Download - iii - PREFACE

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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 RAND’s 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
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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.