DOCUMENT RESUME CG 025 857 ED 377 435 Schwartzkopf, Linda AUTHOR Developing a Substance Abuse Prevention Program for TITLE At-Risk Elementary School Students. 94 PUB DATE 47p.; Ed.D. Practicum, Nova University. NOTE Practicum Papers (043) Dissertations/Theses PUB TYPE Tests /Evaluation Instruments (160) MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE Alcohol Abuse; Children; Classrooms; Drug Abuse; DESCRIPTORS *Early Intervention; Education; *Educational Strategies; Elementary Education; *Elementary School Students; Grade 1; Grade 2; Grade 3; Grade 4; Grade 5; *High Risk Students; Kindergarten; *Prevention; *Substance Abuse *Preventive Education IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT A lack of adequatt, substance abuse information at an elementary school prompted this practicum examining at risk students Classroom guidance lessons on substance abuse prevention were given, which included small group counseling sessions regarding self esteem and problem-solving skills, followed by posttests. Classroom guidance lessons revealed a need for prevention programs which imparted knowledge about the use and consequences of alcohol and substances. The self-esteem small group sessions showed that students responded positively to assertiveness training and social skill enhancement. Students also benefitted from talks about responsibility, self-discipline and good judgment. Participants indicated a need for all students to join in drug awareness and a desire for more small group counseling sessions and classroom guidance lessons regarding the issues of substance abuse prevention. Parents reported that they felt excluded from their children's substance abuse programs. It was concluded that comprehensive school substance abuse prevention programs should include lessons for students regarding feelings, pharmacology, and self-awareness, as well as involve parents. Students who completed posttests on substance abuse prevention, self-esteem, and problem-solving skills performed perfectly. Contains (TEr.ee appendices list all three posttests.) (RJM) 18 references. ********************************************************************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * from the original document. *********************************************************************** tt cv) CI ui for Developing A Substance Abuse Prevention Program At-risk Elementary School Students bY Linda Schwartzkopf Cluster 40 the Ed.D. Program A Practicum II Report presented to Fulfillment of in Child and Youth Studies in Partial of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor Education NOVA UNIVERSITY 1994 U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office 01 Educational Research and imotovemect PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION MATERIAL EIAS BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER IERICI z Kod Trus document haS been reproduced as SEA , tece.vect iron' the person or 01gamlattOn 011011W1nd Mmor changes have been made 10 improve 1eotoduclion twalay "0MscOntewwW^.0neslatede,U,sdotu men' do not noressanly represent olhoal TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 0E111 DoS.Ion on Poorp BEST COPY AVAILABLE INFORMATION CENTER (MCI 2 r PRACTICUM APPROVAL SHEET s desc4be This practicum took plat,, Verifier: (7e".01n42 i6/ es A. Steen James A. Steen Principal Title Pinellas Central Elementary School 10501 58 St. N. Pinellas Park, FL 34666 Address June 20, 1994 Date This practicum report was submitted by Linda Schwartzkopf under the direction of the advisor listed below. It was submitted to the Ed.D. Program in Child and Youth Studies and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Nova University. Approved: 19-ct y Di e o Final Approval ne S. Delano, Ph.D., of Report Advisor June S. Delano TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PRACTICUM APPROVAL SHEET ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii ABSTRACT Chapter INTRODUCTION I 1 Description of Work Setting and Community 1 Writer's Work Setting and Role 2 STUDY OF THE PROBLEM II 3 Problem Description 3 Problem Documentation 3 Causative Analysis 4 Relationship of the Problem to the Literature 5 ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES AND EVALUATION III INSTRUMENTS 10 Goal and Expectations 10 iii 4 Expected Outcomes 10 Measurement of Outcomes 11 SOLUTION STRATEGY 13 IV Discussion and Evaluation of Possible Solutions 13 Description of Selected Solutior 17 Report of Action Taken 18 RESULTS, DISCUSSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS V 22 . Results 22 Discussion 24 Recommendations 27 Dissemination 27 29 REFERENCES Appendices A SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION POSTTEST 33 . . . SELF-ESTEEM POSTTEST 36 B PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS POSTTEST 38 C 40 PARENT SURVEY D ABSTRACT Substance Abuse Prevention for Elementary School Students. Practicum Report, Nova Schwartzkopf, Linda, 1994: University, Ed.D. Program in Child and Youth Studies. Elementary/Counselor/Substance Abuse Prevention This practicum was designed to address the problem of students being at risk of becoming potential substance The goal of the writer was to enable students to abusers. become knowledgeable about substance abuse so that they would be no longer