Contractors: RMC Research Corporation, Mathematica Policy Research
Key Staff:
Eric Einspruch (RMC)
Susanne James-Burdumy (MPR)
Research Questions:
Design: A wide range of prevention efforts have been developed to reduce substance use by adolescents. One strategy used by schools is mandatory-random drug testing of students enrolled in school-sponsored, competitive, and extracurricular activities. The goals of mandatory-random student drug testing are to identify students who are in need of counseling or treatment, to reduce current drug use, and to prevent future use.
The four-year evaluation began in early 2007 and involves schools that received grants from the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools (OSDFS) in 2006. Within seven grantees, 36 schools were randomly assigned such that one half are implementing drug testing immediately (treatment schools) and the other half are delaying implementation until the end of the one year experimental period (control schools). Data collection will include student surveys of reported drug use, interviews with staff at grantee schools and school records.
Duration: September 2006 - August 2009.
Reports: The final report is expected in Spring 2009 and will be announced on http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/.
Current Status: (August 2008) A baseline student survey was conducted in spring 2007 across all grantee high schools and random assignment of schools was completed shortly thereafter. A follow-up student survey was conducted in spring 2008.