W-b's Computer Dark Age Will See Light 
Old System Of Managing Information Hurts Taxpayers, Officials Say

Anna Mattey 
January 20, 1997 
Anna Mattey, Of Mountain Street, Swoyersville, Died Monday At Her Home.

Wednesday, January 22, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Combat, don't count, acts of school violence &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As crime, welfare and dropout rates soared, liberals took plenty of heat
for the dismal results of their well-intentioned social policies. Now the
nation's turning toward conservative solutions to some of those problemsBut
will conservatives also see some of their good intentions go awry? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; You bet. If they're smart, they'll stop, listen and learn -- and here's a
place where they could start: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A new law forcing schools to report violent incidents to the state is so
misleading as to be almost useless. It ought to be reformed or scrapped. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Act 26, passed in 1995, makes schools report fights, assaults, the presence
of weapons, and other offenses to the state Department of Education. Public
statistics should help parents compare schools and track them over time. That,
in turn, will pressure the schools into clamping down on violence. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Or so the theory went. But the first round of statistics is out, and the
evidence is in: The schools clamped down, all right. But many seem to have
clamped down on the reporting of violence rather than on the fights
themselves. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A story in Sunday's Times Leader made this behavior clear. Schools sharing
similar demographics and leadership styles reported wildly differing levels of
violence. While GAR High School in Wilkes-Barre reported 40 fights in 1995-96,
Meyers High across town reported 0. While Valley West reported 93 incidents of
cigarette possession, Dallas Area reported none. And so on. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Of course, maybe the statistics are accurate. Maybe not one student got
caught so much as smoking a cigarette at Dallas, Hanover Area, Bishop O'Reilly
and seven other local high schools, during that entire school year. Maybe not
one fight broke out at any of 11 schools, and not one marijuana cigarette
appeared at another group of 11. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Maybe schools such as Hazleton -- with 26 reported weapons violations --
really are armed camps, when compared with Nanticoke and Hanover Area, with
none. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Maybe. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But we doubt it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 More likely, the schools have different standards of what to report. As the
story put it, "some districts report bloody confrontations while handling
little skirmishes themselves. Others say they report everything." That's
rational and human and understandable, but it has the effect of making the
statistics worthless. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And that's a shame. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Unfortunately, the cure in this case may not be much better than the
disease. Sure, the state could turn the screws and specify exactly what
offenses must be reported. But violence is a slippery thing -- unlike student
achievement, which can be measured at least in part by standardized tests.
Principals still would find ways to understate the violence figures, because a
school's reputation rides so heavily on them. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Furthermore, school officials already complain about the mountain of
mandates and state rules they must follow. Do we really want to add another
one? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Especially when one of today's most promising educational reforms calls for
slashing the state rules and regulations in charter schools. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The lesson is clear: Getting accurate statistics about violence in schools
is a very tough and troublesome thing. But don't misunderstand. While
measuring violence may be uncertain, responding to violence is not. Swift and
sure punishment is the key, in our view. Hanover Area's doing it right: These
days, kids who fight at Hanover Area are likely to find themselves in court
and facing a stiff fine. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The students are getting the message. As one Hanover Area junior said, "It
used to be like two fights a day last year, and now it's like one a year."
Now, that's what's known as results. And we'll take solving a problem over
measuring it any time. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Combat, Don't Count, Acts Of School Violence 
As Crime, Welfare And Dropout Rates Soared, Liberals Took Plenty Of Heat For 
The Dismal Results Of Their Well-intentioned Social Policies. Now The Nation's 
Turning Toward Conservative Solutions To Some Of Those Problems.

Combat, Don't Count, Acts Of School Violence As Crime, Welfare And Dropout Rates Soared, Liberals Took Plenty Of Heat For The Dismal Results Of Their Well-intentioned Social Policies. Now The Nation's Turning Toward Conservative Solutions To Some Of Those Problems.