Santa Cruz County Grand Jury • 2009-2010

Alcohol, a Drug of Choice for Scotts Valley Teens

Published: June 25, 2009 16 pages
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Findings 27 findings

F1
CHKS analysis, as reported in the chart below, shows that the number of SVUSD fifth graders who ever used alcohol had increased by 15 percentage points in less than three years. The findings also indicate that fewer fifth graders had the perception that alcohol is bad in 2007 compared to 2004. California Healthy Kids Survey Data for SVUSD Percentages for Fall 2004 and Spring 2007 for Students in Grades 5 SVUSD Fifth Grade Fall 2004 Spring 2007 CA Healthy Kids Survey Ever used alcohol 25% 40% Perception Alcohol is Bad 74% 48%
F2
The CHKS analysis for SVUSD seventh, ninth, and eleventh graders is reported in the chart below. The statistics indicate that using alcohol once in life, during the last 30 days, and being drunk at school had slightly increased from 2004 to 2007. In 2007, fifty percent of eleventh grade students reported being sick from using alcohol as compared to 41 percent in 2004. However, the perception that alcohol is bad remains high through the surveyed years. California Healthy Kids Survey Data for SVUSD Percentages for Fall 2004 and Spring 2007 for Students in Grades 7, 9, and 11 Grade 7 Grade 7 Grade 9 Grade 9 Grade 11 Grade 11 CHKS Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring 2004 2007 2004 2007 2004 2007 Once in life 12% 14% 37% 36% 61% 65% Last 30 days 5% 11% 18% 22% 35% 38% Drunk-school 1% 1% 9% 13% 18% 22% Sick – alcohol 3% 5% 19% 22% 41% 50% Binge 30 days 2% 2% 9% 12% 20% 22% Alcohol is Bad 94% 95% 89% 95% 93% 91% Alcohol, A Drug of Choice for Scotts Valley Teens 5
F3
Community agencies administered the 2007 Youth Survey that confirmed the CHKS findings. Scotts Valley teens were included in the surveys. The results indicated that county teens and families demonstrated high cultural acceptance of alcohol and drugs and that many parents believe alcohol is not a problem. Findings included: • Students have easy access to alcohol and other drugs from social and commercial sources. • Santa Cruz County ranked sixth highest out of 58 counties in the state for binge drinking. • Seventy-three percent of youth report receiving alcohol from adults they know. • Sixty-six percent of adults believe parental intervention would have no impact on alcohol consumption by underage youth. • When high-risk youth are suspended or expelled for using alcohol, they do not receive any intervention services.
F4
From elementary to high school, SVUSD site administrators reported that they review CHKS results and measure its accuracy compared to actual student issues and performance that they observe and handle on a daily basis. At the elementary and middle schools, the CHKS information is evaluated against actual student behaviors on campus to determine the validity of student answers. If there is a discrepancy between the CHKS survey and experience, the information in question is included in the annual site survey administered by the school.
F5
Administrators at the high school review the CHKS findings. However the administration does not make the information available to staff members who work closest to students. These staff members were not involved in prevention and intervention planning.
F6
District and site administrators were asked if they thought the CHKS information was a reliable assessment of student alcohol use. All site administrators agreed that alcohol usage is a problem and that the statistics were important in identifying student perceptions and trends. However district administration did not believe the CHKS results were relevant and should not be used to determine if an issue is important or not. District officials felt the data was unreliable because the children taking the survey did not need the results for grades or for themselves; therefore they were not honest in their answers. Further, district administration believes teen alcohol use is a “community problem” which needs to be resolved by the community rather than the district.
F7
SVUSD Board Policy 5030 (a-e) Student Wellness was adopted on April 22, 2008. As required by law, a Health and Wellness Committee was formed to create the policy and present it to the board for approval. Agendas and attendance documents were provided but minutes of the meeting were not available. The wellness policy focuses primarily on nutrition and physical activity. Other factors such as alcohol and drug intervention and prevention are not mentioned in the policy.
F8
SVUSD Board Policy 5131.6 (a-d) and Administrative Regulation 5131.6 (a-b) clearly define a comprehensive process for developing district programs related to 6 Alcohol, A Drug of Choice for Scotts Valley Teens alcohol and other drugs, but the Jury found no evidence that substantiates the existence of a district-developed comprehensive program to comply with Board Policy 5131.6.
F9
SVUSD introduced revised Board Policy 5144.1 (a-d) Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process in April 2007. The policy has a zero-tolerance clause that was intended to help eliminate the lax attitude toward alcohol and drug usage by students. Under this policy first-time alcohol or drug offenders are suspended for five days. Students who violate the policy twice are recommended for expulsion. Parents are contacted and the police may be involved depending upon the circumstances. When a suspended student returns to school, at least one counseling session is mandatory. A voluntary eight-week after-school program is available. Some school personnel voiced the opinion that the zero-tolerance approach was very punitive and that the school district did not have many alternatives to suspension/expulsion.
F10
Scotts Valley City Council adopted a Social Host Ordinance in November 2008. The ordinance allows law enforcement to hold accountable the host of a gathering where alcohol is served to, consumed by, or in possession of minors. Fines for hosting such gatherings can range from $250 to $1,000 in a twelve month period.
F11
Scotts Valley Police Department no longer provides a School Resource Officer (SRO) on the high school campus. The role of the SRO is to deter crime activity on campus and be accessible to students to create a positive relationship as well as act as a mentor. District and site officials stated that they would like to have a law enforcement officer return to the high school campus.
F12
