At today's discussion workshop of the Escambia County School Board, the data from the first year of our comprehensive drug policy (2010-2011) were presented.
The results of the first year of implementation point to a tremendous success.
Next year's results may be even more significant, as we will be expanding our policy to include random student drug testing for students that participate in extracurricular activities.
Highlights from 2010-2011:
352---Drug dog searches, resulting in 24 alerts (findings)
42% reduction in suspensions for drug offenses at the middle and high school level
(92 suspensions in 2009-2010, only 53 suspensions in 2010-2011--note-this expulsion data for 2010-2011 was presented to the School Board verbally by ECSD Director of High Schools Carolyn Spooner, no back-up was given in writing)
Our campuses are becoming more drug free as a result of this comprehensive drug policy, and this data is solid proof of this fact.
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8 comments:
I play high school football and the new drugs policy are not slowing anybody down from smoking.To be trueful high school & middle school sports player are smoking more this year then any other year just because of the rule... They think its cool to brake the rules...
This drug test policy made me friend drop out of High School for fear of being chosen, tested, and ridiculed. Thank you for destroying his life.
The actions being taken so far, HAVE worked extremely successfully. So why not continue using methods that have been working up to this point? I know of several students that WILL be affected by this policy negatively. Some students have already quit extra-circular activities in fear of getting caught. This policy is not a deterrent against drugs, but against being active in schools. I suggest some MAJOR reforms sooner rather than later.
The goal of the policy is to change behavior. If a student wants to play sports or drive his/her car to campus--these things are privileges--not rights. our goal with this policy is to help students make good choices; good choices like remaining drug free allow students to take advantage of the privileges we offer our students, namely extracurricular activities and sports. But good choices do not include dropping out of high school to avoid the test, or quitting sports to avoid the test, or doing more drugs in spite of the test. Good choices mean not doing things that violate the law--if one wishes to participate in extracurricular activities in Escambia County Schools.
This policy is so bluntly oppressive, I'm disgusted by this. Coercing confused hormonal children to make adult life altering decisions... But wait, you will say "they don't have to take the test" well, yes...but obviously they want to be in a Club, doing after school activities relating to school, instead of doing drugs, if they are in the club. This idea is so backwards. Great idea! "Let's make it even harder for kids to have successful lives, and discourage kids already using drugs from getting into clubs/sports"
We have a significant ammount of drugs in our community, and this plan is helping students make the wise choice to not partake. If you don't see that this plan is beneficial to kids by giving them a concrete reason to say "no", then I don't know what else to say to you except that you must not have a keen understanding of this issue.
30 days of suspension from Clubs/Sports is beneficial to a child how, again? They are old children, even some adults don't have maturity needed to say no to drugs, so what makes the county think that High School/Middle School students will? Your intentions are pure and respected, but perhaps the approach to dissuading the youth currently is the wrong approach. Are you aware that certain "Legal Drugs" do not show up in Urine test? And these "Legal Drugs" are substantially more harmful than the drugs they are trying to imitate? So once again, how does this benefit our active, potentially successful youth?
By the way, Jeff, don't think I am hosting negative opinions towards you or any of the School Board Members. I respect and appreciate each of you, for trying to improve the education in our troubled county. This is purely a disagreement of politics and views. I hope in the future everyone will notice an improvement in our educational system, I just wish our priorities would be increasing individual classroom pass rates, teacher pay and a more specific teaching guide, along with choices for students to make in certain interested paths for future careers, instead of, let's say, requiring students who aren't good at math to take trigonometry or a 4th math credit and instead take an extra class in english or science.
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