For Immediate Release: February 18, 2008

Positive Action on NREPP’s List of Evidence-based Programs

The Positive Action program (PA) stands out in four major areas on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).

• PA works for all people;
• PA works for numerous problem behaviors, including: violence, alcohol, tobacco, drug use, disciplinary referrals, suspensions, and school absenteeism;
• PA is the only program listed that improves academics; and
• PA received a perfect score on its readiness for dissemination.

The NREPP database is a service of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Currently, there are 85 national evidence-based intervention programs listed that promote mental health and prevent and treat substance use. Research on the programs is reviewed and findings are posted on the database. For PA, the reviews highlighted key strengths of its program.

PA works for all people. PA is an inclusive program proven to be effective with all populations, ages, and socioeconomic levels.

PA is effective with problem behaviors. Research shows that PA effectively addresses a wide range of problems, including: violence, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, disciplinary referrals, suspensions, school absenteeism, and mental health.

PA is the only program on the list to improve academics as well as behavior. For example, research found schools using PA had higher scores in math and reading proficiency than schools not using PA.

PA reduces problem behaviors. Students in elementary schools using PA were 30% less likely to use alcohol, 78% less likely to have been drunk, and 100% less likely to have tried illegal drugs compared to those enrolled in schools not using PA.

PA’s effect on behavior is long lasting. Students who used PA in elementary school had improved behavior in middle and high school. Middle schools with relatively high enrollment from PA elementary schools had 52–71% lower rates of problem behaviors, such as drug use, violence, and disorderly behaviors, than middle schools with low enrollment. High schools with a medium enrollment from PA elementary schools had 17–50% fewer problem behaviors than those with low enrollment.

PA is easy to use. PA received a perfect score on its readiness for dissemination. NREPP summarized PA’s strengths by saying: “Implementation materials are very detailed and include everything a potential user would need to implement the program.”

PA is no stranger to NREPP and SAMHSA. Since 2000, PA has been listed as a Model (Exemplary) Program by CSAP (Center for Substance Abuse Prevention), another SAMHSA program. PA is also recognized as a leader by the U.S. Department of Education What Works Clearinghouse, which found it to be the only character education program to show “strong evidence of positive effects” on both academics and behavior.

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Contact:
Carol Gerber Allred, Ph.D.
President/Developer
Positive Action, Inc.
1-800-345-2974, ext. #100
carol@positiveaction.net