Building transformative school-community collaboration : a critical paradigm

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)School-community collaboration has received increasing attention in social work because of its potential for enhancing the quality of services to meet the multifaceted needs of students. However, there is little understanding of how to create and maintain successful school-community collaboration. The purpose of this research is to develop and validate a comprehensive framework for transformative school-community collaboration based on a critical paradigm and its corresponding theories. Using school survey data, an exploratory factor analysis identified the four dimensions of transformative school community collaboration, including (1) critical member capacity, (2) equal relations, (3) democratic network governance, and (4) empowering coordination. The results of multiple regression analyses showed that the identified dimensions were positively associated with the quality outcomes of Out-of-School Time programs although their significant effects varied across different quality outcomes: high-quality activities, student engagement, and linkages with family/community. Another key finding was that structural dimensions—democratic network governance and empowering coordination—appeared to be stronger factors. However, this research suggested that critical member capacity and equal relations may be associated indirectly with the quality outcomes. This dissertation paper concludes with practical implications and future research agenda to successfully build transformative school-community collaboration

Impacts of School Bonding on Problem Behaviors: Ethnic differences

This study examined the different impacts of school bonding on problem behaviors between ethnic groups (minority students and white students). The study sample was a local Indiana Exemplar public school. A random number of fourth through eighth grade students (6-16 years of age) were asked to complete a survey. Teachers read to younger students to complete. Of the sample 48% were boys and 51% were girls. Of the six categories for ethnicity, 51% were white and 49% comprised the other ethnicity categories, accounting for a total of 192 students. The study specifically looked at the interaction effect of ethnicity on the relationship between school bonding (Attachment, Commitment, Involvement, and Belief) and misbehavior in school (delinquency). The variables were identified through a factor analysis from the copyrighted Gentle-Genitty Perception of School Social Bonding Instrument. The school bonding instrument is reliable and valid (Cronbach’s Alpha .85). The preliminary results show that… • Involvement and belief are significantly associated with reduced misbehaviors in school. • Minority students exhibit behavior that is perceived as delinquent more often than white students. • Older students in higher-grade levels are more likely to exhibit negative behavior than younger students in lower grade levels. • The impact of one of the social bonding variables (involvement-participation in activities) on problem behavior is significantly greater for minority students than white students, as seen in the graph below

Effective workload management in child welfare: Understanding the relationship between caseload and workload

A common assumption in public social service organizations is that workload may be positively associated with caseload. However, few empirical studies have examined what specific characteristics of caseload affect caseworkers' workloads in the child welfare system. This study attempts to address this gap by identifying specific individual and regional factors that influence both subjective and objective dimensions of workloads. Survey data were collected from 1,244 caseworkers at one public child welfare agency in a Midwestern state in the United States. The data indicated that both perceptions of unmanageable workloads and self‐reported overtime work were significantly higher when caseworkers had a greater number of cases than the state caseload standard for the investigations units and worked with at least two different types of cases simultaneously (e.g., working with both investigation and ongoing service cases). Additionally, sufficient staffing numbers to meet caseload demands at the regional level significantly decreased the odds ratio of having to do overtime work. The major findings suggest that the objective and subjective dimensions of workload vary by individual‐ and regional‐level variables. Practice implications are discussed for effective and efficient workload management in the public child welfare system

Teaching Respect: Effectiveness of the 'Me Others Property (M.O.P.) Civic Education Program'

Many factors often undermine the creation of safe and supportive environments for learning, academic, and social development in schools in general. These factors may include the conduct of students as well as that of school staff. The Me Others Property (M.O.P.) civic education program has been implemented for 25 years in local Indiana schools. However, its effectiveness to teach respect has not been evaluated. The program was designed to increase three outcomes, participants’ respect for themselves, others, and property. With the main goal of assessing effectiveness of the program properties, we evaluated the three outcomes and assessed differences according to age, gender, and ethnicity. This study highlights the role civic education programs may play in schools in general. It suggests that through these programs students, regardless of their age, gender, and ethnicity, learn values about helping self, others, and property to aid their country. More evaluation of the evidence based properties of civic education programs is necessary

