State and Local

PAYS

Gather information about their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use to help communities address root causes of antisocial behavior.

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1989 - 2023 biennial

Grades 6,8,10, & 12

Paper/pencil or online

Voluntary - anonymous - confidential

2nd addition of IU specific report

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Salisbury Township School District

January 16, 2025

PAYS as a tool

PAYS is a primary tool in Pennsylvania’s prevention approach of using data to drive decision making.

By looking not just at rates of problem behaviors but also at the root causes of those behaviors, PAYS allows schools and communities to address reasons (such as a lack of commitment to school) rather than only looking at the symptoms after the fact (like poor grades).

This approach has been repeatedly shown in national research studies to be the most effective in helping youth develop into healthy, productive members of their society.

Participation

Statewide

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262,500 valid surveys across PA

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72.7% Participation Rate

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1,048 Schools participated

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IU 21

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10,656 valid surveys

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69.3% participation rate

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42 of 59 schools participated

Salisbury Township SD

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470 valid surveys

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92% participation rate

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2 of 2 schools participated

Validity

In order to ensure the highest level of confidence in the survey results, measures are implemented to retain only valid surveys. The following validity checks were utilized:

1. the student indicated that they had used a fictitious drug (1,807 surveys statewide were identified as dishonest with this check)�
2. the student reported an improbably high level of multiple drug use (1,183 surveys statewide)�
3. the student reported an age that was inconsistent with their grade or the grades served by their school (1,063 surveys statewide)

Invalid and incomplete surveys were eliminated from the data and are not included in the final analyses. Of the 265,606 survey questionnaires from grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 completed and returned to Bach Harrison for analysis, 3,071 (1.2%) were eliminated for meeting one or more of the above criteria.

The results within this IU report are based on 10,656 valid responses (out of 10,774 surveys submitted).

Salisbury SD - 470 of 475 surveys were deemed valid.

IU 21

Demographics

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IU 21

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Significant Increase in number of responses (7-8k) compared to 2021

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Salisbury SD

Demographics

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4th Grade Pilot of PAYS

Number of Respondents: 103

59 respondents were male and 44 respondents were female

63 respondents were white, 25 were Hispanic, 3 were black, 8 were bi-racial

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Questions are different than grades 6-12

Social and emotional learning, mental health, school climate and

safety (including bullying data).

• More SEL and personal well-being
• No previous data to compare results (1st year data)

4th Grade PAYS data -

• 84% reported being happy within the past month
• 93.8% reported that they enjoy being in school (at least some of the time)
• 87% reported that parents/guardians ask about their schoolwork
• 96% students have chances to help decide things like class activities and rules.
• 94% felt safe at school often or always

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4th Grade PAYS data

• 100% of students felt that an adult at school cares about them
• 96% of students felt that they belong at school
• 74.3% of students said they were not bullied this past year
• 81.2% of students reported involvement with activities outside of school
• 35% reported they sleep less than 9 hours (Children age 6-12 need 9-12 hours of sleep per night.)
• 21.6 % of students worried about food insecurity in their homes
• 28.7% concerned about family members drug and alcohol use

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Substance Abuse

01

Lifetime Use

30 Day Use

PAYS Measurement

Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use and access is measured in PAYS by a set of 34 questions. The questions are similar to those used in the Monitoring the Future study, a nationwide study of drug use by middle and high school students.

Lifetime use is a measure of the percentage of students who tried the particular substance at least once in their lifetime and is used to show the percentage of students who have had experience with a particular substance. Lifetime prevalence of use (whether the student has ever used the drug) is a good measure of student experimentation with a given substance.

30-day use (whether the student has recently used the drug) is a more sensitive measure of current activities.

Salisbury SD

Lifetime Use - Alcohol, Marijuana, Inhalants, Vaping

Salisbury SD

30 Day Use - Alcohol, Marijuana, Inhalants, Vaping

Salisbury SD

Binge Drinking

IU 21 - Other Drugs

Other Drugs - Crack/Cocaine, Methamphetamines, Heroin less than 1% across all grade spans 30 day use and lifetime use.

