Past and Future Directions of the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program: An Evaluation Review; Draft Final Report

• NCJ Number: 150713
• Author(s): C L Ringwalt; J M Greene; S T Ennett; R Iachan; R R Clayton; C G Leukefeld
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 190 pages
• Grant Number(s): 91-DD-CX-K053
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ); US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: RTI International
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This evaluation of the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program includes implementation and outcome assessments.

Abstract

D.A.R.E. is currently the Nation's predominant school- based drug prevention program. It is designed to prevent students' use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs; trained, uniformed police officers are used in the classroom to teach a highly structured curriculum. The core curriculum targets pupils in the final grade of elementary school. Additional curricula for students in kindergarten through fourth grade, junior high school, and senior high school, as well as for parents, have been developed and implemented. The implementation portion of the evaluation assessed the organizational structure and operation of representative D.A.R.E. programs nationwide, reviewed factors that contribute to the effective implementation of programs nationwide, and determined how D.A.R.E. and other school- based drug prevention programs are tailored to the needs of specific populations. The outcome assessment identified all outcome evaluations of the core curriculum conducted to date in the United States and Canada, assessed the methodological rigor of those evaluations, examined the nature and extent of program effects, and compared the effectiveness of the core curriculum with that of other school-based drug prevention programs that target the same population. The implementation assessment found that the project has been effective in placing drug education in the majority of school districts in the Nation, and it is expected to grow substantially in coming years. Outcome findings show, however, that the original core curriculum has not been as effective in preventing drug use among fifth and sixth graders as have interactive programs. D.A.R.E. has had only limited immediate effects on students' drug use, although it has been more effective in influencing other outcomes, such as social skills. More work is required to make D.A.R.E. more effective as a drug prevention program. Bibliography of comparison program evaluations, references, and appended evaluation instruments