Substance use prevention curricula constitute the nation's most effective mechanism for reaching middle school students. While much is now known about the relative efficacy of these curricula, we know very little about how they may be adapted to meet the needs of particular ethnic groups. In this paper we compare curricula implementation characteristics of schools serving predominantly African-American and white students. Study data were collected in 1999 from a nationally representative sample of 1905 schools (response rate=71.9%) comprising middle schools grades. Study findings indicate that schools serving African-American students were significantly more likely to emphasize: marijuana and cocaine (but not alcohol or tobacco)use; social influences supporting substance use, refusal skills, improving self-esteem and making public commitments not to use substances; audio-visual materials and awards ceremonies; and to adapt their lessons in response to a variety of their student's specific needs (e.g., poverty, violence, gang and sexual activity, parental substance abuse problems). Study results suggest that teachers of prevention curricula in predominantly African-American schools may make major modifications to prevention curricula. Such modifications need to be understood by both curricula developers and researchers.
Learning Objectives: Participants will learn how substance use prevention teachers in middle schools serving predominantly African-American students adapt prevention curricula to meet their students' needs.
Keywords: School-Based Programs, Substance Abuse Prevention
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