Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey
The Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey collects outcome data and risk and protective factor data that identifies community needs on a local level and then allows schools, school districts, counties, and regions to target services to address those needs. The focus of the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey is on health risk behaviors such as violence and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use that can result in injury and/or impede positive development among our youth. The survey also includes risk and protective factors, which are attitudes, behaviors, and opinions that research has shown to be highly correlated with these health risk behaviors. The survey is offered to all schools in the state and is conducted in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12.
What Questions Does the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey Ask?
The Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey asks questions about behaviors students or students’ friends may or may not have done. For the survey, students are asked to respond to questions designed to gather information about risk and protective factors and questions related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use such as:
- “How often do you feel the school work you are assigned is meaningful and important?”
- “How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to pick a fight with someone at school?”
- “Which of the following activities for people your age are available in your community?”
- “On how many occasions (if any) have you used marijuana in the past 30 days?”
- “How many times in the past year have you taken a handgun to school?”
- “If you skipped school, would you be caught by your parents?”
- “If I had a personal problem I could ask my mom or dad for help?”
WHY SHOULD MY SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTICIPATE?
The Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey results can be used to assess current efforts and/or plan new prevention and intervention programs to combat such problems as alcohol, tobacco, other drug use, and violence in our schools and communities. The survey results can also help ensure that the state and participating regions and counties maintain important prevention funding which directly or indirectly benefits area school districts and schools.
Information gathered through the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey can be used in the partial fulfillment of the Principles of Effectiveness requirements set forth by the Title IV Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (“No Child Left Behind” Legislation requirements). Survey results may be used for state and federal funding opportunities, such as Title IV Basic and Discretionary funds, School Safety Grants, Drug Free Communities and other competitive fund processes. Information gathered from youth can also be useful for grant writing, program and school safety planning, as well as targeting interventions to meet the specialized needs of a school and/or community.
For more information, contact the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Prevention Services Division at (405)522-3619.
