Safe and Drug-Free Schools

After reviewing data from another needs assessment, the 2000 and 2002 Ankeny Youth surveys, the Ankeny Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities steering committee developed an action plan that is focused on achieving a clear set of health and safety outcomes with the youth of the ACSD. Achievement of the health and safety results will depend upon complementary activities by families, schools, health care providers, community agencies, and youth themselves.

Health results will be indicated by the following benchmarks:

• By May 2002, at least 85% of Ankeny youth will be nonusers of tobacco.
• By May 2002, at least 68% of Ankeny youth will be nonusers of alcohol.
• By May 2002, at least 92% of Ankeny youth will be nonusers of marijuana.

Safety results will be indicated by the following benchmarks:

• By May 2002, at least 96% of youth will not carry weapons on school property.
• By May 2002, at least 87% of youth will not fight at school.
• By May 2002, at least 67% of youth will not be disruptive at school.
• By May 2002, at least 90% of youth will report not being victims of physical abuse at home.
• By May 2002, at least 80% of youth will report not witnessing domestic violence.
• By May 2002, at least 92% of youth will report not being victims of sexual abuse.
• By May 2002, at least 78% of youth have not been passengers with an alcohol/drug-impaired driver.
• By May 2002, at least 92% of youth have not been threatened or injured by someone on school property.

To meet the benchmarks listed above, the ACSD will implement the following actions based upon effective practices for safe and drug-free schools.

• Provide in-school, after school, and community substance abuse education/presentation programs for pre-school, elementary, middle, and high schools.
• Administer post-tests (developed by OJJDP in cooperation with NIDA and EFR), which measure initial understanding of the specified competencies covered in each segment of the curriculum that addresses the goals
• Administer a bi-annual follow-up survey to assess risk factors, protective factors, potential mediators of program effectiveness, drug use behaviors, perceptions of risk, and changes over time, will be given through the students’ high school years to assess the impact of the implementation over time
• Suggest refinements in current school policies
• Implement best practices and model policies on the subject
• Organize and conduct substance-free community events and projects
• Award scholarships to youth and adults to increase their skills and involvement in asset-building and risk reduction approaches through attendance at conferences and training each year

Public and private human service, health, and education agencies in Polk County have a long tradition of coordinating their services and collaborating to improve effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery systems. Within the last few years, increasing recognition has been afforded the importance of involving other sectors of the community, including business, the faith community, media, consumers of services, law enforcement, the courts, and others in the planning delivery, and evaluation of these services. Last year, after several months of planning led by the United Way of Central Iowa, the Human Services Planning Alliance (HSPA) was formed to provide overall guidance and vision to human services-related planning in Polk County. The HSPA is a broad-based forum of public, private, and non-profit sector members that have come together to facilitate community consensus for common vision, identification of service priorities, and collaboration. HSPA will serve as the informal "Board of Directors" of the Comprehensive Strategy plan. Community Connections will report to the HSPA on progress in filling the identified gaps related to substance abuse.

Polk County clearly understands that coordinated, comprehensive substance abuse prevention efforts –that are also tied to and consistent with larger health, education, and human service systems—is the most effective means to achieve better outcomes for children, youth, and families.

As Community Connections continues to coordinate substance abuse prevention efforts in Polk County, the four-year strategic plan for safe and drug-free schools will be refined and additional activities included to accomplish Community Connection’s mission to "create a safe and drug free Polk County" and to meet the outcomes of the Polk County Comprehensive Strategy.

To carry safe and drug-free teaching into the general school curriculum, guidance counselors, nurses, and health teachers have met with Dr. David Wright, the director of the safe and drug-free schools initiative during the summer of 2001 to determine where to place this instruction in the K-12 curriculum. During the 2001-2002 school year these teachers will be attending staff development provided through the District’s safe and drug-free schools funds and grant funds. Such staff development efforts will assist these teachers in integrating information, strategies, and skills the will help students in their understanding of what is necessary to avoid drugs and violence.