Other Drugs - Hallucinogens, Ecstacy or Molly, Synthetic Drugs all less than 1% (1 exception) all grades spans 30 day use and lifetime use.

*** Exception - Hallucinogens lifetime use 1.9% 10th grade, 3.7% 12th grade (both down from 2021 administration of PAYS)

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0% reporting 30 day or lifetime heroin use

0% methamphetamine 30 day or lifetime use, exception - 1% 12th graders lifetime use

0% crack/cocaine 30 day or lifetime use, exception - 0.9% 6th graders lifetime use

Hallucinogens lifetime 0.9%, ecstasy/molly lifetime 0.2%, synthetic drugs lifetime 1.1%

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Salisbury SD - Other Drugs

Salisbury SD

Vaping substances used by students indicating electronic vaping product use in the past year

Mental Health

02

Salisbury SD

Mental Health Concerns

Salisbury SD

Mental health and suicide risk

9.9%

5%

11%

*12th grade highest response rate - 8.5%

Seriously Considered Suicide

*6th grade highest response rate - 11.8%

Attempted Suicide

Suicidal thoughts

*12th grade highest response rate - 15%

Salisbury SD

Suicide Risk

Salisbury SD

Who do you talk to when sad, lonely, or worried?

IU 21 Mental Health Concerns

34.6%

36.8%

25.4%

31.6%

Salisbury SD Mental Health Concerns

Felt sad or depressed most days in the last 12 months. Below the state average, 12th graders most at risk.

Most common Depressed Thought

“At times I think I’m no good at all.”

Below the state average.

Feelings of sadness

“At times I think I’m no good at all.”

Below the state average.

Most common Depressed Thought

Feelings of sadness

Felt sad or depressed most days in the last 12 months. Below the state average, 12th graders most at risk.

Community and School Climate and Safety

03

Creating safe supportive schools is essential to ensuring students’ academic and social success. There are multiple elements to establishing learning environments in which youth feel a sense of belonging which prompts feelings of safety, connectedness, value, and responsibility for their behavior and learning. School climate and safety are measured in four ways: commitment and involvement at school, involvement in after-school and community programs, violence (actual and threatened), and bullying.

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Salisbury SD

Commitment to School - Perceived Importance

Salisbury SD

Commitment to School - Positive School Environment

Bullying, Internet Safety and Abuse

Bullying behavior contributes to lower attendance rates, lower student achievement, low self-esteem, and depression, as well as higher rates of both juvenile and adult crime. Although the problem of bullying continues to receive public attention, actual incidents of bullying often go undetected by teachers and parents. The most effective way to address bullying is through comprehensive, school-wide programs.

Salisbury SD - Frequency of Bullying

Salisbury SD - Location of Bullying

Salisbury SD - Perceived Reasons for Bullying

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Risk factors of concern in Carbon and Lehigh area

59.7%

Low commitment to school

57.3%

Parental attitudes favorable toward antisocial behavior

49.5%

Low neighborhood attachment

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Risk factors of concern Salisbury SD

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62.2%

Low commitment to school

59.3%

Parental attitudes favorable toward antisocial behavior

48.6%

Peer attitudes favorable toward antisocial behavior

Protective factors in Carbon and Lehigh area

62.3%

Family Attachment

58.4%

Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement

53.6%

School rewards for prosocial involvement

Protective factors

Salisbury SD

71.5%

Family Attachment

63%

Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement

58.2%

School rewards for prosocial involvement

Salisbury SD

Next Steps

05

STSD Next Steps

2024-2025

• Provide overview of Student Assistance Program (SAP) with Staff
• Professional development for Student Assistance Team (SAP)
• Access outside agencies to support student needs:
• Valley Youth House (VYH)
• Center for Humanistic Change (CHC)
• Concern Counseling
• LVHN Weller Center
• Provide results of PAYS surveys to staff
• Provide in-house counseling and focus groups for students with identified needs