Are Substance Use Prevention Programs More Effective in Schools Making Adequate Yearly Progress?: A Study of Project Alert

• NCJ Number: 236853
• Journal: Journal of Drug Education Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Dated: 2011 Pages: 271-288
• Author(s): Heddy Kovach Clark, Ph.D.; Chris L. Ringwalt, Dr.PH; Stephen R. Shamblen, Ph.D.; Sean M. Hanley, M.P.H.; Robert L. Flewelling, Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2011
• Length: 18 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2003-DR-FX-001; 2007-JF-JX-0064
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated whether substance use prevention programs were more effective in schools classified as making adequate yearly progress.

Abstract

This exploratory study sought to determine if a popular school-based drug prevention program might be effective in schools that are making adequate yearly progress (AYP). Thirty-four schools with grades 6 through 8 in 11 States were randomly assigned either to receive Project ALERT (n = 17) or to a control group (n = 17); of these, 10 intervention and 9 control schools failed to make AYP. Students completed three self-report surveys. For lifetime cigarette use and 30-day alcohol use, Project ALERT was more effective in schools that made AYP. However, in these schools, Project ALERT negatively affected students' lifetime marijuana use. This study provided some preliminary evidence that prevention programming may not work as well in poorer performing schools; however, further exploration is needed. (Published Abstract)