Teachers’ and other staff buy-in and lack of administrative support are two issues that can be common with the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program implementation.  Helping teachers and staff make the connection between a positive “non-bullying” atmosphere and academic achievement is helpful.   It is also important to pre-plan with district administrators to ensure their crucial support and that time is built into the scheduled to hold meetings since teachers may find it difficult to work them into their existing schedules.

Careful planning of the data collection process for the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire (OBQ) needs to be addressed as part of the grant planning process.  Because Olweus is a universal intervention and each student completes the OBQ annually, there needs to be a process for collecting, analyzing and reporting the data for a large number of students from the questionnaires.  The Bullying Prevention Committees should review the results of the questionnaires annually and share with the rest of the staff to address the individual needs of each school

Tracking classroom meeting information is another area that can be a struggle for sites.  A process needs to be put in place so that teachers are informed as to how to complete the developer provided Class Meeting Activity Log, when they need to be submitted, and how they will receive feedback on how their class meetings are going.

The EPISCenter is available to help sites develop an evaluation strategy for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program at (814) 863-2568 or EPIS@psu.edu. 

Some teachers may need guidance and support regarding what to cover during classroom meetings beyond specific bullying issues.  Developing a resource to give teachers ideas for weekly topics or purchasing Class Meetings that Matter: A Resource for Grades K-5 and/or Class Meetings That Matter: A Resource for Grades 6-8 from Hazelden is beneficial for most sites.