Awards
U.S. Department of Education
The SECOND STEP program received the prestigious "Exemplary" award from the U.S. Department of Education's 2001 Expert Panel on Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free Schools. Surpassing all others in its class, the SECOND STEP program was the only violence prevention curriculum to be given this top rating.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) selected the SECOND STEP curriculum as a "Model Program" to be listed in their National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP). The National Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) registry features programs that "decrease or prevent substance abuse and other high-risk behaviors."
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention selected the SECOND STEP curriculum as a "Model Program" with an "Effective" rating to be included in their Model Program Guide and Database in the "Prevention" category. Programs in this directory are reviewed on:
- Conceptual framework of the program.
- Program fidelity.
- Evaluation design.
- Empirical evidence demonstrating prevention or reduction of problem behavior, the reduction of risk factors related to problem behavior, or the enhancement of protective factors related to problem behavior.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
In 2002, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) evaluated 81 multiyear programs to determine how well they enhanced students' social and emotional competence. The SECOND STEP program was designated a "CASEL Select Program," its highest rating.
Drug Strategies
The independent organization Drug Strategies assembled a team of nationally recognized experts to prepare a comprehensive assessment of the most widely used school violence prevention programs in the United States. The William T. Grant Foundation funded this review, and the results were published in the booklet Safe Schools, Safe Students: A Guide to Violence Prevention Strategies.
The SECOND STEP program received the highest rating among the elementary and middle school programs (straight "A" grades across all categories). Drug Strategies concluded "...this well-organized, structured, and well-evaluated program has demonstrated effects on aggressive behaviors...and consists of beautiful, high-quality materials...".
The White House
The White House "1998 Annual Report on School Safety," produced by the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, featured SECOND STEP: A Violence Prevention Curriculum as a "Model Program" for school violence prevention.
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education identified the SECOND STEP curriculum as a "Character Education Program of Merit."