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PREFACE

This report contains all the outputs of a project undertaken to review the structure and performance of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) and to assess options for strengthening it. As part of this study, a conference was held at which practitioners, researchers, and government officials considered the findings and conclusions presented in three commissioned papers, the proceedings of focus groups of knowledgeable practitioners in two school districts, and a review of the literature describing the program established by SDFSCA and its performance to date. This volume contains the executive summary

of the study,1 the backgound paper prepared to provide information for the conference participants, a summary of the focus group discussions, and the commissioned papers. This material should be of interest to federal officials and legislators involved in the impending reauthorization of the SDFSCA, as well as to individuals concerned with the implementation of drug and violence prevention programs in schools. The project was sponsored by the U.S.

Department of Education, and the work was performed within RANDs Drug Policy Research Center. THE RAND DRUG POLICY RESEARCH CENTER The Drug Policy Research Center, a joint endeavor of RAND Criminal Justice and RAND Health, was established in 1989 to conduct the empirical research, policy analysis, and outreach needed to help community leaders and public officials develop more effective strategies for dealing with drug problems. The Center builds on a long tradition

of RAND research characterized by an interdisciplinary, empirical approach to public policy issues and rigorous standards of quality, objectivity, and independence. The Ford Foundation and other

foundations, as well as government agencies, corporations, and ___________ 1This summary is also published separately as Options for Restructuring the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, by Peter Reuter and P. Michael Timpane, Santa Monica, CA: RAND, MR-1328EDU, 2001.

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individuals, support the Center.

Dr. Audrey Burnam and Dr. Martin

Iguchi codirect the Drug Policy Research Center.