SAMHSA Model Programs: Model Prevention Programs Supporting Academic Achievement
SAMHSA Model Programs offers a number of programs that directly address or indirectly affect risk and protective factors related to school performance. Primarily designed to prevent or reduce substance abuse, violence, and other high-risk behaviors, Model Programs also improve reading, written expression, and math skills; increase school attendance and school bonding; and reduce school failure.
In general, Model Programs demonstrate that by improving the overall social and behavioral functioning of children and youth, enhancing parental and family competence, and reducing exposure to or participation in substance use, they positively affect students’ academic performance. However, some Model Programs include academic outcome measures in their research evaluations and can document specific academic achievement outcomes in participants: a persuasive testament to school administrators that implementing a Model Programs is worth the extra administrative and teacher time and expense. Model Program academic outcome measures and proven outcomes include:
- Improved grades
- Higher rates of next-grade promotion
- Increased grade point average
- Improved graduation rates
- Improved reading, math, and writing skills
- Improved standardized test scores
- Increased credits earned
- Increased child developmental levels (for very young children)
In addition to academic achievement outcomes, these programs also display other outcome measures related to school performance. These include:
- Decreased absenteeism/improved attendance
- Decreased high-school drop out
- Increased parental involvement in child’s school
- Fewer out-of-school suspensions
- Fewer in-grade retentions
- Fewer special education referrals
- Fewer school behavioral incidents
- Improved social competence and play skills in very young children
- Greater participation in after-school and learning activities
All SAMHSA Model Programs with documented academic achievement outcomes are comprehensive, and most are multicomponent, involving school and the family. Although most programs with academic achievement outcomes are designed for elementary grades, some are for preschool children and middle school youth, and one is for high school youth.
The accompanying chart, Academic Achievement Outcomes Documented in SAMHSA Model Programs, describes each SAMHSA Model Program that has proven academic achievement outcomes and provides information about both, specific academic achievement outcomes and other outcomes related to school performance.
Academic Achievement Outcomes Documented in SAMHSA Model Programs
Program Description |
Academic Achievement and Other Outcomes Related to School Performance |
Other Problem Behavior Reduction |
Across Ages: a school and community-based drug prevention program for youth 9 to 13 years old that seeks to strengthen the bonds between adults and youth and provide opportunities for positive community involvement. It pairs older adult mentors with young adolescents making the transition to middle school. It aims to increase knowledge of health and substance abuse and foster healthy attitudes; improve school bonding and academic performance, strengthen relationships with adults and peers, and enhance problem solving and decision making skills. |
The level of mentor involvement was positively related to:
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The level of mentor involvement was positively related to:
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CASASTART: a community-based, school-centered program designed to keep high risk 8 to 13 year old youth free of drug and crime involvement. It is based on the assumption that while all pre-adolescents are vulnerable to experimentation with substances, those who lack effective human and social support are especially vulnerable. CASASTART seeks to build resiliency in the youth, strengthen families, and make neighborhoods safer for children and their families. It promotes collaboration among the key stakeholders in a community or neighborhood, and provides case managers to work on a daily basis with high-risk children and youth. |
Compared with the control group, children who participated in the program reported significantly higher levels of:
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Compared to the control group, children who participated in the program were:
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Academic Achievement Outcomes Documented in SAMHSA Model Programs
Program Description |
Academic Achievement and other outcomes related to school performance |
Problem Behavior Reductions in other areas |
Child Development Project (CDP)*: a school wide improvement program that helps elementary schools become “caring communities of learners” for their students, 5 to 12 years old. Phase II consists of two modules:
*This program is currently being modified and that modification is under evaluation. |
Compared to control school counterparts, students showed:
Upon reaching middle school, students from CDP schools showed:
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Among fifth and sixth grade students in schools that fully implemented CDP:
Upon reaching middle school students showed:
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DARE To Be You: a primary prevention program for children 2 to 5 years old and their families, designed to improve parental child- management skills and parental competence and satisfaction; improve relationships between children and their families; and boost children’s developmental levels. |
Compared to a control group, this program increased child developmental levels and maintained them for at least 2 years. |
Compared to the control group:
Better child self-management and family communication reported by families |
Academic Achievement Outcomes Documented in SAMHSA Model Programs
Program Description |
Academic Achievement and other outcomes related to school performance |
Problem Behavior Reductions in other areas |
Early Risers: Skills for Success: a multicomponent program for elementary school children 6 to 10 years old who are at high risk for early development of conduct problems, including substance use. It focuses on child social skills training; family support and consultation; parent-school consultation; contingency management of aggressive, disruptive, and non-compliant child behavior; reading and math instruction; and educational enrichment activities. |
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Relative to comparisons:
