PROVENEFFECTIVE.COM NEWSLETTER
(Vol. II Issue III)

Greetings!

Here is your latest issue of the ProvenEffective.com Newsletter. This newsletter has been published to help you in your efforts to develop and implement effective programs for youth. In it, you will find current information about research, evaluations, and effective strategies. We would greatly appreciate your feedback to help us make it even more informative and useful. Please send your suggestions and comments to jenb@guidancechannel.com.

ProvenEffective.com
A Guidance Channel Company
www.guidancechannel.com

TESTING THE TESTERS

During the Winter of 2002-2003, The Princeton Review conducted Testing the Testers 2003, its second Annual Ranking of State Accountability Systems. Unlike other studies, this is not primarily concerned with the rigor of academic standards or with the tests that measure them. Rather it focused on the policies that determine the overall character and effectiveness of each accountability system. Properly conceived and well-implemented, these policies will tend to produce systems that are consistent, secure, open to public scrutiny, and flexible enough to improve over time. They should also encourage and support an evolution to better and more effective schools.

As the stakes for testing rise, and with the pressure of the Federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), accountability systems increasingly affect what gets taught and how. As a result they will strongly influence how schools develop over the next several years. Simply put, good accountability systems will tend to result in better schools, and bad systems will create worse ones. The purpose of Testing the Testers is to highlight good and bad accountability practices with the hope of helping the overall tide to rise.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TESTS WILL INFLUENCE EXPENSES; INFORMATION SHARING MAY HELP STATES REALIZE EFFICIENCIES

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA) reauthorized the $10 billion Title I program, which seeks to improve the educational achievement of 12.5 million students at risk. In passing the legislation, Congress increased the frequency with which states are to measure student achievement in mathematics and reading and added science as another subject. Congress also authorized funding to support state efforts to develop and implement tests for this purpose. Congress mandated that the General Accounting Office (GAO) study the costs of implementing the required tests. This report describes characteristics of states' Title I tests, provides estimates of what states may spend to implement the required tests, and identifies factors that explain variation in expenses.

HOW TO PREPARE QUALITY TEACHERS: WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?

While educators have always known that teachers are the key factor in how well students perform in school, there is a woeful lack of adequate research on what it takes to make a good teacher, according to a breakthrough report issued by the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Cautioning governors and education officials, the report points out that almost no teacher preparation strategy has more than limited research evidence to support it. At the same time, the report attempts to draw implications for policy from the small amount of research evidence that does exist.

The report, called "a monumental undertaking" by David Imig, chief executive officer of the American Association of Colleges, is the most comprehensive effort to date to analyze teacher preparation research and determine what evidence it provides, and how it might guide education policies and teacher preparation programs.

EXAMINING CHILD ASSESSMENT OF PRE-KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN

In this paper, research associate Carol Horton and Professor Barbara Bowman report on the results of two Erikson Institute surveys on the current state of expert opinion and public practice with regard to the assessment of pre-kindergarten children. While they found encouraging similarities between what experts consider important and what state prekindergarten programs actually do, they also found troubling gaps.

NEW REPORTS TARGETS CONTINUED NEED FOR POLICY ACTION ON RURAL EDUCATION

A report released by the Rural School and Community Trust suggests an urgent need for policymakers to pay attention to rural education issues across the U.S. Why Rural Matters 2003: The Continuing Need for Every State to Take Action on Rural Education is the second analysis by the Rural Trust of data on education in rural America from a wide variety of sources. The earlier report, published in August 2000, was the first-ever attempt to compile and analyze data from different sources to provide a state-by-state snapshot of rural education in the U.S. Once again, the data in this year's report suggests that rural education is far more important than many Americans might think. The report concludes that specific policy attention to the unique challenges facing rural schools is critically needed in many states.

BEYOND ISLANDS OF EXCELLENCE: BUILDING SUCCESSFUL DISTRICTS

This report from the Learning First Alliance outlines lessons from five high poverty districts with a record of increasing student achievement. The report identifies a set of practical steps that schools and districts can take to move beyond a few excellent schools to success across entire systems.

