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Child and Family EcologyEcology Home > Projects and Activities > Publications > Links
Our Work in the Area of After School ProgrammingA Statewide Evaluation of the Illinois Department of Human Services' Teen REACH InitiativeIn 1998, the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) created the Teen REACH Program to address the ever-increasing need for positive youth activities during non-school hours. Through prevention-focused out-of-school time activities, Teen REACH programs expand the range of choices and opportunities that enable, empower, and encourage youth from age 6 through 17 to achieve positive growth and development, improve expectations and capacities for future success, and avoid and/or reduce negative risk taking behavior. In FY05, Teen REACH programs were operating in 257 program sites across Illinois, in settings such as schools, park districts, faith-based organizations, YMCAs, and community agencies. Teen REACH programs are required to provide five core services: 1) improving academic performance, 2) life skills education, 3) parental involvement, 4) recreation, sports, and cultural and artistic activities, and 5) positive adult mentors. Based on these core services, communities adapt the Teen REACH model to fit their local needs and resources. Thus, there are local variations in the programs based on community needs. This flexible Teen REACH model provides a unique opportunity to identify and examine overarching issues involved in providing after-school programming--issues that transcend local context and the specific elements of Teen REACH Programs. Since November 2000, CPRD has been conducting an evaluation of the program. A multi-method approach has been used to provide both an understanding of the breadth of programming and the ability to more deeply delve into particular issues. The evaluation has included site visits; focus group interviews with program staff, youth participants, and their parents; program staff surveys; youth surveys; and parent and teacher surveys. In addition, program benchmarks have been developed to assess the quality of Teen REACH Programs. The most recent evaluation report can be found at: CPRD Staff:Angela Farnham Reports & Other Resources:
A Series of Evaluations of 21st Century Community Learning Centers in IllinoisIn recent years, economic demands and changes in family structure in our society, combined with increasing pressure to address achievement gaps among our nation's youth have resulted in an unprecedented focus on after school programs. In response to this need, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Program was established by Congress as Title X, Part I of the Improving America's School Act of 1994. CPRD has been in partnership with school districts and organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the state of Illinois in conducting evaluations of their 21st CCLC programs. Reports & Other Resources
CPRD Staff:Angela Farnham Best Practices in After School Programming: Developing Benchmarks and an Accompanying System of Support for the BenchmarksCPRD collaborated with the Teen REACH Statewide Advisory Group to develop a comprehensive set of quality indicators for the Teen REACH Program. The purpose in developing benchmarks for the Teen REACH Program is three fold. First, by identifying best practices of after school programming, these practices can be promoted at the statewide level to ensure that Teen REACH Programs are based on the latest developments in the field. Second, by creating a system whereby the benchmarks are used to evaluate current program efforts, ongoing local program development and refinement are promoted. The benchmarks, in essence, provide programs with a road map for success and ongoing improvement. The third goal of the benchmarks is to explore the relationship between quality of programming and youth participant outcomes. Quality after school programs can offer safe, engaging environments that motivate healthy development and inspire learning outside the regular school day. However, research on after school programs is just beginning to explore the connection between organizational and program elements and outcomes for youth. Questions such as "What are the indicators of after school quality?" and "Do specific aspects of program quality impact youth outcomes?" are a major focus of the latest research in the after school field. It is for this reason that from the beginning, one of our primary goals in developing and implementing the benchmark system has been to document and understand the relationship between program quality and youth outcomes. Based on a literature review and relying heavily on the experiences of local Teen REACH providers, seven key principles of effective after school programming were identified:
A self-assessment tool was developed to accompany the Teen REACH benchmarks document. Using the tool, sites can rate their program's level of functioning on each of the practices, across all seven benchmark principles. The benchmark document by design is an ever-evolving set of program guidelines for Teen REACH programs. As new research in the after school field emerges and as findings are gathered from our work with the programs in Illinois, the expectation is that the benchmark document will be revised accordingly. Staff: Reports & Other Resources:
Statewide Needs Assessment for the Illinois After School Initiative:As part of the Illinois After School Initiative, CPRD was contracted by the Illinois Department of Human Services to conduct three studies of after school programming in Illinois. In order to understand the need for after school programming, the first study was a review of social indicator and youth survey data. Existing archival and large scale survey data bases were used to provide estimates of the number of youth and families in need of after school care and the geographic distribution of need across the state. The second study was the development of a resource inventory database of existing after schools programs throughout Illinois. Surveys were completed by after school program providers, primarily through a web site. Ultimately, the database contained information on 220 programs across the state. These 220 programs were being implemented at 1307 program sites. The goal of the third study was to provide a more in-depth assessment of selected after school programs. A sample of 20 programs were selected to be visited, based on key program characteristics including community size, program setting, program size, and so on. The site visit selection process was intended to result in a sample of after school programs that while not necessarily representative of all programs across the state, represented all points along the continuum of various "best practices." Reports & Other Resources:
