Safe and drug-free schools
Safe and Drug-Free Schools is a federally funded program in the United States aimed at creating safe learning environments by preventing school violence and the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. Established under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and reauthorized multiple times, the program underscores the importance of a disciplined and secure school atmosphere conducive to academic success. The Office of Safe and Healthy Students, which oversees this initiative, focuses on fostering collaboration among federal, state, and community resources to enhance student well-being.
Key objectives include supporting violence and drug prevention programs through grants, engaging parents and communities in these efforts, and developing policies and research strategies related to school safety. Various specific programs under this umbrella address issues such as educational enrichment, mental and physical health support, and assistance for homeless and delinquent youth. These initiatives reflect a commitment to ensuring that all students have access to a safe, supportive, and drug-free educational experience, thereby promoting their overall academic achievement and well-being.
Safe and drug-free schools
DEFINITION: Safe and Drug-Free Schools is a federal grant program funded by the US government to prevent school violence; to prevent illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs; to improve community environments; and to support student academic achievement.
DATE: Created July 1, 2002
Background
The US Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program was first established under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which was amended in 1988 and 1990. In 1994, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorized the program under the name Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. The Goals 2000 Educate America Act, which was also passed in 1994, included a goal similar to the statement found in the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities act: “Every school in the United States will be free of drugs, violence, and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol and will offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning.” This goal of the Educate America Act was not achieved by 2000, ensuring the reenactment of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act once again in 2001 as part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. George W. Bush, US president at the time, believed that school improvement could not happen without the establishment of safe, drug-free schools and local communities.
In 2011, the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) and its programs were incorporated into the Office of Safe and Healthy Students (OSHS), within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The OSHS will continue the mission of the OSDFS in coordinating policy efforts aimed at drug and violence prevention.
Mission and Goals
The purpose of the Office of Safe and Healthy Students is to support programs that prevent violence near schools; that prevent the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs; and that involve parents and communities in efforts to reduce and eliminate drug use. Another goal is to bring together federal, state, school, and community efforts and resources to foster a safe and drug-free learning environment to enhance student academic achievement.
To achieve these goals, the Office of Safe and Healthy Students performs the following functions:
• Provides funding through grants to support drug- and violence-prevention programs aimed at students in elementary schools, secondary schools, and colleges. Recipients of grants could be state and local educational agencies and public and private nonprofit groups.
• Participates in the development of federal-level education policy related to drug and violence prevention.
• Participates in committees, partnerships, and interagency groups related to drug and violence prevention; coordinates with other federal agencies on issues of school health, and advises the secretary of education on related issues.
• Participates with other federal agencies in developing a national research strategy for drug and violence prevention.
• Administers programs related to character and civics education.
Organization
The Office of Safe and Healthy Students has a number of programs that administer certain initiatives. They include:
- Well-Rounded Educational Opportunities: This program provides a variety of opportunities to better the education of students, such as enrichment opportunities and courses, STEM courses, and music and art programs. They also work with the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program and the Physical Education and School Counseling programs.
- Safe and Healthy Students: This program also works with the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program to ensure schools are safe, drug-free environments and that students have opportunities to practice good mental and physical health within the school building, have access to behavioral support. They also work with the dropout and reentry programs to try to keep students enrolled. This program also works with broader school safety and emergency planning in order to ensure that schools are properly prepared in the case of emergencies. This specific program is most closely associated with the original mission outlined in the Safe and Drug-Free Schools program.
- Education Technology: This programs also works with the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) and ensures faculty, students, and staff have access to proper and up-to-date learning tools, facilities and infrastructure, coursework, and programs. They also work to ensure that rural, remote and underserved areas have the appropriate resources to take advantage of high-quality learning experiences.
- Education for Homeless Children and Youth: This program works to eliminate enrollment barriers and provide school access and support for academic success for students experiencing homelessness.
- Neglected and Delinquent Youth: This program works with children in state-run institutions and adult correctional institutions in order to ensure continuity and proper, successful transitions are made once the student is released.
- Other associated programs include:
Bibliography
Barton, Elizabeth A. Leadership Strategies for Safe Schools. Thousand Oaks: Corwin, 2009. Print.
King, Keith A., Donald I. Wagner, and Bonnie Hedrick. “Safe and Drug-Free School Coordinators’ Perceived Needs to Improve Violence and Drug Prevention Programs.” Journal of School Health 71 (2001): 236–41. Print.
Knowles, Cynthia R. Prevention That Works! A Guide for Developing School-Based Drug and Violence Prevention Programs. Thousand Oaks: Corwin, 2001. Print.
“Office of Safe and Heathly Students Programs.” Department of Education, 1 Sept. 2017, www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/oshs/oshsprograms.html#edtech. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.
“Title IV: Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act State Grants.” National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/resources/title-iv-safe-and-drug-free-schools-and-communities-act-state-grants. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.
United States. Dept. of Education. “Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities: State Grants.” U.S. Department of Education. US DOE, 6 May 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.
Wilson, Richard, and Cheryl Kolander. Drug Abuse Prevention: A School and Community Partnership. 3rd ed. Boston: Jones, 2010. Print.