ERIC Number: ED673880
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Oct
Pages: 41
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The Sexual Risk Avoidance Education National Evaluation: Using Co-Regulation in Youth Programs. Sexual Risk Avoidance Education National Evaluation. OPRE Report 2023-281
Lauren Tingey; Rebecca Piatt; Avery Hennigar; Caroline O’Callahan; Shannon Weaver; Heather Zaveri
Administration for Children & Families
The federal government funds grant programs designed to help youth avoid or reduce the risks associated with sexual initiation. In support of this approach, the Family and Youth Services Bureau within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) began funding General Departmental Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grants in 2016. ACF awarded Mathematica a contract for the SRAE National Evaluation (SRAENE) in 2018. This report describes results from a study which examined strategies used to improve the program component of facilitation, called the Co-Regulation Implementation Study. The authors tested a theory that teaching SRAE facilitators co-regulation skills--including fostering warm and responsive relationships with youth, creating a safe and supportive classroom environment, and coaching and modeling self-regulation skills--has the potential to improve youth outcomes. To test this theory, the study team trained facilitators to use a set of coregulation strategies when delivering their SRAE programming and supported them as they used the strategies. Nine SRAE grantee sites in high school classes took part in the study during the 2022-2023 school year. The study aimed to discover if the use of co-regulation facilitation strategies support improvement in facilitation, if the use of the co-regulation facilitation strategies support improvement in youth proximal outcomes, and how youth respond to SRAE programs when facilitators use co-regulation strategies. To prepare facilitators to implement the co-regulation strategies, the study team hosted in-person trainings for facilitators and their program administrators. The team collected data from a range of sources and instruments, including surveys filled out by the facilitators themselves, individual interviews with facilitators, classroom observations, youth focus groups, and daily reports from facilitators about their use of the strategies. Overall findings show facilitators thought using the strategies strengthened their facilitation, improved their ability to connect with students, and helped them build a positive program environment. Youth also reacted positively to the strategies. Results from the study show the promise of incorporating co-regulation strategies into SRAE programs. Findings shared in this report illuminate how to support facilitators as co-regulators (that is, how to use co-regulation strategies to support youth development of self-regulation skills) and how SRAE facilitators can use co-regulation strategies to improve delivery of their programs.
Descriptors: Risk Management, Sexuality, Health Behavior, Program Implementation, Facilitators (Individuals), Skill Development, Interpersonal Relationship, Classroom Environment, Coaching (Performance), Modeling (Psychology), Self Management, Program Effectiveness, High School Students, Training, Adolescents
Administration for Children & Families. US Department of Health and Human Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW, Washington, DC 20447. Web site: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Administration for Children and Families (DHHS), Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE); Administration for Children and Families (DHHS), Family and Youth Services Bureau; Mathematica; Public Strategies
Grant or Contract Numbers: HHSP233201500035I; HHSP23337031T
Author Affiliations: N/A


