Colorado High School Research Articles

Violence perpetration prevalence among Colorado (United States) high school students across gender, racial/ethnic, and sexual identities

Adolescent violence, including sexual violence, homophobic name-calling, and teen dating violence, are public health problems that cause harm to many adolescents in the United States. Although research on the perpetration of these forms of adolescent violence has increased in recent years, little is known about perpetration rates across gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. To address this gap, the current study descriptively examined perpetration rates between and across different identities, including self-identified race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and gender identity. In Fall 2017, 9th – 11th grade students (N = 4782) at 20 high schools in Colorado (United States) completed a survey that assessed demographics (e.g., race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and gender identity) and various forms of violence perpetration. Compared to female adolescents, male adolescents reported significantly higher perpetration rates for: any sexual violence (27% vs. 17%); sexual harassment (26% vs. 15%); unwanted sexual contact (8% vs. 4%); and homophobic name-calling (61% vs. 38%). Differences in perpetration rates were also observed among various racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender minority students compared to non-minority students. This emphasizes a need for more research on how minority stress that results from the dynamics of intersecting identities and societal systems of power–including racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia–contributes to violence perpetration. Evidence-based violence prevention approaches, particularly strategies targeted at changing social norms about violence, gender, and sexuality, need to be tailored and evaluated for students with diverse cultural and social identities to ensure safe school climates for all students.

Assessment of Rural-Urban and Geospatial Differences in Perceived Handgun Access and Reported Suicidality Among Youth in Colorado

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in adolescents, with firearms the most common method, especially in rural communities. Identifying where to target lethal means safety interventions could better leverage limited resources. To understand the associations of rurality, school-level prevalence of easy handgun access, and suicidality measures in Colorado youth, to explore spatial distribution of school-level measures, and to identify communities with high prevalence of both easy handgun access and suicidality. This cross-sectional study used data from the 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, an anonymous cross-sectional school-based survey conducted at 256 participating Colorado high schools. Participants included students from schools recruited for statewide population-based estimates and additional schools opting in. Data were analyzed from November 9, 2020, to March 13, 2021. Urban-centric locale according to a 7-level continuum. Geocoded location of schools was used for spatial analysis. The main outcomes were weighted prevalence for easy handgun access and 4 measures of mental health and suicidality in the previous year (ie, feeling sad for 2 weeks and considering suicide, planning suicide attempt, or attempting suicide in the past year). A total of 59 556 students (49.7% [95% CI, 49.3%-50.1%] male and 50.3% [95% CI, 49.9%-50.7%] female; 53.9% [95% CI, 53.5%-54.3%] in 9th and 10th grade; 36.4% [95% CI, 36.0%-36.8%] Hispanic and 50.8% [95% CI, 50.4%-51.2%] non-Hispanic White) from 256 schools participated. Most schools were rural or in small towns (56.8% [95% CI, 50.7%-62.9%]), while more students participated from urban and suburban schools (57.8% [95% CI, 57.6%-58.0%]). Prevalence of perceived easy access to handguns increased with increasing rurality, with 36.2% (95% CI, 35.2%-37.1%) of students in rural (remote) schools reporting easy access, compared with 18.2% (95% CI, 17.3%-19.1%) for city (large) schools. The spatial distribution of easy handgun access and suicidality measures had minimal overlap, but there was correlation at school-level between easy handgun access and considering suicide (ρ = 0.203 [95% CI, 0.0748-0.331]), planning suicide (ρ = 0.300 [95% CI, 0.173-0.427]), and attempting suicide (ρ = 0.218 [95% CI, 0.0869-0.350) in the previous year. The highest quartile for prevalence of both perceived easy access to handguns and planning suicide in the previous year included 21 schools (81.0% [95% CI, 64.0%-97.9%] rural [remote] or rural [distant]). These findings suggest that rural-remote communities in Colorado may benefit most from interventions focused on limiting youth access to handguns when youth are in crisis, with some communities at especially high risk. Spatially referenced data may improve targeting interventions to where they are needed most.

