- “A child care teacher told me that children are using kind words in the classroom such as thank you and please, and learning positive ways to respond to friends. Children are singing the Al’s Pals songs throughout the day and some children are calming down by using the calm down song. Teachers have noticed children working through problems by themselves. Some children have been seen playing in a small group pretending to talk with Al.”
- - Carol Stripling
- Program Director
- Moultrie, Georgia
- “This program came with an evaluation component. We couldn’t wait to get that service. We don’t have the staff that has that expertise. Wingspan gives us the feedback and the actual numbers. We use this information with our funders and with our partners in the community so they can see the value of what is going on in their classroom. The teachers begin to understand that this is working.”
- - Joan Carter
- Manager
- Prevention & Early
- Intervention Services
- Petersburg, Virginia
Printer FriendlyResults and Recognition
Results & Recognition
- Research Shows Al's Pals Works
- National Recognition Following Rigorous Federal Reviews
- Evaluation Services to Measure Local Impact
- Implementation Fidelity Helps Achieve Local Positive Results
- Substainability: Al's Pals Can Continue Year After Year
AL'S PALS CHILDREN SHOW SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN POSITIVE SOCIAL BEHAVIORS. COMPARISON CHILDREN DO NOT.
As published in the Journal of Primary Prevention (Lynch, Geller & Schmidt, 2004), preschool children demonstrate measurable gains after participating in Al’s Pals. As shown in the graph, preschoolers in Al’s Pals change 7 times more on teacher ratings of positive social behavior than children who do not receive the program. Based on additional evaluation of Al’s Pals children in early elementary grades, changes in behavior ratings are 16 times larger than changes for comparison children.
Al's Pals increases positive social behavior change
Studies show that a child who participates in Al's Pals is two to five times more likely to increase his or her use of positive social behaviors such as sharing, helping, and taking turns than a child who does not participate.
Research shows that Al's Pals has the strongest impact on children considered at higher risk - those lacking positive social skills before starting the program. Without intervention, research suggests that these children are likely to be at increased risk for future problem behavior.
Al's Pals prevents an increase in anti-social, aggressive behavior
Research findings indicate that a child who does not participate in Al's Pals is two to six times more likely to increase his or her use of anti-social and aggressive behaviors such as hitting, kicking, name-calling, bullying, and destroying others' belongings than an Al's Pals child.
Measurable positive gains across settings and populations
Dozens of evaluation studies involving thousands of children nationwide indicate that similar rates of increased use of positive social skills are seen in:
- preschool and early elementary children
- boys and girls
- children in rural and urban areas
- children from different racial backgrounds
National Recognition Following Rigorous Federal Reviews
Extensive positive evaluation findings have resulted in Al's Pals receiving recognition from leading federal agencies and national organizations.
Evaluation Services to Measure Local Impact
To assess the effectiveness of the implementation of Al's Pals in your locality, Wingspan offers an evaluation services package that includes:
- Provision of child behavior rating scales for pre- and post-testing
- Data entry
- Analysis of data by an independent researcher
- An evaluation report by an independent researcher
Please contact a National Outreach Specialist for more information about Wingspan evaluation services.
Implementation Fidelity Helps Achieve Local Positive Results
Al's Pals has a variety of mechanisms built in to support implementation fidelity so that local Al's Pals partners are able to achieve the same strong positive results as the initial studies. The standardized training and curriculum kit of developmentally appropriate materials and activities make it easy for educators to conduct the program with integrity. Lessons include clearly identified learning objectives, carefully crafted puppet scripts and specific processing questions that guide educators in delivery. Optional follow-up activities reinforce the lessons' learning goals and help incorporate the Al's Pals concepts into the children's day-to-day routines.
Al's Pals training emphasizes the sequence and recommended delivery time frame for curriculum lessons and use of materials to most effectively expose children to Al's Pals concepts. Through training, educators are prepared to integrate Al's Pals teaching approaches into their typical classroom interactions, providing daily opportunities for children to practice and generalize new skills and to increase the likelihood of the program's success.
Wingspan is committed to supporting a high level of program effectiveness. A complimentary Implementation and Monitoring Observation Form is available for use by administrators and coordinators to assess whether lesson content, messages and approaches are delivered as intended, and to provide technical assistance to Al's Pals educators. Wingspan National Outreach Specialists are available to help you plan and implement Al's Pals with fidelity and attain strong, positive outcomes.
The training and curriculum kit of developmentally appropriate materials and activites make it easy for educators to conduct the program with integrity.
Sustainability: Al's Pals Can Continue Year After Year
Al's Pals is sustainable over time, long after initial funding ends. The high quality curriculum kit lasts for many years. Curriculum photographs, posters, and music are intentionally time-generic and scenarios in the lessons reflect timeless childhood experiences. The accompanying training enhances the ability of the classroom educator who delivers the curriculum, reaching new groups of children year after year. Since no new staff is required, the program can continue indefinitely.
Wingspan's Refresher and Advanced training for Al's Pals teachers helps sharpen their lesson delivery and incorporate Al's Pals teaching approaches into daily interactions with the children.
Wingspan also offers complimentary tools to build and sustain ongoing success with Al's Pals:
- An Implementation and Monitoring form to support fidelity
- Refresher activities for local administrators and coordinators to use with their staff to review essential program components and concepts, reinvigorate enthusiasm, and promote implementation fidelity
- Program orientation packets for new administrators
- On-going technical assistance
- Access to online support