The Tennessee Alcohol and Drug Prevention Outcomes Longitudinal Evaluation (TADPOLE) is a system that evaluates the outcomes of state-funded alcohol and drug prevention programs which targets youth in grades 3 to 12 who are “at-risk” for substance use and/or abuse. TADPOLE was jointly developed in 1992 by the Tennessee Department of Health, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, the Primary Prevention Steering Committee, and The University of Memphis, Department of Anthropology. TADPOLE is housed at the University of Memphis Alcohol and Drug Prevention Research Center under the directorship of Charles Williams, Ph.D.

TADPOLE’s research and evaluation focuses on community concerns related to the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD), and the promotion of public health, education and public policy issues in the State of Tennessee.

Primary goals of the TADPOLE study include:

• Evaluate the potential of ATOD use among the state’s youth and adolescents
• Evaluate a set of predetermined performance indicators for alcohol and drug use or abuse
• Evaluate program performance toward alcohol and drug abuse; and
• Provide training, technical assistance, and outcome data to provider agencies in efforts to enhance program effectiveness for the prevention of substance use, and the negative consequences of substance use among Tennessee’s youth and adolescents.

To determine the outcomes of primary prevention services, ADPRC-TADPOLE uses the Student Attitude and Behavior Survey (SABS 3-5 and SABS 6-12) to assess student attitudes and behaviors. Both instruments were developed by ADPRC-TADPOLE and were pilot tested in 2004. ADPRC-TADPOLE reports findings, and makes recommendations to agencies to enhance efforts for alcohol and drug prevention. Individual evaluation reports are presented to agencies, and an overall annual report is submitted to the Tennessee Department of Health, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, Office of Prevention Services.

Funding for ADPRC-TADPOLE is provided by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services.