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Running head: PROGRAM PROPOSAL 1
Program Proposal
Roxanne Sylvester
Designing and Assessing Learning Experience
EDUC 8103
Walden University
April 24, 2011
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 2
Abstract
The exhibition of disruptive and aggressive behavior by students in public schools across the
nation is a critical issue facing the academic community, which requires serious deliberation. The
author designed a program proposal utilizing the steps of program planning; specifically, needs
assessment, program objectives, program structure, transfer of learning, and program evaluation,
to address the antisocial activities, while safeguarding the educational standards, and well-being
of students, educators, and school administrators. The contents of the paper include the methods
and approaches used to amass and analyze data to assess the needs, determine the desired
outcomes, establish the learning objectives, and structure the program. In addition, it explores
prevention and intervention strategies to improve participants’ perception, stimulate the transfer
of learning within their own context and the application of the new knowledge to their own
environment, as well as provide continued support to reinforce learning and gain information to
enhance the program.
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 3
Needs Assessment
In 2009, I completed the Educator Preparation Institute program for degree holding
professionals, who were transitioning to a career in education. Subsequently, I decided that
substitute teaching would be suitable for me to explore this new vocation to gain experience in
the classroom, liaise with other educators, and discover the grade level that I would be most
effective. Substituting for St. Lucie County School district exposed me to many schools within
the area, as well as the many issues facing students, teachers, and the academic community. My
observation of the classroom environment revealed there is an increase in aggression and violent
behavior among school children in our society. For example, students were misbehaving in the
classroom, belittling each other, and exhibiting violent behavior (pushing, shoving, and fighting).
According to Van Acker (2007), the display of disruptive behavior by students in
America is “recognized as one of the most pressing concerns facing educators today” Violence in
school can have a negative impact on the wellbeing of students, teachers, administrators, and the
community. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (2006) claimed there is a
dramatic rise in school violence and aggression, which resulted in public concern and several
legislative responses to the problem. Schools took action to curb the growth of antisocial, violent,
and aggressive behavior and adopted zero-tolerance policies and often punished violence and
aggressive behaviors with harsh and punitive consequences (p.1).
Social and Organizational Context of your Learning Environment
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 4
St. Lucie County School District is a “learning organization", in which all roles serve the
common purpose of pursuing continuous improvement in quality learning experiences for all.
The stakeholders (sschool district personnel, community members, parents, and students) share
the responsibility for student achievement, as well as bridging the gap between disruptive
behavior and student’s learning. The immediate issue that needs to be addressed is the
concentrated effort to improve safety and prevent violence and disruptive behavior in US public
schools. McCluskey (2005) stated that National School Safety and Securities Services found
crimes in schools were underreported by school administrators. Reflecting on shooting tragedies
at Columbine in 1999 and Red Lake High School in Minnesota in 2005, sexual assault in
Columbus, Ohio school in 2005, and the stabbing with a hypodermic needle by an elementary
student in Philadelphia, parents, policymakers, and school administrators need to concerned
about the crisis situations occurring in our schools and the emergent need to assess the problem.
The contextual factors influencing students’ antisocial behaviors have been linked
empirically with biological and genetic variables, family variables, peer group variables, school
variables, and community factors. More importantly, reviewing the literature of the research topic
concluded that the portrayal of violence in television program increases the chance that children
in the audience will act aggressively themselves. According to Vooijs and Van der Voort (2003),
“substantial evidence has been accumulated that exposure to violent programs may affect
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 5
children’s feelings and thoughts” (p. 20). Exposure to violence on television can strengthen the
belief that aggression is desirable or acceptable to solve conflicts.
The major strengths and opportunities of St. Lucie County School is to provide quality
learning experiences of all school and district activities, and the commitment to sharing the
vision and engaging the community in successfully confronting common challenges. The school
district ensures equity and quality for all students. Equity without quality is prejudice, quality
without equity is privilege, equity plus quality equals excellence. Quality schools are the
responsibility of the entire community (parents, students, community members, agencies,
businesses, governmental entities, other educational institutions, and the school district). The
community works together to provide the political advocacy and support needed for student
success; and actively advocates for support of education by holding candidates and elected
officials accountable for their commitment to quality public schools.
