High School Drug Testing Perceptions Among Superintendents in Colorado

Due to emerging laws regarding marijuana use, the need for school officials to implement effective prevention interventions with students is evident. The purpose of this study was to examine superintendents’ perceptions regarding drug testing of high school students.

A survey based on the Integrated Behavioral Model was mailed to all superintendents in Colorado. Descriptive statistics, odds ratios, and binary logistic regression were conducted to analyze the data. The majority of superintendents perceived that alcohol, marijuana, illicit, and prescription drugs were a problem that needs to be addressed in high schools. Superintendents agreed that drug testing students would be effective in reducing substance use amongst certain high school students. The strongest predictor of support was positive and/or negative beliefs regarding testing.