Since 1926, The Lovett School offers parents and its 1,650 students from kindergarten to grade 12 a campus experience that focuses on developing the whole child. The school was founded in Atlanta by Mrs. Eva Edwards Lovett, an early proponent of progressive education, and her innovative approaches are reflected in the school’s Vision for Learning: “Think critically, communicate effectively, engage creatively, and collaborate purposefully.”

A desire to ensure students’ futures by deterring drug use today
The Lovett culture is rooted in learning, character, and community, with a commitment to continuousimprovement of the school, city, society, environment, and the world. Illegal drug use is simply unacceptable within the school’s enduring culture. For years, there has been a disciplinary policy that the use of drugs or being under their influence on campus or at a school function would result in dismissal. But in November of 2015 the school’s Board voted to implement a drug testing program as a health and wellness initiative for Lovett students with a focus on deterring drug usage.

Why test for drugs using hair analysis?
Lovett staff learned that for countless drug program administrators certainty of detection and deterrence go hand in hand, and that hair testing delivered both. Beyond that, the staff felt that the collection process for a hair test was far less intrusive and far more in line with respecting the individual—a core value of the school—than for a urine
est. They chose Psychemedics as their laboratory and hair testing technology for several reasons.

With the method and partner selected, program plans were put into place.

> Results during “pilot period” shared only with parents by Secure Test Results.

> School saw only aggregate results during this period.

> Students testing positive were not subject to disciplinary action at this time.

With June, July and August presenting the biggest risks for experimentation by teens, all upper school students are alerted they will be tested upon their return in the fall. This serves as a deterrent to summer temptations. Over three days a team of stylists snips a hair sample the diameter of a small toothpick from 650 students. The collection is virtually undetectable and, unlike urine testing, completely non-intrusive.

Random testing serves as a powerful deterrent during the school year.

Random testing begins in September, and parents are notified when their child is selected. As the name implies, students are randomly selected. There are 50 random tests run per month.

For over three decades, Psychemedics Corporation has been the world’s leading drug testing company using hair. Psychemedics’ patented hair analysis technology is trusted by Fortune 500 companies, police forces, courts, schools and parents all over the world.