Truancy: a look at definitions in the USA and other territories

There is no shortage of definitions for truancy. One state may house many different definitions and there are a variety of challenges arising from this fact. One of the most important to researchers, policy-makers and educators alike, is that because of the lack of uniformity and consistency, it is difficult to compile and ascertain the totality of the phenomenon. The lack of a consistent definition influences a wide range of outcomes including policy matters, financial resources and definitive responses and intervention strategies. This manuscript attempts to synthesise the literature through the examination of operational definitions of truancy in the USA and in other territories. In addition to these operational definitions, expert opinions from focus groups proposed an enhanced definition of truancy. The study is qualitative and uses focus groups and synthesis of the literature to frame the work. Findings are presented. The goal is to synthesise the literature, not in its entirety, but in an attempt to combine and inform the conversation on a definition of truancy

Transformative school-community collaboration as a positive school climate to prevent school absenteeism

School absenteeism has become a prevalent problem that affects student development and future societies across the world. We examined whether and how the framework for transformative school-community collaboration (TSCC) can be utilized to effectively reduce school absenteeism. To achieve this goal, we analyzed clustered data involving 3428 students within 14 schools that collaborated with communities in providing out-of-school time programs. A generalized ordered logit analysis with clustered standard errors showed that overall TSCC significantly decreased the likelihood of students' school absenteeism. Democratic and empowering structures in the collaboration were particularly significant for reducing the higher level of school absenteeism. We conclude our article with practice implications to translate the core dimensions of TSCC into effective practice

Comprehensive assessment of youth violence in five Caribbean countries: Gender and age differences

Differences in gender and age have been established in the context of crime, violence, and prevalence of risk and protective factors. These studies are often notable only in the Western Hemisphere. Despite growth in crime and violence in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), relatively little understanding of violence in CARICOM member states exists. In light of these concerns, the major purposes of this study include: (1) comprehensively assessing the scope of the four behaviors (i.e., engagement, victimization, witness, and report) in relation to violence and youth’s perceptions of risk and protective factors in family and school domains, and (2) examining how they differ by youth’s gender and age. This study draws on assessment data on youth violence in five CARICOM Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago using a completed 51-item quantitative questionnaire from approximately 512 students. The results suggest that violence engagement, victimization, witness, and report significantly differed by gender and age. Male students were more likely to engage in violence, but less likely to report such violence to adults. Similarly, older students reported that they were more likely to engage in and witness violence. For risk and protective factors, female students reported significantly higher scores on domestic violence, whereas male students had higher scores on the access to drugs/weapons. Older students also tended to report higher levels of some school risk factors and lower levels of some protective factors in both family and school

Ecological correlates contributing to reporting of school delinquency among Caribbean adolescents

Many studies have examined significant factors associated with school delinquency among adolescents, including relationship violence, property damage, and other serious threats to students’ safety. However, students’ coping behaviors after being victims of or witnesses to violence and other forms of delinquency have not been thoroughly examined. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by identifying significant factors at the individual, family, and school levels that affect 226 Caribbean students’ actual reporting of school delinquency to school personnel. The data for this study were obtained from the Caribbean Youth Violence Survey, which studied middle and high school students in five Caribbean countries. The findings of hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that female students were more likely than male students to report delinquent behaviors. Family cohesion and family disorganization significantly decreased students’ reporting behaviors after they experienced or witnessed school delinquency. On the other hand, school bonding significantly increased students’ reporting behaviors. This paper concludes with practical implications and future research agendas for developing a comprehensive mechanism to address the dynamics of multidimensional factors that influence students’ active coping behaviors for dealing with school delinquency

Youth Involvement in Participatory Action Research (PAR): Challenges and Barriers

Participatory Action Research (PAR) has been increasingly viewed as an effective strategy to enhance youth, community-based organizations that serve youth, and broader communities. However, young people have not been frequently involved in research and evaluation efforts as co-researchers or partners. This paper explored major challenges and barriers to the active engagement of youth identified in previous PAR projects. This critical literature review revealed relational, scientific, and ethical challenges. The relational challenges included a lack of trust and unequal power relationships between youth participants and adult researchers. The scientific issues were significantly associated with the major components of the PAR, such as transformative purposes, iterative processes, and flexible methods. Finally, significant ethical issues are identified in terms of potential risks to youth, confidentiality, and informed consent. This paper concludes with specific recommendations for effective strategies to deal with the challenges and barriers identified and possible directions for future research