Youth Advocacy amp Prevention Background The Youth Advocacy and Prevention YAP group for Rappahannock County Public Schools is tasked with findings ways to help RCPS students make positive choices in regards to alcohol and drug use as well as bully prevention ID: 1046057
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1. Drug & Alcohol Testing Proposal for RCPSYouth Advocacy & Prevention
2. BackgroundThe Youth Advocacy and Prevention ( YAP) group for Rappahannock County Public Schools is tasked with findings ways to help RCPS students make positive choices in regards to alcohol and drug use as well as bully prevention. The group includes stakeholders from RCPS staff, law enforcement, social service agencies, and parents of RCPS students. The group recommended the PRIDE survey as a way to gain confidential and non-threatening information from students related to bullying, alcohol and drug usage.
3. Background1- Pride Survey 2013 RCPS students’ alcohol, drug and tobacco use within regional and national norms, some indication of alcohol and drug use on a regular basis2- Specific Results Grade 6/7: 0% report use of alcohol and tobacco in last 30 days Grade 8 : 5% report use of alcohol and tobacco in last 30 days Grade 8/9: 5% report use of marijuana in last 30 days Grade 11/12: 23.9% to 38.2% report use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs in last 30 days3 – Where do students use tobacco, alcohol and drugs? At school or during school hours are least popular reported location and times of use At home or friend’s house on week nights and weekends are most popular reported location and times of use
4. Background1 – Goal of YAP group is to help schools counter or reduce alcohol and drug use by RCPS students as well as bully prevention.2- Suggestions from YAP group include continuation of educational intervention programs (DARE and Olweus) which are working at school. 3- Community availability- Areas of concern focused on the reports from students that the opportunity and access to drugs outside of school made it harder to say no. The team considered other ways to encourage students to say no such as “random drug testing.”4- In fall of 2015 Marc Cole, Orange County Director of Student Activities, shared his experiences with alcohol and drug testing of students involved in extracurricular activities. Research was conducted relating to other testing programs available in Virginia. 5- Research also included counties that offer drug testing as a “reason to say no” – survey of areas and the stages of consequences for positive results on a drug test
5. Schools Instituting Drug TestingSchoolSubstances TestedType of TestConsequencesTesting PopulationOrange CountyAlcohol & DrugsMouth Swab4 staged consequences, same for drugs & alcoholCompetitive extracurricular activities, 6-12Culpeper CountyAlcohol & DrugsUrine4 staged consequences, same for drugs & alcoholCompetitive extracurricular activities, 6-12Pulaski CountyAlcohol, & DrugsUrine3 staged consequences, same for drugs & alcoholStudent Athletes, 6-12Buckingham CountyNicotine, Alcohol & DrugsUrine3 staged consequences, different for nicotine, alcohol & drugsAll students who participate in extracurricular activities in grades 9-12
6. Other counties that considered testing and/or had experiences with testing: Lynchburg Schools dropped testing in 2009. Program was part of a budget cut (out of approximately 500 tests, only two positive results.)Other counties that confirmed the consideration to test but have no implementation as of 2016:Madison, Isle of Wight, Caroline, and Henry County
7. 2016 YAP Committee Recommendations After consideration of Orange’s experience, the YAP group is proposing that RCPS School Board consider adoption of a similar testing program such as the program in Orange County for “competitive” extracurricular activities. YAP group recommends that RCPS host a parent/community meeting with an informational agenda followed by question/answer sessions. Experiences of other school systems would be shared along with an initial proposal for RCPS. Suggested meeting date would be prior to end of the current school year. The YAP Committee would work with the Superintendent to draft regulation/procedural policy for this process. Following approval and support of the board, the YAP team anticipates a possible implementation date for August 2016. The YAP team awaits board approval to begin the parent/community meetings and to build community support for the drug testing program.