 226,386 and is ranked in the top 10 cities for violent crimes per capita in the United States. In 2023, 8,361 crimes were reported, of which 1,471 were violent crimes.  And since 2020, 49 teens have been victims of homicide in Caddo Parish. The exceptionally high crime rates within the parish, Louisiana’s ranking as having one of the highest poverty rates in the U.S., consistently increasing rates of mental health issues in Louisiana (many of which involve violence-prone behaviors), and exceptionally high turnover rates for staff, are often reflected in high rates of suspensions and expulsions and excessive absenteeism for economically disadvantaged and marginalized students (Priority 1A). This proposal highlights the need for implementing an ecological, grassroots violence prevention initiative at nine targeted school sites (5 elementary, 2 elementary/middle, and 2 middle) by using trauma-informed and social-emotional strategies along with LifeSkills and includes parental involvement and community outreach regarding best practices for violence prevention. This project will support school climate and safety by focusing on early prevention, mitigation, psychological trauma, and response by adding to and strengthening current initiatives regarding systemic change. CPPS will utilize an existing framework (Multi-Tiered System of Support) in support of project goals: (1) to increase evidence-based prevention training for all students at nine identified schools to reduce school violence and crises that may contribute to violent crime, (2) to improve overall school climate and increase the knowledge and skills of faculty members and students on school violence prevention techniques and interventions using pre and posttest data and other metrics, and (3) to increase the capacity of parents and community members to engage in activities seen as best practices in violence prevention. Through this comprehensive plan, physical, emotional, psychological, and cultural violence should decrease, suspensions and absenteeism should decrease, and school climate should increase. Thus, by starting at the school level with violence prevention initiatives and branching outward, CPPS will nurture a culture of inclusivity, equity, and empowerment. Thus, our district can be the catalyst for change, helping our community navigate a path towards a brighter and safer future.