Defining and Supporting Effective Drug Education in Schools Within a Model of Best Practice

Defining and supporting effective drug education in schools within a model of best practice

Louise O’Connor, Senior Research Fellow, Head of the Drugs Education and Prevention Research Unit, University of Surrey Roehampton.

Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association Conference Cardiff University, September 7-10 2000

Introduction

The debate on drug education effectiveness has been illuminated by a number of studies carried out at the University of Surrey Roehampton (formally Roehampton Institute London) in the 1990s. These studies have drawn on a range of first hand and secondary research to develop a number of principles to inform drug educators in the planning, development and implementation of school drug education.

The model below is presented on the basis of not only what is known to

work best, but also what is most promising , gleaned from an international review of the literature and drawing on the First Principles which underpin it. The model also utilizes research from the Crime Prevention field, most notably a report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice and mandated by Congress, Preventing Crime: What Works, What Doesn’t, What’s Promising, (Sherman et al, University of Maryland, 1998).

A fuller explanation of this model is below reproduced from What “works” in drug education? Drugs: Partnerships for Policy, Prevention and Education, (Eds) O’Connor et al (1998) London, Cassell)

FIRST PRINCIPLES FOR DRUG EDUCATION

Start drugs education early, using interactive as well as knowledge based approaches.
Use young people’s knowledge, experience and perceptions of drugs and drugs issues, and their expressed needs in this area, as a starting point, and incorporate

these into planning, content and teaching methods.

Provide long-term, sustained education, linked with developing knowledge and

experience, changing perceptions and attitudes, and understanding of social and

psychological development.

Target information and approaches towards specific needs and groups, considering for example, gender, ethnic, cultural, social factors.
Select well-trained, confident and credible deliverers.
Ensure the school ethos and management structure is supportive in terms of resourcing, time commitment and coherent and cohesive messages about health

and drugs.

Involve and educate parents to support school efforts.
Establish aims, objectives and outcomes of drugs education in collaboration

with parents and external agencies, and clarify the contribution of each.

Harness multi-agency contributions as part of a planned, coherent approach, which includes a policy to address drugs incidents in schools.
Ensure school efforts are part of wider community efforts to reduce the availability and acceptability of drugs.
Establish monitoring and evaluation procedures to measure success and inform

necessary changes.

The above model incorporate the current state of knowledge on drug education and effectiveness gleaned from first hand and secondary sources (O’Connor et al 1998).

It recognises the complexity of proposed solutions to the issues raised by drug related

problems, and acknowledges that no one solution can make a difference on its own.

Nevertheless, the model highlights some indicators for success, emphasising the need for a focus on a multi-faceted approach to drug education, which acknowledges the complexity of the context for effective drug education. Such an approach inevitably rules out those programmes which rely on simplistic messages (just say no) and/or short term interventions unsupported by rigorous evaluation (DARE – Drug Abuse Resistance Education/RIDE – Resistance in Drug Education) (Coggans & Watson 1995, Coggans et al 1999, O’Connor et al 1999, Tobler & Stratton 1997).

Main issues and implications for drug education in schools

The literature review has uncovered a range of practices in relation to school drug education which demonstrate the need for some clarity and consistency in the field. The evidence base for drug education and effectiveness has developed to the point where there is general consensus amongst educationists on what constitutes good practice in this area, and this is apparent in the advice given in the Government’s (DfEE 1998) drug education guidance document for schools and the Youth Service, Protecting Young People. Other recent significant guidance identifying and recommending good practice in drug education and policies to address drug related incidents, supported by the DfEE include, The Right Choice, The Right Approach and The Right Responses (SCODA 1997, 1999 & 1999). Additional guidance has also been issued within the National Healthy Schools Standards (DfEE 1999).

The guidance emanating from the DfEE reflects the above model in that it recognises the need for schools and teachers to lead and co-ordinate this area, with the support of parents, multi-agencies including the police, and the broader school community

( O’Connor et al 1998 & 1999). Research at the University of Surrey Roehampton (formally Roehampton Institute London) has indicated that parents wish to play an effective role in their children’s drug education, but lack the knowledge and skills to do so (Evans et al 1998). On-going research at USR by Jane Mallick indicates that the key skills relate to effective communication between parents and young people, which goes beyond drug knowledge issues (Drugs Education and Prevention Research Unit, USR). However, research at USR and elsewhere raises important issues concerning the readiness of schools to act as catalysts for collaborative work in this area. For example, a forthcoming Home Office Research Briefing from DPAS (Drug Prevention Advisory Service) suggests that addressing management of change issues and establishing effective multi-agency partnerships are crucial to success (O’Connor 2000). Central to addressing the above, is the need for all concerned agencies to agree on the core aim of their joint efforts. This might be summarised as follows:

To achieve effective drug education programmes in schools, informed by research evidence on best practice, firmly embedded in school curriculums,

supported by school management, parents and external agencies.

