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Evaluation of LifeSkills Training in Minnesota: Implementation and Early Impact Findings

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Title: Evaluation of LifeSkills Training in Minnesota: Implementation and Early Impact Findings
Language: English
Authors: Marie-Andrée Somers, Michelle Dixon, Claudia Solís-Román, Megan Schwartz, Olivia Lalanne, Bryce Marshall, Lauren Lee, Osvaldo Avila, MDRC
Source: MDRC. 2025.
Availability: MDRC. 16 East 34th Street 19th Floor, New York, NY 10016-4326. Tel: 212-532-3200; Fax: 212-684-0832; e-mail: publications@mdrc.org; Web site: http://www.mdrc.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 95
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Arnold Ventures
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools
Middle Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Daily Living Skills, Middle School Students, Substance Abuse, Drug Use, Health Promotion, Health Behavior, Prevention, Social Emotional Learning, Program Development, Program Effectiveness, Program Evaluation, Program Implementation, Program Improvement, Program Termination, Fidelity, Skill Development, Training Objectives, Training Methods, Self Management, Mental Health, Peer Influence, Antisocial Behavior
Geographic Terms: Minnesota
Abstract: LifeSkills Training is the only program to prevent substance use disorder among adolescents that has evidence of effects on substance use outcomes from multiple randomized controlled trials. Evaluations have shown that the version for middle school students reduces their use of substances in high school, but these studies were conducted in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, when substance use patterns were very different and when interventions with a social and emotional learning (SEL) component were less common. This evaluation aims to examine whether these effects can be replicated with today's adolescents. The study, which began in 2019, is being conducted using a school-level randomized experiment. Interested schools were randomly assigned to a group that was offered LifeSkills Training (the LST group) or to a group that was not offered the program (the non-LST group). Schools assigned to the non-LST group were free to use other prevention strategies or SEL curricula. Students in the study will be followed until the spring of 2027, when they will be nearing the end of high school. The purpose of this report is to present findings about two factors that influence the measurable effects of the program: (1) whether LifeSkills Training was implemented as intended by schools in the LST group; and (2) whether schools in the non-LST group were using other substance-use-disorder-prevention or SEL-focused programs. Findings suggest that the impact of LifeSkills Training on students' substance use at the end of high school could prove smaller in this evaluation than in prior studies of the program. The findings from this study also indicate that the program may have the potential to improve students' mental health and their aggressive behaviors in high school.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED671187
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Evaluation of LifeSkills Training in Minnesota: Implementation and Early Impact Findings
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  Data: English
– Name: Author
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Marie-Andrée+Somers%22">Marie-Andrée Somers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michelle+Dixon%22">Michelle Dixon</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Claudia+Solís-Román%22">Claudia Solís-Román</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Megan+Schwartz%22">Megan Schwartz</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Olivia+Lalanne%22">Olivia Lalanne</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bryce+Marshall%22">Bryce Marshall</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lauren+Lee%22">Lauren Lee</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Osvaldo+Avila%22">Osvaldo Avila</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22MDRC%22">MDRC</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22MDRC%22"><i>MDRC</i></searchLink>. 2025.
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  Data: MDRC. 16 East 34th Street 19th Floor, New York, NY 10016-4326. Tel: 212-532-3200; Fax: 212-684-0832; e-mail: publications@mdrc.org; Web site: http://www.mdrc.org
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  Data: N
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  Label: Page Count
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  Data: 95
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: Arnold Ventures
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
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  Data: Reports - Research
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  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Junior+High+Schools%22">Junior High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Daily+Living+Skills%22">Daily Living Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+School+Students%22">Middle School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Substance+Abuse%22">Substance Abuse</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Drug+Use%22">Drug Use</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+Promotion%22">Health Promotion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+Behavior%22">Health Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prevention%22">Prevention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Emotional+Learning%22">Social Emotional Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Development%22">Program Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Effectiveness%22">Program Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Evaluation%22">Program Evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Implementation%22">Program Implementation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Improvement%22">Program Improvement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Termination%22">Program Termination</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fidelity%22">Fidelity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Skill+Development%22">Skill Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Training+Objectives%22">Training Objectives</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Training+Methods%22">Training Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Management%22">Self Management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+Health%22">Mental Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Peer+Influence%22">Peer Influence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Antisocial+Behavior%22">Antisocial Behavior</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Minnesota%22">Minnesota</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: LifeSkills Training is the only program to prevent substance use disorder among adolescents that has evidence of effects on substance use outcomes from multiple randomized controlled trials. Evaluations have shown that the version for middle school students reduces their use of substances in high school, but these studies were conducted in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, when substance use patterns were very different and when interventions with a social and emotional learning (SEL) component were less common. This evaluation aims to examine whether these effects can be replicated with today's adolescents. The study, which began in 2019, is being conducted using a school-level randomized experiment. Interested schools were randomly assigned to a group that was offered LifeSkills Training (the LST group) or to a group that was not offered the program (the non-LST group). Schools assigned to the non-LST group were free to use other prevention strategies or SEL curricula. Students in the study will be followed until the spring of 2027, when they will be nearing the end of high school. The purpose of this report is to present findings about two factors that influence the measurable effects of the program: (1) whether LifeSkills Training was implemented as intended by schools in the LST group; and (2) whether schools in the non-LST group were using other substance-use-disorder-prevention or SEL-focused programs. Findings suggest that the impact of LifeSkills Training on students' substance use at the end of high school could prove smaller in this evaluation than in prior studies of the program. The findings from this study also indicate that the program may have the potential to improve students' mental health and their aggressive behaviors in high school.
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: ED671187
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED671187
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    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 95
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Daily Living Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Middle School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Substance Abuse
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      – SubjectFull: Drug Use
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      – SubjectFull: Health Promotion
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Prevention
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Emotional Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Evaluation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Implementation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Improvement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Termination
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      – SubjectFull: Fidelity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Skill Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Training Objectives
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      – SubjectFull: Training Methods
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      – SubjectFull: Self Management
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      – SubjectFull: Mental Health
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      – SubjectFull: Peer Influence
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      – SubjectFull: Antisocial Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Minnesota
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Evaluation of LifeSkills Training in Minnesota: Implementation and Early Impact Findings
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