EVALUATING EVALUATIONS OF THE 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS

On February 3, 2003 the U.S. Department of Education released the first year findings from the national 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program evaluation. Conducted by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., the evaluation examined the characteristics and outcomes of typical 21st CCLC programs. Citing the "disappointing initial findings from a rigorous evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program," the President's Fiscal Year 2004 Education Budget Summary and Background Information, also released February 3, decreased the request for funding for the 21st CCLC program by 40%. According to the budget summary, "the evaluation indicates that the centers funded in the program's first three years are not providing substantial academic content and do not appear to have a positive impact on student behavior."

The report's release, coupled with the decision to cut funding for the program, has sparked fervent debate among researchers, evaluators, advocates, practitioners, and others about the merits of evaluating first year programs, the ability to make generalized statements about program effectiveness, given that this is one evaluation report, and the "fairness" of holding the original set of 21st CCLC grantees to the new standards of scientifically-based research (SBR) set forth in the No Child Left Behind Act a full three years after many of the evaluated programs were operational. In response to this rising debate, the Harvard Family Research Project sought commentary from seven experts from the field to help shed light on the following question: Given the recent push for science-based research, coupled with the release of the first year evaluation findings from the 21st CCLC programs, where do we go from here to use research and evaluation to support the development of high quality out-of-school programs?

NATIONAL PTA CALLS ON PARENTS TO GET INVOLVED AS PART OF NATIONAL SCHOOL CERTIFICATION INITIATIVE

More than 30 years of research shows that effectively engaging parents and families in their children's education has the potential to be far more effective than any other type of education reform. Studies have shown that students have higher grades and test scores, better attendance, and higher graduation rates when their parents are involved; the more extensive the involvement, the higher the achievement.

That is why the National PTA is calling for parents to take an active role in their children's schools. They recently unveiled six watchpoints to improve student achievement through parent involvement-the cornerstone of their Parent Involvement Schools of Excellence Certification. The six points included:

Open Communication
The exchange of information and ideas between home and school is regular, two-way, and meaningful.

Parent Roles Supported
The school respects the role and responsibility, as well as the diversity and culture, of the parent.

Connection With Student Learning
Parents are partners in the learning process and are a valuable support system for their child and the school.

Volunteers Welcome
Parents are offered volunteer opportunities that make the best use of their time and talent, at school or at home.

Partner In School Decisions
Parents are included in the decision-making process on issues from curriculum selection to discipline policies to safety programs and budget plans.

Community Involvement
The school works with the community to provide families with resources and opportunities for students to serve and learn beyond the classroom.

As part of the certification process, schools form teams consisting of the principal, teachers, parents, students and representatives from the community; complete a parent involvement assessment; and apply for a Certification of Excellence. More information about National PTA's Parent Involvement Schools of Excellence Certification is available at www.pta.org. You can learn more about the initiative by reading an interview with Shirley Igo, Past PTA President that was featured in The Guidance Channel Zine.

SEVERITY OF ADHD IN CHILDREN INCREASES RISK OF DRUG USE IN ADOLESCENCE, SAYS LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more at risk for using illicit drugs, having problems with alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and using marijuana in their adolescence than children without ADHD, say researchers who report their findings on childhood predictors of later substance use in the August issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association (APA). Furthermore, childhood ADHD is linked to earlier first use of cigarettes, earlier progression to daily smoking, and earlier use of illicit drugs.

According to the study, those children with the most severe attention problems in childhood were most at risk for alcohol and marijuana problems and cigarette smoking by their teens. Those children with ADHD with other behavior problems, such as defying parents and fighting, were also at risk for illicit drug use, but severity of attention problems was a better predictor for drinking, tobacco, and marijuana outcomes. This could be, say the researchers, because problems with paying attention in childhood have an immediate effect on school learning and social relationships, which may set the stage for other problems later on that include drug use and abuse.

