CRE Program Research Strategies
Process Focus
Process Focus
Choosing a Program Evaluation Process Focus
What are some of the processes that one might be interested in monitoring in conflict management?
Although the processes may differ depending upon the program model being used, all programs will have some concerns in the following areas.
Choose Feedback to learn more about each.
Assessment Process
The more elaborate the
program model the more complex the assessment process should be.
- How well were the needs for the program assessed prior to program development and implementation?
- Were key stakeholders identified?
- Were all relevant voices heard?
- Were needs clarified and well articulated?
Planning Process
Planning processes are
critical to program success. Strategic planning insures that you are
projecting difficulties and planning for them instead of being caught
unaware.
- What planning processes were used to identify program goals and objectives?
- What planning processes were used to secure needed resources?
- What planning processes were used to develop an implementation strategy?
- Did planning consider how the program would be integrated into existing activities?
- For more complex program models, did planning deal with problems of coordination between program components?
Orientation Process
Once the assessment
and planning is completed, the program needs to be introduced to the
teachers, staff and students at the school. In most cases, some of
those people have already been involved in the assessment and planning
processes. Process evaluation can focus on how the orientation was
accomplished.
- How extensive was the explanation of program content and purpose?
- How was it presented?
- To whom was it presented and in what forum?
- What processes, if any, were used to secure and assess the degree of resistance or commitment to the program?
- How was feedback handled and suggestions for change negotiated?
Selection Process
This is the issue of
who is chosen to directly participate in the conflict management
program and what the impact of those participation decisions are for
the program and school.
- Was participation in the program voluntary?
- In peer mediation efforts, were students allowed to self-select as peer mediators or were students selected by others and expected to perform regardless of their individual desires?
- In curriculum integration activities used in peaceable classroom or peaceable school models, how were students and/or classes selected?
- Did teachers or students have a chance to refuse participation?
- In whole-school/community models, how were community members and parents selected to participate?
- What processes were used to recruit their participation and how well did these work?
- Were interested parties not allowed to participate for some reason?
Training Process
All conflict management program models use some form of training.
- When the program emphasizes or is limited to a mediation component, the usual approach is to have outside trainers from a mediation organization provide training to the students who will serve as peer mediators and the staff who will help coordinate the project.
- When the program model involves teaching foundational abilities or conflict education curriculum in classrooms, the usual approach is the train-the-trainer model. Here, outside trainers or experts in the curriculum teach teachers how to instruct and work with them on lessons and lesson plans.
- In programs that involve parent and community members receiving training, the training process may use either or both of the above approaches. In all training processes there are questions about the nature of the training and the adequacy of the training.
- How long did the training last?
- Who delivered it?
- Were the trainers qualified?
- What kinds of pedagogical approaches were used?
- What instructional or supporting materials were involved?
- What was the quality of those materials?
- What was student/staff/parent/community member reaction to the training?
Program Implementation Process
Up to this
point, all activity has been preparatory. Now, the school has been
oriented, the participants have been selected, the training has taken
place, and the program is ready to be implemented. The process of implementation
itself differs considerably by program model.
In peer mediation programs the program implementation process involves issues of program publicity, referral to mediation, utility of mediation, and linkage to other disciplinary activities. Process evaluation also can look at how the program is publicized and with what effect.
- What procedures are used to refer cases to mediation and how well are teachers, staff and students using the referral mechanisms?
- How do issues of referral and publicity relate to how the program is used?
- What processes are used to link mediation to other counseling or disciplinary actions in the school?
- What happens if mediation is not successful; how is the dispute then handled and how are those decisions made?
- What curriculum is being used?
- How was the curriculum selected and why?
- What kind of training has been provided to help teachers use the curriculum in an ongoing manner?
- How comfortable are teachers with using the curriculum?
- What changes, if any, were made to the curriculum to better meet student needs?
- How often is the curriculum being used?
- Are teacher rewards or accountability structures linked to appropriate use of the curriculum?
- How well are teachers using a team process to coordinate and orchestrate the activity across classes or grades?
- How are students reacting to the curriculum?
In whole-school models, especially those that have multiple components and involve external and internal groups, process evaluation allows emphasis on program development and coordination. In terms of development, process evaluation helps you explain the stages that the school went through in developing and implementing the various components. Difficulties or successes in one stage can be linked to the progress in another stage. Issues of coordination, especially when school programs involve a strong link to community, are particularly important to document.
- How were parents coordinated into the program?
- How involved are parents being? Allowed to be?
- What community members and organizations are involved?
- What is the parents’ and community members’ understanding of their role in program?
- How do community CRE programs linked to the school efforts impact what can and is being done in the school (or by the students?)
- In what ways did the interaction between community and school facilitate program success in each venue?
Program Maintenance Process
If a program
is long-lasting it will have to face the issue of turnover in personnel
and participants. Schools that plan for the turnover in a manner that
protects the program are able to weather the change. Unfortunately,
many programs that make excellent process in all other areas were destroyed
when turnover issues are poorly handled. Some questions that can be
asked of program maintenance include the following:
- What is the degree of turnover that is experienced in the program?
- How are the selection, initiation and orientation of new members or participants handled?
- How are record-keeping procedures used to maintain a working history and continuity of the program?
- Are program procedures and processes manualized?
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