The program proposal to assess the need for improvement in antisocial behavior in
schools aligns with St. Lucie County School District’s mission “to create a challenging,
engaging, and satisfying work for every student every day” because all students have the absolute
right to a safe, trusting, and drug-free environment. As a substitute teacher for the schools in this
district, I was exposed to student’s violence, verbal abuse, and disruptive behavior. Just last
week, an elementary male student came to me complaining that another male student called him
“gay”. Evidently, he was very upset and I had to immediately address the situation by talking to
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 6
the class about heckling. Daffron (2010) explained that assessing the needs of the target audience
is the first step in program planning to determine what needs to be accomplished
(www.courseurl).
Develop a Needs Assessment Plan
Conducting a needs assessment is a step-by-step process that involves defining the
problem, collecting and analyzing data, and exploring the alternatives and consequences to
improve the educational or training needs, problems, or issues of individuals or organizations.
Additionally, Caffarella (2010) mentioned that the elements of a controlled needs assessment
includes identifying the stakeholders, developing the purpose and objectives of the needs
assessment, determining the data collection methods, sorting and prioritizing the identified needs,
and discussing the results of the needs assessment with the appropriate parties (pg. 130-131).
Developing this need assessment to address the skyrocketing antisocial, violent, and
aggressive behavior in public schools in St. Lucie County School District required self-developed
instruments like likert scales for the formal survey, checklist for the informal observation, and
interview questions for the informal interviews to gather the data to strengthen the findings. The
evaluation process would be carried out in 12 schools in the St. Lucie County School: four
schools attended by students with low socioeconomic status; four elementary schools, four
middle schools, and four high schools
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 7
The key purpose for the assessment activities is to explore the factors that influence
violence and antisocial behavior, examine alternatives to reduce the effect of children’s beliefs
and feelings about violence, develop strategies to counteract aggressive attitudes that children
learn from the influential factors; and reinforce the unrealistic nature of dramatized violence. The
need assessment is aimed at answering the following five questions:
What factors impact students’ aggressive, antisocial, and disruptive behavior?
What is suitable strategies can counteract aggressive attitudes that children learn from the
influential factors?
How can the community (parents, school, students, legislators) work together to reduce
the influential factors?
What changes can be made or included in the curriculum to transform students’ behavior?
What extent would the curriculum bridge the gap between children’s perception of
violent programs?
How does demographics and socio-economic conditions support or impede learning?
The 5-point Likert scale assessment was developed to collect data from the formal survey
and range from strongly disagree, disagree, slightly agree, agree, and strongly disagree and is
presented in Appendix A. The rationale for the design is to examine independent variables
(biological and genetic variables, family variables, peer group variables, school variables, and
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 8
community factors) to see if they make a significant difference and determine the direction and
strength of those relationships.
According to Lodico, Spaulding, and Voegtle (2010), once the survey is developed, a
pilot test group of participants would be selected and instructed on the process to establish
reliability and validity for the self-developed survey (pg. 108). Participating students will receive
a pretest/posttest, and the criterion will measure the factors that influence inappropriate behavior.
The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program will be used to calculate the results of
the statistical test, generating the means and standard deviations of the data. Test of significance
will be used to determine whether the independent variables actually make a difference. The
program planner will explain the calculations and findings to the stakeholders through email and
handout at staff meeting.
An observational checklist for the informal observation was developed for participating
teachers to observe the students in their normal environment and is presented in Appendix B.
Lodico et al. (2010) explained that the “purpose of a checklist is to provide a level of rigor to the
data collection process and ensure that the data are reliable and valid” Using this data collection
method will identify and define targeted behavior (inattentiveness, frustration) to determine the
relationship with influential factors and student behavior (pg. 113). The participants will be
observed for 20 minutes (three times a week), and information will be reported in the form of
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 9
field notes. The observers will check the participants’ behavior and time for the following
guiding statements:
____ Student is not attentive in class.
____ Student is easily distracted.
____ Student cannot stay in his/her designated seat.
____ Student does not follow directive.
____ Student is picking on his/her peers.
The trained observers will monitor the displayed behavior indicated on the observational
checklist (Appendix B). Interrater reliability is the observational measure used for consistency,
reliability, and accuracy. The observation would be videotaped for accuracy and reviewed by a
second observer. The raw data would be scanned and maintained in confidential folder on my
personal computer. A histogram will categorize the data to measure each checklist. The program
planner will explain the calculations and findings to the stakeholders through email and handout
at staff meeting.
Interview questions for the informal interviews will be designed for a focus group
interview to collect information from the community (parents, students, community members,
agencies, businesses, governmental entities, other educational institutions, and the school district)
presented in Appendix C. The key purpose for the focus group is to observe the interactions and
group dynamics that unfold as the participants respond to the six structured questions.
