Program
Outcomes for Children
MEASURES: Contribution and Citizenship
The following standardized assessments are
provided as examples of measures that may be useful for evaluation of community-based
programs. Most standardized social skills assessments have a subscale which
corresponds to contribution and citizenship, sometimes called cooperation
(see also Children’s Program Outcomes, Personal
and Social Adjustment).
This listing is not comprehensive, and is
not intended as an endorsement of any particular measure. Some of the
assessment instruments that follow are copyrighted, and require specific
levels of training to administer. Prices of commercially-available measures
may be subject to change. While subscales that appear most relevant for
this outcome area are highlighted, evaluators who are considering any
standardized instrument will want to individually review the items on
each measure and subscale to ensure that they are appropriate for a particular
program. It is important to recognize that standardized measures such
as the ones listed below are not the only appropriate ways to assess outcomes
for children. In fact, it is recommended that standardized measures be
used in conjunction with other methods, including qualitative assessments
and data from program records. Simple checklists may also be developed
locally for use by site staff, teachers and parents.
1. Child Observation Record (COR)
High/Scope
Date: 1992
Subtests: Academic Achievement
Coping Strategies
Self-Esteem
Social Skills
Problem Solving Skills
Available Through:
High/Scope Educational Research Foundation
600 North River Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48198
(313) 485-2000
Cost: $90.00
Target Audience:
Ages 2 ½ to 6 years
Description/Comments:
COR is a teacher checklist developed
by the High Scope Educational Research Foundation for assessment of
preschoolers. This measure has become the assessment of choice for some
evaluators of community-based preschool prevention programs because
it is behaviorally focused, can be used in parts (subscales), and is
not excessively time-consuming for teachers or program staff to administer.
The COR has been successfully used with low-income and ethnic minority
populations.
2. Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation
Scale, Preschool Edition (SCBE)
P.J. LaFreniere & J.E. Dumas
Date: 1996
Subtests:
Basic Scales are: Depressive/Joyful,
Anxious/Secure, Angry/Tolerant, Isolated-Integrated, Aggressive/Calm,
Egotistical/Prosocial, Oppositional/Cooperative, and Dependent/Autonomous
Summary Scales are: Social Competence, Externalizing Problems,
Internalizing Problems, and General Adaptation
Available Through:
Western Psychological Services
12031 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025-1251
Phone: 1-800-648-8857 (Credit card orders)
FAX: 310-478-7838
Cost:
About $75 for kit (includes 25 forms and manual)
Target Audience:
Ages 2 ½ to 6 years
Description/Comments:
An 80-item scale administered by teachers;
takes about 15 minutes per child. Has been successfully used as an outcome
measure in evaluation of intervention programs, as well as for research
and diagnostic purposes. Although new, endorsements from staff in Head
Start, clinical, and other community-based settings suggest that the
measure may be appropriate for a variety of at-risk populations. Scales
showed high interrater and test-retest reliability, internal consistency,
and temporal stability in U.S. and Quebec samples (La Freniere &
Dumas, 1996).
3. Social Skills Rating System (SSRS)
F. M. Gresham & S. N. Elliot
Date: 1990
Subtests:
Three scales are included. Social
Skills includes five positive behavior subscales of Cooperation,
Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control. Problem Behaviors
includes Externalizing Problems, Internalizing Problems, and Hyperactivity
subscales. Academic Competence is a teacher rating of reading
and math performance, general cognitive functioning, motivation, and
parental support.
Available Through:
American Guidance Service (AGS)
4201 Woodland Road
P.O. Box 99
Circle Pines, MN 55014-1796
Phone: 1-800-328-2560
Cost:
Starter sets with a manual and forms
for 10 students cost about $97.95 for the Preschool/Elementary Level
(check current prices). Additional forms cost about 60-65 cents apiece.
Software in several formats assists in scoring and reporting.
Target Audience:
Children ages 3-18. Two versions address
three developmental levels: Preschool / Elementary, and Secondary. Grades
3-12 can use self-report forms.
