Our History

A Brief History of How We got our start as a Company

How We Started

Originally started as a conference for professors to examine the effects of substance use on human physiology in 1978, intense interest from parents led to the founding of the official organization and marked the beginning of the "parent movement" in the 1980's. PRIDE (Parent's Resource Institute for Drug Education) was subsequently founded in 1982 by professors at Georgia State University in Atlanta and Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY.

PRIDE originally stood for the Parents Resource Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE) and was a key component in the Reagan administration’s “Just Say No” Campaign which received support from the first lady, Nancy Reagan, who brought international attention to substance abuse facing youth worldwide.

The First Lady attended the annual America's PRIDE conference on five occasions, bringing along 16 fellow First Ladies on one visit to raise international awareness about youth-related substance abuse issues. In the 1980s and 1990s, PRIDE Conferences drew tens of thousands of students and parents each year, before the non-profit organization separated from its survey division, PRIDE Surveys. Over its history, PRIDE Surveys and its parent company, International Survey Associates (ISA), have collected data from tens of millions of students, providing critical experience that enables us to efficiently gather data at scale.

Rebranded as ISA Data in the summer of 2025, the company is now led by Thomas "Jay" Gleaton. This rebranding effort refocuses the organization on its core mission of delivering clear and actionable data to stakeholders aimed at reducing problem behaviors among students in schools and communities. Our comprehensive update includes new data products and process improvements while staying true to the core values established by our founders.

ISA Data has supported individual schools, school districts, state and federal agencies, and non-profit organizations, including community coalitions. With today's emphasis on evaluation and accountability, our products have been rigorously tested across various settings to ensure reliable data. In 1998, federal legislation designated Pride Surveys as the official measurement of adolescent drug use in the United States. Additionally, in collaboration with our partners, our key personnel developed Teaching and Learning Environment Surveys that have been vetted and approved by the Office of Safe and Healthy Students as reliable measures of school climate.

Our founder, the late Dr. Gleaton, was a guest lecturer in 38 countries between 1986 and 2002 and received a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), along with numerous accolades from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). In 1988, he was also appointed to the White House Conference for a Drug-Free America.

Where we're headed

We are actively enhancing our data visualization capabilities through comprehensive reviews of emerging trends in data collection and visualization, as well as analyzing the evolving behaviors of school-aged youth. Our goal is not only to remain relevant but also to set the industry and scientific standard.

Our clients benefit from our proven reliability, upfront and affordable pricing—without any hidden fees—along with a fast turnaround time for most standard orders, ensuring results are delivered within two weeks or less. To learn more about our survey company, please call (800) 279-6361 to speak with an ISA Data professional. You can also book a demo for a brief 30-minute walkthrough of our services and capabilities.

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