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After reviewing the Program Description I found I had a very basic understanding of the program. But was still left wondering more about the- procedure/process of the program (what does it look like?), how did the program come about (why was it created?), what materials are being used, and as Becky mentioned “Does it Work?”

In development of my LT2 I have been reviewing Autism Nova Scotia’s past external evaluator proposals. With this, I have found that the most effective proposals are for us (and this is reflected in our readings) are evaluations that do a thorough job becoming entrenched in the organization/program’s culture.

If I were to complete an evaluation on this program, I think I would also like a clearer understanding of who the locations and organizations/schools that the program is being used. And what is the purpose for the evaluation? Are we looking to evaluate the program within one cohort or the program as a whole?

I was also intrigued by Rob’s question “How can we adapt the early risers program to adult learning contexts?” I agree. When reading through the program description I found myself wondering what was the reasoning behind selecting the targeted age group. Again, I would like to know more information on the program before I was to start evaluating it. I related this to my ethics approval process for the last course(s). The review board needed us to clearly outline why we selected the population, methods etc that we did- this was to help them better evaluate the research being proposed. Ironically, much of the feedback and revisions I received were accepted once I provided more detail into my purpose or selection.

Completely unrelated, I love this platform. I am stealing this idea to use at work! Thanks!

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In any situation like this it's important to consider the context and history!

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Chris - Zones of Regulation and Child Circle Worker

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Chris - Zones of Regulation and Child Circle Worker

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I immediately thought of a grade three student in my school that is diagnosed with ADHD that also has emotional/behavioural issues. Pretty much there's more going on than "just" ADHD. In our school we've implemented numerous strategies to help this student manage his emotions.  One is using the Zones of Regulation which is a program to help students self-regulate and learn where they're at emotionally; this program mirrors the child section of the program described in the activity.  The parent portion described in this activity is very similar to the work our Child Circle Worker does with his family in their home.  Although we've named them different things, it sounds like a similar approach is being explored.  Unfortunately, Zones hasn't been too successful with this particular student but we've seen success with others.  To date we're still trying to find a solution that works for this student so I'm curious to see what comes from this padlet!

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Hi Adriana,
I think you brought up a great discussion point. I agree with what you have to say about how our past experiences from early childhood and how they do greatly impact us. Especially if a child has faced any trauma in their life. I feel it would be beneficial for the program to also take into account the children's past to get a better understanding of how to support them best.
Are there any strategies that could be used which could be helpful?

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(Adriana) Hi Christie, I can't agree with you more, define success, what can be disruptive for some is not for others... expectations are also culturally different. so outcomes define who is eligible for this program? 

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(Adriana) Hi Christie, I can't agree with you more, define success, what can be disruptive for some is not for others... expectations are also culturally different. so outcomes define who is eligible for this program? 

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I wish I could have joined the discussion earlier. sorry again my delay. life is not easy lately :-( Its so interesting that everything we are learning is related to my current situation at work... I personally think all efforts that organizations and programs such as early risers should consider that children before the age of 6 years is when they develop all sort of problems in behaviour due to lack of emotional intelligence and support form families/community/teachers/environment. This is not a critique rather my point of view which I wish could make an impact and change the view of leaders who can make this change possible. all those problems in elementary or high school come from the past! and the past is ECE and children and thats where we should focus and invest our energy time and resources on research and programs. this is my personal theory: 'tell me what you did before the age of 6 and I will tell you how your life will look like... ' I agree with Paola and wonder the same, how can we evaluate this program effectiveness? per case? per family? or adults who participate on it? who are the stakeholders involved that provide the response to this program evaluation?

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My question/concern regarding Campbell's program is specifically around The Child School Support component.  Specifically, it aims at identifying and creating plans to address "gaps" or "lagging skills" in student learning needs.  As a Learning For All Coach, I always suggested to teachers that they focus on students strengths and build on those rather than looking at their "deficits".  My worry with looking at lagging skills, is that it is a deficit model.  Did this cross other people's minds? I always say to Secondary Teachers, if it was an easy answer, we wouldn't be here discussing it. So why not start with student's success and build on that?

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I am not familiar with Dream Centre although I have driven by their building a number of times.

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Hey Ian,
Good points, the annual cost per student for the program is between $1500 -$2500 USD, based on the information available this appears to be covered collaboratively by several different agencies including education. The role of the family advocate is an important one and would hopefully aid in reducing the workload for the teacher.  However, workload would be an important consideration.  In the studies that were referenced in the intervention report there were specific staff who were trained to administers and support the program within the school. Looking at this through Campbell's lens these two items would both factor prominently into the development of an authentic hypothesis which would help to guide the evaluation of this program.

