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The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.

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Program Description

Overview Generacion Diez (G-10) is an after school program in Adams County, Pennsylvania, that aims to address major problems affecting the growing Latino migrant community in the area. Specifically, the program’s goals are to (a) reduce school failure and absences in migrant children, (b) improve children’s study and social skills and promote social-emotional competence, (c) provide migrant parents with instrumental and social support and improved access to social service resources, and (d) increase parent–teacher involvement and cooperation.
Start Date October 1998
Scope local
Type after school
Location rural
Setting public school
Participants elementary school students (Grades 1–6)
Number of Sites/Grantees 3 sites
Number Served 94 in 1998–1999
Components Children are selected for the program based on referrals solicited from three major school districts within Adams County, as well as from the Office of Children and Youth and the Migrant Health Services agencies. To be selected, children from Latino migrant families (and a very small number of non-Latino youth) have to meet at least one of the following criteria: (a) poor/below grade-level academic performance, especially in reading and writing; (b) poor classroom conduct (e.g., poor self-control, socially withdrawn); or (c) low parent participation or involvement in school.

A mixture of Latino and non-Latino individuals staff G-10. Each site has a bilingual program director and two head teachers, as well as volunteer staff. The number of volunteers varies by site, with one to three volunteers assisting children during homework time. Half of the head teachers and many of the volunteers are bilingual.

When children arrive at G-10, they are separated into two groups based on grade. One group consists of first to third graders, and the other consists of fourth to sixth graders. The afternoon starts with a snack and homework period. When children complete their homework, and if time allows, they participate in group activities ranging from indoor games to outdoor play to field trips. These activities often include integration of academic concepts.

After the group activity, children are taught a lesson from one of two curricula. The first, an academic achievement curriculum, is taught twice weekly for 30–45 minutes per session and focuses on age-appropriate instruction in traditional school subject areas (e.g., reading, spelling, and mathematics). The second curriculum, Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS) is a comprehensive curriculum that promotes social and emotional competence in elementary-school-aged children.

In addition to the after school programming, G-10 employs a parent home-education component designed to establish linkages between the Latino families, the schools, and other supporting agencies in the community. Trained home educators act as liaisons between Latino parents and teachers, explain the expectations of the school, communicate children’s educational needs at home, and apprise parents of the educational progress of their children. To the extent that parents can communicate in English, home educators help them learn how and when to communicate directly with a child’s teacher.

The home educators also provide migrant families with assistance in attaining various social services and advise parents on more appropriate attitudes regarding child rearing. Lastly, the home educators work in close collaboration with parents of children with especially problematic behaviors in devising strategies to reinforce good behavior in the home. After an initial assessment visit is made to each family and assistance is provided in linking families to necessary community resources, subsequent visits are provided at least once per month and on an as-needed basis.
Funding Level not available
Funding Source the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program


Evaluation

Overview The evaluation examined (a) how certain ecological factors (e.g., family functioning) influence migrant Latino children’s academic outcomes following participation in G-10, (b) whether program attendance was associated with changes in children’s social development, and (c) whether program attendance and contact with G-10 home visitors was associated with changes in parent involvement in the children’s education.
Evaluators Nathaniel R. Riggs and Mark T. Greenberg, Prevention Research Center, the Pennsylvania State University
Evaluations Profiled Moderators in the Academic Development of Migrant Latino Children Attending After-School Programs (Year 1)

After-School Program Attendance and the Social Development of Rural Children of Latino Immigrant Families (Year 1)

The Generacion Diez After-School Program and Latino Parent Involvement With Schools (Year 2)
Evaluations Planned none
Report Availability Riggs, N. R., & Greenberg, M. T. (2004). Moderators in the academic development of migrant Latino children attending after-school programs. Applied Developmental Psychology, 25, 349–367.

Riggs, N. R. (in press). After-school program attendance and the social development of rural children of Latino immigrant families. Journal of Community Psychology.

Riggs, N. R., & Medina, C. (in press). The Generacion Diez after-school program and Latino parent involvement with schools. Journal of Primary Prevention, 26.


