XYZ County Schools LifeSkills Training (LST) Program Student Survey Results for the 0- School Year Prepared by the Penn State EPISCenter, June 0
Complete Sample Level 00 students at pre-test 09 students at post-test Level 3 443 students at pre-test 44 students at post-test Matched (Longitudinal) Sample 50 students in Levels and 00 3 matched 39.% Level ; 60.8% Level 3 students % Female: 5% in Level 5% in Level 3 30 matched students Population Surveyed % White: 97 % in Level 97% in Level 3
Knowledge (life skills and drugs) Attitudes about drug use Refusal skills Assertiveness Stress coping skills Normative beliefs Intentions ATOD use* Areas Targeted by LST
Because risk-taking behavior normally increases during adolescence, it is difficult to measure impact on use without a comparison group. In addition, prevalence rates at this age are generally too low to measure impact on rates of use most kids report no use at both pre-test and post-test. Therefore, it is best to measure program impact through changes in the risk and protective mechanisms targeted by the program. *Measuring Program Impact
Level Core Curriculum 6 th grade* Level Booster Year 7 th grade* Level 3 Booster Year 8 th grade* *(Except XYZ School: 7 th through 9 th grade) NOTE: For the current year, Level was not assessed, and level 3 was assessed using last year s post-test as this year s pre-test Program Levels
Knowledge Level Percentage mean of 3 T/F questions Higher scores are desired 00 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 Knowledge Total Knowledge of Drug Effects Life Skills Knowledge 60 55 50 Statistically significant change in the intended direction for Knowledge Total, Life Skills Knowledge, and Knowledge of the Effects of Drugs.
Knowledge Level 3 Percentage mean of 3 T/F questions Higher scores are desired 00 95 90 85 80 75 70 Knowledge Total Knowledge of Drug Effects Life Skills Knowledge 65 60 55 50 Statistically significant change in the intended direction for knowledge total and life skills knowledge. Knowledge of drug effects was in the intended direction, but not significant
Attitudes Towards Drug Use - Level 6 questions, 5 point scale (=strongly agree to 5=strongly disagree) Lower scores are desired.9.8.7.6.5.4.3 Smoking Attitudes Alcohol Attitudes Marijuana Attitudes Cocaine and Hard Drug Attitudes.. Change is in the intended direction, but not statistically significant
Attitudes Towards Drug Use - Level 3 6 questions, 5 point scale (=strongly agree to 5=strongly disagree).9.8 Lower scores are desired.7.6.5.4.3. Smoking Attitudes Alcohol Attitudes Marijuana Attitudes Cocaine and Hard Drug Attitudes. There is a statistically significant increase in the unintended direction for marijuana use. Note that there is a floor effect, making it difficult for them to drop further and that these increases are likely smaller than what would be seen in a comparison group
Drug Refusal Skills Level How likely would you be to say no? 5 questions, 5 point scale (=definitely would not to 5=definitely would) Higher scores are desired 5 4.5 4 3.5 3.5.5 Drug Refusal Ability Refusal Skills Strategy: No Refusal Skills Strategy: Not Now Refusal Skills Strategy: Change Subject Refusal Skills Strategy: Don't Want To Refusal Skills Strategy: Make an Excuse Significant increase in intended direction for drug refusal skills strategies: Not now, Change subject, and Make an excuse.
Drug Refusal Skills Level 3 5 questions, 5 point scale (=definitely would not to 5=definitely would) Higher scores are desired 5.00 4.50 4.00 3.50 3.00.50.00.50 Drug Refusal Ability Refusal Skills Strategy: No Refusal Skills Strategy: Not Now Refusal Skills Strategy: Change Subject Refusal Skills Strategy: Don't Want To Refusal Skills Strategy: Make an Excuse.00 Pre-Test Post Test There is a statistically significant change in the intended direction for refusal skills strategy: Not now.
Assertiveness Skills Level 3 questions, 5 point scale (=definitely would not to 5= definitely would) Higher scores are desired 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 Assertiveness Skills.5.5 No statistically significant change from pre-test to post-test.