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Hi Ian,
You make a great point. The mental health aspect is a huge factor which should be apart of the whole piece. The program does work on "emotional regulation" but does not specify on mental health.  Great suggestion, Mental health would be a valuable addition to the program.

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I had a look at Early Risers at www.childtrends.org, and they do claim to have had some positive effects on "some measures of school adjustment, academic competence, peer relations, and social competence..." based on experimental studies. But they also found that the effects were not significant in a follow-up study done one year after the program. As well, they did not find differences in the effects of the two programs, suggesting that the program including family supports should be adjusted or possibly discontinued.

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I am wondering about a couple of different aspects of this program. First, who is paying for the resources and services of the family advocate? Is the school responsible for this cost, or is it covered by the school board, social services, or independent donations? Also, despite the prominent role of the family advocate, this seems like it would add considerably to teacher workload, especially if they have more than one child in their classroom participating in the program. Meeting with the family advocate, developing interventions, and modifying educational programming would require significant extra time and effort.

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Eloura, this is one of the key pieces that I feel is missing from the program description. It seems that all of these components are a bit reactionary. Do any of them get to the root of the child's problems, or are they just helping the students, teachers, and parents cope with the resulting behaviours? The "unique experiences and different circumstances" you refer to include the family environment, trauma, and mental health issues the individual could be living with. If these difficulties are not adequately addressed, the skills being taught may not be effective in the long-term. Perhaps the Family Support component addresses this issue, although as it is presented it appears to be focused more on physical than mental health.

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Jillian, the identification process isn't clear in the case study and that would be an important issue to address in developing an effective evaluation. The way that families are identified would also speak to the potential for success. Also, the roles of the different family members would also be a critical component that would need to be addressed.  Excellent points

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Hey Nicole, you make an excellent point about the importance of involving parents in setting the goals for the program.  This is a critical component and one that could possibly lead to the success (or failure) of the program.  When parents aren't connected to the intervention process it can generate far less effective results and doesn't allow for the generalization between different settings.

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Excellent point, Nicole! To me the program seems to be a wonderful idea. However, I'd be interested in learning how we could measure the program's effectiveness. Clearly, it's important to encourage parents to support their children's healthy development, but how, in the end, are the programs results measured?

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I also question the differentiation between the two types of supports for the children at school: maybe it is different for early childhood but in high school we find that "Child Skills and Child School Support " (given their descriptors in the program description) are closely related and it is virtually impossible to address one without addressing the other.

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I am with Lesley, in querying who the perspectives clients of this program are? Is it only for families who volunteer for the program? Are families referred? Who refers them, schools, doctors, outside agencies, self referral? Are families requiring needs outside of the program: ie. social programs, medical assistance, etc. able to gain the additional referrals for supports?
In addition to this I am wondering if this program requires full family involvement, so both parents are expected to attend the family nights?

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Another thing I was thinking, was the measures that did not show any change; in particular the one on aggression.  I think before deciding on the outcomes, one should look at "what is accpetable behaviour within that culture and what is not".  This way, the results can be considered with a cultrual lens.  This would change depending on the two samples as well because the popluation sampling was different (SES and culture; context).

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Perhaps having the students providing feedback would be beneficial since it is about supporting their needs. They could  inform about what they  found valuable or not as  helpful.  This allows for multiple views and perspectives when all stakeholders are involved.

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Colleen, does knowing that the parental part of the program is ongoing on a biweekly basis from October to May address any of your concerns? Does it raise any new ones?

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There is some excellent "Campbelling" going on here with regards to looking for possible points of bias, and hypothesizing about how to control for them.

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Pulling from www.childtrends.org's description of Early Risers, they refer to the goal being "to promote positive socio-emotional development into middle childhood and adolescence by targeting younger children who exhibit aggressive behaviors."

This implies long-term thinking. But is there long-term formal evaluation in place? That program goal makes it look like a long-term evaluation (or an intermittent but ongoing one at prescribed intervals) is necessary to really gauge Early Risers' efficacy.

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Lesley, based on program descriptions I found, it looks like clientele are referred from their school environment. Does this change anything for you?

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Very good question Lesley. I would think that depending on the demographic of the families which come in the program, the main program developers would support the families by either providing the services and/or telling them about these services. I would hope that they are connecting and collaborating together providing community support.

