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Home: What Is Student Drug Testing?
Purpose of Student Drug Testing:
The principle purpose of a student drug testing program is NOT to "catch" drug-using students but to deter students from using illegal drugs. Students testing positive for drug use are evaluated for additional help in stopping drug use with active parental involvement. Results of student drug tests are strictly confidential, anonymous and not recorded in formal school records.
There are two types of student drug testing: random and for-cause.
Random student drug testing - Random Student Drug Testing (RSDT) refers to the practice of randomly testing middle and high school students for recent use of illegal drugs.2
These drug testing programs are administered during normal school hours by local school staff.
All students in selected groups of students have an equal chance of being tested throughout the school.
Current legal guidelines permit public school testing of groups such as athletes, participants in extracurricular activities (choir, band, debate team) and student drivers. Note: While the U.S. Supreme Court rulings on public school random drug testing for athletes and students in extracurricular activities have passed as constitutional, there is a lack of legal precedence for testing the entire student body in public schools.
Mandatory -- All students in a defined group or setting are eligible for student drug testing. Failure to comply with the program usually results in loss of activity participation, or other privileges.
Example: All athletes in a mandatory program must enroll to be randomly tested or withdraw from participating in sports.
Voluntary -- Students/Parents may choose to be part of the student drug testing program or choose not to without penalty.
Example: Athletes may choose to be part of the drug testing program. Athletes who do not choose to be part of the program may still participate in sports.
For-Cause or reasonable suspicion student drug testing -- Reasonable suspicion student drug testing refers to the practice of testing middle and high school students on a basis of reasonable suspicion of possible drug use for the specific tested student.4 Usually, all students are susceptible to for-cause testing.
A student is tested based on a reasonable belief that a student is using or has used drugs in violation of the school's policy.
Administrators choose which students are to be tested based on physical characteristics such as appearance, behavior, and speech. Specific procedures and qualifications for testing should be written in plain language in the school's drug testing policy. [MORE]
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