DARE

The D.A.R.E. program is a collaborative effort by DARE certified law enforcement officers, educators, students, parents, and community to offer an educational program in the classroom to prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among children and youth. The emphasis is to help students recognize and resist the many direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, inhalants, or other drugs or to engage in violence.

In order to be eligible to participate in the DARE culmination program and to earn certificate, students will be expected to:

• Complete the DARE student workbook.
• Have good attendance.
• Demonstrate good behavior during class.
• Write an essay as part of the DARE culmination program to recognize students.
• Keep your body free from drugs.

Parent/guardian participation is an important part of the DARE curriculum. Upon completion of the DARE curriculum, students will participate in a special culmination program to recognize their work. We look forward the participation of parents/guardians in this special event.

Description of Senior High School Program

The purpose of the senior high school D.A.R.E program is to educate students about the personal and social consequences of substance abuse and to increase students' perceptions concerning the risks involved in substance abuse behavior. The lessons are also directed to helping students to recognize abuse behavior. The lessons are also directed to recognize and cope with the feelings of anger without causing harm to themselves or others and without resorting to violence or the use of alcohol and drugs.

The instruction consists of a series of ten lessons on social skills and violence prevention strategies to be taught cooperatively by the officer/deputy and the classroom teacher. The lessons and activities were designed to be implemented as an instructional block of ten days in a required course, such as health science, social studies, or some other appropriate academic subject.

The lessons taught by the law enforcement officer/deputy extend and reinforce the instructional content on substance abuse prevention being taught by the regular classroom teacher. The classroom teacher should maintain a supportive role in a classroom management while the officer is teaching and should incorporate D.A.R.E. program participation by students as an integral part of the student's final evaluation.

The use of sworn, street experienced, trained law enforcement officers/deputies has proven to be a highly effective strategy in helping provide credible education for students in drug abuse, violence, and gang prevention. It is this credibility that narrows the discrepancy between the relevancy of information being imparted in the classroom and the reality of what is happening in the “real world.”

The D.A.R.E. program, offered in concert with other school based prevention activities and intervention strategies for the identification, early intervention, and aftercare support of students at risk for substance abuse and violence may be viewed as a comprehensive program that meets the goals of the Federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act.

A comprehensive program within the school offers such educational activities as the following to heighten awareness and knowledge about alcohol and other drug dependencies as well as conflict resolution and violence prevention education:

• Planning and implementation of the school behavior code that includes guidelines concerning the possession and use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs and the development of safe and violence free schools.
• Faculty in-service training
• Parent education
• Instruction by a D.A.R.E officer/deputy in target classroom
• Talk shops, interest groups, and other alternative activities during noon or after school.
• School-based mandatory support groups for identified and referred high-risk students.
• Parent outreach and support.

Interactive learning is an important strategy that is used throughout the D.A.R.E. high school lessons.

The 10-11 sessions may be reorganized to meet the demands of block scheduling, if appropriate, as long as the instructional hours are not altered.

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