2010-2011 Children, Youth & Families at Risk | Annual Report
CYFAR Leadership
Program Overview
Dr. Chris Boleman
Texas 4-H and Youth Development was awarded a five year
Program Director
USDA – CYFAR grant to implement programming for underserved
4-H and Youth Development
Dr. Toby Lepley 4-H and Youth Development Specialist
Dr. Mat Duerden Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
Amy Dromgoole
populations. The program involves a 4-H after school program focused on science, engineering, and technology (SET) implemented in Harris and Cameron counties. Emphasis included computers, aerospace, photography, robotics, hypothesis testing, and
CYFAR Graduate Assistant
entrepreneurship. 4-H Clubs were established at each site in a holistic
Alicia Erwin
approach to engage parents and youth in 4-H special interest project
Student Technician
Harris County Sheryl Nolen CEA-UYD
and other family events hosted at each site. Each area targeted within the counties has a high level of poverty, school dropout rates, and low college attendance. By partnering with the public school system in
Stephane Calderon
both counties, program outcomes aimed to increase the number of
CYFAR Program Assistant
graduating senior advancing to college from below 10% to 25% and to
Cameron County Marco Ponce
impart soft skills that will allow all youth to be more employable.
CEA- 4-H
Thianna Reyes
CYFAR Program Assistant
Texas AgriLife Extension Service Texas 4-H and Youth Development texas4h@ag.tamu.edu 4180 State Highway 6 South College Station, Texas 77845
Goals & Objectives Employing the 4-H experiential learning delivery method, the proposed CYFAR project targeted youth with the following goals: • Improve science and technical skills to be competitive in academic and work force settings; • Improve demonstrable leadership life skills that would include critical thinking skills, communication, teamwork, goal setting, responsibility, lifelong learning and adaptation, positive attitude, and positive work ethics; • Apply science and math principles through 4-H experiential learning strategies for the purpose of educational and career paths;
Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating
• Partner with teachers and other community volunteers to create an atmosphere for family inclusiveness in the educational readiness process.
Evaluation Questions The evaluation was designed to answer the following questions about the program: 1. Do participants gain increased knowledge about science, engineering, and technology (SET) topics? 2. Are participants satisfied with the program and its activities? 3. Do participants develop increased positive attitudes towards the importance of higher education? 4. Do participants report increased interest in careers related to SET? 5. Does participation lead to a greater desire to take high school science courses? 6. Does participation lead students to develop a desire to form and attend their own 4-H clubs?
Methodology The Youth Engagement, Attitudes and Knowledge Survey (YEAKS) was used to measure key indicators (e.g., decision making, critical thinking, etc.). Additional questions were added to address participant satisfaction and plans for high school SET courses. Questionnaires were administered to students in the 4-H program at the Cobb 6th Grade and Sam Houston Elementary in Harris County at the beginning of the 2010 school year, again in December, and at the end of the program year during the spring of 2011. Surveys were administered to Cameron county participants at the beginning of 2011 and again in April 2011. Mean scores were calculated for the following scales. All items employed a 4-item likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree). Table 1 provides a completed breakdown of scales, items, and reliability coefficients.
Scale Name
Items
Îą
Science Skills I can use scientific knowledge to form a question I can ask a question that can be answered by collecting data I can design a scientific procedure to answer a question I can communicate a scientific procedure to others I can record data accurately I can use data to create a graph for presentation to others I can create a display to communicate my data and observations 0.88 I can analyze the results of a scientific investigation I can use science terms to share my results I can use models to explain my results I can use the results of my investigation to answer the questions I asked Program I like the 4-H program. Satisfaction I would tell other kids to sign up for the 4-H program. 0.91 I would sign up again for the 4-H program. Program I feel safe and respected Climate I am afraid I will be embarrassed or put down All kinds of kids are welcome Adults listen to what I have to say I feel comfortable going to adults for advice 0.77 Other kids care about me I feel like I can make a difference I am encouraged to take responsibility It is OK to make mistakes All survey data was entered into a dataset and analyzed using SPSS 18. Descriptive statistics were run for all items.
FINDINGS Before presenting the overall findings a number of key points deserve consideration. The small sample size and the unequal representation of the same individuals across waves of data collection make it difficult to confidently identify significant change scores between pre- and post-test administrations of the survey.
Sample information During the first wave of data collection 31 surveys were received students in Harris County. Thirty-seven surveys were collected from Harris County and 24 from Cameron County during wave two. In the final wave 17 surveys were collected from Harris County and 16 from Cameron County. Table 2 provides a demographic overview of the two groups. Table 2. Sample Demographics
Sam Houston (n = 48)
Mean Age
Cameron County (n = 24)
10.2
17.6
Male 23
7
Female 25
17
African American/Black 10
0
Hispanic/Latino 26
19
Native American
2
0
White
0
4
Other
2
1
Multi-Racial
7
0
Table 3 provides information related to the amount of the program received as reported by the students on the final survey. Table 3. Amount of SET Program Received
How long have you
been in this program?