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 10
What factors impact students’ aggressive, antisocial, and disruptive behavior?
What is suitable strategies can counteract aggressive attitudes that children learn from the
influential factors?
How can the community (parents, school, students, legislators) work together to reduce
the influential factors?
What changes can be made or included in the curriculum to transform students’ behavior?
What extent would the curriculum bridge the gap between children’s perception of
violent programs?
How does demographics and socio-economic conditions support or impede learning?
Participants’ response to the guided questions will provide information on their opinions
and experiences, which will be used to structure the program. Confidentiality is crucial in this
assessment process; therefore, the interview will be recorded to protect the integrity of the
information revealed at the interview, and safeguarded in a confidential folder on your personal
computer. The data will be analyzed using grading rubrics to measure and evaluate the criteria
established for the proposal. The program planner will report the findings to the stakeholders
through email and handout at staff meeting.
Addressing the antisocial behavior of students in St. Lucie County Schools and public
school throughout the nation is an issue that concerns the community (parents, students,
community members, agencies, businesses, governmental entities, other educational institutions,
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 11
and the school district). Even though the U.S.Department of Education is working to improve the
continual danger to students, teachers, and school administrative, the violence in schools still
persist. Students are going to schools with guns, weapons, and dangerous instruments threatening
the lives of innocent victims. As a substitute teacher, who is passionate about education and the
safety of our school children, developing this need assessment examines the variables and
antisocial behaviors that influence students’ behavior and impede their academic learning and
achievements.
Program Outcomes and Learning Objectives
Program outcomes and learning objectives help to establish the direction of a program.
Program planners use the data from the needs assessment to help clarify the direction of program
planning and to determine what is to be accomplished in the program. Exploring literature on
“Understanding by Design and Backward Design” (Boyes, 2006) and the perspectives of the
scholar, consultant, and practitioner on how they addressed the second stage of program planning
helped to identify the desired knowledge, skills, and attitudes to accomplish the need assessment.
Subsequently, an excellent explanation for the desired knowledge, skills, and attitudes that
derived from the results of the needs assessment was formulated. In addition, one program
outcome and two learning objectives that are measurable and aligned with institutional mission
were constructed.
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 12
The most important issue that is influencing the learning environment is the constant
display of violence and antisocial aggressive behavior in public schools. This uncontrolled
behavior has a negative impact on the safety and well-being of students, teachers, administrators,
and community at large. St. Lucie County School District is a "learning organization", in which
all roles serve the common purpose of pursuing continuous improvement in quality learning
experiences for all. The program proposal to assess the need for improvement in antisocial
behavior in schools aligns with St. Lucie County School District’s mission “to create a
challenging, engaging, and satisfying work for every student every day” because all students have
the absolute right to a safe, trusting, and drug-free environment.
Program Outcomes
Defining a program outcome that is measurable to reduce the effects of children’s beliefs
and feelings about violence through critical thinking educational training should be clearly stated
and realistic to the learning objectives. The program outcome should measure changes in the
participants’ behavior as they participate in the training, allowing students to enact their new
knowledge, reinforce the unrealistic nature of dramatized violence, and bring order to students
whose lives maybe surrounded by chaos, violence, aggressive, and antisocial behavior.
Developing strategies to counteract aggressive attitudes that children learn from the influential
factors would bridge the gap in defining accepted and unwarranted behavior in St. Lucie County
School District.
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 13
Learning Objectives
Constructing the program learning objectives to change student’s aggressive attitude and
antisocial behavior is a shared effort and requires the assistance and support of the stakeholders
(parents, students, community members, agencies, businesses, governmental entities, other
educational institutions, and the school district). According to Caffarella (2010), the learning
objectives should reflect what the participants would learn by attending educational program
(p. 168). Students in grades 5-12 in St. Lucie County School District will engage in a 12-week
semester (3 hours per week) critical reflection training program. Prevention and intervention
strategies, such as critical thinking theories will be implemented for these learning objectives, the
participants will learn the following:
The participants will identify other prevention and intervention strategies to deal with
aggression and violence behavior, such as, educating students on the dangers of
antisocial behavior.
The participants will participate in group discussions to share specific experiences,
feelings, and thoughts and express how the new knowledge would transform their
behavior.
The students will examine critical thinking strategies to strengthen their problem-solving
capabilities and discuss how they will use the strategies to counteract their antisocial
behavior.
