ADE Director's Communication Memo Form


Memo Number : LS-09-007

Date Created : 08/27/2008

Attention:

Superintendents
Co-op Directors
other: All Principals
Counselors
and Persons Interested in Prevention

Type of Memo: Informational
Response Required: Yes
   
Section:   Learning Services - Dr. Alice Barnes Rose, Assistant Commissioner
Subject:
APNA Student Survey to be Conducted

Regulatory Authority:
N/A

Contact Person:
Angela Benson

Phone Number:
501-686-9030

E-mail:
angela.benson@arkansas.gov

ARKANSAS PREVENTION NEEDS ASSESSMENT (APNA) STUDENT SURVEY

To help schools with needs assessment and to meet No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements, the Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention through the Department of Human Services (DHS) will conduct its annual Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment (APNA) Student Survey. Only one class period is needed. The 2008 survey is scheduled to be administered to all participating public schools anytime between November 5 and 17, 2008. All completed survey forms for all schools in each district are to be returned to the survey contractor, International Survey Associates (ISA), dba Pride Surveys, by December 1, 2008. Reports of district results will be distributed during Spring semester of 2009.

The focus of the student survey is to collect data on health risk behaviors such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and violence that can result in injury and/or impede positive development among youth. The survey also assesses risk and protective factors, which include attitudes and opinions that research has shown predicts involvement in the health risk behaviors. All public school districts are offered the opportunity for all students enrolled in the 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade levels to be surveyed at each participating school. For the most valid and reliable data, full participation of students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 is essential. When a district limits survey participation to selected classes, grades or buildings, data can be skewed.

Data gathered in this survey addresses the State Outcomes and Targeted Measures of the State of Arkansas Strategic Prevention Framework and will be used in a broader effort to help plan for the prevention needs of the State of Arkansas at the county, regional and state levels. That is why all schools are asked to participate. Individual building and district level report data can be used for prevention planning for each district.

WHY SHOULD A SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTICIPATE?

* Provides data for the No Child Left Behind reporting requirements AT NO COST to the district
* Provides valuable information on health risk behaviors such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and violence that can impede positive development among youth
* Uses risk and protective factors that predict the involvement in these health risk behaviors
* Identifies the prevention needs for the school district
* Helps in preparation of school improvement plans relative to school environment, external factors that present barriers to learning, community involvement, learning process, and school risk factors
* Gathers information regarding factors that may indirectly affect intellectual development and career planning goals of the student

WHAT WILL THE SCHOOL RECEIVE?

*Local data including a district level report and individual building reports for each participating building (if there is an adequate number of respondents)
*Trend data on drug and alcohol use rates, age of first use, delinquency rates, student perceptions of drug and alcohol health risks and social acceptance, and levels of risk and protection
*The opportunity to provide valuable data to members of the community involved in prevention planning and persons seeking funding for prevention efforts

The district’s results will be made available to the school superintendent and designated contact person during the Spring semester of 2009.

To view the State of Arkansas Strategic Prevention Framework planning document, please visit:
http://www.arkansas.gov/dhs/dmhs/Arkansas%20Strategic%20Plan%20Document%20and%20cover.pdf

To view a sample school district report and a sample school report, visit http://www.arkansas.pridesurveys.com/documents/

For information on how to participate in the survey, please call Ms. Angela Benson at the Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention at 501-686-9030 or Ms. Tommie Waters at 501-686-9515. Also, assistance can be provided from the attached list of Prevention Resource Center staff concerning the completion of the APNA Survey Agreement Form.

Attachments:

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