Intervention Summary
Positive Action Pre-K Program
The Positive Action Pre-K Program is a classroom-based intervention that aims to improve social-emotional skills among preschool students. The Positive Action Pre-K Program, one component of Positive Action (reviewed by NREPP separately), builds intrinsic motivation by teaching and reinforcing the intuitive philosophy that one feels good about oneself when taking positive actions. The philosophy is illustrated by the intervention's Thoughts-Actions-Feelings Circle, in which positive thoughts lead to positive actions, positive actions lead to positive feelings about oneself, and positive feelings lead to more positive thoughts. Positive actions for the whole self--the body, mind, and feelings--are presented in six units: The intervention consists of 130 scripted lessons implemented by the classroom teacher. Typically four of these 15-minute lessons are taught each week. Lessons involve a variety of methodologies and materials such as puppets, activities, stories, games, posters, music, poems, stickers, visual aids, and other manipulatives. Implementers may decide to present all 130 lessons or select the lessons within each unit that best meet the needs of their students. The Positive Action Pre-K Program can be implemented with other parts of the larger Positive Action program, such as grade-specific curricula from kindergarten through 12th grade and components that reinforce the skills learned in the classroom (e.g., sitewide climate development, counselor, family, and community components). In the study reviewed for this summary, only the prekindergarten classroom component was used, and classrooms provided a condensed version of the program consisting of 60 lessons.
The documents below were reviewed for Quality of Research. The research point of
contact can provide information regarding the studies reviewed and the availability
of additional materials, including those from more recent studies that may have been conducted. Flay, B. R. Randomized evaluation of the Positive Action Pre-K program. Unpublished manuscript.
The following populations were identified in the studies reviewed for Quality of
Research.
External reviewers independently evaluate the Quality of Research for an intervention's
reported results using six criteria:
For more information about these criteria and the meaning of the ratings, see Quality of Research.
The instrument used to measure social-emotional skills had adequate to good reliability scores overall and within each of the 11 individual scales. Data were collected on the number of lessons each student received and the level of student engagement in the sessions. Students received an average of 4.8 lessons per week, close to the expected 5-6 lessons per week for full implementation. Of the six instructors who implemented the program and provided fidelity data, four indicated that they delivered almost all of the lessons targeted for the study. Instructors reported that students were engaged at a high level and talked with their parents at a moderate level, and they estimated that students discussed the program outside of the classroom at a moderate level. Pretest and posttest data were matched, and children without both assessments were excluded from analyses. A randomized controlled study design was used. The social-emotional skills instrument may not be valid for preschool-age children, as some of the items assess characteristics that are developmentally advanced for children of this age. Although efforts were made to measure fidelity, the study did not use independent observations of the instructors or a checklist of topics covered, nor did it attempt to assess adherence to the program manual. No explanation is provided as to why one instructor and one preschool did not submit posttest data or why more students were rated at posttest than pretest. Several confounding variables were present in the study: No analysis was conducted to compare students with and without matched pre- and posttest data; the same instructors who implemented the program in the classroom also rated the children's social-emotional skills, which could have introduced bias into the assessment; and despite the children's random assignment to teachers, intervention and control groups differed significantly on all scales at pretest. Because demographic data on the groups were not provided, it is not known whether the groups were similar or whether demographic covariates should have been included in the analyses. The sample size was small.
The materials below were reviewed for Readiness for Dissemination. The implementation
point of contact can provide information regarding implementation of the intervention
and the availability of additional, updated, or new materials. Positive Action: Elementary Orientation Training Workshop Preview: Positive Action: Pre-Kindergarten Instructor's Curriculum Kit:
External reviewers independently evaluate the intervention's Readiness for Dissemination
using three criteria: For more information about these criteria and the meaning of the ratings, see Readiness for Dissemination.
The instructor's manual is highly detailed and easy to follow and provides thorough guidance to prepare teachers and other school personnel to implement the program. Many of the audio and visual materials provided are appropriately designed to appeal to prekindergarten learners. Tips for using the implementation materials, as well as scripts for introducing subjects and engaging young children, are included. The developer has provided guidelines for adapting the scripted sessions for different settings. Various in-person and Webinar training options are available, as are less expensive self-training workshop kits. The program Web site offers a variety of free and easily accessible measures to help ensure program quality and effectiveness. For sites selecting the self-training option, it is unclear how the developer provides them with implementation guidance and how they access the developer to ask questions. Some materials (e.g., teacher implementation checklists) were developed for the larger Positive Action program, not specifically the Positive Action Pre-K Program, and therefore might not correspond well to the needs of the prekindergarten population.
The cost information below was provided by the developer. Although this cost information
may have been updated by the developer since the time of review, it may not reflect
the current costs or availability of items (including newly developed or discontinued
items). The implementation point of contact can provide current information and
discuss implementation requirements. Contact the developer for more information on the kits required for each training option.