SVHS school officials indicated that the lack of surveillance cameras at the high school limits the ability to detect student alcohol use on campus. Instead, the school uses the following methods to curtail the use of alcohol and drugs on campus: • Three aides supervise the campus and parking lots. • The principal and assistant principal assist with supervision. • The campus is closed during school to prevent students from leaving campus. • Students have no lockers. • Five breathalyzers are used to monitor students at special events such as dances.
F13
County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency Alcohol and Drug Services personnel indicated that when high-risk youth who use alcohol are suspended or expelled they receive minimal prevention services. Therefore the County has implemented alternatives to suspension and expulsion that have reaped more favorable results. For example, the Seven Challenges program introduced in Santa Cruz City Schools is a reduction-of-suspension option that allows students an early return to the classroom by participation in the program. The program keeps students attending school and engaged in academic work. In addition, the district can claim average daily attendance funding for those students rather than loose the funding when students are suspended.
F14
SVHS students who have been suspended for alcohol or drug use can meet with a certified counselor two days a week for individual sessions and after-school group sessions. The counselor is only required to see students who have been suspended. Alcohol, A Drug of Choice for Scotts Valley Teens 7 All other counseling is voluntary on the student’s part. The Scotts Valley Rotary Club sponsors the counseling program.
F15
The elementary schools no longer have a district-hired counselor. The position was eliminated as part of a budget reduction during the 2007-2008 school year. Administrators and staff have assumed many of the duties of the counselor and each elementary school has an intern from John F. Kennedy University to provide counseling for twelve students each week. Site administrators believe having a counselor is important because it is easier for students to speak honestly to a third party, rather than to teachers or the principal.
F16
SVHS administrators stated that they have not implemented peer counseling and conflict resolution programs that engage students in problem solving and decision making.
F17
The SVUSD leaves the implementation of alcohol and drug programs primarily to site administration and as a result, programs offered vary widely throughout the district. The suspension/expulsion policy is one of the few district-wide strategies to address alcohol and drug use among students. Per district officials, other priorities such as student achievement, special education, and budgetary challenges take precedence over the development of prevention and intervention programs.
F18
SVUSD elementary and middle schools have a variety of programs in place to address alcohol and drug use. The activities are based at schools and include programs that address self esteem, empowerment, resilience, learning styles, and conflict resolution. The district-adopted curriculum Too Good for Drugs is used at all levels.
F19
The high school offers a ninth -grade health class that addresses drug and alcohol issues. The course incorporates the Too Good for Drugs curriculum and other resources provided by the teacher. Too Good for Drugs has three core components: one curriculum for ninth and tenth- grade students, another for eleventh and twelfth- grade students, and staff development for educators.
F20
County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency Alcohol and Drug Program, the United Way, and Santa Cruz County Office of Education have a variety of programs available to districts throughout the county to assist with curbing teen alcohol use. The County has actively solicited districts to participate in evidence-based programs, many of which are offered through grant funds. Programs include: Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol, Seven Challenges, Responsible Alcohol Merchant Awards, Friday Night Live, Project CURB, Teen Peer Court and Town Hall Meetings.
F21
Santa Cruz City Schools district is currently implementing the Seven Challenges program at Santa Cruz High School and is expanding the program to all other high schools in the district next year.
F22
Districts throughout the county have the opportunity to participate in the Together for Youth Collaborative.
F23
The Scotts Valley Police Department provides Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) to the elementary, middle and high school students in SVUSD. The program is taught by a police officer and provides a series of classroom lessons that 8 Alcohol, A Drug of Choice for Scotts Valley Teens teach student how to resist peer pressure and live productive, drug-free and violence- free lives. In addition, the police department sponsors Red Ribbon Week held the last week of October. The Red Ribbon Week campaign asks students to pledge a drug free life through drug education and prevention activities.
F24
At the time of the interviews, high school administrators and staff members were unfamiliar with programs and services within the County that assist with prevention and intervention of alcohol and drug use among students. Since the Grand Jury’s interview with the administration at Scotts Valley High School (SVHS), two DUI sentencing hearings were held on campus.
F25
San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District recently held a town hall meeting for parents about teen alcohol abuse on February 26, 2009. County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency Alcohol and Drug Program sponsored the event.
F26
A Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge, the Mayor of Scotts Valley, the Chief of Police of Scotts Valley, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, the County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency Alcohol and Drug Program, and approximately fifteen parents, students, and staff attended a Town Hall meeting on April 28, 2009 at SVHS.
F27
Student leaders facilitated the town hall meeting and presented recent student responses on the Scotts Valley Youth Survey administered in April 2009 at SVHS. Highlights from the study indicate the following: • 52.1% of youth ages 14-18 get access to alcohol fairly easily. • 46.9% get alcohol from friends over 21. • 31.6% get alcohol from home without parental knowledge. • 56.2% drink alcohol at parties without parent/adults in the home. • 44.7% believe alcohol helps them feel comfortable in social situations. • 41.5% state alcohol is used to relieve boredom. • 38% state alcohol makes it easier to deal with stress or to relax. Conclusions

Recommendations 12