Over 2022-2025 NZCER provided evaluation services to the New Zealand Drug Foundation in relation to the expansion of Tūturu. Tūturu is a health–education partnership that supports secondary schools to develop a proactive and wellbeing-focused approach to student use of alcohol and other drugs (AoD). The initiative is designed as a multilayered whole-school approach.
Tūturu leads (advisers) from local AoD/youth providers offer support for schools in four communities: Auckland, Waikato, Christchurch, and Dunedin. There are different tiers of support available; partnership schools work more intensively with Tūturu leads, or schools can access Tūturu resources with some provider support or independently.
A second facet of Tūturu is working to support the development of system connections and the shared use of evidence-based practice across health, education, justice, research, and health promotion groups and agencies.
Current evaluation services provided by NZCER include:
- an evaluation of Tūturu which initially included a formative/process aspect. Over time the evaluation is shifting in focus to explore short-term outcomes
- writing rapid literature reviews to assist in the development of support and resources for schools.
NZCER also previously evaluated the pilot of Tūturu over 2017-2019.