Pubdate: Wed, 09 Jan 2008 Source: Shakopee Valley News (MN) Copyright: 2008 Southwest Newspapers Contact: http://www.shakopeenews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4672 Author: Ruth Anne Maddox Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) STUDENT SURVEY: ALCOHOL, DRUG USE STILL A CONCERN While local results of the 2007 Minnesota Student Survey are similar to the statewide data, Shakopee Superintendent Jon McBroom isn't sure he wants the district to be considered "normal." "We know the behavior of young people here is not a lot different than other places," McBroom said, noting that none of the results were surprising. However, the district had hoped to reduce the level of drug and alcohol use among its students, McBroom said. "I'm a little disappointed that our attempts to reduce alcohol and chemical use through education and support hasn't helped us lower those numbers." Statewide results indicate that 31 percent of 12th-grade boys and 37 percent of 12th-grade girls admitted to using alcohol within the past year, while those numbers were at 25 percent for males and 37 percent for females in Shakopee. Alcohol use among ninth-grade boys was at 21 percent (male) and 25 percent (female) across the state and at 18 percent (male) and 24 percent (female) in Shakopee. Forty-two percent of 12th-grade boys in Shakopee admitted to using both alcohol and marijuana or other drugs during the past year, compared to 33 percent statewide, while such use among ninth-grade boys was 3 percent less than the state average, at 13 percent. Six percent of sixth-grade boys in Shakopee claimed to have used both alcohol and drugs compared with 3 percent statewide. Binge drinking (five or more drinks at a time on 10 or more occasions during the past year) was 6 percent higher among 12th-grade girls in Shakopee (18 percent) than statewide, while 12th-grade boys came in at 25 percent in Shakopee and 24 percent statewide. Numbers for ninth-graders were slightly lower in Shakopee (3 percent for boys and 2 percent for girls) than at the state level (5 percent for boys and 3 percent for girls). The Student Survey was administered to sixth-, ninth- and 12th-graders on a voluntary and anonymous basis. The survey is done every three years and asks students about tobacco, alcohol and other drug use and attitudes, sexual behaviors, dietary behaviors, physical activity and unintentional injuries, violence and other topics. Before the survey was given, parents were given an opportunity to view it and determine whether they wanted their children to take part. Data collected from 971 Shakopee students was among 136,549 surveys completed statewide. Because the survey maintains student anonymity, there is room for error and dishonest answers. For example, 5 percent of sixth-grade boys, 7 percent of ninth-grade boys and 3 percent of 12th-grade boys in Shakopee claim that they were stabbed or had a gun fired at them on school property during the past year - incidents that never occurred, McBroom noted. McBroom said the numbers regarding drug and alcohol use are telling signs of the community and he believes these are happening in the school district. In an effort to reduce alcohol and drug use among students, he said, "We do a lot in the school district to try and educate kids and we will continue to do so." Although spot checks in the schools using police dogs have not turned up much in the past, McBroom said, the district intends to continue random searches. He said the results reiterate his belief that improvement takes the whole community, including parents, to make inroads with students. "It's not just a school situation, it's a community situation," he said. McBroom said he also is not naive enough to believe that gang activity is absent from the area and, while a majority of students indicated in the survey that they feel safe in school, a disproportionate number believe illegal gang activity is a problem. The biggest disparity occurred at the ninth-grade level, where 51 percent of boys and 41 percent of girls agreed gang activity was a problem, as compared with 22 percent and 16 percent from the same groups of students statewide (in Shakopee, 82 percent of these boys and 81 percent of these girls said they feel safe at school). To combat any gang affiliation in school, students must adhere to a dress code that prohibits certain apparel and must follow behavior guidelines. "We take a strong approach to this pseudo-gang activity," McBroom said, noting that a student can be removed from school if they don't follow the rules. McBroom said that issues of school safety and having the students feel safe in school are very important within the district and he believes that the numbers would be different if the surveys were taken this year, with the opening of new facilities. "It would be very interesting to know if the sixth-, ninth- and 12th-graders would respond the same way with more space now, versus cramming kids into buildings," McBroom said. "Before we opened these new buildings, the schools were crowded and there were more problems." The junior high school houses eighth- and ninth-graders in the old high school building and the new - and larger - Shakopee High School welcomed its first students in grades 10 through 12. Shakopee Middle School, which used to be for grades seven, eight and nine, now serves just seventh- and eighth-graders. Other noteworthy survey results: Statewide, both smoking and methamphetamine use decreased in all grades polled (sixth-graders were not asked about methamphetamines). Seat belt use among all students surveyed in 2007 increased since those surveyed in 2004. This is an important aspect of the survey, according to the Department of Public Safety, because traffic deaths are the leading killer of teenagers. - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath