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Director of Student Services Kristi Moyer attributed the decline to improvements in nine developmental assets school officials have been working to increase since 2005.
The voluntary Search Institute survey asked about 2,400 fourth-, fifth-, sixth-, eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders last December about 40 external and internal assets that the Minneapolis-based institute says are crucial building blocks for youths’ development.
“The survey focused on the premise that the way to reduce the risk-taking behavior is to increase the developmental assets that students have,” Moyer said.
Moyer said La Crosse schools have focused on nine assets: relationships with adults in addition to parents, a caring school climate, parent involvement in school, adult role models, time at home, reading for pleasure, restraint (good health habits and a healthy understanding of sexuality), resistance skills (saying no to doing wrong or dangerous things and to people who could lead teens into trouble) and peaceful conflict resolution.
The greatest improvement was reported among eighth-grade students for whom parent involvement at school and support from other adults increased, and who received education on good health habits and sexuality. The only asset that decreased since the survey was administered in 2005 was how time at home was spent.
Moyer was not surprised by the middle school results: The school district has been targeting its three middle school buildings with intervention programs after school and in the regular curriculum.
“What we are seeing happen is some real nice positive results in the buildings,” she said. “It is doing what we want it to do.”
The district also offers a prevention program that deals with substance abuse, alcohol and tobacco, Moyer added. Students are also encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities.
Several risk-taking behaviors, including alcohol use, are still higher than the district would like them to be, Moyer said. Fifty-three percent of high school seniors and 16 percent of eighth-graders had used alcohol once or more in the past 30 days, according to the survey. Six percent of sixth-grade students surveyed had used alcohol more than once during the past year.
Moyer said the alcohol results reflect the larger community.
The information will be used to develop plans at each school. Area agencies that work with children will also have access to it, Moyer said.
Autumn Grooms can be reached at (608) 791-8424 or agrooms@lacrossetribune.com.