Supporting Sexual Minority Youth: Protective Factors of Adverse Health Outcomes and Implications for Public Health

PurposeSexual and gender minority (SGM) youth (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual, questioning, transgender) are systemically impacted by victimization and poor mental health because of discrimination in society. To prevent adverse outcomes, we must understand factors that help communities support and protect SGM youth. This study examined to what extent protective factors longitudinally predict outcomes 2 years later in an effort to inform more sensitive prevention efforts. MethodsStudents from nine Colorado high schools (N = 2,744) completed surveys across four consecutive school semesters (T1 to T4). Structural equation modeling was conducted to determine the longitudinal associations between baseline protective factors (access to medical and counseling services, help-seeking beliefs, trusted adults, family support, peer support, spirituality) and distal adverse outcomes (substance use, depression, suicidal ideation, peer victimization, bullying perpetration, sexual violence victimization and perpetration, homophobic name-calling victimization, and perpetration), by sexual orientation. ResultsAll protective factors examined, except for access to medical services, were associated with lower likelihood of adverse outcomes. Associations differed across sexual orientations. For students identified as questioning or something other than heterosexual, lesbian, gay, or bisexual, family support is a notable protective factor of depression, peer victimization, bullying perpetration, and sexual violence perpetration. Family support was not significantly protective for these outcomes among heterosexual, lesbian, gay, and bisexual students. ConclusionsThere is no singular protective factor or universally impactful intervention for public health. Public health initiatives should recognize intersectional identities of young people and build strategies that are relevant to specific identities to create more comprehensive and effective programing.

Perceived Access to Handguns Among Colorado High School Students.

Access to firearms among youth can increase the risk of suicide or other injury. In this study, we sought to estimate the population prevalence of adolescent perception of firearm access by demographic, geographic, and other individual health characteristics. The 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey was an anonymous survey administered to a representative sample of high school students in Colorado. The survey was used to assess health behaviors and risk and protective factors. Analysis was conducted with weights to the state population of public high school students. In total, 46 537 high school students responded (71% student response rate; 83% school response rate). One in 5 students said it was "sort of easy" (11.1%) or "very easy" (8.8%) to access a handgun, with higher prevalence among male and older-aged youth and differences in racial and/or ethnicity groups. There were geographic differences such that students in schools in more rural areas were more likely to report perceived easy access. Students who had felt sad or hopeless, attempted suicide, or been in a fight were more likely to say they had access to a handgun. A relatively high proportion of youth have easy access to a firearm, with differences across age, sex, race and/or ethnicity, and geography. This highlights the need for efforts to address ways to reduce firearm access for youth, including secure storage at home, for the prevention of youth firearm suicide and other firearm injuries.

Ethnic Representation and Willingness to Seek Help as Moderators Between Peer Victimization and Mental Health Outcomes among Latinx Adolescents

Peer victimization, also referred to as bullying victimization, is associated with deleterious mental health outcomes including depression and suicidality. However, most of the bullying literature in the USA is centered around the experiences of non-Latinx White and African American adolescents. To center Latinx experiences, this cross-sectional study includes a sample of Latinx students from 19 Colorado high schools (n = 2554). School-level ethnic peer representation (proportion of Latinx peers) and individual student’s willingness to seek help were examined independently as moderators between bullying victimization and mental health outcomes (depression and suicidality) separately by gender. Results indicated that Latinx youth who experienced peer victimization also reported higher symptoms of depression and suicidality. A greater willingness to seek help was associated with less symptoms of depression and suicidality among young Latinx youth, while school-level ethnic peer representation was only associated with lower symptoms of depression for Latinx adolescent females. Among Latinx youth who were victimized, a greater willingness to seek help was protective for symptoms of depression and suicidality. Results suggest that school-based programs for bullying prevention and mental health promotion need to examine culturally specific protective factors to reduce victimization and promote help-seeking norms among Latinx youth.

Longitudinal Associations Between Sexual Victimization and Substance Misuse Among High School Youth in Colorado.

