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    June 5, 1995                                       (202) 401-1579

Riley Announces Outstanding Safe and Drug-Free Schools

U.S. Education Secretary Richard W. Riley today announced that 98 schools recognized by the 1994-95 Safe and Drug-Free School Recognition Program will be honored in a White House ceremony on June 7.

"Safety in schools is a major concern of parents and teachers across the country. We must give our children a future. We must take away their guns and access to drugs and give them books," said President Clinton. I applaud these schools for their leadership efforts and I encourage other schools to follow these outstanding examples.

These schools successfully build local partnerships and employ innovative approaches to create safe havens where learning can happen," Riley said. "Our hope is that other schools across the country will try these techniques or develop their own strategies to develop orderly, safe, learning environments that foster student achievement and responsibility."

The U.S. Education Department established the recognition program in 1987 to focus national attention on successful drug prevention efforts. The program was expanded in 1991 to include discipline and school safety.

The program honors schools that have made outstanding progress toward meeting the National Education Goal of having many more schools in America free of drugs and violence and offering a disciplined environment conducive to learning by the year 2000.

Winning schools must have comprehensive prevention and intervention programs or program components that have prevented or substantially reduced disruptive behavior and acts of violence, as well as the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs by students.

Schools were judged on their success in six areas:

recognizing, assessing, and monitoring the problem;
setting, implementing, and enforcing a no-use policy;
developing and implementing a drug education and prevention program;
educating and training staff;
promoting parent involvement and providing parent education and training; and
working with community groups and agencies.

The 1994-95 winners are located in 31 states and the District of Columbia. Ninety-eight schools are being recognized for their successful efforts in all six categories: 61 elementary, 20 middle or junior high, 14 high schools, one Bureau of Indian Affairs school, one non-grade school for students from five to 21 years old, and one private high school. Fifteen schools also received honorable mention for having for at least one noteworthy component.

Winners were selected from 192 nominations submitted by state departments of education, including the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia; the National Family Partnership (a non- profit organization for drug-free youth with chapters in every state); the national PTA; the Council for American Private Education (an organization of religiously affiliated and independent private schools); and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Panels of educators, parents, law enforcement officials, community representatives, and program evaluators reviewed applications and visited selected schools before making recommendations to the secretary.

Schools recognized for their comprehensive programs will receive a plaque and a flag from Riley. Schools singled out for noteworthy components will be mailed a plaque and a letter of recognition from Riley.