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Yes, Jayne great point, many different professionals. I feel like this is where the program is trying to go as they cover, social development through school, home, mentorship, parent training, etc. Program organizers are trying to look at the whole dynamic and environmental scenario of the child. So then we look at how we evaluate the effectiveness of the program, maybe it's more longitudinal. Where we look at how the child, 5, 10, 15 years later integrates into society. I would assume the goal is for a functional contributing member of society, not just classroom compliance. Does the program state the long term goal objectives?

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Eloura, I'm also wondering who the clientele comes in. When ask about engagement or compliance, do the clients come seeking this services are does the program seek out the clients who need it?

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Patrick, I think this is a great question. It makes me think of some of the work that the Calgary Dream Centre is doing. It might be worth while looking at some of the programs like
CDC to see what they are doing with programming and then incorporate the Early Risers Program philosophy and methodology with that which is happening with effective adult programming.

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Nicole that is true. I think it is important to think about the child as a whole and understand that each individual comes with their own unique experiences and different circumstances.

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Perhaps having workshops about cultural awareness and bringing in experts from different cultural groups to work with families could be a helpful too?

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Colleen, Good point. Cultural awareness and the way the program impacts others from can be of great help in supporting the needs of all families. It can open conversation and allow for better understanding of other's perspectives.

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Patrick Côté - RE: Cultural Considerations : Involving Stakeholders by Kim

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Patrick Côté - RE: Cultural Considerations : Involving Stakeholders by Kim

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Kim, while reading your post, I immediately thought of the RUPAS program in which little consideration had been taken for migrant workers. Although that program had some success with caucasian families, it had limited success with families that were transient. These families spoke a different language and had a different culture. This being said, I also believe that parents should have an input in the establishment of goals for their families and children. It would certainly give a sense of empowerment to both the families and the students if they take an active part in the process.

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I really like the concepts of the Early Risers Program. I think my first question would be how effective is the parent portion of the program. A "family night" of information and an advocate hardly seems like it would make significant lasting changes with behaviours. Perhaps outside agencies could work with the parent too. I also think cultural understanding needs to be part of the evaluation. Finally what does success look like? Is it compliance or is it engagement?

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Kim, you've really got me thinking here! What about bringing in other outside professionals, too, then, such as interpreters, to help with the communication, goal setting, and feedback? So many things to consider!

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Philip, you raise an interesting point when considering evolutionary epistemology in considering whether the program works or not. By this standard, success could be measured by the program's "survival value".  By whose standard is this 'survival value' calculated? The teacher's? Parent's? Family advocate? or the child him/herself? Often behavioural intervention teaches children to comply with societal standards, yet does not necessarily help the child learn socially acceptable ways of meeting their needs. What are the goals of this program exactly? How are they measured?

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Cultural Considerations: Involving All Stakeholders - Kim

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Cultural Considerations: Involving All Stakeholders - Kim

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My initial response was that this is a necessary program especially for students who have aggressive tendencies as a result traumatic experiences, but as I thought more about the parental stakeholders, I wondered about the acceptance or denial of families that there is even a problem in the first place. This would require a considerable amount of intercultural understanding for all stakeholders. Once there is parental acceptance, parents  would need to have input into the goals they have for their families and their children.  This program would require a significant amount of cultural sensitivity training I believe.

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Hi Christy, thanks for sharing. I think you brought up a good point about getting more feedback from participants in order to get a better understanding of what worked, what didn't and how to improve. This the importance of evaluation, to understand the whole picture and make sure the purpose is not lost along the way.

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Overall, I really liked the overarching goals for this program. Not only was this program focused on helping increase important skills for children, but also accepted there are overlapping skills that needed to occur over many settings.  My thoughts for improvement would be to get more participant feedback on how to improve the program. For ex: were there sessions on how the lessons taught to parents and children, took culture into consideration? I noticed there was a significantly high number of African American children in the second sample, but race/gender were not disclosed for the first sample. I liked that there were baseline measure taken, but I feel more input/feedback from parents, in particular, could potentially enhance the program's effectiveness if the lessons were culturally sensitive. Campbell's idea of Popper's stance (or knowledge is gained through intellectual debate) sounds a lot like formative assessmenty. Perhaps having more frequent intervals of measures, (rather than only at the beginning and the end), would increase the fluid nature of this program, and allow more positive changes to occur during the program itself.