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 14
The program outcomes formulated for St. Lucie County School District needs
assessments will explain the steps needed to measure and achieve the learning objectives and
align with the institutional goals and desired outcomes. The learning objectives will provide an
evaluation of what the participants will learn, how conducting the training will transform the
participants understanding of acceptable behavior, how they will apply the new knowledge to
interact with students, teachers, and society, and what reinforcement strategies will be
implemented to maintain and enhance students’ learning and program enrichment.
Transfer of Learning and Program Structure
Learning is an active process, allowing learners to utilize what they learned to foster
individual change with the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, and transformation of
personal perceptions, convictions, attitudes, and values. The implicit learning objective of every
program is for the participants to take what they learned from the experience and transfer it in
their own context at school, home, work, or shared environment. Transfer of learning is
measured by behavior that accompanies the completion of a training program/seminar/course.
According to Caffarella (2010), participants’ behavior is documented and measured with the
application and practice of the concepts and the new skills (p.321). There are a variety of models,
strategies, and approaches to building opportunities for learning transfer and designing a program
structure. It is important for program planners to develop different methods of approach for
designing instructional programs for diversified audiences and themes.
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 15
Transfer of Learning
Harber and Sullivan (2002) defined transfer of learning “as ensuring the knowledge and
skills acquired during a learning intervention are applied on the job. The goal is for learners to
transfer 100% of their new knowledge and skills to their jobs, resulting in a higher level of
performance and an improvement in the quality of services” (p.6). For instance, an aspiring pilot
attending flight school training to become a commercial pilot would utilize the theoretical
content and simulated practices, and apply that knowledge to become a certified pilot. Saffron
(2010) delineated four important procedures, which are salient in assessing the transfer of
learning.
Conducting an appropriate needs assessment that is shared by all stakeholders.
Understanding the learner’s expectation to engage and motivate the learner.
Reinforcing the learning to gain feedback to enhance the program or training.
Overcoming barriers by implementing an action plan to execute what is learned or what
will occur after training (www.courseurl).
The program proposal addresses the constant display of violence and antisocial
aggressive behavior in public schools, an issue that is influencing the pedagogical learning
environment. This uncontrolled behavior has a negative impact on the safety and well-being of
students, teachers, administrators, and community at large. In this instance, the learning objective
is designed to provide an evaluation of what the participants will learn, how conducting the
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 16
training will transform the participants’ understanding of acceptable behavior, how they will
apply the new knowledge to interact with students, teachers, and society, and what follow-up
plan would be implemented to monitor participants activities beyond the training program.
The educational conflict resolution program engages prevention and intervention
strategies and techniques with the learning objectives to improve the participants' knowledge of
acceptable behavior, enhance cognitive skills, develop psychomotor skills, strengthen their
problem-solving capabilities, and change their attitudes, perceptions, and feelings to make a
difference in students' behavior and transfer learning from the learning environment to real life
situations. In other words, the participants will respond to structured or open-ended questions on
a self-report evaluation form; participate in individual interviews and group discussions to
demonstrate their analytical cognitive-behavioral abilities; under the observation of qualified
evaluators, participants will gain insights into disturbing issues, thoughts, and behaviors; and
maintain a reflective portfolio to record entries on how they solved specific problems, and their
feelings and attitudes about the event.
Identifying effective program staff is the key to presenting a structured plan that would
transform student’s aggressive attitude and antisocial behavior. The undertaking is a shared effort
of St. Lucie County School District and the community, which requires the involvement of
program manager, coordinator/school administrators, facilitators, evaluators, participants, and
parents to ensure the transfer of learning. As explained by Caffarella (2010), the role of the
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 17
program manager is to design the program and all aspects of program planning. School
administrators coordinate the facilities, register the participants, and monitor the on-site program.
Facilitators instruct and assist the learner to accomplish the learning objective using specified
strategies and techniques to transfer learning. The evaluators appraise the significance and
effectiveness of program (p. 247-248).
According to Caffarella (2010), transfer of learning strategies must include: 1) active
learning techniques, 2) interactive learning environment, 3) allow learners to develop specific
application plans, and 4) provide assistance for learning transfer (p.204-205). The curriculum
would include applicable, practical prevention and interventions strategies and techniques that
target specific types of illegal or antisocial behavior (anti-violence, anti-gang intervention);
educate students about the dangers of antisocial behavior; provide appropriate alternatives to
meet the social, emotional, and economic needs, develop and enforce procedures to counteract
aggressive attitudes that students learn from the influential factors (family life, peer groups,
school, and community), and reinforce the unrealistic nature of dramatized violence.
