Abstract
This chapter presents the history, current practice, and horizon of developing school-based drug prevention curricula. We discuss various considerations in developing such curricula, including pragmatic considerations in deploying curricula in public schools, use of a logic model, risk/resiliency and vulnerability models for curriculum development, developmental appropriateness of materials, and the role of culture. We then present exemplars of the three drug prevention curricula that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found to be the most cost-effective, returning US$32, 27, and 19 for every dollar spent: All Stars, keepin’ it REAL (kiR), and LifeSkills Training (LST). We include advice from two curriculum developers and conclude by examining several trends that are on the horizon of curriculum development. Curriculum writers are increasingly being asked to develop interventions with implementation or the end user in mind, to integrate new media and account for changing social milieus, and to continuously improve curricula. Increasingly, too, there is a need to coordinate school, family, and community interventions to address multiple outcomes. While challenging, effective curriculum development holds promise of positively influencing the future of our nation’s youth.
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Pettigrew, J., Hecht, M. (2015). Developing School-Based Prevention Curricula. In: Bosworth, K. (eds) Prevention Science in School Settings. Advances in Prevention Science. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3155-2_8
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