Date of Award

Summer 8-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in School Leadership

Department

Teaching & Educational Leadership

College

College of Education

Committee Chair

Dr. Steve Bounds

Second Committee Member

Dr. John Freeman

Third Committee Member

Dr. Karen Endel

Program Director

Dr. John Freeman

Dean of Graduate College

Dr. Michael J. Bradley

Abstract

School and student safety remain urgent issues that school leaders and law enforcement face across the United States. This quantitative study examined the perceptions of School Resource Officers (SROs) and building-level administrators across public schools in Arkansas regarding their implementation of the Triad Model, which outlines SROs’ primary roles as educators, informal counselors, and law enforcement officers. This study also examined SROs’ perceived self-efficacy and the collaboration between SROs and building-level administrators. A Likert-scale survey was administered to 104 participants (including 65 building-level administrators and 39 SROs). The collected data were then analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test to identify any significant differences between the two groups. Key findings revealed perception gaps regarding the effectiveness of SROs in non-enforcement roles, particularly as educators and informal counselors. In comparison, both groups value the SROs and their contributions to school safety; however, perception gaps exist regarding the effectiveness of SROs in non-law enforcement roles. High self-efficacy among SROs did not always align with that of administrators, suggesting a need for improved communication and shared expectations. Overall, this study highlights the importance of clearly defined roles, role-specific ongoing professional development opportunities, and collaboration between the SRO and the building-level administrator.

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