Safe and Drug Free Schools

Title IV Part A of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

Safe and Drug-Free Schools in the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

Safe and drug-free school environments are essential elements for student success. So critical are they that one of the six ESEA performance goals that states are required to adopt is: All students will be educated in learning environments that are safe, drug-free, and conducive to learning.

The reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as the "No Child Left Behind" act, includes the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program as Title IV-Part A. The purpose of this part is to support programs that prevent violence in and around schools, prevent the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs, and are coordinated with other efforts in order to support student academic achievement. The last line of this purpose statement is critical. Numerous studies have shown that students who do not feel safe and students who are not free of the effects of drugs and alcohol cannot achieve their full academic potential. The Department of Public Instruction agrees that safe and drug-free environments are essential for optimal learning, and these funds are essential for supporting effective efforts to reduce barriers to student achievement and success. School districts are encouraged to use these funds to continue this important support for drug and violence prevention programs.

The distribution formula for Title IV remains the same. Funds awarded are, in part, based on enrollment, and also on student poverty. Click here for text of selected sections from Title IV.

U.S. Department of Education Crisis Planning Resource

In an effort to help districts develop their school's emergency crisis plan, the DOE's Office of Safe and Drug-Free schools has developed a brochure called "Practical Information on Crisis Planning," for distribution as appropriate. This checklist can help guide administrators to develop and update their plans by addressing the four phases of crisis planning - Mitigation and Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.

For a copy of "A Guide for Schools and Communities," which provides further detail to allow for a more comprehensive school emergency crisis plan, log on to their website at: http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/index.html

The website also offers a wealth of information and links to other useful resources related to crisis planning, including the following:

OSDFS, in collaboration with ED's Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) Technical Assistance (TA) Center, publishes a series of publications for school districts to improve the emergency management practices within their school communities. One series, "Helpful Hints," provides key emergency preparedness topics, including the following:

• Components of Comprehensive School and School District Emergency Management Plans
• Steps for Developing a School Emergency Management Plan
• Updating and Maintaining School Emergency Management Plans

In addition, OSDFS produced a "Lessons Learned" document on After-Action Reports: Capturing Lessons Learned and Identifying Areas for Improvement.

OSDFS will release additional publications on lessons learned from suicides, engaging school and school district administrators in emergency management, and others. Check for new OSDFS publications at their ERCM Publications site.

Other OSDFS and ED resources related to school emergency management include the following:

ERCM TA Center Website
The ERCM TA Center website offers additional school-based resources addressing emergency management through the four phases. Resources include a web cast, training documents presented by experts, and a variety of publications addressing key emergency management issues for schools. Information on the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools discretionary grant program administered by OSDFS is updated annually.

OSDFS Emergency Planning Website
Emergency Planning is part of the department's Lead and Manage My School series, a group of websites designed to support school-based administrators. OSDFS presents information and resources regarding general emergency management based on the four phases of emergency management: prevention-mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

For more information about other U.S. Deptartment of Education resources, access the DOE website at: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs.

For questions, please contact Deborah Price, Deputy Under Secretary of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, at (202) 205-4169.

Grant Application and Guidance

In order to receive funds under this part, local districts must submit an ESEA Consolidated Application. The law requires that the Safe and Drug-Free Schools portion of the application include:

• a description of the activities or programs to be funded and how they comply with the "Principles of Effectiveness", including the use of strategies with scientific research demonstrating effectiveness;
• the districts' "performance measures," which clearly describe targets that indicate risk reduction and/or increased protective factors (such as developmental assets); DPI requires at least one outcome objective each for AODA prevention and violence prevention.
• a statement of how the programs and activities are targeted to meet identified needs;
• a description of how the district will involve parents in the development and implementation of the program;
• a description of how the program activities will be coordinated with other programs for drug and violence prevention; and
• a description of how program progress will be assessed and publicly reported. For definitions of terms, click here.

Additionally, each district will be asked to make specific assurances:

• it has a comprehensive safe schools plan, including policies, security procedures, prevention activities, crisis response procedures, and a Code of Conduct for students;
• it will use funds to supplement current or past efforts and not use these funds to supplant those from other sources;
• it will implement programs that utilize a "wrong and harmful" message about illegal drug use and violence; and
• the application is available for review by the public. For text of the law, click here.

Finally, the new law requires districts to comply with data collection requirements necessary for the state to complete its reporting requirements. Among the data to be required are:

• truancy rates;
• drug and violence related suspensions and expulsions;
• description of curricula and other program strategies funded through these grants;
• incidence, prevalence, age of onset, perceptions of health risks, and perceptions of social disapproval of alcohol and drug use and violence by youths.

This data must be publicly reported. In order to comply, the Department of Public Instruction uses data currently collected through the School Performance Report (SPR) and reports it on its website as part of the Wisconsin Information Network for Successful Schools (WINSS). The state Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and end-of-year Safe and Drug-Free Schools reports will be used to collect from all districts the additional information not gathered as part of the SPR process.

Districts may choose from a number of program activities that meet local needs, are science-based effective strategies, are coordinated with efforts of other local programs, and have parental support. Allowable activities as identified in Section 4115, include but are not limited to the following:

• Developmentally appropriate drug/violence prevention
• Parent and community-wide involvement
• Drug and violence prevention information dissemination
• Professional development and community training
• Law enforcement and security activities
• Counseling, mentoring, and referral services
• Programs/services for truancy, suspensions, expulsions
• Emergency intervention following traumatic events
• Character education programs
• Community service projects
• Youth suicide warning training
• Programs encouraging confiding in adults
• Conflict resolution and peer mediation
• Expanding/improving school based mental health services
• Alternative education for violent/drug abusing students to reduce the need for expulsions or suspensions
• Programs testing students for drug use/locker searches
• School records transfer system for suspension and expulsion records
• School violence hotlines
• Employee background checks
• Responding to the needs of youth with domestic violence or child abuse problems

Information about scientifically researched programs can be found at the following websites:
http://www.ccapt.org/sbp_ex.html
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS/programs.html.

Title IV funds are part of the ESEA Consolidated Application, which is due July 1st of every year.    Applications will be reviewed and approved, or returned with requests for revisions or clarification, within 120 days of submission.

Technical Assistance

The Student Services Prevention and Wellness Team has AODA consultants who assist with both state-funded AODA grants and federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program grants.

The following is a list of DPI staff, their CESA assignments, and email address.

Resources for Safe Schools

Safe and Drug-Free Schools Carryover Instructions and Spreadsheet

2006-07 ESEA Consolidated End-of-Year Report form

Other Student Services/Prevention and Wellness Grant Programs

More information on the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

U.S. Department of Education No Child Left Behind website:
http://www.nochildleftbehind.gov/index.html

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction No Child Left Behind website:
http://dpi.wi.gov/esea/index.html

The American Red Cross Homeland Security Advisory System Recommendations for Schools

The American Red Cross has an online resource for schools: Advisory Systems Recommendations for Schools.

The resource above also has a link to a brochure entitled Terrorism: Preparing for the Unexpected.

A special post 9-11 DPI mailing packet that went to schools regarding DPI resources for helping communities heal, recover and move forward is available here.

For questions about this information, contact Kenneth R. Wagner (608) 266-5181

Last updated on 7/3/2008 10:54:22 AM