“In every neighborhood, all across the country, there are good people insisting on a good start for the young, and doing something about it.”

~ The World According to Mister Rogers:

Important Things to Remember

 

Communities That Care® (CTC) is a “operating system” for the Port Angeles community to work together to prevent youth problem behaviors, including substance use, delinquency, teen pregnancy, school drop out, and violence. CTC is based on 3 principals of prevention science – DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS, TESTED EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION.

 

DATA DRIVEN – Just as we know the predicators of heart disease, we know the predicators that protect our youth as well as those that predict problem behaviors.

 

®    Our primary data tool is the Youth Survey given to 6^th, 8^th, 10^th, and 12^th graders every two years. Results from this survey are used to select programs for Port Angeles.

TESTED EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS – Programs eligible for implementation in the community must pass the rigors of research and be proven effective. Here are the procedures for the programs structure.

 

®    In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the programs provided as part of this project, we will be relying on information provided by program participants. All information that is given, as part of this study will be kept anonymous. If you agree to allow your child to participate in this study, your child will be asked to fill out a brief questionnaire at the beginning of the first program session. They will also be asked to fill out the same one at the end of last session. This is a voluntary and anonymous test; it can be refused if not comfortable. Many of the questions on the test are related to the content covered in the program. Here are some of the most sensitive questions we will ask: “I like my math teacher this year”, “I have given up on school”, “Compared to other students in my class, I get good grades.”

®    They will also be asked to participate in many activities to help them accomplish their goal.

 

OTHER INFORMATION – All your information that your child gives as part of this study will be anonymous. A code number, not your name or your child’s name, will be put on the questionnaires. All completed surveys will be kept in locked files and will be put retained for three months, then destroyed. Only the Community Youth Development Study project staff at the University of Washington will ever have access to the surveys. It will not be possible to know who provided what information. All data obtained from the survey will be analyzed and presented in-group summary form showing how participants in the program answered as a whole, like many opinion polls, and reported back to the program coordinator. This data will be used by the program coordinator and the Port Angeles Communities That Care Planning Board to evaluate if the Port Angeles Tutoring project is having its desired impact on participants.

 

Participation in the study is completely voluntary. There are no penalties or consequences if your child does not wish to participate. If you have any question about this important study, you can call the projects toll free phone number: 1-888-313-9575.

 

Please contact Karen Meyer, the program coordinator, at 360/457-3011, before the first program session, only if you do not wish your son or daughter to participate in the study. If you have any questions about this important survey, you can ask the program coordinator or call the project’s toll free number in the last paragraph.