Step 1: Define the universe of programs. Many federal agencies have compiled lists of research-based substance abuse and violence prevention programs, including the U.S. Department of Education (USED), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Patty began her search by looking at programs identified by USED as either "promising" or "exemplary." Number of programs = 42

Step 2: Look at your target audience. Patty limited her search to programs that were designed for middle school students. Out of this group, she eliminated 17 programs that targeted "at risk" students, keeping only those that were suitable for the general population. Number of remaining programs = 25

Step 3: Match programs to your identified needs. Patty then made sure that the programs she selected matched at least one of the initiative's prevention priorities: tobacco use, bullying, and low attendance. She also had to make sure that when a program targeted a variety of behaviors (e.g., Project ALERT is designed to prevent the use of alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, and tobacco), it produced positive outcomes for the topics they were interested in (i.e., tobacco use). Through this process, Patty eliminated three more programs. Number of remaining programs = 22

Step 4: Determine its effectiveness for middle school students. Patty was fairly certain that the team would not be able to obtain the requisite support to implement a comprehensive K-8 or K-12 curriculum. She therefore made sure to look at programs that were shown to be effective when implemented only during the middle school years. This eliminated two more programs. Number of remaining programs = 20

Step 5: Make sure that it has a classroom component. Finally, Patty narrowed the list to include only those programs that were school-based and included a classroom component. She included programs in which the classroom component was highly structured (e.g., Aggressors, Victims, and Bystanders), as well as those that were more flexible (e.g., Peacebuilders). Thus, three more programs were eliminated. Number of remaining programs = 17