Interactive CD-ROM & Website for Monitoring & Training

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DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): The Positive Action (PA) program has been used for drug prevention since 1982. It is a comprehensive program that includes components for K- 12 classrooms, school climate change, parent involvement and community partnerships. Evaluation data demonstrate its effectiveness at reducing drug use and other problem behaviors and enhancing school performance. It has been recognized as a model comprehensive school reform program and an effective program for Safe and Drug Free Schools. Evaluation data also find that the program is more effective when schools receive training from Positive Action, Inc (PAl). With this recognition comes the need for a more effective approach to teacher/staff training, along with a more technology-based approach to monitoring implementation. Therefore, PAl proposes to revise its current training and implementation videos, to create interactive CD-ROMs, and train PAl master trainers in the new approach. These activities will begin in Phase I, and in Phase II will be expanded to include an interactive website. We will also develop a website that will include data collection of schools' implementation activities and progress. The likely effectiveness of the video/CD-ROM training materials will be evaluated in Phase I. We will randomly assign eight schools to four conditions: 1) face-to-face in-service training from the PI only, 2) CD-ROM only, 3) in-service + CD-ROM, and 4) no training. If found effective, then in Phase II the approach will be expanded to be web-based. The likely effectiveness of web-based monitoring of implementation will also be assessed in Phase I, and refined in Phase II. The effectiveness of training PAT master trainers will also be evaluated in Phase I. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: This has great potential for informing school-based prevention programs about training and monitoring implementation to assure that the program is used with fidelity and maximum effectiveness. This is one of the biggest problems prevention programs face. Not only would it serve the PA program to learn ways that technology could be used to enhance the training and implementation process but it would assist all prevention programs by having an effective model to emulate. It would give prevention programs providing training and technical assistance a way to standardize vet customize their service.