The following article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published on News5Cleveland.com under a content-sharing agreement.
Almost all Ohio schools offered prevention-focused programs and supports during the 2020-21 school year.
Ninety-five percent of Ohio schools, to be exact, offered these programs and supports, according to the Ohio Department of Education’s 2020-21 Prevention Services Data Report that was released Tuesday.
“Providing students with the tools they need to better cope with life stressors in healthy, safe, supportive ways helps individuals build resiliency and reduces risk factors,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in a news release. “Prevention services are part of educating the whole child, meeting their wellness, as well as their academic needs.”
DeWine established the Student Wellness and Success Fund in 2019, which has provided $1.2 billion in funding for schools to provide mental, behavioral, and physical health programs to students.
Prevention-focused programs, services and supports help students build skills to participate in healthy behaviors and understand the consequences of substance use, suicide, bullying, and other harmful behaviors. These programs and supports include Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), trauma-informed practices and mental health counseling.
This is up from the 2019-20 report that said at least 70% of Ohio schools offered prevention-focused programs and supports during the school day.
Nearly half of Ohio counties (42) had all of the schools in their county offering prevention-focused programs and supports in schools, according to the report. Carroll County and Harrison County had the lowest percentage (80%) of schools offering the programs and supports in their schools.
Prevention-focused curriculaEighty-one percent of Ohio schools offered prevention-focused curricula, according to the report. Prevention-focused curriculum includes D.A.R.E., Second Step, Signs of Suicide (SOS), Start with Hello and Zones of Regulation.
Eighteen counties had all of the schools in their county offering prevention-focused curriculum, according to the report. Muskingum County had the lowest percentage (36.4%) of schools offering the curriculum in their schools.
“This report shows how Ohio schools are supporting student wellness work through an outstanding increase of prevention programming and supports,” Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Stephanie Siddens said in the release. “Prevention education helps students build the resiliency skills needed to overcome life’s obstacles and fully engage in learning.”
