STUDY DESIGN
Ten continuation high schools in the San Francisco–San Jose
area of northern California were randomly assigned to either
the advocacy (treatment) or the drug and alcohol abuse prevention
(control) intervention (Figure). The high schools were
randomized by the toss of a coin, with every high school having
an equal chance of receiving the treatment or control curriculum.
The high schools ranged in size from 97 to 300 students.
All 11th and 12th grade students were eligible to
participate. Both interventions were 1 semester long and were
repeated across 4 semesters from 2000 through 2002. During
the second semester, the intervention was provided to only 6
continuation high schools (3 treatment and 3 control) because
of the emergency sick leave of 2 main staff members. Only
1 class was offered each semester at each school.