This study sheds light on the importance of early identification and treatment of problems with paying attention in childhood. Knowing the early signs of ADHD, providing early intervention, and providing help to teachers and parents through the teenage years, may help teachers and parents recognize risk factors and intervene before a child's use of alcohol and drugs turns into a life long dependence, said the authors.

PLAYING SPORTS CAN REDUCE TEEN PREGNANCY

According to TeenPregnancy.org, a growing body of research suggests that creating opportunities for girls to play sports can play a key role in reducing teen pregnancy. For example, female athletes in grades 9 through 12 are less than half as likely to get pregnant as their non-athlete peers, and they tend to have higher self-esteem and more positive body images. Participating in athletics also decreases the chance that both girls and boys will abuse drugs and alcohol, both of which can lead to risky decisions about sex. These interrelationships are further highlighted by two important trends: the teen birth rate has declined 31 percent between 1991 and 2002, and over approximately this same period, young women's participation in high school athletics increased by 47 percent. For more information, click here!

REPORT REVEALS THAT UP TO HALF OF ALL BULLYING CAN BE PREVENTED

A report from Fight Crime: Invest In Kids shows that new anti-aggression programs can prevent up to half of all bullying which now affects one out of three children in grades six to ten and can lead to violent crime and death. Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, an organization of 2,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and victims of violence, called on policy-makers to implement proven bullying prevention programs in every school. Sanford Newman, president of the organization, said that preventing one child from adopting a life of crime saves $1.7 million, so the modest investment required to implement anti-bullying programs will be recovered many times over.

Miss America 2003 Erika Harold helped release the report, Bullying Prevention Is Crime Prevention, at a National Press Club luncheon attended by the 51 state pageant winners seeking to become Miss America 2004. A victim of bullying in school, Harold hailed the report, saying its recommendations, if implemented, "will prevent millions of young people from going through the agony of bullying, prevent thousands of suicides, and prevent thousands of kids from graduating from an apprenticeship in bullying to a graduate degree in crime and violence."

CHILD DELINQUENCY: EARLY INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION

This OJJDP Child Delinquency Series Bulletin summarizes the final report of OJJDP's Study Group on Very Young Offenders, Child Delinquents: Development, Intervention, and Service Needs, which draws on hundreds of studies to describe the developmental course of child delinquency and delineate key risk and protective factors. It also identifies effective and promising prevention and intervention programs that help reduce the incidence of delinquency and offer significant cost savings to society.

NATIONWIDE STRATEGY TO COMBAT UNDERAGE DRINKING REQUIRES SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

More young people drink alcohol than use other drugs or smoke tobacco, and underage drinking costs the nation an estimated $53 billion annually in losses stemming from traffic fatalities, violent crime, and other behaviors that threaten the well-being of America's youth. Curbing underage drinking is an uphill battle because alcohol is legal and readily available to adults. To tackle the problem, a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine of the National Academies offers a comprehensive strategy that requires a deep, shared commitment from many institutions and individuals, including alcohol manufacturers and retail businesses, the entertainment industry, and parents and other adults in local communities.

Federal and state governments should help forge the commitment to curtail alcohol consumption by minors, the report adds. For example, the federal government should do more to educate adults about existing laws and the consequences of underage drinking. Federal and state governments also should provide additional financial assistance and other support to reinforce community-based initiatives, and to research the effectiveness of the proposed strategy itself and related policies.

"All segments of U.S. society should address underage drinking in a serious, coordinated, and sustained manner," said Richard J. Bonnie, John S. Battle Professor of Law and director of the Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and chair of the committee that wrote the report. "We have to find effective ways to protect our nation's youth while we respect the interests of responsible adult consumers of alcohol. The recommendations in this report attempt to strike the right balance." The congressionally mandated study lays out a strategy that includes heightened adult supervision of children's behavior and calls upon the alcohol and entertainment industries to take stronger steps to shield young people from unsuitable messages about alcohol consumption. Taken as a whole, the plan would have a considerable impact, the committee said, adding that the strategy should be subject to ongoing refinement.

