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."
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MAP posted-by: Elaine