Defense Date

6-16-2026

Graduation Date

Summer 8-2026

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

School Psychology

School

School of Education

Committee Chair

Ara J. Schmitt

Committee Member

Kara E. McGoey

Committee Member

Laura M. Crothers

Keywords

school substance use policy, student substance use, school discipline, treatment referral, public health policy, overdose mortality, adolescent substance use, school-based mental health services, district policy analysis, drug and alcohol policy

Abstract

Youth substance use remains a significant public health and educational concern, particularly as schools are positioned to support prevention, early identification, referral, and intervention. This study examined how state- and district-level school policies address student substance use concerns. State-level data were obtained from the National Association of State Boards of Education State Policy Database on School Health and included 53 states and territories. District-level data were collected through a systematic review of publicly available policies from the largest public school district in each of the 50 U.S. counties with the highest combined per capita drug-induced death rates from 2020 through 2024, as identified through CDC WONDER. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were used to examine policy patterns. Findings indicated that state-level alcohol and drug-use prohibition or restriction policies were common, but policies referencing prohibition without treatment referral were more frequent than those including treatment referral. At the district level, policies most consistently addressed possession and under-the-influence contexts, which were closely associated with disciplinary and notification-based responses. Policies addressing students identified as having substance use concerns outside of disciplinary contexts were less consistently present but more intervention-oriented when available. Findings suggest that school substance use policies remain more developed around prohibition, discipline, and notification than early identification, voluntary referral, and sustained support.

Language

English

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Available for download on Friday, July 09, 2027

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