By looking beyond your community, you can gain a more complete understanding of the education, health, and safety issues facing local youth. Numerous agencies and data collection systems at the state and national levels routinely gather and publicize a wealth of information. As you begin reviewing these reports, keep in mind that some of the data may be a year or more old since it takes time to complete data collection, analysis, and compilation.

Reasons to Obtain State and National Data

• National or regional data can give you a broad idea of the scope of a problem beyond your community. For example, if national survey data reveal a marked increase in smoking among eighth graders, and state data show this trend as well, then smoking among middle school students in your community has most likely increased.

• Comparing local data to state or national data can offer a different perspective on the rates of substance use and violence in your community. It can help you ascertain whether the problem in your community is worse, about the same, or less than it is elsewhere.

• Comparing your local data to larger populations can provide you with information that can help you evaluate your efforts. For example, when a city teen tobacco prevention project evaluated its multi-year efforts, no change appeared in tobacco use. However, a comparison of city rates to statewide rates revealed that while rates of statewide tobacco use had increased, city rates had remained unchanged. This suggests that the tobacco prevention project might have had a positive effect after all.

• National and state-level data collection instruments can serve as models for your own data collection. You can use these surveys for ideas about how to frame your own survey questions and, if you use the same questions, you can make comparisons between your community and other localities.

Where You Can Get It

Many state and regional agencies collect data on various indicators of the education, health, and safety of their residents. Some state assessments originate within the states themselves, while others are affiliated with a national data collection system. Here are some examples.

• Numerous state/regional departments , including departments of education, public health, and law enforcement, are responsible for addressing one or more aspects of drug and violence prevention. You can contact these agencies directly to request information about the type, quality, and potential utility of the data they gather.

• Many drug prevention and school safety resource centers have been established across the country to support regional prevention activities. Some centers focus on drug prevention and/or school safety, while others address a broader spectrum of prevention issues. These centers engage in various activities, including research, program implementation, and technical assistance.

• Many organizations that focus on prevention have created state profiles of area data sources that may contribute to your understanding of local drug- and violence-related problems.

• Many federal agencies, universities, and other research institutions routinely administer surveys and/or interviews to monitor the education, health, and safety of the U.S. population (many of these national data collection systems also have regional or state-level components). These systems gather youth, school, and household data, some of which are synthesized in national reports.

References

Harding, W. (2000). Assessment: A Vital Preplanning Activity. Newton, MA: Northeast Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies, Education Development Center, Inc.

Witkind, B. R. and Altshculd, J. W. (1995). Planning and Conducting Needs Assessments: A Practical Guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.