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Raising Healthy Children

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Raising Healthy Children (RHC) incorporates school, family, and individual programs to promote key elements that research has shown to help children succeed in school and life. The program focuses on creating a caring community of learners through schoolwide action to strengthen instructional practices and family involvement. The elementary school program includes 1) a teacher-focused component, which focuses on effective instructional strategies and brings teachers together to reinforce learned strategies; 2) a parent-focused component, which involves group workshops on in-home problem-solving; and 3) a student-focused component, which includes in-home services and a summer camp. The program serving middle- and high-schoolers provides after-school tutoring, study clubs, and a social skills booster retreat for students to learn and practice social, emotional, and problem-solving skills.

Goal / Mission

The Raising Healthy Children program is a social development approach to positive youth development.

Results / Accomplishments

Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Raising Healthy Children and its strategies. In one evaluation of 938 first and second grade students, academic and behavioral improvements were examined in students who received RHC intervention compared to controls 18 months after implementation. Those who received intervention had significantly higher teacher-reported academic performance (p<0.001), a stronger commitment to school (p<0.03), a decrease in antisocial behaviors (p<0.02), and increased social competency (p<0.01). Resources to support program implementation are available online.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Social Development Research Group, University of Washington
Primary Contact
Kevin Haggerty, Director
Social Development Research Group
UW Box #358734
9725 Third Ave NE, Suite #401
Seattle WA 98115
206-685-1997
haggerty@uw.edu
http://www.sdrg.org/index.asp
Topics
Education / Student Performance K-12
Education / Childcare & Early Childhood Education
Organization(s)
Social Development Research Group, University of Washington
Date of publication
2003
Location
Seattle, WA
For more details
http://www.sdrg.org/rhcsummary.asp
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S...
Target Audience
Children, Teens, Families

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An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.
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