The instructional plan allows the participants to actively engage in lectures, discussions,
audio and video materials, critical thinking reflections and experiences, and developing their
reflection portfolio to support transfer of learning strategies and techniques. The participants will:
Identify other prevention and intervention strategies to deal with aggression and violence
behavior, such as, educating students on the dangers of antisocial behavior.
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 18
Participate in group discussions to share specific experiences, feelings, and thoughts and
express how the new knowledge would transform their behavior.
Examine critical thinking strategies, such as “identifying and challenging assumptions,
and exploring alternative ways of thinking and acting” to strengthen their problem-
solving capabilities and discuss how they will use the strategies to counteract their
antisocial behavior (Brookfield, 2010, p.71).
Establishing a process to monitor the activities of the program planner, coordinator,
instructors, and learners during and after the implementation is crucial to ensure that the program
is operating smoothly. The framework to monitor the activities of this program proposal is
outlined as follows:
During the program, the program planner will liaise with school administrators, program
coordinator, instructors, and evaluators to ensure that the implementation and instruction
plans adhere to the needs assessment and learning objectives for the transfer of learning
to ensue. Additionally, the planner will provide the instructional plans, evaluation forms,
and alternative techniques to instructors and evaluators.
The coordinator will scrutinize the facilities and apply quick response to resolve
unforeseen issues (technological and scheduling). Qualified instructors will follow the
instruction plan, use active prevention and intervention strategies and structured or open-
ended questions to stimulate the learners, assist the learners to develop their reflection
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 19
portfolio, and provide feedback and identify issues/strategies to improve the training.
Evaluators will observe the participants during the program to examine the impact of the
training and record the students’ progress. Learners will engage in individual and group
activities, lectures, and audio/video tutorials, as well as develop reflection portfolio and
discuss strategies/barriers to assist them with the learning transfer.
After the completion of the training, the program planner will develop a two-year action
plan and intervention program to monitor the participants’ progress as they utilize the
new knowledge in their own environment. The instructors will facilitate monthly
refresher courses, mentor participants, and provide feedback to the program planner and
the learners on what learning can be transferred. The learners will commit to participate
in the reinforcement program for two years to follow-up the effects of the program,
attend monthly refresher courses, discuss experiences and different strategies that
enabled the learning transfer, and seek mentoring from the instructors. School
administrators will follow-up with the training beyond the program, immediately help the
participants to apply what they learned, and provide the time needed to transfer the
learning.
Program Structure
Structuring a program is another important stage in program planning to facilitate the
learning process. The purpose of the program structure is to achieve the desired outcome. It is
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 20
driven by participants’ needs and considerations, provides a solution to meet those needs, fulfills
the organization’s mission, and defines participants, activities, services, and outcomes. The
elements for an efficient program structure is threefold: what is the course going to look like,
what activities would be performed to engage the students and accomplish the learning, what
needs to be taught to plan the activities. Supportively, Frasard (2010) explained that structuring
outlines the format in which the learning would take place, the schedule, and the learning
activities to provide effective learning to the participants.
With that in mind, the program structure that justifies the need for continuous
improvement in students’ antisocial and aggressive behavior is driven by St. Lucie County
Schools’ need to uphold the district’s mission “to create a challenging, engaging, and satisfying
work for every student every day” in consideration for the absolute safety and well-being of
students, teachers, administrators, and the community (www.stlucie.k12.fl.us). The program
structure is formatted to present detailed critical thinking concepts and interactive activities that
include prevention and intervention strategies to support learning.
The elements of the program structure include a plan that captures all the possibilities to
engage and motivate learners in large, small, or individual groups for the their learning
preferences, relevant content and activities to provide effective learning to the students, and
monitoring activities before, during, and after training. The individual format is structured for the
learners to engage in lectures, learning activities, interactive audio and video tutorial, and one-on-
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 21
one coaching to develop a reflection portfolio. Small groups are formatted to complete
interactive group activities, participate in group discussions, and provide support to participants
during discussions, experiences, or practices. Instructors and evaluators will facilitate the lectures
and evaluate the participants’ activities and learning progress.
Saffron (2010) affirmed that developing a program timeframe is essential to keep track of
important details needed to complete a program successfully. To explain the program timeframe
that fulfils the learning objectives for St. Lucie County Schools need assessment, the following
schedule was established:
The training sessions will be carried out in 12 schools in the St. Lucie County School:
four schools attended by students with low socioeconomic status; four k-8 elementary
schools, four middle schools, and four high schools.
