| Purpose of the Guide |
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This Guide is to be used as a tool for promoting safe and drug-free schools. It infuses research-based prevention education into the core and enrichment curricula to provide students with consistent, firm, no-drug-use, no-violence messages in all areas of their education. The Guide, however, is only one tool needed to reduce drug use and violence. A comprehensive approach is necessary for real change to occur.
The use of drugs and the frequency and intensity of violence among students in Texas public schools continue to be significant problems demanding an all-out response from teachers, administrators, parents, and students themselves. The Texas Prevention Resource Guide: DRUG AND VIOLENCE EDUCATION represents an important component in the effort to stem these problems. The Guide incorporates and updates the principles and lessons of the previous Texas curriculum guide, Education for Self-Responsibility II: Prevention of Drug Use, and adds new components to address violence prevention. The Texas Prevention Resource Guide: DRUG AND VIOLENCE EDUCATION is available in hard-copy format as well as on the worldwide web with a searchable database.
The purpose of this Guide is to provide an effective reinforcement tool for schools that want to increase their effectiveness. The infusion model, on which the Guide is based, is designed specifically to reinforce the comprehensive approach. The sample lessons, supporting materials and resources are designed to maximize the convenience of the classroom implementation for the educator.
In order for students to remain free of drugs and violence, they need to do four things:
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Learn Information |
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Examine Models |
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Acquire Skills |
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Practice Personal Plans |
The goals and objectives presented in this Guide are designed to help maximize students' chances of doing these four things.
Prevention WORKS.....so let's L E A P into prevention!
Comprehensive Approach
To be most effective, drug and violence prevention curricula must be accompanied by a strong commitment on the part of administrators, teachers, and other school adults, as well as parents, the community at large, and students themselves. In addition to universal programs for the general population, a comprehensive approach also offers selective assistance programs for students who are at high risk for becoming involved with drugs and violence and indicated programs for those who already exhibit risk-related behaviors.
- SDFSC-funded programs shall be coordinated with other available prevention efforts to maximize the impact of all the drug and violence prevention programs and resources available to the local education agency or community, and shall implement the following Principles of Effectiveness:
Principle 1: Assessments - shall base its SDFSC program on an assessment of objective data concerning the drug and violence problems in the schools and communities served.
Principle 2: Performance Measures -shall with the assistance of local or regional consultation with required representation, which includes community representatives, establish a set of performance measures aimed at ensuring that schools and communities served have a safe, orderly, and drug-free learning environment.
Principle 3: Scientifically Based Research – shall design and implement its SDFSC activities for youth based on scientifically based research that provides evidence that the strategies used prevent or reduce drug use and violence.
*Principle 4: Analysis of Factors – shall base its SDFSC program on an analysis of the prevalence of risk factors, protective factors, buffers, assets, or other variables in schools and communities in the state identified through scientifically based research.
*Principle 5: Consultation – shall include meaningful and ongoing consultation with, and input from, parents in the development of the application and administration of the SDFSC program.
Principle 6: Evaluation – shall evaluate its drug prevention and violence prevention periodically to assess progress toward achieving its established performance measures. The evaluation results shall be used to refine, improve, and strengthen its program, and shall also be made available to the public upon request with public notice of such availability provided.
The Department of Education introduced the four Principles of Effectiveness, as posted in the Federal Register of June 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1998. July 1, 2002 two additional principles * became a part of the Principles of Effectiveness document.
Schools can create an environment that reduces or eliminates drug use and violence on their campuses by incorporating these key elements of effectiveness into their Safe and Drug Free Schools prevention education. Effective schools:
- Analyze local data and based on that analysis, incorporate prevention in the campus improvement plan and in curriculum alignment.
- Apply research based prevention principles when selecting programs.
- Involve family and community throughout the process.
- Establish clear no-drug-use/no-violence measures and objectives.
- Teach that using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and violence are not the norm among young people.
- Teach that conflicts can be resolved without violence.
- Help students to recognize behaviors that lead to drug use and violence.
- Help students recognize the internal pressures, peer attitudes, and media that may influence them to engage in alcohol, tobacco and other drug use and/or violence.
- Help students develop personal, social, and refusal skills to resist these pressures.
- Reinforce positive behaviors.
- Provide developmentally appropriate material and activities, including information about the short-term effects and long-term consequences of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and violence.
- Use material that is easy for teachers to implement and culturally relevant for students.
- Use interactive instructional strategies that engage the learner.
- Cover the essential prevention concepts in multiple sessions; then reinforce those concepts in the context of students' daily experiences.
- Provide professional development and implementation support for drug use prevention and violence prevention.
- Evaluate regularly and modify programs based on evaluation findings.
The final key element is consistency. Schools that consistently reinforce their comprehensive drug-use prevention and violence prevention education programs, in all areas of their core and enrichment curricula and for all grade levels, are far more effective in their implementation of the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities programs.
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