NYSED / P-12: EMSC / SSAE / School Safety / Safe and Drug Free Schools Community Act (SDFSCA) / Appendix C - Descriptions of Types of Programs Funded Under the Safe and Drug-Free and Communities Act

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Appendix C - Descriptions of Types of Programs Funded Under the Safe and Drug-Free and Communities Act

1. Prevention Curriculum, Instruction, or Training Programs

   These programs involve the provision of training or instruction to students to prevent or reduce alcohol, tobacco, or other drug (ATOD) use or school crime.  These programs are designed to teach students factual information, increase their awareness of social influences to engage in misbehavior, expand their repertoires for recognizing and appropriately responding to risky or potentially harmful situations, increase their appreciation for diversity in society, improve moral character, etc. These programs are sometimes delivered in a classroom format using teacher lectures, demonstrations, and class discussion but also may be delivered in small group settings or individually.  Audiovisual materials, worksheets or workbooks, textbooks handouts, and the like may be used.  Instructions maybe brief (less than an hour) or extended (requiring several years to complete).  This type of program can address the following:

   • General health or safety protection;
   • Alcohol, tobacco, or other drug information or prevention;
   • Violence prevention, victimization avoidance, coping with victimization or loss experiences;
   • Ethics, religious, moral, or character instruction (e.g., personal responsibility);
   • Civics (e.g., curriculum about democracy and its system of laws);
   • Self-esteem; and
   • Social competency (i.e., resisting social influence, problem-solving skills, self-management, attribution, communication, emotional control, and empathy).
2. Behavioral Programming or Behavior Modification Programs

   To prevent ATOD use or school crime, these programs involve tracking of specific behaviors over time, setting behavioral goals, and using feedback or positive or negative reinforcement to decrease undesired behavior or increase desired behavior.  This type of program can include the following:

   • Individual behavioral or behavior modification programs (e.g., programs in which the behavior of an individual is monitored and reinforced);
   • Individual behavioral plans (e.g., rewards or punishments are contingent on meeting behavioral goals);
   • Home-based reinforcement for in-school behavior; and
   • Group-based or classroom behavioral or behavior modification programs (e.g., programs in which the behavior of a group is monitored and reinforced).

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Appendix C
Descriptions of Types of Programs Funded Under the
Safe and Drug-Free and Communities Act (continued)

3. Counseling, Social Work, Psychological, or Therapeutic Programs

   These programs offer advice or guidance--or the encouragement of communication, insight, and understanding--to remedy or prevent mental health or behavioral problems or to promote mental or behavioral healthy development.  This type of program uses identifiable techniques of psychology, counseling, or social work to prevent or reduce ATOD use or school crime.  This type of program may be conducted with individuals or with groups. Programs or activities under this type of program include:

   • Individual counseling, social work, psychological, or therapeutic interventions:
     • Counseling (interaction between a counselor and a student that is structured by an identifiable approach) including individual victim counseling;
     • Alcohol, tobacco, or other drug treatment;
     • Case management (location and coordination of resources to assist the individual or family, or follow-up resolution of problems or access to services or resources); and
     • Crisis intervention or telephone hotline (brief intervention, consultation, advice, or referral for services).
   • Group counseling, social work, psychological, or therapeutic interventions:
     • Group counseling (interaction between a counselor and a group of students that is structured by an identifiable approach), including group victim counseling;
     • Group treatment for alcohol, tobacco, or other drug problems; and
     • Peer group counseling (interaction among members of a peer group in which the content of the interaction is structured by an identifiable approach, as opposed to peers simply talking socially).

4. 4.  Mentoring, Tutoring, Coaching, Apprenticeship or Other Programs Involving Individual Attention

   These programs focus on the provision of one-on-one attention to individual students.  The interaction of one single student with another individual may be in the form of instruction, coaching, advice, practice, training, or other activities as it relates to ATOD use and school crime.  This type of program can include the following efforts aimed at preventing or reducing ATOD use or school crime:

   • Tutoring or other individual assistance with academic tasks delivered by an adult, older youth, or peer;
   • Mentoring (one-on-one interaction with an older, more experienced person to provide advice, assistance, or informal counseling);
   • Coaching; and
   • Promising eventual monetary or other type of incentive (e.g., college tuition) in           exchange for good performance.

