California State Polytechnic University, Dept. of Urban and Regional Planning
URP 337 Planning Public Infrastructure, Spring 1999
Gwen Urey, extension: 2725, gurey@csupomona.edu

Reaction Paper 2

due Monday 10 May 1999, 1 p.m. 
Purpose: To think about issues of school violence as they relate to community quality of life

Scenario:  Suppose you work in the Economic Development Department of Chimona, a young, prospering,  medium sized city.  Chimona is the largest city in Chimona Unified School District (CUSD) a school district that also includes several other medium-sized cities and a half dozen small cities.  Your boss, Mr. Overo Reacta,  has just returned from hosting a group of executives from the Hugemontica Computer Corp., which is considering moving its headquarter to Chimona.  He says it took only 30 minutes to satisfy the executives that the city's infrastructure could satisfy their production needs, and that they would be well positioned for auto and air transportation networks.
Their next questions were about what the local area could offer them and their families as residents.  Mr. Reacta  impressed  them with detail about  the parks and other amenities and the high test score averages in the local schools.  When they asked about school security, however, he had no details, and couldn't answer their questions.  He gives you this assignment:

Tasks:

  1. Do what your boss asks by addressing this question:

    2. Since schools are becoming more and more dangerous, we need to be sure that CUSD has taken appropriate security measures.  As an economic development department, we need to have material available that meaningfully addresses school security, and that can provide answers to the questions that prospective company executives or others considering a move to Chimona might ask.  Please that lays out the kinds of information we need, and also identifies what "good" answers to questions about school security would be.  That is, we do not want to get into it yet with the school district, but we want to know--IF they are doing the right things, WHAT would they be doing?
  2. Also address the overall seriousness of the problem using evidence (see resources below).
 
Resources:
  1. U.S. Department of Education, School Safety, Security, & Gangs:  Statistics, Studies, and Research Resources

    2.     http://www.ed.gov/pubs/AnnSchoolRept98/com.html
  2. CDC statistics on trends in youth violence:  Youth Risk Behavior Trends
Format: Two pages, double-spaced, typed.
Monday, 10 May, 1 p.m. submit 2 copies.

Evaluative Criteria:
A: A superior paper that is well-organized, has well-structured thoughts and is thorough; it addresses all parts of the assignment. The writer has provided specific examples and details. This paper has been spell-checked; punctuation and capitalization have also been checked. It is a final draft.

B: A very good paper that is weak in some aspects, such as not thoroughly addressing the assignment; it is not as clearly organized in thought and compositions as the superior paper. While it has been checked for mechanical errors, there are some inconsistencies which may detract from the quality of the paper.

C: A good paper that is an adequate or satisfactory response, but it is weaker than the very good or superior paper in several ways. For example, it may not clearly support with example(s) statements that are made. This paper is marred by "awkward" or grammar, mechanical errors, and poor word use.

D: A minimally acceptable paper. It barely addresses the assignment. The writing is less than competent and shows problems in several areas. The paper, however, is strong enough to earn a passing grade.

F: A failing paper. There is very little understanding of the assignment. It has major deficiencies in organization, development, sentence/section structure, word choice, grammar, and/or mechanics.