Members of the school board heard a presentation on Communities That Care from Denise Continenza, family consumer science educator with the Penn State Extension Service at the Aug. 26 curriculum and technology committee meeting.

CTC is an initiative involving families, schools and the community in an effort to prevent adolescent problem behavior. There are approximately 25 to 30 people currently on the committee including administrators, parents, law enforcement and community members.

There is no cost to the Salisbury or Whitehall-Coplay school districts for their participation in this program which has been funded for two years by a grant administered by the Center for Humanistic Change.

Continenza said this initiative is "focusing on the wellness and resilience of youth."

As part of the CTC intiative, Continenza said students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 took the Pennsylvania Youth Survey including questions about how youth see the community, what they do with their time and what problems they face. The survey addresses youth behaviors, attitudes and their knowledge.

Continenza said all answers are anonymous, confidential and valid. "The survey collects data across multiple domains including community, school, family and peer/individual," she said. Salisbury students took the survey in February; however, Continuenza said the results are not back yet. The survey takes 30 minutes and is completed on the student laptops.

Although the surveys are confidential, CTC is able to assess several risk and protective factors. It allows community leaders and school administrators to direct prevention resources toward areas where they are likely to have the greatest impact and provides benchmarks for alcohol, tobacco and other drug use as well as anti-social and delinquent behaviors.

Continenza also said there are new questions which have been added to the survey for 2013 including family food security (are the students skipping meals, is there enough food in the home), synthetic drug use, community activities, military deployment by a family member, loss of family members, bullying risk, parental incarceration, suicidal ideation, texting and driving.

The administration of the survey is free this year to all districts; normally it is $1 per survey.

All superintendents will receive a copy of the data and Roth said the committee will decide how to get the data out to the public.

She said communities which have CTC have an 11 percent decrease in alcohol and drug use and a 33 percent increase in academic performance.

Continenza also told the board the Strengthening Families program, formerly Prosper, will continue in Salisbury and will be held in the spring.