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Appendix C
Descriptions of Types of Programs Funded Under the
Safe and Drug-Free and Communities Act (continued)

5. 5.  Recreational, Enrichment, or Leisure Programs

   These programs focus on the provision of or access to activities, play, amusement, or diversions; exploration of locations or events that are outside of the school and that are outside of the school’s curriculum; or activities that provide fun or relaxation as a way to prevent or reduce ATOD use or school crime.  The recreation, enrichment, or leisure activity is not intended as a reward for behavior or primarily offered as a response to student conduct.  This type of program can include the following:

   • Recreation or sports activities (e.g., basketball, softball, tennis, soccer, or unstructured play);
   • Educational or cultural enrichment activities or alternatives (field trips, clubs);
   • Wilderness or challenging activities;
   • Arts and crafts; and
   • Performing arts (clown acts, musical performances, plays and skits, puppet shows, etc.).

6. Programs Involving Improvements to Instructional Practices

   These programs include efforts that are applied to entire classes that involve the adoption or expansion of improved teaching practices to prevent or reduce ATOD use or school crime.  They also include training, supervision, or assistance to foster improved instructional method.  This type of program can address the following instructional aspects:

   • Cooperative, mastery, active, or experimental teaching techniques;
   • Peer teachers or peer leaders;
   • Use of other instructional strategies to increase school or classroom orderliness; and
   • Rehearsal and practice of skills.

7. Programs Involving Improvements to Classroom Organization or Management Practices

   These programs include efforts that are applied to entire classes that involve the adoption or expansion of improved methods of managing classroom behavior, transitions, use of time, and grouping as a means of preventing or reducing ATOD use or school crime.  This type of program can address the following instructional aspects if applied in order to prevent problem behavior:

   • Activities to establish and enforce classroom rules;
   • Improved use of rewards and punishments;
   • Improved management of class time; and
   • Changes in grouping of students by ability, achievement, or effort within the classroom.

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Appendix C
Descriptions of Types of Programs Funded Under the
Safe and Drug-Free and Communities Act (continued)

8. 8.  Programs to Change or Maintain the Culture or Climate of the School, to Alter or Maintain Expectations for Student Behavior, or to Secure Student Commitment to Norms

   These programs can include the following kinds of school-wide efforts aimed at preventing or reducing ATOD use or school crime:

   • Efforts to establish, encourage, or sustain a special school climate or culture through symbols, ceremonies, or systematic procedures such as:
     • Structured or regimented style of school climate or culture (e.g., demanding physical regimen, student work assignments or details, highly structured uses of time or military-style arrangements);
     • Culture or climate emphasizing peaceful and civil interpersonal exchange (e.g., school-wide use of symbols or language signaling desired behavior for others to emulate, social recognition of conduct congruent with cultural expectations and use of events or ceremonies to publicly recognize valued behavior or expression); and
     • Other activities to alter or sustain school climate (e.g., school pride campaigns).
   • Efforts to communicate expectations such as:
     • Written, video, or audio communications (e.g., bulletins, posters, pamphlets, or announcements;
     • Assemblies or special events (such as concerts, plays, skits, conferences, puppet shows); and
     • Distribution of tokens, mugs, T-shirts, ribbons, or other means of disseminating messages.
     • Use of social influence or attitude change techniques to obtain commitment to norms such as:
       • Peer group discussions;
       • Obtaining public commitments (e.g., students declaring their intentions to stay drug free in ceremonies, daily recitation of a pledge or commitment);
       • Provision of accurate information about the beliefs or practices of other students; and
       • Mobilization or directing youths’ behavior through special clubs (e.g., anti-violence or anti-drug clubs).

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Appendix C
Descriptions of Types of Programs Funded Under the
Safe and Drug-Free and Communities Act (continued)

9.  Programs Focused on Inter-group Relations or Interaction Between the School and the Community, or Among Groups Within the School

   These include efforts focused on inter-group relations or interaction among groups within the school or between the school and the community as a way to prevent or reduce ATOD use or school crime.  This type of program can include the following efforts:

   • Efforts to promote interaction among members of diverse groups and to celebrate diversity, such as:
   • Involvement of disparate individuals in common activities (e.g., multicultural clubs); and
   • Activities in which members of diverse groups talk about perspectives or their traditions.
   • Efforts to improve inter-group relations or resolve or reduce conflict, such as:
   • Organization of groups to address human relations issues (e.g., committees to deal with harassment or discrimination);
   • Activities in which members of different groups confront problems and attempt to resolve differences;
   • Procedures to increase communication and cooperation between administrators and faculty (e.g., team building, retreats, or conflict mediation); and
   • Appointment of a person who investigates complaints or concerns, reports findings, or arranges fair settlements between parties – or students and the school (e.g., ombudsperson).
   • Efforts to promote relations between the school and the community, such as:
   • Activities to publicize information about the school (e.g., inform community members about school events, problems, or activities; project an image for the school);
   • Procedures to increase communication and cooperation between school staff and parents;
   • School member participation in community activities (e.g., community service activities, service learning);
   • Activities to assemble, marshal or coordinate community members or resources;
   • Occasional interaction with an outsider (e.g., parent, businessperson, or police volunteer who visits the school);
   • Liaison work with a segment of the community; and
   • Interagency cooperation (e.g., cooperation with a juvenile and family court, or information sharing between agencies).

