Safe and Drug-Free Schools & Communities Planning for Success!

1. Safe and Drug-Free Schools &CommunitiesPlanning for Success! Region One ESCClara Cáceres Contreras956-984-6125clara.contreras@esconett.org

2. Introduction • Prevention is… “The active process of creating conditions and attributes that promote the well-being of people.” -SAMSHA and OJJDP

3. Continuum of Care

4. Why Prevention Is Important? • According to a recently published RAND study, the cost benefits of model prevention programs far outweigh the actual cost of the programs.

5. Prevention is important because… • Youth who experiment with, and use, cigarettes at an early age are more likely than nonsmokers to experience a variety of behavior problems by the time they reach 12th grade. • Youth at highest risk often are not only frequent and heavy users of tobacco and alcohol, but also are polysubstance users and have high levels of problems in social functioning, criminal activity, physical health, psychological distress, and substance dependence. • Poor school performance, absenteeism, prior dropout status predict future truancy, dropout, and drug use. [Science-based Prevention Programs and Principles, 2002 SAMHSA]

6. Prevention is important… • Half of all teens—about 60% report that drugs are used, kept, or sold at their schools • Students at these schools are 3 times more likely to use ATOD • Of those who have tried cigarettes, 86% still smoke as seniors • 83% continue to get drunk as seniors

7. Prevention is important… • The more a student uses ATOD, the lower his/her GPA • Alcohol abuse can reduce brain size --the hippocampus– (responsible for learning and memory) shrinks 10% • 3 drinks for a teenager take a far higher toll than an older drinker (25% greater impairment) [Prevention Alert CSAP]

8. The Tie to Academic Achievement A recent study by the Human Services Policy Center, University of Washington, concluded that: • The level of peer substance use in schools has a substantial impact on the academic performance of students • Peer substance use is an important predictor of math and reading test scores. Thus, the higher the level of peer substance use, the lower the math and reading test scores of all students– not just the substance users

9. The Tie to Academic Achievement • Students whose peers have little or no involvement with drinking and drug use score higher than students whose peers had low level drinking or drug use • On average, students whose peers had little or no involvement with drinking or drug use score higher.

10. Prevalence of Academic Success by Number of Risk and Protective Factors

11. Comprehensive Prevention Programs • Prevention education is developmentally- based instruction for all children and youth from early childhood to 12th grade that: • Teaches important skills, such as social skills, conflict management skills, problem-solving skills; • Promotes a sense of individual responsibility, and provides information and effective techniques for resisting peer pressure • Addresses the legal, personal, and social consequences of violent and disruptive behavior, such as bullying and harassment, and/or the legal, social, and health consequences of ATOD use.

12. A Comprehensive Approach • Information dissemination: Newsletter for parents/ all school assembly • Prevention Education: Classroom lessons, booster sessions, integration into school improvement activities • Alternatives: Reinforcement of skills in afterschool program

13. A Comprehensive Approach • Problem Identification/Referral: Individual intervention system • Community: School- Community leadership team and all school involvement • Environmental Strategies: Schoolwide expectations, common area expectations, system of consequences

14. The Context of Prevention Today • Increased emphasis on results • Data-driven needs assessment and decision-making • Use of scientifically researched based programs • Unifying predictive framework

15. Risks include Smoking High fat diet High cholesterol Protection includes Exercise Diet high in fruits and vegetables Public Health: Prevention Model The prevention of heart disease is an example of risk and protection focused prevention.

16. Risk and Protective Factors • Risk factors are conditions for a group, individual, or defined geographic area that increase the likelihood of a substance use/abuse or other problems occurring

17. Risk and Protective Factors • Protective factors are conditions that build resilience to substance abuse and other problems and can serve to buffer the negative effects of risk

18. Prevention Theory: Risk and Protection Focused Prevention • There is a link between risk and protective factors and youth behavior. Youth high in risk or low in protection are more likely to engage in problem behaviors. • Risk and protective factors predict future youth behaviors– both positive and problem behaviors

19. Risk Factors • Are characteristics of four areas in a young person’s life: 1. Community 2. Family 3. School 4. Peer groups and the characteristics of the young person

20. Risk factors Predict increased likelihood of five problem behaviors: • Alcohol and other drug use • Delinquency • School dropout • Teen pregnancy • Violent behavior

21. Protective Factors Protective factors must: • Buffer the effects of risk exposure • Demonstrate results in multiple studies • Demonstrate results in longitudinal studies

22. Protective Factors • Healthy beliefs and clear standards • Bonding • Prosocial opportunities • Competencies and skills • Reinforcement for prosocial involvement • Individual characteristics (intelligence and temperament)

23. School Risk Factors • Academic failure: beginning in late elementary grades (4-6), academic failure increases the risk of both drug use and delinquency • Lack of commitment to school: Surveys of high school seniors have shown that substance use is significantly lower among those who expect to attend college than among those who do not. Factors such as liking school, spending time on homework, and perceiving their coursework as relevant are also negatively related to drug use.

24. School Protective Factors • Opportunities for positive involvement: When young people are given more opportunities to participate meaningfully in important school activities, they are less likely to engage in problem behavior • Rewards for Conventional Involvement: When young people are recognized and rewarded for their contributions to school, they are less likely to be involved in substance abuse and other problem behaviors

25. Effective Prevention Programming: NIDA Principles • Principles for School-based programs: • Do the school-based programs reach children from kindergarten through high school? If not, do they at least reach children during the critical middle school or junior school years? • Do the programs contain multiple years of intervention? • Do the programs use a well-tested, standardized intervention with detailed lesson plans and student material?

