Frank J Snyder1, Samuel Vuchinich, Alan Acock, Isaac J Washburn, Brian R Flay. 1. Division of Prevention and Community Research, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, The Consultation Center, 389 Whitney Ave., New Haven, CT 06511, USA. frank.snyder@yale.edu
Abstract
BACKGROUND:School safety and quality affect student learning and success. This study examined the effects of a comprehensive elementary school-wide social-emotional and character education program, Positive Action, on teacher, parent, and student perceptions of school safety and quality utilizing a matched-pair, cluster-randomized, controlled design. The Positive Action Hawai'i trial included 20 racially/ethnically diverse schools and was conducted from 2002-2003 through 2005-2006. METHODS: School-level archival data, collected by the Hawai'i Department of Education, were used to examine program effects at 1-year post-trial. Teacher, parent, and student data were analyzed to examine indicators of school quality such as student safety and well-being, involvement, and satisfaction, as well as overall school quality. Matched-paired t-tests were used for the primary analysis, and sensitivity analyses included permutation tests and random-intercept growth curve models. RESULTS: Analyses comparing change from baseline to 1-year post-trial revealed that intervention schools demonstrated significantly improved school quality compared to control schools, with 21%, 13%, and 16% better overall school quality scores as reported by teachers, parents, and students, respectively. Teacher, parent, and student reports on individual school-quality indicators showed improvement in student safety and well-being, involvement, satisfaction, quality student support, focused and sustained action, standards-based learning, professionalism and system capacity, and coordinated team work. Teacher reports also showed an improvement in the responsiveness of the system. CONCLUSIONS:School quality was substantially improved, providing evidence that a school-wide social-emotional and character education program can enhance school quality and facilitate whole-school change.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: School safety and quality affect student learning and success. This study examined the effects of a comprehensive elementary school-wide social-emotional and character education program, Positive Action, on teacher, parent, and student perceptions of school safety and quality utilizing a matched-pair, cluster-randomized, controlled design. The Positive Action Hawai'i trial included 20 racially/ethnically diverse schools and was conducted from 2002-2003 through 2005-2006. METHODS: School-level archival data, collected by the Hawai'i Department of Education, were used to examine program effects at 1-year post-trial. Teacher, parent, and student data were analyzed to examine indicators of school quality such as student safety and well-being, involvement, and satisfaction, as well as overall school quality. Matched-paired t-tests were used for the primary analysis, and sensitivity analyses included permutation tests and random-intercept growth curve models. RESULTS: Analyses comparing change from baseline to 1-year post-trial revealed that intervention schools demonstrated significantly improved school quality compared to control schools, with 21%, 13%, and 16% better overall school quality scores as reported by teachers, parents, and students, respectively. Teacher, parent, and student reports on individual school-quality indicators showed improvement in student safety and well-being, involvement, satisfaction, quality student support, focused and sustained action, standards-based learning, professionalism and system capacity, and coordinated team work. Teacher reports also showed an improvement in the responsiveness of the system. CONCLUSIONS: School quality was substantially improved, providing evidence that a school-wide social-emotional and character education program can enhance school quality and facilitate whole-school change.
Authors: Richard F Catalano; J David Hawkins; M Lisa Berglund; John A Pollard; Michael W Arthur Journal: J Adolesc Health Date: 2002-12 Impact factor: 5.012
Authors: Michael W Beets; Brian R Flay; Samuel Vuchinich; Frank J Snyder; Alan Acock; Kin-Kit Li; Kate Burns; Isaac J Washburn; Joseph Durlak Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2009-06-18 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Kendra M Lewis; Samuel Vuchinich; Peter Ji; David L DuBois; Alan Acock; Niloofar Bavarian; Joseph Day; Naida Silverthorn; Brian R Flay Journal: Appl Dev Sci Date: 2015-05-29
Authors: Kendra M Lewis; Niloofar Bavarian; Frank J Snyder; Alan Acock; Joseph Day; David L Dubois; Peter Ji; Marc B Schure; Naida Silverthorn; Samuel Vuchinich; Brian R Flay Journal: Int J Emot Educ Date: 2012-04
Authors: Niloofar Bavarian; Kendra M Lewis; David L Dubois; Alan Acock; Samuel Vuchinich; Naida Silverthorn; Frank J Snyder; Joseph Day; Peter Ji; Brian R Flay Journal: J Sch Health Date: 2013-11 Impact factor: 2.118