ERIC Number: ED499268
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Apr-23
Pages: 16
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Positive Action. Revised. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report
What Works Clearinghouse
"Positive Action," a K-12 program, aims to promote character development, academic achievement, and social-emotional skills and to reduce disruptive and problem behavior. The program is based on the philosophy that you feel good about yourself when you think and do positive actions, and there is always a positive way to do everything. The curriculum includes six units; some grades have a review for a seventh unit. All lessons are scripted and use classroom discussion, role-play, games, songs, and activity sheets or text booklets. Optional components that may or may not be implemented as part of the program are: site-wide climate development; drug education for grade 5 and middle school; conflict resolution; counselor, parent, and family classes; and community/coalition components. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviewed 13 studies on "Positive Action." One study of "Positive Action" met the WWC evidence standards, and one study met standards with reservations. The studies included 56 elementary schools in Florida and Hawaii. Both studies examined results on students' behavior and academic achievement. The WWC considers the extent of evidence for "Positive Action" to be moderate to large for behavior and for academic achievement. No studies of "Positive Action" that met WWC evidence standards with or without reservations addressed outcomes in the domain of knowledge, attitudes, and values. The WWC rated the program as having positive effects on both behavior and academic achievement. Character education, an evolving field, is beginning to establish a research base. (Contains 9 footnotes.) [This publication was produced by the What Works Clearinghouse. The following studies are reviewed in this intervention report: (1) Flay, B., Acock, A., Vuchinich, S., & Beets, M. (2006). Progress report of the randomized trial of Positive Action in Hawaii: End of third year of intervention. Available from Positive Action, Inc. 264 4th Avenue South, Twin Falls, ID 83301; and (2) Flay, B. R., & Allred, C. G. (2003). Long-term effects of the Positive Action program. "American Journal of Healthy Behavior," 27(1), 6-21.]
Descriptors: Intervention, Elementary Secondary Education, Academic Achievement, Meta Analysis, Research Reports, Behavior Modification, Functional Behavioral Assessment, Ethical Instruction, Values Education, Effective Schools Research, Program Effectiveness, Quasiexperimental Design, Emotional Development, Personality Development
What Works Clearinghouse. 550 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024; e-mail: contact.WWC@ed.gov; Web site: https://whatworks.ed.gov/
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Florida; Hawaii
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
IES Publication: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/interventionreport.aspx?sid=380
Author Affiliations: N/A