Description/Comments:
Rates social behaviors that are believed
to affect areas such as teacher-student relationships, peer acceptance,
and academic performance. Behaviors are rated according to perceived
frequency and importance. An advantage is that several raters (teachers,
parents and children if in Grade 3 or higher) can provide a rounded
picture of behavior. Administration takes about 10-25 minutes per questionnaire.
Standardized on national sample of over 4,000. Separate norms are provided
for boys and girls (ages 3-18), and for elementary students with and
without disabilities. Although primarily designed for classroom use,
evaluators and staff report that most items seem suitable for community-based
programs, including State Strengthening projects. The SSRS is intended
to be administered by individuals with graduate training in testing
and measurement. AGS will request information on user qualifications
when the order is placed. The SSRS uses teacher, parent, and (for children
in 3rd grade or older) self-report student questionnaires, with the
three perspectives combined on one form. In some program settings with
low adult literacy levels, evaluators and staff have chosen to administer
the parent questionnaires orally.
4. Teacher-Child Rating Scale (T-CRS)
Primary Mental Health Project
Date: 1993 (1986)
Subtests:
The T-CRS consists of two parts, one
dealing with classroom problem areas, and one dealing with competency
areas. The subscales are empirically derived.
Problem Area Subscales:
Acting Out Behaviors
Shy-Anxious Behaviors
Learning Skills
Competency Subscales:
Frustration Tolerance
Assertive Social Skills
Task Orientation
Peer Social Skills
Available Through:
Primary Mental Health Project, Inc.
685 South Ave.
Rochester, NY 14620-1345
Phone: 716-262-2920
FAX: 716-262-4761
Cost:
30 cents/form. For an additional 50
cents/form, forms can be computer scored at PMHP, which will provide
summaries and individual profiles. Students using the T-CRS for theses
and dissertations can request permission to reproduce the measure free
of charge.
Target Audience:
Primarily for used for kindergarten
through third grade children, but has been used successfully for preschool
through high school, with minor adaptation of items (for example, in
preschool settings, "Learning academic skills" would be interpreted
as age-appropriate school-readiness skills).
Description/Comments:
The T-CRS is a 38-item behaviorally-oriented
checklist completed by teachers or program staff. Tends to be well-accepted
by teachers and program staff because it is quick (3-5 minutes per child),
and assesses relative strengths and weaknesses. T-CRS may be used either
as a quick screening tool to assess children's emotional, behavioral,
social, and general school adaptation, or as a pretest-posttest measure
to evaluate progress. It may be used at either individual or group levels
for evaluation purposes. While developed for evaluation of social skills
intervention programs in school settings, the T-CRS has been used in
other community-based group settings for children in this age range.
Separate norms are available for males and females, and for urban and
non-urban residents.
5. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Classroom
Edition: Socialization Domain (VABS)
S. Sparrow, D. Balla, & D. Cicchetti
Date: 1985
Subtests:
Four domains and eleven subdomains:
1) Communication (Receptive, Expressive,
and Written)
2) Daily Living Skills (Personal, Domestic,
and Community)
3) Socialization (Interpersonal Relationships,
Play and Leisure Time, Coping Skills)
4) Motor Skills (Gross and Fine).
Available Through:
American Guidance Service (AGS)
4201 Woodland Road
P.O. Box 99
Circle Pines, MN 55014-1796
Phone: 1-800-328-2560
Cost:
Check with AGS for current prices; prices
vary for different versions. Starter sets include manual, 10 questionnaire
forms, and parent report forms.
Target Audience:
3-12 years for Classroom edition; birth
to 18 years for Interview edition
Description/Comments:
The Classroom edition is a 244-item
questionnaire completed by teachers, and takes about 20 minutes to administer.
The Interview edition is administered to parents or caregivers as a
semi-structured interview, and takes 20-60 minutes. Qualified professionals
must interpret the scores. Computer programs may be purchased for analysis,
and materials are available in Spanish. Standardized on a large national
sample that reflects U.S. census data. Appears to be valid, and flexible
for use with a wide range of ages.
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