ESEA Act of 1965, Safe and Drug Free Schools and Community State Grants

 

ESEA Act of 1965, Safe and Drug Free Schools and Community State Grants  

Introduction
On January 8, 2002 President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act
(NCLB) of 2001, Public Law 107-110, which reauthorized the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The NCLB emphasizes the
Administration’s “four pillars” for education reform – accountability, use of
science-based programs, parental and community involvement, and local
decision making – and is designed so that Federal support for elementary and
secondary education ensures that every student achieves academic success.
The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) (Title IV, Part
A of the ESEA) is a critical part of President Bush’s national effort to ensure
academic success for all students. Effective July 1, 2002, the SDFSCA State
Grants (Subpart 1) program authorizes a variety of activities designed to prevent
school violence and youth drug use, and to help schools and communities create
safe, disciplined, and drug-free environments that support student academic
achievement. Some significant changes in the SDFSCA include:
ƒ A requirement that State and local prevention programs and activities
meet the Principles of Effectiveness. Under the reauthorized SDFSCA,
the Principles of Effectiveness include a requirement that funds be used to
support only programs grounded in scientifically based research. In
addition, States and local recipients must have meaningful and ongoing
consultation with, and input from, parents in the development of
applications and administration of programs or activities. In 1998, the
Principles of Effectiveness were developed by the U.S. Department of
Education to provide a framework for State and Local Grant funds
recipients to improve the quality of drug and violence prevention
programming implemented with SDFSCA funds.