at risk of abuse. The author conducted classroom guidance lessons regarding substance abuse prevention; small group counseling sessions regarding self-esteem and problem solving skills; and de'qeloped/administered posttests. Analysis of the data revealed that students completed posttests regarding substance abuse prevention, self-esteem, and problem solving skills with 100% accuracy. ******** Permission Statement As a student in the Ed.D. Program in Child and Youth Studies, I do (X) do not ( give permission to Nova ) University to distribute copies of this practicum report on request from interested individuals. It is my understanding that Nova University will not charge for this dissemination except to cover the costs of microfiching, handling, and mailing of the materials. (signature) (date) V CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION community Description of Work Setting and The work setting for the writer was an approximately elementary school within a county of The school setting 92,000 public school students. fifth grades and was included kindergarten through The class town. located in a small, lower-middle of the majorP-y of students were bused from some largely affluent lowest socioeconomic sections of a county. students in the There were approximately 800 Demographics showed that 23% of writer's school. welfare for their the families were dependent upon free or livelihood and 54% of the students were on Seventy-one percent of the reduced lunches. Minorities students were in latch-key situations. population. accounted for 34% of the student in Nineteen percent of the students were included emotionally special education classes which and specific handicapped, communications disorders, Furthermore, 27% of the learning disabilities. The yearly school's population was in Chapter I. Sixty percent attrition rate of students was 49%. Some students had an of the students were bused. 2 absentee rate of 45 or more days per year. Data showed that less than seven percent of the families participated in school activities and that many of the families lived in high crime/drug areas. There was also a high referral rate of abuse/neglect County-wide, over 2,000 high school students cases. dropped out of school yearly in the writer's In addition, there were over 8,500 district. delinquency cases recorded and over 26,000 school disciplinary actions implemented. Writer's Work Setting and Role The writer was the only guidance counselor for Some of the writer's the school setting. responsibilities included conducting orientation/articulation programs throughout the The counselor provided individual and school year. group counseling sessions in addition to teaching The writer consulted classroom guidance lessons. with outside resources, parents, school system The counselor was personnel, and school personnel. responsible for leading staffing team meetings and coordinating the implementation/dissemination of The special education information/procedures. elementary school counselor was also expected to provide comprehensive suicide prevention, drop-out prevention and substance abuse prevention lessons/programs/strategies. CHAPTER II STUDY OF THE PROBLEM Problem Description The problem to be addressed was that students becoming at the writer's school were at risk of potential substance abusers. Students did not have access to substance abuse prevention activities on an on-going, organized Therefore, they basis through counselor services. did not receive adequate information :regarding the negative ramifications of substance abuse, peer and pressure, poor problem solving skills, There were irappropriately dealing with feelings. insufficient opportunities for students to increase their feelings of positive self esteem and to Without develop positive problem solving skills. the aforementioned information/skills, students were abusers. at risk of becoming potential substance Problem Documentation During the 1992-93 school year, students were interviewed or observed during classroom guidance lessons, small group counseling sessions or regular 4 of knowledge education lessons as having a lack Results of regard substance abuse prevention. indicated that the interviews and observations self-esteem. students expressed feelings of low positive Students also demonstrated a lack of problem solving skills. Causative Analysis effort by Generally, there was not an assertive of the need school personnel to determine the extent substance abuse for an organized, wide-ranging The counselor was expected to prevention plan. objectives including a fulfill a number of mandated comprehensive substance abuse prevention program. the counselor to However, it was not possible for guidance lessons focus all of the monthly classroom prevention and fulfill the other on substance abuse In addition, it was not required objectives. in-depth, possible for the counselor to provide an on-going substance abuse prevention program on a once a month meeting basis. curricula Furthermore, a review of the school's organized, by the writer showed that there was no There plan. wide-ranging substance abuse prevention included students and parents was also no plan which working together. interviews Specifically, parents stated during educationally that they did not have access to 10