There are consistently high rates of sexual victimization and substance misuse among youth in the United States. Although there is a known relation between sexual victimization and substance use, there is a gap in the research regarding the magnitude and temporality of these associations. This study examined whether latent classes of sexual victimization and help-seeking attitudes longitudinally predict intentions of future substance misuse 7-10 months later. Students from nine Colorado high schools (N = 533; M = age 16 years) completed surveys across two consecutive school semesters. Latent class analysis was used to identify classes of students who experienced at least one form of sexual victimization (e.g., sexual harassment, unwanted sexual contact) according to 13 sexual victimization items, and level of positive attitudes regarding help-seeking for sexual victimization. Classes were compared on demographic characteristics and for distal outcomes of likelihood of future substance misuse (cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, prescription drugs, and electronic vaping products) using latent class regression, controlling for previous intentions to use. At Time 1, four classes of sexual victimization were identified with two main classes for comparison: low odds of experiencing sexual victimization (60.1% of sample) and high odds of endorsing all forms of sexual victimization (7.7% of sample). The high sexual victimization class had higher proportions of male and transgender students, compared to other classes. At Time 2 (7-10 months later), students in the high sexual victimization class reported a significantly greater likelihood of future cigarette (p = .017) and prescription drug misuse (p = .007) when compared to the low sexual victimization class. There was no evidence that having higher positive attitudes towards help-seeking resulted in lower intentions to use substances in the future. These findings highlight that addressing sexual violence in prevention programming may have crossover effects of reducing substance misuse and other forms of violence among youth.

Changes in Prevalence of Marijuana Consumption Modes Among Colorado High School Students From 2015 to 2017

This study examines data from the Health Kids Colorado Survey to assess changes in modes of marijuana consumption among high school students in Colorado from 2015 to 2017.

Examining Classes of Bully Perpetration among Latinx High School Students and Associations with Substance Use and Mental Health

Latino(a) (also called “Latinx”) are the fastest growing ethnic population in the U.S.; however, there is a dearth of literature that examines intracultural bullying behaviors and their association with mental health and substance use for this population. The current study uses a person-centered approach to examine bully perpetration among Latinx high school students and association with substance use and mental health. Latent Class Analysis was used to identify classes of bullying perpetration among a sample of Latinx adolescents drawn from 9 Colorado high schools (n = 2929). Age and sex were used as predictors to examine differences between classes. Identified bullying classes were then related to mental health (i.e., depression and suicide ideation) and perceptions of future substance use. The latent class analysis identified five classes that included a high bully perpetration class (4.5%, n = 133), a moderate class (13.8%, n = 405), a class that reported high rates of teasing behaviors (13.5%, n = 396), a class that reported high rates of cyberbullying perpetration (7.3%, n = 215), and a low bully perpetration class (60.90%, n = 1780). Females reported lower odds of being in the High and Teasing classes compared to males. Further, the High and Cyberbullying perpetration classes reported the highest rates of depression, suicide ideation, and perception of future substance use compared to other classes. Understanding the risk profile of students who engage in bullying perpetration is essential in creating useful and appropriate resources and interventions. Inclusive efforts are needed to create more effective prevention programs that attend to the growing ethnic diversity among U.S. students.

Patterns of Co-occurring Modes of Marijuana Use Among Colorado High School Students

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to understand how adolescents concurrently use different modes of marijuana consumption. MethodsUsing data from the 2017 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, we examined how modes of marijuana use (smoking/ingesting/vaping/dabbing/other) co-occur. We estimated the prevalence of all combinations of these modes among adolescents who reported past 30-day marijuana use (n = 3,618). We then estimated the prevalence of any use of each mode by each mode usually used. ResultsForty-one percent reported only smoking, another 10% reported smoking and dabbing, and 9.8% reported smoking and ingesting. Only about 10% used a combination of modes that did not include smoking. Smoking was the most common additional mode for all other usual modes of consumption. ConclusionsSmoking in combination with dabbing and/or ingesting were the most common multimode patterns of use. Nearly all adolescents who use marijuana smoke some or most of the time.