Participants selected from grades 5-12 will engage in a 12-week critical reflection
curriculum from 10:00 -11:00 am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in designated
classrooms to engage in activities to transform their perceptions and convictions of
antisocial and aggressive behavior.
A two-year action plan and intervention program is developed to monitor the participants’
progress as they utilize the new knowledge in their own environment. The learners will
commit to participate in the reinforcement program, which is scheduled to take place on
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 22
the first Monday of each month for 24 months at 10:00 am in a designated classroom, to
follow-up the effects of the program and record experiences.
The program resources are an indirect cost to St. Lucie County school Board from funds
allocated by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) because the training will take place at
designated school sites during regular school hours to accommodate large and small groups and
individual learning. According to Caffarella (2010, “indirect cost are expenses that usually are
not attributable to individual programs and do not cost actual dollars, but are necessary to
maintain the program as a whole” (p.257). Indubitably, the school district will submit a budget to
the FDOE to cover the assessment, delivery, and evaluation cost for the program staff,
instructional materials, facilities, and equipments. The estimated program expenses will include
the following:
Budget Items Assessment Delivery Evaluation
Program Staff 350.00 350.00 350.00
Planner 250.00 250.00 250.00
Instructors 150.00 150.00 250.00
Coordinator
Instructional Materials
Power point presentation 200.00 200.00 200.00
Books/articles
Videotapes/audio CDs
Facilities 200.00 200.00 200.00
classroom
Equipment 1000.00 100.00 100.00
Computers
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 23
Educational program planning is a dynamic and continual process designed to most
effectively satisfy stakeholders’ needs, structured to motivate transfer of learning, and evaluated
to accomplish the desired learning objectives. Frasard (2010) further discussed how successful
transfer of learning requires the implementation of relevant training context that engages and
motivates the learner. He went on to assert that participants must be able to transfer the new
knowledge and apply it to real life circumstances. Structuring a program for learning to transcend
requires outlining the course and learning activities to engage the learner, developing a timelines
for record keeping, and calculating the resources to complete the program.
Program Evaluation
In program planning, the program planner develops a needs assessment, collects data to
create the learning objectives, uses the objectives to evaluate the program structure, conveys the
strategies for the transfer of learning, and determines whether the outcomes and objectives are
accomplished. Caffarella (1999) stated that in the final stage of program planning, the program
planner formulates an evaluation plan to “specify the evaluation approach to use and how the
data will be collected…determine how the data will be analyzed and used for future program
activities” (p.28). Program Evaluation is an active process that should be incorporated before,
during, and after a program to identify whether a program is successful or not. Frasard (2010)
suggested that program planners should examine their program in a critical light to see if it
accomplished what it was intended to do (www.courseurl.com).
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 24
The Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (1994) identified program
evaluation principles that include four basic attributes to provide meaningful evaluations of
educational programs in various settings: utility, feasibility, propriety, and accuracy. The
significance of these evaluation standards will ensure that: 1) utility: supports the needs
assessment; 2) feasibility: is realistic, politically viable, and cost effective; 3) propriety: is
conducted legally and ethically; and 4) accuracy: discloses and communicates adequate
information about the approaches and methods used to evaluate the program.
(www.ericdigest.org). This program proposal focuses all standards, especially the significance of
feasibility standards to assure that the program outcomes and learning objectives are met, as well
as to ensure that the evaluation will be realistic, politically viable, and cost effective.
In developing a program evaluation plan, Saffron (2010) suggested that program planners
must identify the purpose of the evaluation, what is being evaluated, where the data will be
collected, what approaches, strategies, and instruments will be used, and who needs to know the
results of the evaluation. The key purpose of the program evaluation for this program proposal is
to develop a process that addresses the skyrocketing antisocial, violent, and aggressive behavior
in public schools in St. Lucie County School District. The evaluation also explores factors that
influence violence and antisocial behavior, examines alternatives to reduce the effect of
children’s beliefs and feelings about violence, develops critical strategies, such as “identifying
and challenging assumptions, and exploring alternative ways of thinking and acting” to
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 25
strengthen their problem-solving capabilities and discuss how they will use the strategies to
counteract their antisocial behavior (Brookfield, 2010, p.71).