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Appendix C
Descriptions of Types of Programs Funded Under the
Safe and Drug-Free and Communities Act (continued)

10. Programs Related to Youths’ Roles in Regulating or Responding to Student Conduct

    To prevent ATOD use or school crime, these programs involve formal roles in the school for students in formulating the school’s rules or in anticipating or responding to issues related to student ATOD use or school crime.  This type of program can include the following:

    • Dispute resolution (e.g., peer mediation or student conflict intervention);
    • Student court; and
    • Student discipline deputies.

11. Programs Involving a School Planning Structure or Process or a Method of Managing Change

    These programs focus on the participation of students and others in planning, as a way of preventing ATOD use or school crime.  The programs can include the following:

    • Use of methods or processes for planning or program development, such as:
      • School planning teams or groups;
      • A planning structure (e.g., needs assessment, analysis of obstacles, selecting what to do, making action plans); and
      • Information feedback in formal planning for school improvement.
    • Inclusion of a broad range of individuals or perspectives in planning, such as:
      • Inclusion of persons from outside the school in school decision-making or supervision of students (e.g., involving parents or community members in developing plans); and
      • Arrangements to involve students in school decision-making (e.g., student group or club identifies problems or issues to discuss with the school administration).
    • School consultation (professional advice on school practices or solutions to school-wide problems).

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Appendix C
Descriptions of Types of Programs Funded Under the
Safe and Drug-Free and Communities Act (continued)

12. 12.  Security or Surveillance Programs
    To prevent or reduce ATOD use or school crime, these programs constitute a coordinated set of strategies and are described in an implementation manual or other similar documentation.  They involve the application of procedures that make it difficult for intruders to enter the school by guarding or securing entrances and exits; using people or technology to watch entrances, hallways, grounds, and other places for problem behavior; making the reporting of problem behavior easier; or using other technologies or procedures.  This type of program can include the following components:
    • Identification cards or badges;
    • School security personnel or police in the school;
    • Visitor’s passes or visitor check-in;
    • Locking of exterior doors;
    • Closed-circuit television;
    • Physical surveillance or patrolling of halls, grounds, and other places;
    • Confidential ways to report crimes, problem behavior, or potential problems;
    • Intervention in potential disputes or actions to prevent escalation;
    • Drug testing;
    • Drug, gun, or bomb-sniffing dogs;
    • Removing locker or restroom doors;
    • Metal detectors; and
    • Locker searches.

13. Programs or Services for Families or Select Family Members

    These programs involve outreach or the provision of services to families to improve their child management and supervision practices or to provide other family services as a means of preventing or reducing ATOD use or school crime.  They may include instruction or training for parents or guardians in child behavior management; family therapy or counseling; and brief interventions with families for problem identification, resolution, or referral.  They also may include efforts to approach the family to gain cooperation in managing school-related youth behavior, family case management, and other efforts concerning child management and supervision.  This type of program can include the following efforts:

    • Instruction or training for parents or guardians;
    • Family therapy or counseling;
    • Investigation or inquiry to identify and resolve problems;
    • Family case management;
    • Social work intervention to improve home supervision;
    • Parent meetings in which parents network or share solutions to problems; and
    • Drug treatment for family members.

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Appendix C
Descriptions of Types of Programs Funded Under the
Safe and Drug-Free and Communities Act (continued)

14. Programs That Limit Access to Alcohol and Tobacco Products

    These programs seek to limit access to alcohol and tobacco products by establishing and enforcing purchase laws (e.g., enforcement of laws that prohibit sales to underage youths), price controls (e.g., through taxes), and restrictions on retail sales and or sellers (e.g., limits on the number of tobacco vendors).

15. 15.  Programs That Influence the Culture and Contexts of Alcohol and Tobacco Use

    These programs influence local norms (such as the sale of cigarettes to minors) through legal deterrence (e.g., fines for selling tobacco products to underage youths) and controls on advertising and promotion (e.g., bans on billboards near schools that advertise tobacco products).

15. 16.  Programs That Promote Community Awareness and Education About the Health and Safety Risks Associated with Youths’ Use of Alcohol and Tobacco

    These programs raise awareness among community members of the health and safety risks associated with youth use of alcohol and tobacco.  These programs also can promote correction of misperceptions about such use (e.g., by providing accurate information on the prevalence of use).  Such programs often use social marketing approaches that can involve individual, group, or mass communication strategies.

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Last Updated: May 27, 2009