A Science-Based Study
Final Report by Evalumetrics Research - 2006
Executive Summary
Character education, youth development and substance abuse, violence and other prevention efforts can only be effective if young people believe there is a connection between their behavior and outcomes in their lives. Yes Pa is a character education program designed to increase young people’s perceived self-efficacy. Results of the current pilot study indicate that the Yes Pa program is a highly effective program for altering young peoples’ view of the control they have over their own lives. Previous research has shown that when young people believe that they have control over their lives (internal locus of control) there is a reduced risk of substance abuse and other problem behaviors, an increase in healthier lifestyles and greater levels of achievement.
In order to test the effects of the Yes Pa program curriculum and presentation, participating 6th grade students in two rural school districts completed a survey prior to the Yes Pa program (pre-test) and following the Yes Pa program (post-test). A control group of students from the same schools who did not participate in the Yes Pa curriculum and presentation also completed the surveys. The survey included the Control Agency Means-Ends Interview (CAMI), an abbreviated Risk and Protective Factor Survey and open-ended questions to capture young people’s understanding of courage, honesty and hope. Both the CAMI and the Risk and Protective Factor Survey are validated research instruments. The CAMI is a 64 question survey measuring overall perception of control over outcomes as well the perception that outcomes are a result of either: effort, attributes (e.g. skills), means (e.g. resources), luck, influence of powerful others or unknown factors. Accomplishment and healthy lifestyles are generally associated with personal character that includes a belief that outcomes result from effort as opposed to luck or other external factors.
The Risk and Protective Factor Survey measures components of individual character that have been demonstrated to predict risk or greater likelihood of substance abuse, violence, school drop-out or teen pregnancy. These include factors such as sensation seeking, rebelliousness and impulsiveness.
Additional open-ended questions were added to the survey that allowed students to answer questions in their own words to define the character concepts of courage, honesty and hope.
Following the program, students who participated in the Yes Pa program (Yes Pa students) showed a significant decrease in the belief their outcomes or successes were directly related to qualities that they do or do not possess. This is a very positive finding as students who believe they can achieve success regardless of individual challenges are more likely to be motivated to achieve success .The Yes Pa students also had a significant reduction in the belief that outcomes or successes are related to unknown factors or fate and increased belief that outcomes are due to their efforts. While children involved in the Yes Pa program showed these changes in attitude, the children who did not participate in the Yes Pa program showed no change in attitude from pre to post testing. In addition, following the program, Yes Pa students were significantly less likely than students who did not receive the program to attribute their outcomes or successes to powerful others, such as teachers, parents or other authority figures. This finding suggests that students who received the Yes Pa program were less likely to believe that people in authority will determine their success but rather they have control over whether they will be successful. Yes Pa students were also less likely to believe luck controls their destiny. In one of the two schools, Yes Pa students showed significant improvement in 5 out of the 10 scales and were significantly more likely than students who did not receive the Yes Pa program to perceive that they have control of their outcomes or successes in their lives.
There was little or no change in risk and protective factors for either the Yes Pa students or for those students who did not receive the program. This was due primarily to the fact that students in both the participating schools scored very low on the selected factors that determine a student’s level of risk prior to the start of the Yes Pa program. In addition, many risk factor and protective factor questions ask about behaviors over a time frame of either 30 days or the past 12 months. These times extend back to a period during or just prior to the program and thus would not have had time to be influenced by the delivery of the Yes Pa program. Implementing the Risk and Protective Factor survey at one-year intervals might result in more meaningful findings.
The open-ended questions added to the survey allowed students to define in their own words the character concepts of courage, honesty and hope as discussed in the Yes Pa program. There was no major change in the way students defined these concepts between the pre and post surveys.
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Evalumetrics Research is a private, independent research consulting firm providing evaluation and strategic planning services to a variety of public and private organizations addressing prevention of substance abuse, violence, or other social problems. Evalumetrics also conducts evaluations of education, criminal justice, public health and mental health prevention, intervention and treatment programs. Because Evalumetrics is a small business, planning, research and evaluation services are offered at a fraction of the cost of most large consulting firms.
Rob Lillis, who is President and primary research consultant for Evalumetrics, has over 30 years experience in the substance abuse, character education, youth development, public health and preventive medicine fields.
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