CPRD Staff:Angela Farnham Our Work in the Area of Nutrition, Fitness, & HealthAn Evaluation of the GIFT ProgramCPRD serves as the evaluator for the federally funded GIFT Program - Getting Illinois Youth Fit Together. The GIFT Program is a project of the Association of Illinois Middle Level Schools (AIMS) that provides professional development opportunities and support to teams of teachers in 11 targeted Illinois middle schools to encourage physical education best practices (the "new P.E.") that correspond to the Illinois State Learning Standards for Physical Development and Health. The GIFT program also provides targeted schools with state of the art fitness assessment and monitoring tools and training in how to use these tools. The first evaluation report is expected to be completed in Summer 2006. CPRD Staff:Deb Schrock, AIMS, Executive Director An Evaluation of Kraft's Salsa, Sabor y Salud ProgramSalsa, Sabor y Salud was developed for Latino families to improve awareness of habits leading to better nutrition and increased physical activity. The program is designed to complement already existing local programs. The goals of the program are to: increase awareness of fitness and nutrition issues; increase levels of physical activity; and improve habits leading to healthy eating. Funded by Kraft Cares' Healthy Lifestyles, the program is being implemented in 6 cities in the United States: Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Newark, NJ; New York, NY; and San Antonio, TX. CPRD is currently conducting a national evaluation of this program. A report of the first year's evaluation of Salsa, Sabor y Salud will be available in December 2005. Reports & Other Resources:Salsa, Sabor y Salud Adult Survey CPRD Staff:
Julia Brenner Our work in the area of Coalition Formation & Capacity BuildingAn Evaluation of the Youth Violence Prevention Initiative: Building Local Evaluation CapacityThe Youth Violence Prevention Project, funded by a federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), was awarded to a community coalition in Northern Illinois. The project was aimed at expanding the collaborative's capacity to address youth violence issues in their community. The main goals of the two year project were to: 1) enhance / expand collaboration; 2) increase local evaluation capacity; and 3) develop a comprehensive strategic plan for addressing youth violence. The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the extent to which these goals were met. The evaluation approach employed was one that supported and aided the successful development of the collaborative. This form of evaluation is one in which evaluation is a shared process among collaborative members and other key stakeholders (clients, represented agencies, citizens) that helps guide decisions and enhances communication. The Concept Mapping method was employed to help the collaborative identify and prioritize local needs. The project is a true model of the participatory evaluation approach as the evaluator in essence became a member of the collaborative group to increase the evaluation capacity of the group through ongoing training and hands on activities. Reports & Other Resources:
CPRD Staff:
Angela Farnham A Statewide Evaluation of Illinois' Project SUCCESS InitiativeProject Success was initiated under Illinois' Governor Jim Edgar to facilitate the collaborative process among various community organizations to ultimately create a comprehensive, coordinated and cost effective service delivery system for children and families. Project Success was centered in elementary and middle schools in communities across Illinois. Each Project Success community created a Local Governing Board (LGB) which planned, implemented and monitored the project activities. A key feature of Project Success was the development of a Community Action Plan based on the needs and resources of each particular community. CPRD served as the statewide evaluator for Project Success. Reports & Other Resources:
CPRD Staff:Angela Farnham Our Work in the Area of Early Childhood EducationAn Evaluation of the Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education CenterIn 1996, CPRD was contracted through the DHS Prevention System to work with the Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education Center, a model early childhood center located in Peoria, Illinois. CPRD worked closely with the administrative and teaching staff of the center to delineate program goals and develop evaluation tools that would assist the administration in meeting ISBE standards as well as the needs of the program. In addition, the Hinton Center was in the process of becoming accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). CPRD worked with the administrative staff to incorporate an assessment of the NAEYC standards into the overall evaluation design. Through this collaborative partnership with CPRD, the Hinton Center was able to develop a unified data collection and evaluation system that allowed them to monitor program processes and outcomes, meet reporting requirements of their funders (including ISBE and DASA) and prepare required documentation for the NAEYC accreditation process. CPRD Staff:Kay Mulhall A Statewide Evaluation of ISBE's Early Childhood Education InitiativesIn FY98 CPRD was contracted by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to conduct a statewide evaluation of its early childhood initiatives, including the Prekindergarten Program for Children At Risk of Academic Failure, the Model Early Childhood Parental Training Program, and the Prevention Initiative Program. The evaluation utilized archival data from ISBE, and included an intensive survey component and site visits. In all, 40 program sites across the state conducted surveys of program administrators, teachers and staff, and parents. Site visits were conducted at 20 of these program sites. In the comparison group component of the study, the academic achievement (based on 3rd grade IGAP scores) of former participants was compared to that of youth with no former early childhood education experience. Finally, a major component of this work was the preparation of individualized site-level data summaries for each of the 40 program sites participating in the statewide evaluation. The summaries were designed to be used by program sites for program planning and improvement efforts. The evaluation findings suggested that the early childhood education programs funded by ISBE were having positive impacts on the children served. Based on reports from program staff, parents, program administrators, and elementary school principals, there was a general consensus that children who participate in state funded prekindergarten programs were more prepared for school than children who do not participate. Furthermore, teacher ratings of "school readiness" of children in these programs were the highest for those children who attended the program most often - that is, higher levels of program dosage were associated with more positive outcomes. And finally, although no differences in 3rd grade IGAP scores were found for former participants versus non-participants, this was likely due to the fact that only those youth at the highest levels of risk were eligible for enrollment in the state-funded early childhood programs. That the performance of the most "at risk" children was the same as other youth who were not similarly "at risk" suggests a strong preventive impact of early childhood programming. CPRD Staff:Angela Farnham Reports & Other Resources:Center for Prevention Research and Development. (June, 1998). An Evaluation of ISBE's Early Childhood Education Initiative. Evaluation Report to the Illinois State Board of Education. Champaign, IL: Author.
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