Safe & Drug Free Schools and Communities Act Grant (SDFSCA)
The Safe & Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) provides funds to districts to establish, operate, and improve local programs for drug and violence prevention.
For the school year 2008-09 the Penn Manor School District will receive an allocation of $11,712 in grant funds under this act. The current grant represents about a 20% allocation reduction from last year. The grant is developed annually by Penn Manor’s Safe Schools Committee which is comprised of students, parents, community agencies, and school staff.
The following performance measures (italics), programs and costs for this grant were submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the school year 2008-09:
To reduce the number of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drug policy violations.
- Student Assistance Program (SAP):
The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a statewide initiative designed to provide support services for students who may be at risk or experience problems which pose a barrier to a student's learning and school success. Each school district forms a SAP Team of school staff who are trained to identify problems and make recommendations to assist the student and parent.
The effectiveness of the grant sponsored programs is evaluated at the end of each school year by the Safe Schools Committee using data from the annual Safe Schools Report, district policy violations, and Student Assistance Program Performance Outcome Report. The following summary of Program Effectiveness and Needs for the 2007-2008 school year was completed in June 2008:
At the high school, the number of drug policy violations remained the same as the previous school year with 10 violators (0% change). The number of alcohol policy violations also remained the same with zero violators. The number of fighting/violence policy violations dropped significantly from 24 to 2. Weapons policy violations resulted in a 50% decrease from four incidents to two.
At the middle school level, there was only a slight increase in the number of drug policy violations from 1 to 2. However, there was a larger increase in alcohol policy violations from zero last year to four this year. Weapons policy violations dropped significantly from 5 last year to 0 this year.
At the elementary school level, all policy violations remained at very infrequent levels.
Student Assistance Program: Performance data from the SAP showed continued benefits of the program. At the high school, zero SAP students violated D&A policy since referral for the second straight year. Only three students showed a decline in attendance. 88% of the students showed improved/remained the same academic performance. At the middle school level, only two of the referred students violated D&A policy after referral. Six of the students showed a decline in academic performance and only two of the students showed a decline in attendance.
Although no longer being funded through this grant, the bully prevention programs continued at the middle school level with a program kickoff and six bully prevention lessons taught throughout the year. Feedback from the lessons remains positive. More students have been willing to responsibly report.
Based on the 2005 PA Youth Survey, protective factors identified for Penn Manor included belief in moral order and school opportunities for prosocial involvement. Risk factors included laws and norms favorable to drug use and handguns and personal transitions and mobility.
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