Designing effective critical thinking strategies to engage participants requires: 1)
identifying and challenging assumptions, and 2) exploring alternative ways of thinking and
acting. Brookfield (2010) suggested that the format should allow for openness, flexibility,
reflection, and support in that way the participants will feel at ease and liberated to discuss their
issues and opinions without skepticism and criticism. Identifying and critically analyzing the
assumptions that children tend to enact violent actions portrayed on television can be challenged
by observing students behavior during the viewing of violent actions in a film, questioning their
thoughts and actions about the scene, discussing a critical incident or experience that was
significant to them, and critically analyzing the assumptions underlying students’ violent actions.
Exploring alternative ways of thinking and acting is crucial to neutralize students’
aggressive attitude, make student aware of the over-dramatization of violent actions to promote
real life events, and provide a more realistic vision so students can identify with or construct a
whole new assumption of violence and aggressiveness. Some strategies to counteract students’
antisocial behavior include providing new information that is divergent to the existing idea,
which can be demonstrated in role playing “to gain a fully rounded appreciation of the particular
mix of thought processes, attitudes, perceptions, and emotions informing their actions”
(Brookfield, 2010, p.105).
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 26
Data will be collected from self-developed instruments like likert scales for the formal
survey, checklist for formal observation, and interview questions for the informal interviews to
determine the effectiveness of the program. A list of questions guiding the evaluation aimed at
identifying solutions for children’s the aggressive attitudes are as follows:
What factors impact students’ aggressive, antisocial, and disruptive behavior?
What is suitable strategies can counteract aggressive attitudes that children learn from the
influential factors?
How can the community (parents, school, students, legislators) work together to reduce
the influential factors?
What changes can be made or included in the curriculum to transform students’ behavior?
What extent would the curriculum bridge the gap between children’s perception of
violent programs?
How does demographics and socio-economic conditions support or impede learning?
The evaluation process will be carried out in 12 schools in the St. Lucie County School:
four schools attended by students with low socioeconomic status; four elementary schools, four
middle schools, and four high schools. The 5-point Likert scale will be developed to collect data
from the formal survey and range from strongly disagree, disagree, slightly agree, agree, and
strongly disagree and is presented in needs assessment (Appendix A). The rationale for the
design is to examine independent variables (biological and genetic variables, family variables,
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 27
peer group variables, school variables, and community factors) to see if they make a significant
different and determine the direction and strength of those relationships.
According to Lodico, Spaulding, and Voegtle (2010), once the survey is developed, a
pilot test group of participants would be selected and instructed on the process to establish
reliability and validity for the self-developed survey (pg. 108). The participating students will
receive a pretest/posttest and the criterion will measure the factors that influence inappropriate
behavior. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program will be used to calculate the
results of the statistical test, and generate the means and standard deviations of the data. Test of
significance will be used to determine whether the independent variables actually make a
difference. The program planner will explain results of the data and the findings to the
stakeholders through email and handout at staff meeting.
An observational checklist for the formal observation will be developed for participating
teachers to observe the students in their normal environment. Lodico et al. (2010) explained that
the “purpose of a checklist is to provide a level of rigor to the data collection process and ensure
that the data are reliable and valid” Using this data collection method will identify and define
targeted behavior (inattentiveness, frustration) to determine the relationship with influential
factors and student behavior (pg. 113). The participants will be observed for 20 minutes (three
times a week), and information will be reported in the form of field notes. The observers will
check the participants’ behavior and time for the following guiding statements:
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 28
____ Student is not attentive in class.
____ Student is easily distracted.
____ Student cannot stay in his/her designated seat.
____ Student does not follow directive.
____ Student is picking on his/her peers.
Trained observers will monitor the displayed behavior presented in the needs assessment
(Appendix B). Interrater reliability is the observational measure used for consistency, reliability,
and accuracy. The observation would be videotaped for accuracy and reviewed by a second
observer. The raw data will be scanned and maintained in confidential folder on my personal
computer. A histogram will categorize the data to measure each checklist. The program planner
will analyze the data and report the findings to the stakeholders through email and handout at
staff meeting.
Interview questions for the informal interviews will be designed for a focus group
interview to collect information from the community (parents, students, community members,
agencies, businesses, governmental entities, other educational institutions, and the school
district). The key purpose for the focus group is to observe the interactions and group dynamics
that unfold as the participants respond to the five structured questions presented in the needs
assessment (Appendix C). Participants’ confidentiality is crucial when responding to the guided
questions. The interview would be recorded to protect the integrity of the information revealed at
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 29
the interview, and safeguarded in a confidential folder on your personal computer. The data will
be analyzed using grading rubrics to measure and evaluate the criteria established for the
proposal. The program planner will report the findings to the stakeholders through email and
handout at staff meeting.
