Short-Term, Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of D.A.R.E.'s Revised Elementary School Curriculum

• NCJ Number: 232610
• Journal: Journal of Drug Education Volume: 40 Issue: 1 Dated: 2010 Pages: 37-49
• Author(s): Amy A. Vincus, M.P.H.; Chris Ringwalt, Dr.Ph; Melissa S. Harris, Ph.D.; Stephen R. Shamblen, Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2010
• Length: 13 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: For additional articles in this special issue see NCJ-232608-09 and NCJ-232611-14.

Annotation

This study examined the effectiveness of D.A.R.E.'s (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) elementary school curriculum on students' use of marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco.

Abstract

The study presents the short-term results of a quasi-experimental evaluation of the revised D. A. R. E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) curriculum. Study outcomes examined were D. A. R. E.'s effects on three substances, namely students' lifetime and 30-day use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana, as well as their school attendance and academic performance. The study comprised students in 17 urban schools, each of which served as its own control; fifth graders in the 2006-2007 school year constituted the comparison group (n = 1,490), and those enrolled as fifth graders in the 2007-2008 school year constituted the intervention group (n = 1,450). The authors found no intervention effect on students' substance use for any of the substance use outcomes assessed. They did find that students were more likely to attend school on days they received D. A. R. E. lessons and that students in the intervention group were more likely to have been suspended. Study findings provide little support for the implementation and dissemination of the revised D. A. R. E. curriculum. Tables and references (Published Abstract)