Descriptive Information
Areas of Interest
Mental health promotion
Substance use disorder prevention
Outcomes
1: Social-emotional skills
Outcome Categories
Mental health
Social functioning
Ages
0-5 (Early childhood)
Genders
Data were not reported/available.
Races/Ethnicities
Data were not reported/available.
Settings
School
Geographic Locations
Urban
Suburban
Rural and/or frontier
Implementation History
The Positive Action Pre-K Program curriculum kit was developed and field tested for 8 years until it was released to the public. Approximately 50 sites have used the program, serving about 1,500 individuals in 22 States and British Columbia, Canada. One evaluation was conducted in Virginia.
NIH Funding/CER Studies
Partially/fully funded by National Institutes of Health: No
Evaluated in comparative effectiveness research studies: No
Adaptations
No population- or culture-specific adaptations of the intervention were identified by the developer.
Adverse Effects
No adverse effects, concerns, or unintended consequences were identified by the developer.
IOM Prevention Categories
Universal
Documents Reviewed
Study 1
Outcomes
Outcome 1: Social-emotional skills
Description of Measures
Social-emotional skills were rated using a 33-item instrument containing 3 items assessing each of 11 different domains: understanding of positive and negative actions, self-concept, physical health, intellectual health, self-management, self-control, being respectful of others, consideration for others, social bonding, honesty with self and others, and self-improvement. For each item (e.g., "has a good understanding of which behaviors are positive and which are negative," "feels good about him/herself when he/she does positive actions," "likes to learn," "shows self-control," "can cooperate with others, can compromise when necessary"), the instructor used a 7-point scale ranging from "not at all" to "totally" to indicate the degree to which the item described the student. A mean score was calculated for each scale and for the overall instrument. Higher scores on all scales represented better skills.
Key Findings
Students in three preschools were randomly assigned to a classroom implementing the intervention (a total of seven classrooms) or a classroom providing instruction as usual (a total of five classrooms). Intervention classrooms provided a condensed version of the Positive Action Pre-K Program consisting of 60 lessons. From pre- to posttest, students who received the intervention had greater improvement in overall social-emotional skills than control group students (p < .05). Analyses conducted separately for each of the 11 domains revealed that intervention group students improved on all 11 scales, while control group students either showed no change or worsened (p < .05 on all scales).
Studies Measuring Outcome
Study 1
Study Designs
Experimental
Quality of Research Rating
1.6
(0.0-4.0 scale)
Study Populations
Study
Age
Gender
Race/Ethnicity
Study 1
0-5 (Early childhood)
Data not reported/available
Data not reported/available
Quality of Research Ratings by Criteria (0.0-4.0 scale)
Outcome
Reliability
of Measures
Validity
of Measures
Fidelity
Missing
Data/Attrition
Confounding
Variables
Data
Analysis
Overall
Rating
1: Social-emotional skills
2.5
1.8
2.0
1.0
1.0
1.5
1.6
Study Strengths
Study Weaknesses
Materials Reviewed
Readiness for Dissemination Ratings by Criteria (0.0-4.0 scale)
Implementation
Materials
Training and Support
Resources
Quality Assurance
Procedures
Overall
Rating
4.0
3.5
3.8
3.8
Dissemination Strengths
Dissemination Weaknesses
Item Description
Cost
Required by Developer
Pre-Kindergarten Instructor's Curriculum Kit
$450 each
Yes
Orientation Workshop Kit (Elementary Orientation)
$550 each
Yes, for some training options
Professional Development Kit (includes CD-ROM, reference materials, assessment tools, and a behavior management booklet)
$350 each
Yes, for some training options
Self-Training Ongoing In-Service Workshop Kit
$300 each
No
Self-Training Media Training Workshop Kit
$200 each
No
1-day implementation training on site or in Idaho
$3,000 per site for up to 50 participants, plus travel expenses if on site
No
Attendance at another organization's 1-day implementation training
$250 per person, per hour
No
Implementation training Webinar
$250 per hour
No
1-day train-the-trainer implementation workshop on site or in Idaho
$3,000 per site for up to 50 participants, plus travel expenses if on site
No
Implementation train-the trainer Webinar
$250 per hour
No
1-day professional development training on site or in Idaho
$3,000 for up to 50 participants, plus travel expenses if on site
No
Professional development training Webinar
$250 per hour
No
1-day professional development train-the-trainer workshop on site or in Idaho
$3,000 for up to 50 participants, plus travel expenses if on site
No
Professional development train-the trainer Webinar
$250 per hour
No
1-day ongoing in-service or media training on site or in Idaho for schools, districts, or community organizations
$3,000 for up to 50 participants, plus travel expenses if on site
No
Ongoing in-service or media training Webinar
$250 per hour
No
Consultation and technical assistance from developer by phone or email
Free for brief consultation or $300 per hour for time-intensive support
No
Implementation, progress, and outcome monitoring surveys
Free
No
Online administration of surveys and analysis by Positive Action evaluator
No
Evaluation services consulting by phone or email
$400 per hour
No
Additional Information