In planning a program for behavioral improvement and restructuring of perceptions,
beliefs, and convictions, the planner must assure that the connection between the learning
objectives and the program outcomes are feasible, realistic, cost-effective, and politically viable.
When formulating an evaluation program, the planner develops a step-by-step process utilizing
formal and informal data collection methods to observe, interview, analyze, and measure the
participants’ behavior during and after the educational program.
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 30
References
Boyes, K. (2006). Understanding by design and backward design. Education today, 3, (3), 13-14.
Retrieved from
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=2a61a2
75-0544-4ee3-ab3e-2b11010080a4%40sessionmgr114&vid=5&hid=113
Brookfield, S. D. (2010). Developing critical thinkers: challenging adults to explore alternative
ways of thinking and acting. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Caffarella, R. S. (2010). Designing and assessing learning experiences. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Caffarella, R. (1998/1999). Planning programs for adults: an interactive process. Adult Learning,
10, (2), 27-29. Retrieved from
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch
_SearchValue_0=EJ583125&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ583125
ERIC/AE. (1995). The Program Evaluation Standards: How to Assess Evaluations of
Educational Programs. Retrieved from http://www.ericdigests.org/1996-1/the.htm
Harber, L., & Sullivan, R. (2002) Transfer of Learning: A Guide for Strengthening the
Performance of Health Care Workers. PRIME II/ JHPIEGO, 1-36. Retrieved from
http://www.reproline.jhu.edu/English/6read/6training/tol/pdf/tol.pdf
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Laureate Education, Inc. (Frasard). (2010). Case study: program structure: practitioner’s
perspective [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://www.courseurl.com
Laureate Education, Inc. (Frasard). (2010). Case study: transfer of learning [Video webcast].
Retrieved from http://www.courseurl.com
Laureate Education, Inc. (Saffron). (2010). Needs assessment: higher education perspective
[Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://www.courseurl.com
Laureate Education, Inc. (Saffron). (2010). Transfer of learning higher education perceptive
[Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://www.courseurl.com
Lodico, M. G., Spaulding, D. T., & Voegtle, K. H. (2010). Methods in educational research. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
McCluskey, N. (2005). Violence in public schools: a dirty secret. Retrieved from The Cato
Institute website: http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=4032
St. Lucie County Public Schools. (2010). Mission, beliefs, vision. Retrieved from
http://www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/district/mission.aspx
Van Acker, R. (2007). Preventing school failure. Antisocial, aggressive, and violent behavior in
children and adolescents within alternative education settings: prevention and
intervention, 51 (2), 1-12
http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=16&hid=5&sid=d3ecb9b6-
e2ff-413a-809a-1837506fa413%40sessionmgr4
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Vooijs, M. W., & Van der Voort, T. H. (2001). Learning about television violence: the impact of
a critical viewing curriculum on children’s attitudinal judgments of crime series. In
Action research, 20-33. Boston: MA.
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 33
Appendix A
Likert Survey
Teacher SD SA
How does biological and genetic variables (genetic predisposition) 1 2 3 4 5 6
affect antisocial, aggressive, violent behavior
How does family variables (abuse and neglect, family violence) affect
antisocial, aggressive, violent behavior
How does peer group variables (peer social network, social rejection,
isolation) affect antisocial, aggressive, violent behavior
How does school variables (academic failure, teacher-student
interactions) affect antisocial, aggressive, violent behavior
How does community factors (media violence) affect antisocial,
aggressive, violent behavior
Note: 1= strongly disagree (SD), 2 = Disagree, 3 = slightly disagree, 4= slightly agree, 5 = agree, 6 = strongly agree (SA)
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 34
Appendix B
Observational Checklist
Date of Observation:
Time of Observation:
Location of Observation:
Length of Observation:
Participants:
Observer:
____ Student is not attentive in class.
____ Student is easily distracted.
____ Student cannot stay in his/her designated seat.
____ Student does not follow directive.
____ Student is picking on his/her peers.
Observer’s Reflections:
PROGRAM PROPOSAL 35
Appendix C
Interview Questions
1. What factors impact students’ aggressive, antisocial, and disruptive behavior?
2. What is suitable strategies can counteract aggressive attitudes that children learn from
the influential factors?
3. How can the community (parents, school, students, legislators) work together to
reduce the influential factors?
4. What changes can be made or included in the curriculum to transform students’
behavior?
5. What extent would the curriculum bridge the gap between children’s perception of
violent programs?
6. How does demographics and socio-economic conditions support or impede learning?
