THE 5TH/6TH GRADE CORE PROGRAM


During the 2006-2007 school year, there were 92 school divisions that were involved in the D.A.R.E. Program at various levels. There were 169 D.A.R.E. Officers delivering the curriculum either full time or part-time during the year. With the delivery of the core lessons, 52,025 students received instruction in the D.A.R.E. Curriculum. Since the implementation of the D.A.R.E. Program, 1,455,276 children have participated in the 5th/6th core curriculum.


  • In 2003, the core D.A.R.E. curriculum was re-written by the University of Akron and D.A.R.E. America. The new material is a major shift in both content and delivery style.
  • In 2006, the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation began a study of the revised elementary curriculum. This evaluation is scheduled to be completed by spring 2008. Chris Ringwalt, DrPH, a former critic of the D.A.R.E. Program is conducting the study and has gone on record in support of the revised program.

The revised 5th/6th grade curriculum concentrates on facilitation and is very activity based in its delivery. The lessons involve a much more “hands on” approach to presenting the material. Students learn to utilize the new D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model that is as follows: Define…Assess…Respond…Evaluate. This model is used throughout the curriculum.


The revised curriculum consists of the following 10 lessons:


  • Purposes and Overview of the D.A.R.E. Program
  • Tobacco and You
  • Smoke Screen
  • Alcohol and You
  • The Real Truth
  • Friendship Foundations
  • Putting It All Together
  • Personal Action
  • Practice! Practice! Practice!
  • Special Event - Culmination

Since the 2004-2005 school year, all agencies must deliver the revised curriculum. However, flexibility has been implemented to allow agencies and school districts to address any local concerns such as gang problems and add those lessons to the D.A.R.E. Curriculum. The Virginia State D.A.R.E. Training Office has completed the process of re-training all current D.A.R.E. Officers in the new curriculum and all future training seminars will utilize the updated material.


The new curriculum was designed with the flexibility to allow local agencies to deliver and enhance information that is specific to their respective locations. During 2005-2006, D.A.R.E. America presented several optional add-on lessons that will supplement the current 10-lesson elementary course. These lessons will deliver prevention information regarding gang involvement, violence, role models, and bullying. Information has been added to the existing lessons pertaining to methamphetamine danger.


In the spring of 2007, Internet safety was added as an optional lesson and D.A.R.E. released its new Prescription Drug and Over the Counter Misuse curriculum that provides two optional elementary lessons, two add on middle school lesson and a stand alone high school presentation as well as an adult presentation. These lessons will be available to all agencies to utilize, as each locality deems necessary. Additional lessons are in production and topics may include homeland security.