Modes of Marijuana Consumption Among Colorado High School Students Before and After the Initiation of Retail Marijuana Sales for Adults

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of different modes of marijuana consumption (e.g., smoking, ingesting) overall and by sociodemographic factors, marijuana-related perceptions, and other substance use among adolescents, as well as to characterize differences in the usual mode of consumption before and after the initiation of retail marijuana sales in 2014. Data are from the 2013 and 2015 administrations of the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, a cross-sectional, school-based survey. We included 9th-12th grade students who reported past-30-day marijuana use in 2013 (n = 2,792; 44.8% female) or 2015 (n = 1,664; 48.9% female). We estimated the prevalence of any past-month use of each mode in 2015 and usual mode of consumption the past month in both years. We tested differences by year, sociodemographics, marijuana-related perceptions, and other substance use using Rao-Scott chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression. The prevalence of past-month marijuana use was 20.7% in both years. In 2015, 39.8% of students reported using multiple modes in the past month. Use of any mode other than smoking and use of multiple modes differed by sociodemographics, marijuana-related perceptions, and other substance use. Smoking remained the most common usual mode in 2015. The prevalence of usually ingesting significantly decreased from 4.7% to 2.1% between years, whereas "other mode(s)" significantly increased from 4.0% to 6.0%. The use of multiple modes of marijuana consumption was prevalent among adolescents in Colorado. The usual mode of consumption changed in years before and after the implementation of retail marijuana sales, suggesting the need for continued surveillance.

Adolescent Marijuana Use, Marijuana-Related Perceptions, and Use of Other Substances Before and After Initiation of Retail Marijuana Sales in Colorado (2013–2015)

Due to the recentness of changes to marijuana policies in a number of states, the effect on adolescent use and perceptions is not yet well understood. This study examines change in adolescent marijuana use and related perceptions in Colorado, before and after the implementation of legal commercial sale of recreational marijuana for adults starting on January 1, 2014. The data are from a repeated cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of Colorado high school students, with separately drawn samples surveyed in fall 2013 (prior to implementation) and fall 2015 (18months after implementation). We examined change in the prevalence of adolescent marijuana use, measured by lifetime use, past 30-day use, frequent use, and use on school property. To consider the possibility of heterogeneity in the change in marijuana use, we examined change in past 30-day marijuana use by demographic characteristics (sex, grade, race/ethnicity), school characteristics (poverty, percent minority), urbanicity of the school district, and whether the city or county permitted retail marijuana stores. There was an absence of significant effects for change in lifetime or past 30-day marijuana use. Among those reporting past 30-day use, frequent use and use on school property declined. There was a significant decline in the perceived harm associated with marijuana use, but we did not find a significant effect for perceived wrongfulness, perceived ease of access, or perceived parental disapproval. We did not find significant variability in past 30-day use by demographic characteristics or by school and community factors from 2013 to 2015. We did not find a significant effect associated with the introduction of legal sales of recreational marijuana to adults in Colorado on adolescent (illegal) use, but ongoing monitoring is warranted, including consideration of heterogeneity in the effects of marijuana policies.

Usual Modes of Marijuana Consumption Among High School Students in Colorado.

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of modes of marijuana consumption among Colorado youth and explore variation by demographics, access, substance use, and risk perceptions. Data are from a 2013 survey of Colorado high school students (N = 25,197; 50.5% female). The outcome variable was usual mode of marijuana consumption (i.e., smoking, vaporizing, ingesting edibles, or other) among those reporting past 30-day marijuana use. Classification variables included sex, grade level, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, current alcohol and cigarette use, frequent marijuana use, early marijuana use (<13 years), perceived harmfulness, and perceived wrongfulness. We calculated prevalence estimates overall and by the variables listed above, and also conducted multinomial logistic regression models. Findings indicate that 15% of Colorado high school students who use marijuana report that they usually use a mode of consumption other than smoking. Among students reporting past 30-day marijuana use, 85% said smoking was their usual mode of consumption. The remainder reported that their usual mode of consumption was vaporizing (6%), ingesting edibles (5%), or another method (4%). Boys, Whites, Asians, and 12th graders were the most likely to report vaporizing. High perceived harmfulness was associated with vaporizing or ingesting edibles. The majority of Colorado youth who use marijuana usually smoke it. Youth may be using vaporizers and ingesting edibles as a way to reduce the harm associated with inhaling combusted smoke.

