A Longitudinal Follow-up Study of the Doodle Den After-school Programme Childhood Development Initiative

More than a quarter of children in Ireland are living in, or are at risk of, poverty. Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to leave school early and without having attained the fundamental literacy skills. Literacy is widely acknowledged as the foundation for academic attainment across the curriculum. Children who fall behind in literacy at an early stage are likely to remain behind (Brooks, 2007; Francis et al, 1996; Juel, 1988), with consequences for later academic achievement and access to employment.The importance placed on the development of children's literacy has resulted in the design of numerous interventions for children in the form of programmes, products, practices and policies. Whilst many of these initiatives take place within normal school hours, after-school programmes are increasingly being adapted from their traditional role, which focused on childcare and recreational activities, to one focused on academic achievement. Some interventions have been shown to improve literacy outcomes in the short term; however, questions remain about whether these improvements are sustained over the longer term. With this in mind, the current report outlines the results of a follow-up to a randomised controlled trial evaluation of an after-school literacy programme (Doodle Den)

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Childhood Development Initiative's Mate-Tricks Pro-Social Behaviour After-School Programme

Mate-Tricks is an after-school programme designed to promote pro-social behaviour in Tallaght West (Dublin). Tallaght West has been designated as an area of particular social and economic disadvantage with high levels of unemployment. Mate-Tricks is a bespoke intervention that combines elements of two pro-social behaviour programmes: the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) and Coping Power Program (CPP). The programme is a one-year multi-session after-school programme comprising 59 children-only sessions, 6 parent-only sessions and 3 family sessions, with each session lasting 1½ hours.The intended outcomes of this programme are stated as follows in the Mate-Tricks manual: enhance children's pro-social development; reduce children's anti-social behaviour; develop children's confidence and self-esteem; improve children's problem-solving skills; improve child-peer interactions; develop reasoning and empathy skills; improve parenting skills; improve parent/child interaction. This evaluation reports on the pilot of this programme. Of the 21 outcomes investigated, 19 showed no significant differences between the children who attended Mate-Tricks and the control group. However, there were 2 statistically significant effects of the Mate-Tricks programme and 3 other effects that approached significance. The lack of effects and the few negative effects found in this study replicates findings in several recent studies of after-school behaviour programmes

Choice biographies and transitional linearity : re-conceptualising modern youth transitions

It has been suggested that youth transitions have become increasingly protracted and complex and that routes between school and work, which were once viewed as linear and predictable, have been replaced by a set of movements that are more fragmented. Our aim in this paper is to contextualise these changes in an attempt to capture the degree of complexity characteristic of modern transitions and to explore the implications for patterns of labour market integration. We argue that there has been a tendency to exaggerate processes of de-linearisation and that the modern tendency to regard transitional complexity as symptomatic of «choice biographies» can help mask structures of disadvantage.S'apunta que les transicions juvenils cada vegada són més llargues i complexes i que els camins entre l'escola i el treball, que abans es consideraven lineals i previsibles, actualment han estat substituïts per un conjunt de moviments que estan més fragmentats. L'objectiu d'aquest article és contextualitzar aquests canvis per tal de captar el grau de complexitat característic de les transicions modernes i explorar les implicacions que tenen en els models d'integració en el mercat laboral. Defensem que s'ha tendit a exagerar els processos de deslinealització i que la tendència moderna de veure la complexitat de les transicions com un fet simptomàtic de les «biografies d'elecció» pot contribuir a ocultar estructures de desavantatges

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Childhood Development Initiative's Doodle Den Literacy Programme

This report presents the findings of an independent evaluation, undertaken by the Centre for Effective Education at Queen's University Belfast, of the Doodle Den after-school programme. The evaluation took the form of a randomised control trial and a qualitative process evaluation focusing on implementation. This report presents the key findings of the evaluation. The evaluation team is indebted to the children, parents, teachers, service providers, facilitators and schools who participated in the study. The team would also like to acknowledge the support and advice provided by the staff at the Childhood Development Initiative (CDI) and the Expert Advisory Committee, as well as The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs whose generous support made the evaluation possible

Delayed and negotiated autonomy: domestic emancipation of young Europeans

'In der Europäischen Union lebt ein signifikanter Anteil von jungen Menschen im Alter von 15 bis 29 Jahren immer noch zuhause bei ihren Eltern. Dieser Trend, die räumliche Trennung vom Elternhaus aufzuschieben, variiert von Land zu Land sowie zwischen jungen Frauen und jungen Männern. Bislang hat es zu diesem Phänomen relativ wenige Forschungen gegeben; die 'verspäteten Nesthocker' haben jedoch zunehmend die Aufmerksamkeit von Fachleuten der Familienpolitik gefunden. Denn diesen wurde bewusst, dass der Aufschub der häuslichen Emanzipation zugleich einen Aufschub der eigenen Familienbildung bedeutet. Der folgende Beitrag handelt folglich von der häuslichen Emanzipation von jungen Menschen in Europa. Er stützt sich auf die Analyse quantitativer Trends und qualitativer Interviews, die im Rahmen des EU-Projekts 'Families and Transitions in Europe' (FATE) erhoben worden sind (vgl. Bendit/ Hein 2004; Biggart et al. 2005).' (Autorenreferat)'Across the European Union, a significant proportion of young people between 15 and 29 years still live in their parental home. This trend of delaying the departure to an independent household varies from country to country and between young men and young women. Until recently, there has been comparatively little research focussing on that phenomenon, but protracted home-stayers have increasingly attracted the attention of family policy experts, since postponing household independence also means a delay of a new family formation. The following article deals with the delayed domestic emancipation of young people in Europe. It is based on the analysis of quantitative trends and qualitative interviews carried out by the EU project 'Families and Transitions in Europe'.' (author's abstract)