26. Effective Prevention Programming: NIDA Principles • Do the programs teach resistance skills through interactive methods (modeling, role-playing, discussion, group feedback, reinforcement) Principles for School-based programs:

27. Effective Prevention Programming: NIDA Principles • Principles for School-based programs: • Do the programs foster prosocial bonding to the school and community?

28. Effective Prevention Programming: NIDA Principles • Do the programs : • teach social competency (community, self-efficacy, assertiveness) and resistance skills that are culturally and developmentally appropriate • promote positive peer influence • promote anti-drug social norms • include adequate number of sessions • Principles for School-based programs:

29. What Works… Substance Abuse Prevention Key elements of effective substance abuse programs include: • Help students recognize internal and external pressures that influence them to use ATOD • Develop personal, social, and refusal skills to resist these pressures • Teach that using ATOD is not the norm even if students think “everyone is doing it”

30. What Works… Substance Abuse Prevention • Provide developmentally appropriate material and activities • Use interactive teaching techniques • Actively involve the family and community • Include teacher training and support; contain material that is easy for teachers to implement and culturally relevant for students Key elements of effective substance abuse programs include:

31. What Works… Violence Prevention • Key elements of violence prevention programs include: • Activities designed to foster school norms against violence, aggression, and bullying • Skills training based on a strong theoretical foundation • A comprehensive, multi-faceted approach, including family, peer, media, and community

32. What Works… Violence Prevention • Key elements include: • Physical and administrative changes to promote positive school climate • Interactive teaching • Developmentally appropriate interventions • Teacher training

33. What Does Not Work… • Scare tactics • Instructional programs that are too brief and not supported by a positive school administration • Programs that focus exclusively on self-esteem • Programs providing only didactic information without helping students to develop the necessary refusal skills

34. NCLB Principles • Principles of Effectiveness • Comprehensive Approach • Science Based Programming • Collaboration

35. Principles of Effectiveness • Assessment of objective data regarding violent behavior and illegal drug use and conditions that produce them. • Based on established set of performance measures designed to ensure a safe, orderly drug-free learning environment. • Based on scientifically-based research with evidence that the program will reduce violence and substance abuse.

36. Principles of Effectiveness • Based on an analysis of the prevalence of risk and protective factors/buffers/assets. • Based on meaningful, ongoing input and consultation from parents in the development and implementation of the plan.

37. Needs Assessment and Objective Data Collect data: YRB incidence and prevalence, age of onset, perception of health risk, perception of social disapproval, violent-related and drug-related suspensions and expulsions, disciplinary referrals, etc.

38. Needs Assessment and Objective Data Analyze data collected: • What is the incidence and prevalence of violence and substance abuse in our district and school? • Does the student data present a positive or negative picture of the current situation? • How are students doing compared to students in the state? • Are trends heading in the desired direction?

39. Risk and Protective Factor Data • Are there risk factors contributing to the current situation of our students? • What protective factors have potential to mitigate the risk factors present in our current situation? • Are there sufficient protective factors in the lives of our children to offset the risk factors?

40. Resource Assessment • What are the resources available to our school and community to address deficiencies found in our needs assessment? • Which risk factor(s) does the program address? • How does the program increase protective factors? • What age group(s) are served by the program? • Does the program address the needs of all students or a targeted group? • Is the program of sufficient duration and intensity to make a difference in the targeted behavior?

41. Needs Assessment: How to Utilize Data • Problem Observed: Conflicts occurring among students and between students and teachers at Anywhere Junior High School; current disciplinary responses are reactive, time-consuming, and seem only marginally effective; too much teacher time spent on intervening rather than on instruction

42. Utilizing Data • Objective Data from the needs assessment • 20% increase in number of fights this year compared to last • More than twice as many weapons confiscated compared to last year • 45% of students noted they did not feel safe at school as reported on the YRB survey • Parent concerns about school safety are increasing as reflected on a PTA survey • 15% increase in assault cases in juvenile court

43. Needs Assessment Data • Risk factors targeted for reduction • Reduce alienation and rebelliousness • Reduce rewards for anti-social behaviors

44. Needs Assessment Data • Protective factors targeted for enhancement • Increase opportunities and rewards for positive involvement in school • Increase social and self competency skills • Improve communication skills • Enhance positive peer relationships

45. Setting Goals/Performance Measures • Students of Anywhere Junior High School will successfully manage and resolve conflict as evidenced by a 25% reduction in the number of fights and the number of weapons brought to school and by a 15% improvement in student, teacher, and parent perceptions of school safety as measured by the following: YRB survey, teacher survey, and parent school climate survey.

46. Needs Assessment: How to Utilize Data • Problem observed: Administrators and teachers at City High School have seen an increase in the number of students with school performance and attendance problems who have been found to have alcohol and other drug problems, and who express a lack of commitment to school.

47. Utilizing Data • Objective data from needs assessment: • 2005 YRB survey found increased levels of alcohol use among 10th and 12th graders (also higher than the state average) • The percent of 10th graders who reported it is OK to drink alcohol increased from 40% to 52% between 2001-2003 • 22% increase in the current school year of alcohol-related offenses at school and school-sponsored events • Increase of 20% over the last three years in the number of drug-related suspensions and expulsions • 25% increase in vandalism within the community (data from juvenile court referrals)

48. Needs Assessment Data • Risk factors targeted for reduction: • Delay initiation of alcohol use (age of onset) • Reduce the number of friends who use • Decrease favorable attitudes toward use

49. Needs Assessment Data • Protective factors targeted for enhancement: • Increase social skills • Increase opportunities and rewards for positiveinvolvement in school and the community

50. Setting Goals/Performance Measures • By June, 2007, students at City High School will report a 25% reduction in reported alcohol use by 10th graders, increase by 15% the 12th graders reporting that they have never used alcohol, and decrease by 15% the number of alcohol-related suspensions and expulsions.