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The Incredible Years Training Series: a program to promote emotional and social competence, and to prevent, reduce and treat behavioral and emotional problems in young children 2 to 8 years old. It focuses on children with high rates of aggressive behavior and provides three developmentally based curricula for parents, teachers, and children. |
Two randomized control group evaluations indicated that the child training series:
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Two randomized control group evaluations indicated that The Incredible Years series increased children’s use of prosocial conflict management strategies with peers. |
Academic Achievement Outcomes Documented in SAMHSA Model Programs
Program Description |
Academic Achievement and other outcomes related to school performance |
Problem Behavior Reductions in other areas |
Leadership and Resiliency Program: a school and community based program for high school students 14 to19 years old that enhances the internal strengths and resiliency of participant youth through weekly group meetings, alternative outdoor activities, and community service. |
Program participants realized:
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Increases knowledge of and negative attitudes about substance abuse and violence. |
PATHS (Providing Alternative THinking Strategies): a comprehensive program for promoting emotional and social competencies and reducing aggression and acting-out behaviors in elementary-school-aged children (5 to 12 years old), while simultaneously enhancing the educational process in the classroom. |
Cognitive testing indicates that PATHS leads to improvements in the following skills:
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In various studies, PATHS has shown a:
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Academic Achievement Outcomes Documented in SAMHSA Model Programs
Program Description |
Academic Achievement and other outcomes related to school performance |
Problem Behavior Reductions in other areas |
Positive Action: a comprehensive and coherent program that improves academic achievement and multiple behaviors of children and adolescents. It is intensive and extensive, with lessons at each grade level (K-12) that can be reinforced all day, school-wide, after school, at home and in the community. There are kits for teachers on each grade level, for in school and after school, school- wide climate kits, counselor’s kit, and family and community kits. All components can stand-alone, are useful in a variety of settings, easy to use, are completely planned and prepared, and ready for use. Effects cover multiple behaviors: decreasing substance use, violence, disruptive and other negative behaviors, and improving academic performance.
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In studies completed in several States:
Data from a study in Nevada found that, compared to the control group, students scored 16% higher on their fourth-grade achievement scores. Similarly, in Hawaii, Positive Action (PA) schools reported 52% better SAT scores. PA elementary schools in a large Florida school district reported 45% better scores on the Florida Reading Test compared to non-PA schools. The Florida study showed that results are sustained through secondary school. Middle schools containing >60% of PA “graduates” reported 18% higher proportions of students coring above average on 8th grade NRT reading and math combined. High schools with 27% to 50% of PA “graduates” reported 9% to 15% improved achievement scores on five different standardized tests. |
Florida middle schools with >60% PA “graduates” reported:
Florida high schools with 27% to 50% PA “graduates” reported:
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Academic Achievement Outcomes Documented in SAMHSA Model Programs
Program Description |
Academic Achievement and other outcomes related to school performance |
Problem Behavior Reductions in other areas |
Project ACHIEVE: a school reform and school effectiveness program for use in preschool, elementary and middle schools, with students 3 to 14 years old. It works to improve school and staff effectiveness and emphasizes increasing student performance in areas of social skills and social-emotional development; conflict resolution and self-management; achievement and academic progress; and positive school climate and safe school practices. |
A comparison of prior-year data with the averages from 8 years of program implementation at one of the studied schools showed academic gains on the California Test of Basic Skills (CTBS), including:
There is also longitudinal outcome data from three schools that have implemented Project ACHIEVE.
In addition, this study showed that:
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Academic Achievement Outcomes Documented in SAMHSA Model Programs
Program Description |
Academic Achievement and other outcomes related to school performance |
Problem Behavior Reductions in other areas |
Reconnecting Youth: a school-based prevention program for youth 14 to 19 years old in grades 9 through 12 who are at risk for school dropout. It uses a partnership model involving peers, school personnel, and parents to address three program goals: decreased drug involvement, increased school performance, and decreased emotional distress. |
Relative to controls, high-risk youth participating in the program evidenced:
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Relative to controls, high-risk youth participating in the program evidenced:
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SAFE Children: a community- and school-based program that helps families manage educational development and child development in communities where children are at high risk for substance abuse and other problem behaviors. It aims to build support networks among parents, develop parenting skills, give parents a better understand of schools and how they work, and ensure that children have the skills to master basic reading when they enter first grade. |
Children in the program showed steeper growth in academic achievement over a 24-month period than children in the control group. By follow up at the beginning of second grade, the reading scores of children in the program were at a level approximate to the national average and “ 4 months ahead” of those in the control group.
At follow up, parents in the program were still maintaining involvement in their children’s school life, instead of showing the typical pattern of a severe drop-off. |
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