text: The RY program must be supported by the school administrators. They are responsible for ensuring that there is an opportunity for the program to work within the school, they must help to build community support for the program as well as ensure that there is an opportunity for the prevention of problem behaviours among at-risk students.
  RY is identified as a best practice and/or model program by the U.S. Department of Education Drug Strategies and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, is included in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), and by the White House in its “First Annual Report on School Safety”. Drug Strategies' publication, Safe Schools, Safe Students gave RY an 'A+'.
  There is also a “sister” program to RY, which is especially well suited for juvenile agencies working with middle and high school at-risk youth, in addition to middle and high schools. This program is called CAST (Coping And Support Training). Whereas RY is a selective/indicated semester-long high school program, CAST is a selective/indicated12-lesson pullout program for middle and high schools offered twice a week for 6 weeks. While each of these two programs is a stand-alone program, they can also be implemented together. For example, students who are at-risk of suicide may opt to be included in the CAST intervention program. Additionally, these youth who have completed the 6-week CAST program – perhaps as a transition program in middle school – would most likely benefit from the semester-long RY follow-up program. More information is available at: http://reconnectingyouth.com/ “CAST Program”.
  In Canada, RY is implemented in 3 sites, 2 are in British Columbia (Victoria and Kelowna) and the other one is in Ontario (Toronto).
  When compared to a control group (students meeting the same criterion of potential school dropouts – i.e., behind in credits for grade level, high absenteeism, previous dropout, etc. – and who completed the same questionnaires on the same timeline as RY students over the course of 2+ semesters), RY students showed significant improvements:
  Significant improvements in their GPA scores) (whereas controls declined) (GPA: grade-point average);
  These findings support the RY theoretical model. The findings further suggest that the program works because of the RY Leader and peer group support and skills training. RY Leader support is critical to the success of the program. Skills training is taught in the context of carefully nurtured peer group support, as the greater the amount of social support and skills training, the greater the achievement of program goals.
  The Fourth R is a school-based program that integrates students, teachers, parents, and the community into a comprehensive violence prevention program. The program targets all adolescents in its implementation to avoid labelling particular youth as at-risk.
  The Fourth R curriculum contains 21 in-class lessons that are divided into three different units. These lessons meet the Ontario Ministry of Education's standards for health education for Grades 8 and 9 as well as Grade 9-12 English. The Grade 7 program will be released in September, 2010.
  Students learn about sexuality in the media, preventing pregnancy and STDs, responsible sexuality, and sexual decision-making.
  Students learn skills such as how to make informed choices about drug and alcohol use and how to cope with peer pressures of substance use.