_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 cumulative.
. Teach about drugs in health education classes, and reinforce this
curriculum with appropriate materials in such classes 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 participation 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 principal, 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 class
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
participate. 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 assistants," 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.