Contacts

Evaluation Nathaniel R. Riggs, Ph.D.
University of Southern California
Keck School of Medicine
Institute for Prevention Research
1000 S. Fremont Ave., Unit #8
Alhambra, CA 91803
Tel: 626-457-6687
Email: nriggs@usc.edu
Program Nathaniel R. Riggs, Ph.D.
University of Southern California
Keck School of Medicine
Institute for Prevention Research
1000 S. Fremont Ave., Unit #8
Alhambra, CA 91803
Tel: 626-457-6687
Email: nriggs@usc.edu
Profile Updated January 17, 2006

Evaluation 1 and 2: Moderators in the Academic Development of Migrant Latino Children Attending After-School Programs (Year 1), After-School Program Attendance and the Social Development of Rural Children of Latino Immigrant Families (Year 1)



Evaluation Description

Evaluation Purpose To examine the influence of (a) children’s level of acculturation, family functioning, parent–teacher contacts, and parent engagement in school activities on the program’s academic impact and (b) program attendance on the children’s social development.
Evaluation Design Quasi-Experimental: Pretest and posttest data were collected on academic, social skills, and behavior problem measures. In addition, at pretest, parents completed reports of family functioning and parent–school involvement, and children completed self-reports of acculturation. Changes in participants’ social skills were examined by comparing children with different program attendance levels, controlling for age, gender, site, family functioning, and children’s acculturation.

At pretest, the sample contained all 94 children in the G-10 program, all of whom were Latino.
Data Collection Methods Secondary Source/Data Review: G-10 teachers reported year-end program attendance totals based on daily attendance counts.

Tests/Assessments: To measure acculturation levels, children completed the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics-Youth Version (SASH-Y; Marin, Sabogal, Marin, Otero-Sabogal, & Perez-Stable, 1987). This 12-item measure assesses the predominant language used in different contexts of a child’s day (reading, speaking, thinking, and television/radio) and the predominant ethnicity of a child’s social group (close friends and visitors). It is scored on a 5-point scale with 1 indicating only Spanish, 3 indicating both Spanish and English equally, and 5 indicating only English.

To measure family functioning, parents completed the Family Assessment Measure-III (FAM-III; Skinner, Steinhauer, & Sitarenios, 2000), which measures family strengths and weaknesses. It contains three scales: general (50 items; e.g., “family duties are fairly shared”), self-rating (42 items; e.g., “my family expects too much of me”), and dyadic (42 items; e.g., “this person and I are not close to each other”).

To measure parent-school involvement, parents completed a modified version of the Parent-Teacher Involvement Scale (PTI; Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 1991a), a 26-item measure developed to assess facets of parent-teacher involvement. Two subscales of the PTI were used. The first, a 4-item scale, assesses frequency of contact between parents and teachers (e.g., “in the past year, you stopped by your child’s school to talk to his/her teacher”). The second, a 9-item scale, assesses the frequency with which parents engage in various activities (e.g., reading to their children, taking them to the library, volunteering at school).

To measure academic achievement, youth completed the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R; Jastak & Wilkinson, 1984) in both the fall and the spring (pretest and posttest). It consists of three subtests: reading (42 items; i.e., recognizing and naming letters and words), spelling (40 items; i.e., writing symbols, names, and words), and arithmetic (40 items; i.e., solving oral problems and written computations).

To measure social skills and behavior problems, children’s school-day teachers completed the Social Health Profile (SHP; Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 1991b) in both the fall and the spring (pretest and posttest). Ratings were given in the domains of social competence (e.g., friendly, controls temper, can calm down when excited) and behavior problems (e.g., yells at others, fights, takes others’ property).

References:
Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (1991a). Parent-Teacher Involvement Questionnaire: Parent Version. Durham, NC: Author.

Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (1991b). Social Health Profile. Durham, NC: Author.

Jastak, J., & Wilkinson, G. S. (1984). Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R) (Rev. ed.). Wilmington, DE: Jastak Assessment Systems, USA.

Marin, G., Sabogal, F., Marin, B. V., Otero-Sabogal, R., & Perez-Stable, E. J. (1987). Development of a short acculturation scale for Hispanics. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 9, 183-205.

Skinner, H., Steinhauer, P., & Sitarenios, G. (2000). Family Assessment Measure (FAM) and process model of family functioning. Journal of Family Therapy, 22, 190-210.
Data Collection Timeframe Data were collected in October 2001 and May 2002.


