Winnette Central Middle School Stay On Track Graduation
David Hinson Middle School Stay On Track Instruction
David Hinson Middle School Stay On Track Instruction
David Hinson Middle School Stay On Track Instruction
Stay on Track.....
What is it?
The Stay on Track program offers an innovative, fun, and comprehensive approach to substance abuse prevention. The research-based curriculum is designed for classroom implementation by teachers of middle school (grades 6, 7, and 8) students. Special emphasis is given to tobacco, club drugs, hallucinogens, alcohol, prescription drugs, marijuana, and inhalents. However, Stay On Track is much more than a substance abuse program, providing lessons on health, decision-making, goal-setting, communication skills, interpersonal relations, and media influences. Stay On Track combines sound prevention science principles with the popular appeal of motorsports and addresses the unique developmental characteristics of middle school students. The curriculum is designed with careful attention to three specific areas of individual development: cognitive, social skill, and emotional development.
Materials:
Stay On Track materials include a classroom kit containing all items needed to implement the program. Materials include a detailed teacher handbook containing 12 prepared lesson plans for each grade level and a CD with all necessary slides and audio files. Students receive a Driver’s Manual to use during the program and a Your Turn at the Wheel take-home book to encourage parent and family involvement. The materials are interactive, encourage group participation, involve role-playing and brainstorming, and address all learning styles and intelligences.
Who developed it?Stay On Track was developed by the National Center for Prevention and Research Solutions (NCPRS), headquartered in South Daytona, Florida. NCPRS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1989. NCPRS was assisted by the University of Maryland’s Center for Substance Abuse Research and a multidisciplinary team of researchers, teachers, administrators, health professionals, racers, law enforcement officers, parents, and young people. The Stay On Track program has been mapped against National Educational Standards and meets standards in the Health, Life Sciences, and Language Arts areas.
Who is using it?Stay on Track is currently being implemented in 45 states and territories, serving nearly 120,000 students in grades 6-8, with plans to expand to all 54 states and territories and Washington DC. Future plans also include expansion of the program to include grades K-5.
Drug dealers want your children, in fact, they are working hard to recruit them as users. Like any business, the economics of drug use involve the dynamics of supply and demand. Most crime in America can be attributed in some way to the drug trade and we must help our kids develop the skills they need to resist substance abuse and to have a healthy future. Stay On Track helps our kids understand the consequences of negative behaviors and the skills to help them be strong and make good choices.
Instructor Certification and Continuing Education Units:
NCPRS offers instructor training programs as well as train-the-trainer programs. Instructors are certified for one year with free annual updates and recertification available. Many states grant Continuing Education Units to teachers who become certified to teach the Stay On Track curriculum.
Evaluation:
NCPRS continually evaluates the effectiveness of the Stay On Track program, selecting a statistically significant population and administering pre and post-program surveys. A three-year longitudinal study (completed in 2004) indicated substantial growth in keys areas, including: knowledge of the harmful effects of drug use, decision-making and goal-setting skills, intent to use drugs, and others. In 2006, rigorous scientific research on the Stay on Track program indicated that students who completed the program demonstrated improvement in goal setting, communication skills, decision making skills, perceiving drug use as unacceptable, and have increased their ability to resist negative peer pressure (2005). NCPRS Reports/Analysis are reviewed by Arizona State University’s Arizona Prevention Resource Center (ASUAPRC) experts.
The Director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), endorses the Stay On Track program, indicating: “This program is considered to meet our current definition of “Evidence-Based” for program development and evaluation.” According to CSAP:
For a program to be considered as Evidence-Based it must meet three criteria:
It must have been developed using principles based on a large body of scientific research of prevention theory and program design.
It has been demonstrated to be effective and show positive measurable results when implemented.
It has been replicated in one or more sites with similar results.
The Stay on Track Curriculum meets all three of these criteria and is therefore considered Evidence-Based and should be considered for funding by any funding source requiring the implementation of research-based, evidence-based or scientific-based program.
Customizability:
NCPRS is willing to work with your organization to provide customized versions of Stay On Track materials, possibly including activity books, after school programs, etc.