203 Indoor tanning associations with substance use among Colorado high school students

203 Indoor tanning associations with substance use among Colorado high school students

Indoor Tanning Practices of Colorado High School Students.

For the first time, the 2013 Colorado Youth Risk Behavior Survey assessed indoor tanning practices of Colorado high school students. The survey revealed that girls are more likely to use indoor tanning devices than boys and that the majority of students who tan do so once or twice annually. Health care professionals and policymakers should focus on these groups in efforts to curtail indoor tanning and the associated risk of skin cancer in youth.

Needs Assessment: Identifying and Addressing High School Counselors’ Perceptions of Construction Management

Recruitment of high school student into Construction Management (CM) undergraduate programs is challenging for many United States universities. Often, only students who know someone in the industry are aware of the degree and career possibilities related to CM. A survey of 81 freshmen CM students in one CM program indicates high school counselors tended to have little or no knowledge of CM in Colorado. To gain more insight into this situation and to develop strategies to address it, a needs assessment was conducted to determine Colorado high school counselors’ current knowledge and perceptions of CM career opportunities. Responses from Colorado high schools counselors indicate a gap exists between their knowledge of CM career and degree opportunities and the level of knowledge that CM programs would like for them to possess and share with their students. Survey results also indicate that the existence of a gap in students’ knowledge of CM, along with negative perceived social norms, further limit counselors’ ability to effectively advise student about CM. The High School Counselor Outreach Program (HSCOP) was developed to provide guidance to CM departments on how to address the identified knowledge gaps based on the barriers and preferences identified.

Connecting the STEM dots: measuring the effect of an integrated engineering design intervention

Recent publications have elevated the priority of increasing the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) content for K-12 education. The STEM education community must invest in the development of valid and reliable to scales to measure STEM content, knowledge fusion, and perceptions of the nature of STEM. This brief report discusses the development of an instrument to measure student perceptions of the interdependent nature of STEM content knowledge in the context of a complex classroom intervention implemented in five Colorado high schools (N = 275). Specifically, cross-functional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teams of high school students were formed to complete engineering design problems. Exploratory (pretest) and confirmatory (posttest) factor analyses indicated that a newly adapted scale to measure student perceptions of the interdependent nature of STEM content knowledge had possessed adequate model fit. Furthermore, analysis revealed a novel pattern of results for the intervention. Specifically, students with initially high perceptions of the interdependent nature of STEM sustained their high perceptions at posttest; however, students with initially low perceptions exhibited statistically significantly positive gains from pretest to posttest. Therefore, this intervention may work best with students who are at risk of losing interest in STEM disciplines. The implications of these research findings are discussed.

Using digital technologies to redress inequities for English language learners in the English speaking mathematics classroom

This study examined the question, 'What is the impact of a digital math intervention on secondary ELL students' mathematical capabilities and perceptions of their future possibilities?' The hypothesis was that through its direct effect on increasing students' math ability and its indirect effect on increasing students' perceived math self-efficacy, the digital intervention affects students' perceptions of their functionings and future possibilities. A path analysis, with qualitative data nested into the design, was used to analyze the conceptualized relationships. The study was conducted with 50 ninth-and-10th-grade Hispanic students in a Colorado high school, over 6 months. The primary finding was that through its direct effect on increasing students' math ability and its indirect effect on increasing students' perceived math self-efficacy, the digital intervention improved students' perceptions of their functionings and future possibilities. What this study specifically underscores is the importance of taking a coherent and purposeful approach toward the design of digital student-directed educational technology, especially for ELL students who may have specific learning needs.