Findings:
Formative/Process Findings

Recruitment/Participation The average age was 102.3 months (approximately 8.5 years), with a range of 75-148 months (approximately 6-12 years). Forty-one of the participants were male and 53 were female. Twenty-four percent of the children were in first grade, 26% were in second grade, 16% were in third and fourth grade each, 12% were in fifth grade, and 6% were in sixth grade.

Eighty percent of participants were enrolled in the program for the entire 7 months, 3% were enrolled for 6 months, 8% were enrolled for 5 months, 4% were enrolled for 4 months, and 5% were enrolled for 3 months.

Twenty-one percent of the participants attended G-10 for fewer than 2 days per week, 26% attended 2-3 days per week, 39% attended 3-4 days per week, and 11% attended 4-5 days per week.

Children who attended the program for fewer days per week were significantly more likely to be acculturated and to have parents who were less engaged with their schooling (p < .01).


Summative/Outcome Findings

Academic From pretest to posttest, participants’ scores increased significantly in reading, spelling, and math (p < .01).

Among the entire sample, more acculturated children showed significantly greater gains in reading achievement over the course of the G-10 program (p < .01), as did children whose parents reported less engagement in children’s school activities (p < .05). No significant differences in achievement were found by parent-teacher contact or family functioning.

For children younger than 8 years old, the following groups showed significantly greater gains in reading achievement: more acculturated children (p < .05), children in families with lower family functioning (p < .05), children whose parents reported fewer parent-teacher contacts (p < .01), and children of parents who reported less engagement in children’s school activities (p < .01). For children 8 years old and older, none of the assessed variables predicted change in children’s reading achievement.

For the entire sample, more acculturated children, children whose families were functioning at a lower level, and children of parents who reported less school engagement demonstrated significantly greater gains in spelling achievement (p < .05 for each).

For children younger than 8 years old, significantly greater gains in spelling achievement over the course of the G-10 program were demonstrated by the following groups: more acculturated children (p < .01), children whose families were functioning at a lower level (p < .01), children whose parents reported fewer parent-teacher contacts (p < .01), and children of parents who reported less school engagement (p < .05).

For children 8 years old and older, children from families with more parent-teacher contacts and children from lower functioning families demonstrated significantly greater gains in spelling achievement (p < .05 for each). No significant results were found for older youth for parent engagement in school activities.

For the entire sample, children whose parents reported less engagement with their children’s school activities at pretest showed significantly greater gains in math achievement across the program year (p < .01). No significant results were found for acculturation, family functioning, or parent-teacher contacts.

For children younger than 8 years old, children of parents who were less engaged in school activities showed significantly greater gains in math achievement (p < .05). No significant results were found for acculturation, family functioning, or parent-teacher contacts.

For children 8 years and older, children from lower functioning families and children whose parents reported less with their children’s school activities showed significantly greater gains in math achievement (p <.05 and p <.01, respectively). No significant results were found for acculturation or parent-teacher contacts.

Very little variance in children’s achievement was accounted for by program attendance rates.
Youth Development Children who attended the G-10 program for more days per week showed significantly greater decreases in behavior problems than those who attended less frequently (p <. 05).

Children who attended the G-10 program for more days per week made significantly greater gains in social competence than those who attended less frequently (p < .05).

Evaluation 3: The Generacion Diez After-School Program and Latino Parent Involvement With Schools (Year 2)



Evaluation Description

Evaluation Purpose To examine associations between participation in G-10 and changes in parent involvement with schools.
Evaluation Design Quasi-Experimental: Pretest and posttest data were collected on all measures. Changes in parent involvement were examined by comparing youth with different program attendance levels and different degrees of contacts with G-10 home visitors, controlling for child’s age, gender, family functioning, parent acculturation, social competence, and reading achievement.