IDENTIFYING SCIENCE-BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND PRINCIPLES

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released its new edition of Science-based Prevention Programs and Principles: Effective Substance Abuse and Mental Health Programs for Every Community. The report presents a state-of-the-science review of substance abuse prevention theory and practice and includes a compendium of tested and effective model substance abuse prevention and mental health promotion programs. It delineates the broad range of influences that can lead to substance abuse or other potentially dangerous behaviors and presents practical, community-based ways to curb the risk factors for these behaviors. Effective interventions are identified at the individual, family, peer group, school, community and society level.

RECEIPT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL OR EMOTIONAL COUNSELING BY SUICIDAL ADOLESCENTS

This study examined utilization of psychological or emotional counseling by suicidal adolescents to answer questions about the extent to which health services can contribute to the prevention of adolescent suicide. Researchers found that only one third of those who report suicidal ideation and behavior receive psychological or emotional counseling. Although not all of these young people may identify a need for counseling, this finding still suggests that many of those at risk of harming themselves do not receive professional help. However, on the positive side, those who do use counseling services tend to do so on the basis of their being in the greatest need, rather than their parents' capacity to pay for services. Counseling services have an important role to play in suicide prevention, and a variety of sources of care need to be available. Although counseling services are vital, a range of other strategies is necessary to reduce the youth suicide rate.

HIGH PERCENTAGE OF YOUTH IN THE U.S. REPORT SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS AND OTHER DISORDERS

The carefree days of youth apparently aren't so carefree anymore -- if they ever were -- according to the results of a new study of America's adolescents. The study, involving 4,023 youth (ages 12-17) interviewed by telephone, finds that roughly 16 percent of boys and 19 percent of girls met the criteria for at least one of the following diagnosis: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episode and substance abuse/dependence. The findings appear in the August issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

The study also finds that within the six-month period prior to the telephone survey, prevalence for major depression was 7.4% for boys and 13.9% for girls, and prevalence for substance abuse/dependence during the past year was 8.2% for boys and 6.2% for girls. Nearly three fourths of all the adolescents who met the criteria for PTSD also met the criteria for major depression, substance abuse/dependence or both.

Interpersonal violence (i.e., sexual and physical assault, witnessed violence) increased the risk of PTSD, major depressive episode, and substance abuse/dependence after controlling for demographic factors and family substance use problems, according to the study. This finding adds to the growing body of research establishing a link between interpersonal violence and mental health outcomes.

CREATING EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS

What are the most effective types of service programs? Does service improve the citizenship behaviors of those who serve? The Grantmaker Forum on Community & National Service's Research Task Force set out to learn what the research says about these questions and more. This report details the challenges facing the research and suggests next steps that can help build service as a field of study.

FOR ADDITIONAL NEWSLETTERS...

If you've found The ProvenEffective.com Newsletter useful and informative, you may also be interested in subscribing to some of our other newsletters.

• The Guidance Channel Zine is a monthly online magazine that includes interviews, website reviews, statistics and articles by many national organizations such as the National Association of School Psychologists, the American School Counselor Association and National S.A.V.E. (Students Against Violence Everywhere).



• The Counselor's Classroom is a one-of-a-kind, professional development tool offering weekly lessons on innovative techniques specifically designed for today's school counselor.



• Dr. Playwell's Newsletter is a unique newsletter full of play therapy techniques to help you address the social and emotional needs of children and young adolescents.



• The Red Ribbon Resources Newsletter offers ideas, tips, and inspiration to help you make your Red Ribbon Week celebrations even more successful.



• The National Youth Violence Prevention Campaign Newsletter offers information and resources to help you plan activities for National Youth Violence Prevention Week, highlights from press coverage of the campaign, reports on events around the week, suggestions for networking with other violence prevention advocates across the country, and more!



• FYI From Wellness offers practical tips and suggestions for use in the clinic or classroom written by mental health professionals from a variety of disciplines.

To subscribe to these newsletters, click here!

If you would like to share this newsletter with a colleague,
you are welcome to forward this issue!