VALPARAISO, DUNELAND SCHOOLS TO USE DRUG SCREENING TEST

Confidential Results Will Be Shared With Parents

VALPARAISO -- Parents and schools in two Porter County school
districts have a new weapon in detecting drug or alcohol abuse
problems among students.

Valparaiso Community Schools and the Duneland School Corp. will be
issuing the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) test to
middle school students who show signs of use or a potential problem.

The SASSI has a series of true/false questions about behavior and
alcohol and drug use. The test is sent to an institute in Maumee,
Ohio, where the answers are evaluated. Confidential results, along
with an evaluation of the student's risk, are sent only to the
parents. In large group testing, anonymous data is sent to schools.

Parents can administer the SASSI test at home for $30 via the
Internet, at www.proscreening.net/porter.

The results are based on each student's pattern of answers, according
to Paul Johnson, managing partner of University Partners Marketing
Group in Merrillville. The firm acts as a SASSI facilitator and has
conducted trial group tests in Merrillville, Wheeler and Hebron high
schools driver's education classes.

"What we're attempting to do is to head this off at the pass," Johnson
said. "The emphasis is early detection. We have an opportunity to
capture the problem before it becomes manifested ... Early
identification and treatment -- that's the key."

SASSI has a 98 percent accuracy and is "fake proof," Johnson
said.

"The only way a student could potentially screw up is if they marked
all true or all false."

Valparaiso Community Schools and Duneland School Corp. are sharing a
$1,000 grant from the Porter County Substance Abuse Council to
administer the test during the 2000-01 school year.

"We're going to administer it only if the parents agree to it. It is
only going to be used as a tool to give clear answers to the direction
of service for this young adult," said Jerry Kirby, a substance abuse
counselor for Valparaiso Community Schools.

Duneland positive life and learning director Jean Hayes said the
schools will look at responses to the SASSI and learn how to use it
effectively.

"It has an incredibly high accuracy level. We've been looking at these
tests for years. I'm hoping it's going to be a positive enough effect
from this to choose to continue it," she said.