Since parent involvement data could only be collected once per program year, data were collected on a longitudinal sample of the 60 youth participants in the 1st year of program implementation who remained for a 2nd year. The G-10 staff reported that the two main reasons for attrition were children “graduating” from the program as they became too old or re-emigrating to Latin America. The children who dropped out of G-10 were not statistically different from the children who remained in the program on any measure included in the current analysis, with the exception of age (p < .01): Children who dropped out of the program were on average almost 2 years older (1 year 10 months) than those who remained. However, this was to be expected, as the main reason for attrition was that children were too old to continue in the program.
Data Collection Methods Secondary Source/Data Review: G-10 teachers reported year-end program attendance totals, based on daily attendance counts. The number of direct contacts between parents and G-10 home educators was documented by the home educators.

Test/Assessments: Each of the following measures was collected in the fall of both years and in the spring of year 2.

To measure parent-school involvement, parents completed a modified version of the Parent-Teacher Involvement Scale (PTI; Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 1991a), a 26-item measure developed to assess facets of parent and teacher involvement. Three subscales of the PTI were used. The first, a 4-item scale, assesses frequency of contact between parents and teachers (e.g., in the past year, “you stopped by your child’s school to talk to his/her teacher”). The second is a 9-item scale which assesses the frequency with which parents engage in various activities (e.g., reading to their children, taking them to the library, and volunteering at school). The third is a 13-item scale that measures quality of parent-school involvement (e.g., the degree to which parents feel welcome at their child’s school, enjoy meeting with the child’s teacher, etc.).

To measure family functioning, parents completed the Family Assessment Measure-III (FAM-III; Skinner, Steinhauer, & Sitarenios, 2000), which measures family strengths and weaknesses. It contains three scales: general (50 items; e.g., “family duties are fairly shared”), self-rating (42 items; e.g., “my family expects too much of me”), and dyadic (42 items; e.g., “this person and I are not close to each other”).

To measure parents’ acculturation, parents completed the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics- Adult Version (SASH; Marin, Sabogal, Marin, Otero-Sabogal, & Perez-Stable, 1987), a 12-item measure assessing the predominant language used in different contexts of a parent’s day (reading, speaking, thinking, and television/radio) and the predominant ethnicity of a parent’s social group (close friends and visitors). It is scored on a 5-point scale, with 1 indicating only Spanish, 3 indicating both Spanish and English equally, and 5 indicating only English.

To measure children’s social skills and behavior problems, school-day teachers completed the Social Health Profile (SHP; Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 1991b). Children’s social skills were rated in the domains of social competence (e.g., friendly, controls temper, can calm down when excited) and behavior problems (e.g., yells at others, fights, takes others’ property).

To measure academic achievement, youth completed the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R; Jastak & Wilkinson, 1984). It consists of three subtests: reading (42 items; i.e., recognizing and naming letters and words), spelling (40 items; i.e., writing symbols, name, and words), and arithmetic (40 items; i.e., solving oral problems and written computations).

References:
Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (1991a). Social Health Profile. Durham, NC: Author.

Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (1991b). Parent-Teacher Involvement Questionnaire: Parent Version. Durham, NC: Author.

Jastak, J., & Wilkinson, G. S. (1984). Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R) (Rev. ed.). Wilmington, DE: Jastak Assessment Systems, USA.

Marin, G., Sabogal, F., Marin, B. V., Otero-Sabogal, R., & Perez-Stable, E. J. (1987). Development of a short acculturation scale for Hispanics. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 9, 183-205.

Skinner, H., Steinhauer, P., & Sitarenios, G. (2000). Family Assessment Measure (FAM) and process model of family functioning. Journal of Family Therapy, 22, 190-210.
Data Collection Timeframe Data were collected in September/October 2001 and May 2003.


Findings:

Formative/Process Findings

Recruitment/Participation Twenty-six of the longitudinal participants were male and 34 were female. Thirty-seven percent of the children were in first grade, 30% were in second grade, 15% were in third grade, 11% were in fourth grade, and 7% were in fifth grade.


Summative/Outcome Findings

Family Parents who had children with greater attendance rates in the G-10 program increased their reports of quality and quantity of parent-teacher contact, as well as their engagement in their children’s school activities (p < .01 for all three measures).

Parents who had more direct contacts with home educators reported greater decreases in the quality and quantity of parent-teacher contacts over the 2-year period (p < .01 for both). No results were found for parent engagement in school activities.

© 2016 Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College
Published by Harvard Family Research Project