Pubdate: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 Source: Aurora Sentinel (CO) Copyright: 2007 Aurora Sentinel Contact: http://www.aurorasentinel.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1672 Author: Boyd Fletcher NEW DRUG POLICY KEEPS KIDS IN CLASS Smoky Hill High School Principal Jeanie Brown knows that when she sees a student's grades dropping, less class participation and drastic changes in the mood of a once-happy and outgoing kid that something is wrong. And, in this day and age, that likely could be a problem with drugs or alcohol she says. "(Drugs and alcohol) are a growing issue in society," she said. "And we are a reflection of our community, so what is going on out there is going on in our schools. And when they come to school under the influence it is the tip of the iceberg." This problem is why Cherry Creek Schools District principals have worked to develop a new program for students found using or under the influence on school grounds. Starting in March, students caught using or under the influence of drugs or alcohol on campus or at school events will be offered more than just a few days of suspension. They will be offered reduced suspension for enrolling in drug and alcohol prevention courses. "Students who use on campus during the school day, and or come to school under the influence, demonstrate a very significant involvement in drugs - it is not casual use," said Linda Fox, executive director of high school education. "Essentially are students who are under the influence not available to learn." On the first offense, the new policy gives students and their parents the choice of 10 days of suspension or three days and the prevention classes. On the second offense, a student is suspended for 10 days and recommended for expulsion. That punishment can be reduced to five days for participating in an evaluation and treatment. Counseling services are contracted by the district through Professional Counseling Services, and cost $90 for a six-week session. Linda Kanan, intervention coordinator for the district, said the change will be more effective than the current program that has been in place for roughly 16 years because it gives students more opportunity help and less time away from class. "It is an expertise that we may not have been able to offer," she said. "We felt like the problems with students have changed in the past 16 years." According to a 2005 Center for Disease Control study, roughly 75 percent of students had tried alcohol at least once, with 43 percent of students surveyed saying they drink somewhat regularly. Nearly 30 percent of students had used marijuana at least once in their life. Last year roughly 300 students violated Cherry Creek's drug and alcohol policy. "We can't control what goes on the weekends," said Mary Jarvis, principal at Cherokee Trail. "But we wanted our frontline approach to be to get them help, not just to pitch them out." The change came as a part of the Access Success program in Cherry Creek, which is geared at improving student performance and increasing the amount of students who go off to college after graduation. District principals felt that they could do their best to help kids to succeed in school and get them prepared for college, but if students were coming to class under the influence then none of that mattered. The plan was based on prevention programs in other metro area school districts, Kanan said. "We can put all these great transitions for college, but what about those kids that still have drug and alcohol involvement," said Jeannine Brown, principal at Smoky Hill High School. "We needed more than just a slap on the hand." Aurora Public Schools district-wide policy, which has not been updated since 1990, does not have specific guidelines for student punishment. Students caught using on school campus are dealt with on a case-by-base basis, said Barbara Cooper, director of school services for APS. She said suspensions and expulsions are decided at the school-level by the principal or dean, and that they do take into account who the student is, if they are in counseling and the level of the offense when deciding on a punishment. Cooper said the drug and alcohol policy is near the top of policies the district will be reviewing in the next few months. But regardless of the district, teachers say what goes on in schools is usually a reflection of problems at home. "It is a tough life for some of our kids and some of them in pain chose to find bad ways to deal with that pain," Brown said. "I don't think it is, I have been looking at it as it has increased so much. "Life for families can be tough, whenever a family is going through tough times, they reflect that." Teachers are also trained to look for signs of drug and alcohol use in their students. Brown said principals around Cherry Creek are pleased with the plan because it gives more of an option in how to help students. Kanan said the district will have a better idea of how much the program costs after they evaluate it at the end of the school year. "We are able to offer treatment at a much lower cost than what they would get in the community," she said. "We do not want kids to remain out of school." - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine