Too Good for Drugs and Violence
Local governments can invest in this strategy using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
- This strategy can help promote healthy childhood environments. The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that strategies that help achieve this outcome are eligible for the use of Fiscal Recovery Funds.
Investments in this strategy are SLFRF-eligible as long as they are made in qualified census tracts or are designed to assist populations or communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Program basics
- High school curriculum to develop social skills, positive character traits, and nonviolent and drug-free norms among high school students
- Teachers trained to deliver the program through standardized staff development lessons
- The program has optional elements for family and/or community involvement
Strength of evidence
Evidence level: Proven (highest tier)
?
Proven (highest tier)
Ranked as having the highest level of evidence by the U.S. Department of Education What Works Clearinghouse
Target population
High school-aged children
Program cost
$750 per classroom kit; $300-$1,500 per day for teacher training workshops
Implementation locations
Dates active
Launched in 2000
Outcomes and impact
- Increased perceptions of social and peer resistance skills
- Increased assertiveness and self-efficacy
- Positive attitudes toward nonviolence and perceptions of emotional competency skills
Keys to successful implementation
- Note: This content is under review
- Program is most effective when implemented as part of broader health or fitness courses.
- Before implementation of the course, establish an implementation team with built-in feedback and technical support systems for ease of implementation.
- Too Good Programs offer quality assurance site visits to ensure the quality of implementation and can provide feedback or suggestions for future enhancements.
- Ideal implementation of this program includes participation by: teachers, school counselors, prevention specialists, community youth educators, mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, student peers, and any other youth-focused mentors, guides, and educators.