STATUS OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG EDUCATION IN OREGON SCHOOLS

Abstract

This study was conducted under the auspices of the Oregon Department of Education to assess the overall status of alcohol and drug education in Oregon schools. The degree of emphasis on traffic safety education in alcohol and drug curricula was also assessed. Funding for the study was provided by the Oregon Traffic Safety Commission (402 Traffic Safety program grant, 1183-10-308C-9). The primary information base was data collected by an instrument consisting of 19 items which was sent to all 1,400 Oregon School principals. Usable data were obtained from 583 (42%) of these principals. The information obtained by this process provided answers to the six research questions which dealt specifically with a) the status of alcohol and drug education at each grade level; b) the extent of alcohol and drug education in relation to traffic safety; c) types of programs and instructional methods currently being used in schools;d) community attitudes towards supporting alcohol and drug education programs; e) community perception of the effectiveness of the existing alcohol and drug education programs; and f) the future trends of alcohol and drug education in Oregon schools. To obtain additional data and further check the validity of the information provided by the school principals, a personal interview involving 128 students,47 teachers and 44 parents was conducted in 16 randomly selected schools. The information obtained from these interviews provided additional insights into the actual status and community attitudes toward alcohol and drug education.