Evaluation of school-based HIV prevention education programs in New Jersey.

This paper presents results from a process evaluation conducted by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). Representative samples of middle and high school superintendents, principals, lead health teachers, and HIV teachers provided information assessing whether local district policy content was consistent with the state's policy code, the dynamics of local policy development, and school district staff perceptions and practices regarding HIV education policies. NJDOE also was interested in determining: if inservice training was accessible to teachers assigned to provide HIV education; the scope and impact of HIV inservice programs; and the training needs of staff assigned to teach the HIV curriculum. Finally, NJDOE was interested in determining: local curricula scope, sequence, and approach; the extent to which local curricula were skills-based; and local expectations for instructional outcomes. As a result of the evaluation, program staff identified areas needing remediation and planned for program improvement in new areas.

Factors associated with occupational exposure and compliance with universal precautions in an urban school district.

Factors associated with occupational exposure and universal precautions (UP) compliance were assessed among employees in one urban school district. Half of the employees surveyed reported responding to bleeding injuries and cleaning blood or other body fluids (e.g., vomit, urine) during the previous school year. Also, 1 in 4 custodians and 1 in 10 teachers/teacher's aides had direct contact with blood or body fluids without protection. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, direct contact was most likely among secondary school employees in unpredictable situations who did not have protective equipment or comply with UP. UP compliance was greater among those who had protective equipment available and felt self-confident. Self-confidence was associated with having received training or protective equipment. Routine communications between administrators and employees, staff training, provision of protective equipment, and exposure incident monitoring are essential to effective implementation of UP policies in schools and work settings where occupational exposure could occur.

Trends from 1987 to 1991 in alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use among adolescents exposed to a school district-wide prevention intervention.

This study involved a school-based prevention program initiated to reduce alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use among adolescents in the Troy School District in the Detroit area. One purpose was to describe the current ATOD situation by investigating changes in reported ATOD use from 1987 to 1991. Another purpose was to explore and identify the most salient risk and protective factors present. In 1987, 1,490 students (comprising grades 8 and 11) and in 1991, 3,171 students (comprising grades 8 to 12) completed questionnaires. Significant decreases were found for use of most drugs with the exception of alcohol. Involvement in problem behaviors was identified as the most salient risk factor, while having a member of a non-using peer group was the most salient protective factor. Implications for the design of subsequent intervention programs are discussed.

AIDS education at the local level: the pragmatic issues.

Several documents have been published offering guidelines for implementing AIDS education. These documents generally cite the need for AIDS education, and identify issues and concerns inherent in planning AIDS education. Though such guidelines are beneficial in establishing the legitimate need for AIDS education, the information provided does not address the pragmatic issues involved in planning and implementing AIDS education at the local level. This article recommends approaches for addressing five pragmatic issues at the local level: formalizing an AIDS education policy, addressing concerns about morality, placement of AIDS instruction within comprehensive health education, formulation of a curriculum development model, and relating to the local news media.

School health education: a foundation for school health programs.

This article describes the present status of health instruction--one of the original three components of the school health program--and suggests ways to improve its effectiveness as one of the eight components of a comprehensive school health promotion program. The article also demonstrates the complexity of the theory base, content, methodology, and outcome expectations of health instruction; a complexity that demands the subject be taught by teachers who are thoroughly prepared and committed to teaching health.

Three applications of the Role Delineation Project 1985 Curriculum Framework.

Colleges are beginning to use the Role Delineation Project Curriculum Framework for curricular reform at the graduate and undergraduate levels. This paper describes the efforts of three universities to revise their curricula based on the Framework. At Towson State University, it is being used with other national and state standards to assess health educators. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, it provided the structure by which the faculty determined the competence of exiting health majors. At the University of Georgia, it was used in strategic planning and graduate education restructuring. The Framework, while lacking material in certain professional development areas, provides the structure for departments to begin the process of health education curricula reform.