A month
2 to 4
5 to 7
8 months
or less
months
months
or more
less
hours hours
0%
12%
59%
29%
29%
59% 12%
Cameron County 38%
25%
19%
19%
88%
13%
Harris County
How many hours do you spend in the program each week?
1 hour or 1-3
3+
0%
Do participants gain increased knowledge about science, engineering, and technology (SET) topics?
A variety of questions were asked to better understand the impact of the program on participants’ perspectives of SET topics. These included items related to perceived SET skill levels and attitude towards science. In terms of perceived SET skills, participants reported mostly positive perceptions of their SET skills (see Figure 1).
Perceived SET Skills
Although Cameron county students reported a slight decline in perceived skills, Harris County scores increased across each data wave. As mentioned earlier, caution should be taken when interpreting the results because of the small sample sizes and because the same individuals did not always complete the survey each time.
Students were also asked to respond to a number of questions related to their attitudes towards science. See table 4 Table 4. Attitude Towards Science
Harris County
Cameron County
Items T1 T2 T3 T2 T3 I like science 94% 81% 94% 54% 56% Science is useful for solving
65% 83% 88%
78%
69%
everyday problems Students appear to have a mostly positive attitude towards science and its everyday importance.
Are participants satisf ied with the program and its activities?
Overall satisfaction with the program was high for students from both counties and satisfaction appears to have increased over the duration of the program (Figure 2).
Program Satisfaction
Students were asked to pick their top three favorite aspects of the program from a list of 10 options. Table 5 provides a summary of the most frequently chosen program elements. Harris County Cameron County Activities
T2
T3
T2
T3
I get to do hands-on activities and projects
3%
9%
16%
5%
I get to spend time with my friends
0%
7%
4%
23%
I can use tools and materials here that
3% 37%
7%
49%
0% 35%
5%
16%
I don’t have at school or at home I get to do community service I get opportunities to demonstrate things
19%
9%
18%
7%
The adults are caring and kind (staff, leaders, volunteers)
25%
2%
21%
0%
It is a place where I feel safe
28%
2%
23%
0%
I like the curriculum/project book
0%
0%
9%
0%
It is a group where I feel like I belong
11%
0%
0%
0%
I get positive feedback from the adults and other kids
11%
0%
4%
0%
I have learned or made in front of others
Do participants develop increased positive attitudes towards the importance of higher education? Youth were asked to indicate how far they would like to continue on in school (Table 6). Higher scores indicate increased desire to obtain more secondary education. Table 6. Educational Aspirations
How far do you want
to go in school?
T1 T2 T3 Harris County Cameron County
3.90
---
4.11 4.41 3.67
3.19
Do participants report increased interest in careers related to SET? Interest in science related careers appeared to increase across the duration of the program among the sampled students (Table 7). Table 7. Interest in SET Careers
When I graduate from high school, I would like to have a job related to science
T1 T2
T3
Harris County 2.35 2.43
2.82
Cameron County --- 2.25
2.31
Students were also provided list of potential careers and asked to select their most preferred. Table 8 provides a summary of the percentage of students who selected SET related careers. Table 8. % of Students Who Expressed Interest in Specific SET Careers T1 T2
T3
Harris County 16% 17% 24% Cameron County
---
2700%
2500%
Does participation lead to a greater desire to take high school science courses? Students were asked how much they enjoyed science classes and if they planned on taking any science courses in high school. This second question was perhaps not as applicable to the Cameron County sample as they already were in high school. Table 9. Interest in Science Classes
Science is one of my
I plan on taking science
favorite subjects
courses in high school
Item
T1
T2
T3
T1
Harris County Cameron County
T2
T3
3.06
2.89
3.29
2.97
2.90
3.31
---
2.42
2.25
---
3.17
2.94
Does participation lead students to develop a desire to form and attend their own 4-H clubs? Results indicate student interest in starting a new 4-H Club increased over the course of the program. Table 10. Interest in Starting a 4-H Club
I would like to help start a new 4-H Club
Item T2
T3
Harris County 2.69
3.35
Cameron County 2.33
2.75
Conclusion Although these results provide some insights into the impact of the observed programs, as stated, the small sample size and number of program sessions offered between the testing periods make it difficult to make concrete impact statements. For example, although some increases are shown in a number of areas, it needs to be recognized that it was not always the same individuals who completed surveys at each collection period. That being said, the overall scores are positive in that a majority of respondents appear satisfied with the program, confident in their SET skills, and have clear goals for postsecondary education. It is also encouraging to see that students felt positive about the overall climate of the program and a majority also expressed interest in starting their own 4-H Clubs.