This resource corresponds to Day 1.

Evidence-based prevention refers to a set of prevention activities that evaluation research has shown to be effective. Some of these prevention activities help individuals develop the intentions and skills to act in a healthy manner. Others focus on creating an environment that supports healthy behavior. Sometimes, activities that we call “evidence-based,” other organizations call research- or science-based. For the purposes of this training, all of these terms are synonymous.

In the last decade, we have seen a growing interest in evidence-based prevention. There are several explanations for this. The first has to do with accountability: With fewer dollars available for prevention, funders want to make sure that their money is being used wisely. Pressure for accountability is strongest at the federal level, but it is also mounting at the State level and among private foundations. Agencies simply don't have the funds to support programs that look or sound good but haven't been shown to produce positive outcomes.

Programs must meet a number of criteria in order to be deemed “evidence-based.” These criteria differ somewhat by federal agency. Some important elements to consider are outlined below:*

Quality of Program Design

• Program goals and objectives must be clear and appropriate for the target population.
• Program content and methods must address the needs of and effectively engage the target population.
• The program's underlying rationale must be well-articulated, and its content and methods must align with its goals.
• The program must be a complete intervention, rather than a single component (e.g., a video, an assembly, a book in the library).

Quality of Research Design

• Program evaluation includes pre- and post-testing with a control or comparison group.
• Program evaluation includes relevant, reliable, valid, and appropriately administered outcome measures.
• Data analysis is technically adequate and appropriate.
• Evaluation studies have low rates of participant attrition.

Evidence of Program Efficacy

• The intervention produced positive change in scientifically established risk and protective factors.
• The intervention reduced or delayed the onset, prevalence, and/or individual rates of risk behaviors.
• Follow-up measurement provides evidence of sustained program impact.

Capacity for Replication and Dissemination

• The program includes high-quality program materials (e.g., manuals), training, and technical assistance.
• The program includes tools and procedures to monitor the fidelity of implementation and to evaluate program outcomes.
• The program has been replicated and produced similar positive results, and these replications have been documented.
• Evaluation findings have been published or accepted for publication by a peer-reviewed journal.

* From Selecting Research-Based Prevention Programs for Your School, an online course developed by the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Middle School Drug Prevention and School Safety Coordinators, now operating as the National Coordinator Training and Technical Assistance Center, with funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program.