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GOVERNMENT READY TO EVALUATE SAFE SCHOOLS/HEALTHY STUDENTS INITIATIVE

June 11, 1999

WASHINGTON -- The Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services are ready to dish out some cash to get an accurate sense of how well their Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative is going. The government issued a grant notice this month seeking companies, organizations or individuals interested in conducting an evaluation of the program.

The federal agencies developed Safe Schools/Healthy Kids to provide students, schools and communities services to promote healthy childhood development and prevent violence and drug abuse. The services and activities are designed to develop the social skills and emotional resilience necessary to avoid drug use and violent behavior. To fund the initiative, the federal government awards roughly 50 sites designated by their states as local educational agencies $1 million to $3 million per year, based on the size and location of the school districts they oversee.

The government plans to award one grant to a qualified evaluator. Private, for-profit organizations must agree to waive any profit or fee resulting from the work. Applications are due July 21; forms and instructions can be downloaded from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Web site.

The evaluator is expected to study the program from September 1999 through September 2004 to document the effectiveness of collaborative community efforts now in place. The evaluation will examine the program's six components: school safety; alcohol, drug and violence prevention and intervention programs; school and community mental health services; early childhood development programs; education reform, and safe school policies.8