A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR RELEASE                             Contact:  David W. Thomas    April 18, 1995                                     (202) 401-1579

Education Department Issues New Guide to Safe and Drug-Free Schools

The U.S. Department of Education today issued a new booklet of practical advice for communities working to make their schools and neighborhoods safe for children.

Success Stories '94: A Guide to Safe, Disciplined, & Drug- Free Schools recounts the efforts of 79 schools to create and maintain safe and drug-free campuses. Each of the schools has been honored by the department's Drug-Free School Recognition Program.

"We must focus our efforts on strategies that support academic achievement and those that support drug-free and violence-free behavior," writes Education Secretary Richard W. Riley in his introduction to the booklet. "Schools should not face this challenge alone, and must collaborate with community groups in finding solutions."

A section titled "Ideas into Action" details key steps in establishing a comprehensive prevention program:

recognize, assess and monitor drug, safety and discipline problems;
set, implement and enforce policy;
develop and implement a drug education and prevention program;
educate and train staff;
promote parent involvement and provide parent education and training;
interact and network with community groups and agencies.

Suggestions from principals cited in the 64-page guide include:

"To be successful, communicate with parents regularly. Every week we send home a packet that contains notes from teachers, helpful tips, and other information relating to our goals." Sam D. Harman, Vanderlyn Elementary School, Dunwoody, Ga.
"You can't look at your drug-free program as an add-on. It has to touch every aspect of school life and be integrated into the staff's belief system." Nancy Latham, Mokulele Elementary School, Honolulu, Hawaii.
"We lacked the money to fund our program, so we went to the private sector and made our case in a businesslike way, with presentations and data. It worked. You can't go hat in hand." Carl Snow, Twin Falls Senior High School, Twin Falls, Idaho.
"Depending on a student's offense, we offer in-school suspension. Students are placed in a special setting where their educational and disciplinary needs are met by teachers. This ensures a rapid transition back to their class routines." Ronald A. Hasty, Kelly Miller Junior High School, Washington, D.C.
"Don't give up after a year or two if you don't get the results you want. Stick with your program. It may take four or five years until it becomes very solid in the community's eyes." Donald Potter, Manchester Elementary School, Manchester Center, Vt.
"Start early in children's lives. Youngsters may not be users, but they may see drug use at home. No school is isolated from the nation's drug problem. Prevention is the issue." Lela Keith, Brigham Elementary School, Winter Haven, Fla.

The guide also contains detailed profiles of drug and violence prevention efforts at schools in Great Falls, Mont.; Decatur, Ga.; Washington, D.C.; St. Louis Park, Minn.; and Winter Haven, Fla.

A final section lists sources for additional information.

Free copies of Success Stories '94: A Guide to Safe, Disciplined, & Drug-Free Schools are available from the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 603 Portals, Washington, DC 20202-6123, telephone, 1-800-624- 0100.