NCJ Number
82002
Date Published
Unknown
Length
73 pages
Annotation
This report evaluates the Child Development Specialist (CDS) project at Roseburg's Riverside Elementary School (Oregon) in order to examine the delinquency-prevention potential of a CDS project in terms of how project services affect children's classroom behavior and developmental delays.
Abstract
The CDS program is a prevention-oriented program which targets elementary school and especially primary grade children for services aimed at a child's early development needs. The Roseburg Project is part of the larger network of CDS projects operating throughout the State. CDS is intended to enhance a student's academic performance, through an emphasis on development of positive self-concept, problemsolving skills, and social responsibilities. Second and third grade children in the Riverside school were compared to a non-CDS school (Eastwood) by comparing teacher ratings of children's classroom adjustment and developmental levels. Findings indicate that teachers' ratings improved at the CDS school as compared to the non-CDS school. Thus, the project has the potential to influence students' short-term classroom adjustment problems, including those that might eventually generate later developmental problems and even delinquency. Because the project's positive impact was concentrated among students requiring individual educational plans, the CDS staff should target its efforts on those students. Footnotes and tables are included, and appendixes present evaluation forms, a school district map, and memos.