Assertiveness Skills Level 3 3 questions, 5 point scale (=definitely would not to 5= definitely would) Higher scores are desired 5 4.5 4 3.5 3.5 Assertiveness Skills.5 No statistically significant changes from pre-test to post-test.
Relaxation Skills Level question, 5 point scale (=never to 5=always) Higher scores are desired 5 4.5 4 3.5 3.5 Relaxation Skills.5 There is a statistically significant change in the intended direction for relaxation skills.
Relaxation Skills Level 3 question, 5 point scale (=never to 5=always) Higher scores are desired 5 4.5 4 3.5 3.5 Relaxation Skills.5 There is a statistically significant change in the intended direction for relaxation skills.
Perceived Norms: Peer use Level 6 questions, 5 point scale (=none to 5=all or almost all) 5 4.5 Peer Smoking 4 3.5 3.5.5 Peer Drinking Peer Marijuana Smoking Peer Cocaine Use Peer Glue Sniffing, Paint, or Gas Peer Snuff or Tobacco Use Increase in perceived peer smoking, drinking, and cocaine use in the unintended direction. Note that the increase in perceived peer norms may be an accurate reflection of increase in actual peer use.
Perceived Norms: Peer use Level 3 6 questions, 5 point scale (=none to 5=all or almost all) 5 4.5 4 3.5 3.5.5 Peer Smoking Peer Drinking Peer Marijuana Smoking Peer Cocaine Use Peer Glue Sniffing, Paint, or Gas Peer Snuff or Tabacco Use Increase in perceived peer drinking in the unintended direction. Note that the increase in perceived peer norms may be an accurate reflection of increase in actual peer use.
Perceived Norms: Adult use Level 6 questions, 5 point scale (=none to 5=all or almost all) 5.00 4.50 4.00 3.50 3.00.50.00.50 Adult Smoking Adult Drinking Adult Marijuana Smoking Adult Cocaine Use Adult Glue, Paint or Gas Sniffing Adult Snuff or Tobacco Use.00 Statistically significant change for perceived adult smoking, drinking, and snuff or tobacco use in the intended direction.
Perceived Norms: Adult use Level 3 6 questions, 5 point scale (=none to 5=all or almost all) 5 4.5 4 3.5 3.5.5 Adult Smoking Adult Drinking Adult Marijuana Smoking Adult Cocaine Use Adult Glue, Paint, or Gas Sniffing Adult Snuff or Tobacco Use Statistically significant change for perceived adult cocaine use in the intended direction.
Intent to use ATOD in next year Level 6 questions, 5 point scale (=definitely not to 5=definitely will) 5 4.5 4 3.5 3.5 Intent to Use ATOD.5 There is a floor effect (almost all students reported that they definitely do not plan to use). No significant change in intent to use. Normatively intent to use increases as children age.
Intent to use ATOD in next year Level 3 6 questions, 5 point scale (=definitely not to 5=definitely will) 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 Intent to Use ATOD.5.5 Although there was a significant change in the unintended direction for intent to use ATOD, there is a floor effect (almost all students reported that they definitely do not plan to use). Normatively intent to use increases as children age.
Drug Use in Levels & 3 9 point scale (=never to 9=more than once a day) Smoking Drinking Drinking until Drunk Marijuana Hard Drugs Glue Snuff Level Pre-test Level Post-test Level 3 Pre-test Level 3 Post-test..6..44.6.0.44.60.07.08.09..0.04.04.09.0.05.0.0..9.05.04.06.4.0.30 There is a floor effect for all substances, where mean scores are between and on a 9 point scale. On this scale, indicates never and indicates a few times but not in the past year. In other words, use of all substances is very low across all levels, and no significant change occurred for any type of drug usage.
There is a very low prevalence of substance use for all substances for all grades Overall, the program was mostly successful in impacting the most direct targets of intervention (e.g. knowledge of the effects of drugs, life skills knowledge, drug refusal strategies, and perceived norms of adult use) Where improvement in the intended direction was not achieved, often explained by: A floor effect (e.g. intent to use substances in the next year, and actual substance use) A ceiling effect (e.g. drug refusal ability already at high point which leaves little room for improvement) Normative developmental increases Summary