ACPO/RIL Report 1999

A collaborative study between the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Drugs Sub-Committee and Roehampton Institute London (1997-99) established high levels of commitment on the part of the police service to school drug education. However, the research demonstrated the variable nature of the police contribution, with police officers extending beyond an arguably legitimate concern with drugs and the law, to health issues and moral/ethical debates. In many cases the police were leading drug education provision, sometimes without the presence of a teacher in the classroom. There was very little evidence of evaluation of the police efforts, and few forces had costed the contribution.

The research findings have led to a number of recommendations for the police service, which stress the need to complement school provision, rather then supplant it, and to plan and evaluate police efforts with schools in the context of national guidelines.

Conclusion

The White Paper (1998) Tackling Drugs To Build a Better Britain, has set out the Government’s ten year strategy for tackling drug misuse, through four strategic aims:

to help young people resist drug misuse in order to achieve their full potential

in society;

to protect our communities from drug-related anti-social and criminal

behaviour;

to enable people with drug problems to overcome them and live healthy

and crime-free lives;

to stifle the availability of illegal drugs on our streets.

However, as indicated in this paper, research has uncovered variable states of readiness amongst schools to lead and co-ordinate a key area relating to young people, and in general opportunities to influence drug issues in the community are not acted on (O’Connor et al 1997). This poses challenges for Drug Action Teams and Central Government in ensuring that schools have the commitment, capability and resources to take a genuine lead in this area. Nevertheless, genuine ownership by schools may never happen until drug education is seen as an important component of a high status PSHE/Citizenship curriculum within a health promoting school context. The history of successful curriculum innovation in schools has demonstrated this involves a statutory responsibility on schools. Within a performance orientated school culture, non-statutory drug education (apart from NC Science) will continue to struggle for space and resources .

Louise O’Connor, University of Surrey Roehampton

References

Coggans, N., Haw, S. & Watson, J (1999) Drug Misuse and Education: School Interventions. In (Stark, C. & Kidd, B. Eds.) Drug Use in the United Kingdom: Prevention, Treatment & Enforcement, Ashgate.

Coggans, N. & Watson, J. (1995) Drug education: approaches, effectiveness and delivery. Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy, 2, 3, 211-224.

Department for Education and Employment (1998) Protecting Young People: Good Practice in Drug Education Schools and the Youth Service. DfEE, London.

Department for Education and Employment (1999) National Healthy School Standard Guidance London: DfEE.

Evans, R., Mallick, J.& Stein, G (1998) The role of parents in drug education. In O’Connor, L., O’Connor, D, & Best, R, Eds) Drugs: Partnerships for Policy, Prevention and Education – A practical approach for working together, London: Cassell

O’Connor, L., Best, D., Best, R. Rowley, J. (1997) Young People, Drugs and Drugs Education: Missed Opportunities. Roehampton Institute London.

O’Connor, L., O’Connor, D, & Best, R. (1998) (Eds) Drugs: Partnerships for Policy, Prevention and Education –A practical approach for working together, London: Cassell.

O’Connor, L., Evans, R. & Coggans, N. (1999) Drug Education in Schools: Identifying the added value of the police service within a model of good practice. The Association of Chief Police Officers & Roehampton Institute London.

O’Connor, L (2000) (Ed) An evaluation of four projects supporting the development of school drugpolicies (DPAS Research Briefing, Home Office: London – forthcoming)

SCODA (1998) The Right Choice: Guidance on Selecting Drug Education Materials for Schools. Standing Conference on Drug Abuse, London.

Sherman, L.W., Gottfriedson, D.C., MacKenzie, D.L., Eck, J., Reuter, P. & Bushway, S.D. (1998) Preventing Crime: What Works, What Doesn’t, What’s Promising. National Institute of Justice, US Department of Justice.

Tobler and Stratton (1997) Effectiveness of school-based drug prevention programmes: a meta-analysis of the research. Journal of Primary Prevention, 18 (1), 71-128.

UKADCU (1998) Tackling Drugs To Build A Better Britain. HMSO, London.