How can schools make better use of research, evaluation, and data to improve safety, well being, and educational outcomes for students? That was the key question facing more than 1,000 health, education, and prevention leaders gathered in Washington, DC, for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) 2003 National Conference.

The two-and-a-half-day conference addressed not only those issues for which the Office has long held responsibility-alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention-but also other key issues for which the Office now provides leadership, including character education, civic education, correctional education, health, mental health, and physical education.

In addition, because schools now must be prepared to deal with many different types of crises, from natural disasters to school shootings and even terrorist attacks, the conference devoted significant attention to issues of emergency management and crisis response.

"This is the first time we've held a conference as an Office instead of part of an Office, and we were able to bring to the table all of the various topics our Office covers," said William Modzeleski, Associate Deputy Under Secretary of OSDFS. "That worked to break down silos and help people understand how the prevention work they are doing relates to the work that the person sitting across the aisle might be doing. These topics are not separate and people are beginning to understand how they connect and are related to one another."

In addition, Mr. Modzeleski noted, the focus on using research, evaluation, and data, seemed to resonate with participants.

"After many years-even decades-the whole concept of science-based practice is catching on," he said. "Before, perhaps people didn't know what science-based practice was, or there weren't a great deal of evidence-based prevention programs to tap into. This conference helped explain, in a very easy-to-understand fashion, just what science-based practice is, and what schools need to do to implement prevention programs and strategies that are grounded in research."

"We recognize that things aren't going to change tomorrow," he continued. "Moving into the utilization of science-based programs is complicated and it will take some time for things to change. But the important thing is that the field recognizes that the change is necessary, and that help is available. There are models to follow, and technical assistance is available from many federal agencies. Our job is to help people learn to use the resources that are available to them."

Among the key speakers at the conference were White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director John P. Walters, who discussed the latest findings on youth drug use, and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow, who addressed bringing research and practice together to address drug abuse prevention.

Dr. Volkow noted that while drug abuse prevention programs of the past were based primarily on ideology and good intentions, today there are effective prevention programs anchored solidly in a base of empirical knowledge about fundamental factors that can promote or reduce substance abuse.

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