Question: Milestone Two: Program Evaluation: Analysis Draft
When preparing this milestone, you will analyze the selected community or school-based program. Be consistent by focusing on your target age group, the community or school-based program you selected, and the developmental needs of the target age group. What risk and resiliency factors are you going to focus on regarding your targeted age group, and why? What interventions have been developed for the age group, and are they effective? How well do the interventions address personal and social functioning, and how could they be improved? Keep in mind that some programs will focus on all domains of development, but for this draft, you should focus on personal and social (socioemotional) functioning of the target age group. Also, keep in mind that some programs incorporate evidence in their practices, while others may not. It is important that you consider the accumulation of evidence, as perhaps only one study has supported an intervention to enhance personal and social functioning for the age group you are targeting. If so, is that enough evidence? Typically, several studies are conducted to provide better evidence and to be considered research-based. One research study points to suggestions, but this is not usually the final word for solid evidence-based practice. Try to find and examine at least three research studies for one intervention in this milestone.
We recommend using the NREPP website or similar scholarly database to begin your search.
Prompt: For this milestone, you will submit a draft of the analysis section (section II of the final project), including all critical elements as listed below. In writing your draft, be sure to specify the chosen age group and their needs that will be addressed by the intervention that you are planning for section III of your community program evaluation. Look for specific evidence-based practices that will support this target group and their development. Include some risk and resiliency factors that you believe the interventions will address.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed in this milestone:
II. Analysis
A. What are the most important needs of the selected age group with respect to the personal and social functioning targeted by the program? What is the importance of addressing these needs? For example, why is learning to cooperate so important for infants?
B. In what ways are the program's interventions tailored to the unique developmental needs and resiliency factors of the targeted age group? For example, teaching cooperation should take different forms for different age groups. Why is this important?
C. In what ways are the program's interventions not tailored to the unique developmental needs and resiliency factors of the targeted age group? Are they too generalized, or more appropriate for a different age group?
D. What is the role this program and its interventions play in promoting the improvement of personal and social functioning of children from birth to adolescence? In other words, how does this program contribute to the development of the future adult? Provide specific examples.
E. Explain how this program and its interventions incorporate or fail to incorporate evidence-based practices. Some questions to consider include the following: How are evidence-based practices used? What evidence is provided that tell us the practices are effective? What benefit does incorporation of these practices provide? Are there any drawbacks to them not being incorporated? Where are there opportunities for further incorporation of evidence-based practices, and how did you identify these gaps?
F. How do risk and resiliency factors for the targeted age group influence the type of interventions provided by the program?
G. How do the specific interventions take into consideration risk and resiliency factors?