Recipient Organization
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ORANGEBURG,SC 29117
Performing Department
Home Economics/Human Services
Non Technical Summary
For nearly a decade, South Carolina State University Family Life Center Project Families Linked Against Violent Activities (SCSU FLC Project FLAVA) has been one of 24 colleges/universities that comprised the Family and Community Violence Prevention Program (FCVP) consortium. Since its existence, SCSU FLC Project FLAVA staff developed, implemented, and evaluated a longitudinal violence education/prevention program at both the elementary and middle school levels, based on the FCVP National Model. For almost two years (2005 to 2006 and 2006 to 2007), the SCSU PI/Director sought funding to continue and sustain the premier longitudinal violence education/prevention research program via SC State University and its 1890 Research and Extension Program (Evans Allen Program). The immediate goal of the program is to positively impact the academic and personal development of a select group of youth who are at risk for involvement in violent and other abusive behaviors. To achieve
this goal, violence prevention programs/activities are based on the FCVP National Model's six components: (1) academic development, (2) personal development, (3) family bonding, (4) cultural enrichment, (5) recreational enrichment, and (6) career development. Information gained from this longitudinal research study will be used to: 1) share "lessons" learned and "best" practices based on a decade of research on violence education/prevention in non-metropolitan area; 2) assist faculty in becoming leaders relative to assessing pedagogy related to teaching at-risk students; 3) implement SCSU FLC Afterschool Model in other afterschool programs in the local community, state, and nation; 4) promote a positive youth development model; and 5) provide professional development training and staff development training and staff development to other educators in violence education/prevention and pedagogy for teaching limited resource students and families. Additionally, SCSU FLC Project FLAVA is
seeking the participation of other 1890 land-grant universities in the Southeastern Region for this longitudinal research endeavor, such as. 1) Virginia State University, 2) North Carolina A&T University, 3) Fort Valley State University, 4) Florida A&M University, 5) Tuskegee University, 6) Prairie View A&M University, 7) Alabama A&M University, and 8) Southern University, Baton Rouge. Subsequently, data from our collective research projects (at the various higher education institutions) would be utilized to strengthen a database that will be more definitive in addressing issues, problems, and concerns relative to violence as well as pedagogy for working with at-risk children, youth, and families in the Southeastern region of the United States. It is well documented in reports that African Americans in America constitute the largest population in the Southeast. Therefore, we feel that this investigation is critical to the health and welfare of humanity in the 21st century.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
By July 2009, 40% of the program group will pass the End of Course Examination in at least two subject areas, as indicated by the ninth grade EOC Examination scores, compared to the comparison group. By July 2009, 70% of the program group will be promoted to the 10th grade based on their performance on the EOC Examination and the academic performance in the core subject content areas, compared to the comparison group. By July 2009, the self-esteem of each individual in the program groups will increase by 50%, as measured by the Rosenburg Self-Esteem Scale, compared to the comparison group. By July 2009, the program group will demonstrate a minimum of a 50% increase in social skills, conflict resolution concepts, and life management skills, as measured by the Violence Risk Assessment Inventory instruments, compared to the comparison group. By July 2009, the program group will demonstrate a 35% reduction in participation in violent activities, as measured by the Violence
Risk Assessment Inventory, compared to the comparison group. By July 2009, 45% of the program group will demonstrate an increase in career awareness, as measured by posttest scores on the Career Maturity Index, compared to the comparison group. By July 2009, the program group level of openness and tolerance toward cultural differences will increase by 45%, as measured by the posttest scores on the multi-groups Ethnic Identity Measure Instrument, compared to the comparison group. By July 2009, the program group families will demonstrate a minimum of 45% increase in parent involvement activities, as measured by posttest scores on the Family Environmental Scale instrument, compared to the comparison group. It should be noted that the percentages in the objectives would increase for the 2009, 2010, 2011 years, respectively. There will be an increase of a 5% to 10%, etc. adjustment in each objective each year, as needed.
Project Methods
There will be 25 students in the program (experimental/treatment) group and 25 students in the comparison group for a total of (50) students. Students involved in the study will be freshmen and sophomore students who were enrolled and or involved in the original SCSU FLC program/project in elementary or middle school and promoted to the ninth grade at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School (OWHS) in 2005 to 2006 and 2006 to 2007, respectively. The performance of students in the program (treatment) and comparison groups will be based on the End of Course Examination, High School Assessment Program (HSAP), SAT, ACT, and questionnaires will be described and compared by using descriptive statistics, frequency tables, and appropriate statistical procedures such as t-tests, ANOVA, Chi Square test, etc. Kuder Richardson 20 reliability coefficients of the End of Course Examinations, High School Assessment Program (HSAP), SAT, and ACT will be listed in the study. In addition,
Cronbachs alpha reliability coefficient will be determined for the questionnaires used in the study. The design of the study is a quasi-experimental design in which participants are not randomly assigned to the program (treatment) and control (comparison) groups. Instead, the participants in the treatment (program) and control (comparison) groups are matched based on youth that show three to five risk factors. Furthermore, based on a quasi-experimental design both the program and comparison groups will take pre/posttests each of the four years that include nine national cross-site instruments. These instruments include: 1) the Wide Range Achievement Test #3 (WRAT-3); 2) Hansen Life Skill Battery; 3) Family Environment Scale (FES); 4) Botvin Life Skills Index, 5) Career Maturity Index (CMI), 6) Rosenburg Self Esteem Scale (RES), 7) School Bonding Index (SBI), 8) Violence Risk Assessment Inventory (VRAI) and 9) Bavarian Ethnic Identity Index (BEXII). Forthcoming evaluations will include
the use of qualitative and quantitative measures. The eight objectives for the program year will be utilized to plan, guide, monitor, and demonstrate the positive impact of the program groups progress and its strategies. Quantitative data will be derived from Standard Measures and will address the following objectives: 1) Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale Objective 3; 2) Violence Risk Assessment Inventory Objective 4&5; 3)Career Maturity Index Objective 6; 4) Multi-group Ethnic Identity Measure Objective 7; 5)Family Environment Scale Objective 8 The two major benchmarks for tracking South Carolina State University program group include progression through the secondary and post-secondary education levels as follows: (a) from one grade level to the next (i.e., ninth to 12th grades), (b) graduation from high school, (c) enrollment in a two year technical college, a four-year college/university, and/or (d) employment after completion from high school. Both qualitative and quantitative data
will be collected. For example, quantitative data will be collected from the nine cross-site battery of tests, and qualitative data will be collected via focus groups, case studies, in depth interviews, etc.