READY! History—The Cliff Notes

Independent Program Assessment: A Partnership of the University of Maryland and MetroCap

In 2004 MetroCap commissioned the Public Health Informatics (PHI) Research Laboratory at the University of Maryland (UMD) at College Park to conduct a six-month assessment of the Metropolitan Child Assault Prevention program, which MetroCap had presented to elementary school children in the Washington Metropolitan Area since 1996.

Dr. Nancy Atkinson (Director of the Public Health Informatics Research Laboratory), Dr. Robert Gold (Co-Director of PHI and Dean of the College of Health and Human Performance), and Dr.Sharon Desmond conducted the assessment.

The evaluation method included a pre-test/post-test comparison group design, which determined whether children are learning the concepts they are taught and if they can remember the concepts at post-test. Focus group interviews were conducted with 3rd grade students to determine the effectiveness of the Metropolitan Child Assault Prevention program on participants.

Based on the evaluation findings and other considerations, MetroCap has developed and implemented a new curriculum concerning child safety: READY! Respect, Empower And Defend Yourself!

The University of Maryland Assessment Team worked closely with MetroCap in the development and pilot testing of the READY! program. Collaborating with the UMD Assessment Team from inception to implementation of the READY! program ensures that their findings were incorporated into this new curriculum. During the first phase of the pilot program in Fall 2005, the UMD Assessment Team observed workshops and provided feedback following each site visit. They also prepared a written critique and met with the staff to regarding revisions for the Spring of 2006.

In the 2006-2007 school year, the UMD team continued to assist with evaluation planning and recommendations, which we incorporated into the READY! program during the summer of 2007. In the in the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 school years, MetroCap's READY! Program continued to be delivered to elementary school communities throughout the Metropolitan Washington, DC area. Program evaluations by counselors and teachers and an evaluation of student learning continued to be conducted and analyzed and used to improve delivery, content, and effectiveness.