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Christie, I really like your point about the importance of defining what it means to be aggressive or disruptive, we know from experience that this is usually in the eye of the beholder and it can be difficult to agree on what makes a child fit that label. We also know that students behave differently in different environments, so if a student is behaving one way in one classroom and one way in another, should they qualify for the program? Thank you for sharing your views, excellent points.

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Christie, I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of connecting your post to Becky’s, but I think it is worth highlighting some of the similar questions you have both raised as you consider this program – particularly in terms of participant selection and criteria used for measuring success.

I was particularly struck by your idea that perhaps a program like this might have success with even younger students. In my school board, school counselors typically only service high school students, and if they work in junior high schools it is often just a half time position. If the school is only an elementary school, there is almost no access to a counselor at all, unless there are very specific, unique circumstances that need to be addressed. I have often wondered how giving younger students access to this support might alleviate or even eliminate some issues that are seen in our junior and senior high students. Thanks for bringing this up as a possible consideration in altering/bettering the program.

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All great questions Becky. I believe that the one individual taking part in the program that can answer your questions and provide feedback to the administrators of the program is the ''Family Advocate''. This person seems to be in a great position to answer and provide feedback as he is interacting with the families, the students and the teachers. Who else could provide feedback and make sure the program is reaching its goal? Teachers? Parents?

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I really like the idea of the early riser program.  Based on the outline, I had some questions.  I wondered if the program could be delivered to students younger than 6 and their families.  I wonder if they would have increased success with younger kids.  I also wondered how students were selected for the program.  I understand they need to be aggressive or disruptive but what qualifies a student as this?  This a teacher referral program or parent referral?
Finally, how do the program evaluators know if a student is successful? What are the outcomes they are measuring?  Is it success if you stop punching other kids or are not longer disruptive?  How do they measure success?

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For me, a piece that stands out in the program delivery description is, “the program is a fluid intervention with modifications and improvements made continuously based on research results”. This speaks to the idea of how critique and multiple perspectives can influence the evolution of a program – using results and feedback (hopefully) to alter the trajectory when necessary, in the best interest of (at least some of) the “stakeholders”.

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Becky, your questions are heading in the direction of Campbell's evolutionary epistemology while also taking in the multiple perspectives that provide a "control" against bias - another one of Campbell's foci.

Are there any other perspectives that need to be considered that Becky hasn't mentioned?

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On first glance, this program looks great. I liked how it targeted the child's specific learning needs, helped build the teacher's and parent's capacity to meet these needs, and examined the home environment. My question stems from Campbell's embracing of "Popper's Stance", in which critique is necessary to develop multiple perspectives and to ultimately increase insight and learning. Did this program work? What did parents think of it? Teachers? Did students provide feedback? What were the criteria to characterize "disruptive or aggressive behaviours" and how were children selected for the program? How were their behaviours measured at the beginning and then at the end, to see if the program did indeed achieve its goal of lessening aggressive behaviours? It sounds like a fabulous program...was it?

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I think that Rob has made an important connection to the idea of context from his group's readings this week - what works in unique situations? I believe that some of the basic underlying components of "Early Risers" could help adult learners as well - teaching skills for academic success, having advocates and coordinators that can bridge gaps, and the creation of individual program plans for those that need it, all seem applicable at most levels of education.

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Patrick Côté - RE: How can we adapt the early risers program to adult learning contexts by Rob Buck

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Patrick Côté - RE: How can we adapt the early risers program to adult learning contexts by Rob Buck

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I like your first question regarding how can a program like this be adapted for adult learning or employee learning contexts. That is a great question and I hope to hear more from our fellow colleagues regarding your post. Does anyone else in the class have any idea as to how we could modify or expand this particular program so it can work for adults?

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How can we adapt the early risers program to adult learning contexts by Rob Buck 

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How can we adapt the early risers program to adult learning contexts by Rob Buck 

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First off, a very neat way of gathering ideas. My questions or inquiry is how can you adapt a program like early risers for adult learning or employee learning contexts? The reason that I ask this as my primary focus is in adult education my challenge is to create and provide programs of relevance to an adult or workplace environment.

As your group mentions in your PDF the early risers is a program developed for elementary aged children with behavioural challenges in the school environment. However eventhough children throughout time and development may "grow out" of the learning challenges as they progress into adulthood, there are still some learning and behavioural challenges that adult learners have when it comes to the learning environment. I am interested in what other adult educators that are in the cohort have to say about the challenges and solutions that they may have.