Program Goals & Activities

School districts have been receiving funds from the Federal Government since 1987 to support their efforts to curtail the use of alcohol and other drugs by students and to reduce violence in schools. Currently these funds are from Title IV-A of the No Child Left Behind Act. These funds are given to the states to distribute to individual school districts. Funds are allocated to districts by formula. Districts may use this funding for a wide range of drug and violence prevention activities and strategies.

Ann Arbor is a part of the Livingston & Washtenaw County Consortium which oversees the programs in each of these counties. Funds for our programs come through the Michigan Department of Community Health, the Office of Drug Control Policy.

Goals:

1.) Reduce substance use among 6th to 12th graders in the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

2.) Increase awareness of district policies on substance use and safety issues as outlined in the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook for students, parents and staff.

3.) Increase district and administration's awareness of students' perceived lack or uneven enforcement of school policy as it relates to substance use and violence.

4.) Increase the number of students who feel safe at school.

Activities:

This is a partial list of building efforts to address alcohol and other drug use in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. However, all of these activities are not happening at every school.

Each middle and high school develops its own plan to address substance abuse and violence based on their assessment of their students and results of the Michigan Alcohol and Other Drugs survey administered last school year.

Survey of all 8th, 10th and 12th grades to determine state of alcohol and drug use and feeling of safety in the district with WMU-MAOD survey

7th and 11th grade health curriculum addresses the effects of drug and alcohol. All students are required to take these courses.

Review with students the district policies on substance use and violence in the schools and their consequences.

Smoking cessation campaigns and programs.

Motivational speakers and presentations.

Red Ribbon Week activities annually at middle schools during September or October.

Parent/student breakfast club focused on signs of drug use.

Implementation of US department of Education approved drug prevention programs: Life Skills Training, Challenge Days.

Anti-alcohol and drug poster campaign in all middle and high school buildings

Presentation of MOAD results to district administrators.

Hands-on manipulatives associated with substance abuse that show realistic results of drug use.

Formation of a student group to address consequences of drug/alcohol use with peers.

Information to parents regarding students and drugs.

Creating a Safe & Drug Free Environment

Federal funding provided through the Safe and Drug-Free Communities Act (Title IV-Part A) enables us to:

• Survey secondary-school students every two to three years, to identify specific problems and areas of concern. Facts from the 2004-05 study are cited on this web site.
• Launch a Safe & Drug-free Schools Program that taps the energy, ideas and skills of middle- and high-school teachers and counselors, concerned parents and community members.
• Collaborate with community agencies on prevention programs focused on student alcohol and drug use.
• Assist each middle and high school to develop and implement an anti-drug program focused on building-specific problems.
• Join forces with regional school districts through the Livingston & Washtenaw Safe and Drug-free Schools Consortium.