Sustainable Collaborations: Libraries Link Dual-credit Programs to P-20 Initiatives

This article argues for collaboration among academic libraries, departments, and high schools in order to strengthen articulation between the secondary and post-secondary sectors. By featuring work from a year-long project made possible by an LSTA grant and involving the Colorado State University-Pueblo Library, English Program, and several southern Colorado high schools that participate in the university’s dual-credit program, Senior-to-Sophomore, this article outlines the process of using information literacy (IL) instruction to foster relationships among secondary and post-secondary instructors, improve communication between instructors and library staff within both sectors, and ultimately strengthen teaching and learning. As discussed in the article, major challenges to an ongoing successful partnership include resources and program sustainability. The ultimate benefit, however, is the way in which cross-institutional partnerships focused on IL instruction are poised to benefit not only secondary to post-secondary articulation, but also the entire pre-school through graduate level (P-20) educational continuum.

Exploring New Possibilities

IN DECEMBER, some of us watch for Santa and his reindeer to streak across the sky. In January, most of us begin to watch for our W-2 and 1099 forms to arrive so we can begin to calculate what we owe to Uncle Sam. In February, all of us watch for the groundhog and hope for an early end to those dreary winter days. But along with these traditional events come unique signs of progress, and they, too, are interesting to watch. AN URBAN DISTRICT ON THE MOVE Keep an eye on the Denver Public Schools (DPS). New superintendent Michael Bennet has proposed an impressive strategic plan. Prior to his appointment to the superintendency in July 2005, Bennet served for two years as chief of staff to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. Highlights of the Hickenlooper administration's accomplishments during Bennet's tenure include closing a 10% budget gap in the first two months of office, balancing two consecutive budgets in the worst recession in Denver's history while preserving city services and avoiding layoffs almost entirely, conducting five collective-bargaining negotiations, passing five ballot initiatives, and assembling a very diverse, widely acknowledged leadership team for the city. The focus of Bennet's strategic plan for the Denver Public Schools is clear from the footer appearing on every page of the document: Relentless Pursuit of Student Achievement. The plan calls for the swift execution of such steps as reorganizing area offices with an Instructional Support Network Team that can support the Instructional Reform Plan more effectively. The timeline for this activity specifies finalizing the organizational structure by December 2005, outlining job descriptions and posting vacancies for new team positions by February 2006, hiring for all new positions by March 2006, identifying school networks organized around various levels of schools (K-8, middle, and high schools) or particular areas (low-performing students, English-language learners) by March 2006, and training the team by May 2006. Another part of the plan calls for establishing DPS as a best-in-class district for the provision of services to English-language learners. An advisory group will review current programs for these students and develop recommendations. Among other things the group is charged with aligning all English-language acquisition programs and services with core curricula. The strategic plan also puts a great deal of emphasis on principals--making instructional leadership their primary professional responsibility. The plan proposes redefining principals' roles by revamping job descriptions. And it heavily emphasizes professional development, including requirements to conduct monthly sessions that concentrate on sharing best practices and other learning. The plan calls on principals to complete academic reviews, facilitate parent and community engagement, and orchestrate interventions to address students' academic, social/emotional, and physical health needs. A SHOT ACROSS THE BOW How often does this happen? A succinct little report card produced by the Donnell-Kay Foundation, the Colorado Children's Campaign, and the Piton Foundation sharply criticizes state-level educational leadership in Colorado. Looking remarkably like a school-level accountability report, this one includes a number of indicators related to the status of academic achievement in Colorado and suggests that the public should direct the following hard questions at state leaders. * Because one-third of Colorado high school students drop out before graduation, the state loses an estimated $3.4 billion per year in potential earnings, and the costs to individuals are incalculable. What is the state doing to ensure that more students graduate from high school and are prepared to succeed in life? * For many of Colorado's low-income and minority students, a college education is out of reach. What is the state doing to significantly improve college preparation and affordability for students? …

Kids with medical conditions need help choosing the right sport

![Figure][1] Choosing the most appropriate sport can be difficult for children who suffer from medical conditions. Larry, a Colorado high school student with congenital aortic stenosis, dreams of becoming the punter on his high school football team. Like other adolescents who suffer from