The University of Arizona Alumnus / Spring 2008
PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST: Making Endowed Chairs a Priority
Kris BosworthCollege of Education
Lester L. and Roberta D. Smith
Endowed Chair in Education
Climate Change (in School)
by La Monica Everett-Haynes
Photos by Jacob Chinn
UA Professor Kris Bosworth loves getting out from behind her desk and working with kids and teachers in local schools.
Her research on how to change school climate, especially by implementing drug and violence prevention programs, is nationally recognized. She aims to help schools buffer students from risky behaviors and to promote healthy development.
“Most researchers who develop drug and violence prevention programs do not work in education,” Bosworth explains. “They are psychologists, physicians, or sociologists, but not educators.”
But, she argues, “Schools are in a better position to know what is happening with youth.” Given the amount of time teachers spend with their students, they can readily notice behavioral and mood changes.
Head of the UA’s Educational Leadership Program in the College of Education, Bosworth holds the Lester L. and Roberta D. Smith Endowed Chair in Prevention and Education. She’s dedicated to helping educators battle substance abuse problems in young people.
In September 2007, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported the good news that between 2002 and 2006, illicit drug use and cigarette smoking had dropped among children age 12 to 17. Unfortunately, though, the study also found that during the same time period, rates of underage drinking had not changed. And the misuse of prescription drugs had increased slightly.
Bosworth has discovered that a trio of school practices are most effective at reducing high-risk behavior: Schools must create a safe learning environment, incorporate prevention programs that educate students directly, and involve the local community. But burdened by overwhelming to-do lists, schools have a difficult time implementing well-rounded prevention programs.
That’s why she’s developed software programs to help educators integrate prevention messages into everyday teaching. She’s also has created video-based multimedia programs to educate teens about substance abuse, violence, and other risky behaviors. Her work has been recognized by the American Medical Association, the National Congress on Adolescent Health, and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.
Bosworth says the Smith chair position has allowed her to be actively involved in schools in southside Tucson districts, where her work is supported by two federal grants for safe schools and healthy students.
The late Lester Lewis Smith established the UA chair in 1998 with a focus on substance abuse prevention, as well as other concerns such as teen suicide. Smith had previously founded the Smith Foundation to support efforts to curb substance abuse in youth and teenagers.
The endowed chair has “allowed me to shift my focus from trying to change the individual to changing the school climate,” says Bosworth, who also teaches a course that explores ways for administrators to change the atmosphere in schools. Her “protective schools” model helps administrators assess their own schools by looking at leadership, academic programs, relationships with the community, and the use of hard data in decision-making.
Now in its second year, the model was developed with assistance from local and national experts and has been implemented in five school districts in Tucson. Bosworth presents the model in a book discussion group. By undergoing the self-assessment, educators can determine what strengths they already have, and where they can improve.
“Lester wanted somebody out there working to get the information out and felt we should be creating change,” Bosworth says. “He wanted someone who would serve the community, not just someone who was going to sit in an office. That’s what I love doing.”
Back to Spring 2008 contents page