What Works: Schools Without Drugs Part 7

_Recommendation #7_:

Implement a comprehensive drug prevention curriculum from kindergarten through grade 12, teaching that drug use is wrong and harmful and supporting and strengthening resistance to drugs.

A model program would have these main objectives:

To value and maintain sound personal health.

To respect laws and rules prohibiting drugs.

To resist pressures to use drugs.

To promote student activities that are drug free and offer healthy avenues for student interests.

In developing a program, school staff should:

Determine curriculum content appropriate for the school's drug problem and grade levels.

Base the curriculum on an understanding of why children try drugs in order to teach them how to resist pressures to use drugs.

Review existing materials for possible adaptation. State and national organizations--and some lending libraries--that have an interest in drug prevention make available lists of materials.

In implementing a program, school staff should:

Include all grades. Effective drug education is c.u.mulative.

Teach about drugs in health education cla.s.ses, and reinforce this curriculum with appropriate materials in such cla.s.ses as social studies and science.

Develop expertise in drug prevention through training. Teachers should be knowledgeable about drugs, be personally committed to opposing drug use, and be skilled at eliciting partic.i.p.ation by students.

(For more detailed information on topics and learning activities to incorporate in a drug prevention program, see pages 44-48.)

Samuel Gompers Vocational-Technical High School, New York City

Samuel Gompers Vocational-Technical High School is located in the South Bronx in New York City. Enrollment is 1,500 students; 95 percent are from low-income families.

In June, 1977, an article in the _New York Times_ likened Gompers to a "war zone." Students smoked marijuana and sold drugs both inside the school and on the school grounds; the police had to be called in daily.

In 1979, the school board hired a new princ.i.p.al, Victor Herbert, who turned the school around. Herbert established order, implemented a drug awareness program, involved the private sector, and instilled pride in the school among students. Among the actions he took:

In cooperation with the police captain, Herbert arranged for the same two police officers to respond to all calls from Gompers.

These officers came to know the Gompers students; eventually, students confided in the police about drug sales occurring near the school. Police also helped school staff patrol the school grounds and were stationed at a nearby park known for drug trafficking.

Herbert stationed security guards and faculty outside each bathroom. He organized "hall sweeps" in the middle of cla.s.s periods and no longer allowed students to leave the premises at lunch time.

Herbert established a drug education program for teachers, students, and parents that emphasized recognizing the signs of drug use. He also implemented other drug awareness programs that involved the police and community organizations.

He persuaded companies, such as IBM, to hire students for afterschool and summer work. Students had to be drug free to partic.i.p.ate. This requirement demonstrated to students that employers would not tolerate drug use.

A computerized attendance system was installed to notify parents of their child's absence. Newly hired paraprofessionals, called "family a.s.sistants," worked to locate absentees and bring them back to school.

The results of Herbert's actions were remarkable. In 1985, there were no known incidents of students using alcohol or drugs in school or on school grounds, and only one incident of violence was reported. The percentage of students reading at or above grade level increased from 45 percent in 1979-80 to 67 percent in 1984-85.

Enlisting the Community

_Recommendation #8:_

Reach out to the community for support and a.s.sistance in making the school's antidrug policy and program work. Develop collaborative arrangements in which school personnel, parents, school boards, law enforcement officers, treatment organizations, and private groups can work together to provide necessary resources.

School officials should recognize that they cannot solve the drug problem alone. They need to get the community behind their efforts by taking action to:

Increase community understanding of the problem through meetings, media coverage, and education programs.

Build public support for the policy; develop agreement on the goals of a school drug policy, including prevention and enforcement goals.

Educate the community about the effects and extent of the drug problem.

Strengthen contacts with law enforcement agencies through discussions about the school's specific drug problems and ways they can a.s.sist in drug education and enforcement.

Call on local professionals, such as physicians and pharmacists, to share their expertise on drug abuse as cla.s.s lecturers.

Mobilize the resources of community groups and local businesses to support the program.

_WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO_

Students

Learning the Facts

_Recommendation #9._

Learn about the effects of drug use, the reasons why drugs are harmful, and ways to resist pressures to try drugs. Students can arm themselves with the knowledge to resist drug use by:

Learning about the effects and risks of drugs.

Learning the symptoms of drug use and the names of organizations and individuals who are available to help when friends or family members are in trouble.

Understanding the pressures to use drugs and ways to counteract them.

Knowing the school rules on drugs and ways to help make the school policy work.

Knowing the school procedures for reporting drug offenses.

Knowing the laws on drug use and the penalties, for example, for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Understanding how the laws protect individuals and society.