Current Projects: Research & Development

Grant Funded Research

Preventing Emotional Disturbance with Secondary Age Students: Achievement Plus, A Comprehensive School-wide Approach.

Achievement Plus is a 5 year comprehensive school-wide project for at-risk students attending secondary schools. This project’s primary goal was to develop, implement, and evaluate the effects of this model through ten research studies. Achievement Plus includes primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention, with emphasis placed on levels one and two to specifically target unidentified students at risk for emotional disturbance (ED). School-wide screening was conducted in secondary schools each year to identify students at risk for internalizing and externalizing disorders. Currently we are analyzing the data from this grant and writing up final reports. This research was funded in part by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Grant # H324C03012.

Prevention Plus: A Data-Based Approach to Delinquency Prevention in Schools.

The purpose of this project is to improve the education system by training school-based teams to use and respond to data to prevent juvenile delinquency. Prevention Plus seeks to enhance school: a) collection and access to academic and behavioral data via use of data systems, b) early identification of students who are academically and/or behaviorally at-risk, and c) improve data-based decision making skills of faculty as they choose appropriate interventions for at-risk students. Funding for this project was awarded by the US Office of Juvenile Justice.

Nebo Legacy Mentoring

Nebo Legacy Mentoring matches a carefully screened adult volunteer (Mentor) with a child (Mentee) in a school environment. Building a positive, new friendship helps to strengthen a Mentee's self-esteem and school performance. It provides a mentor with the chance to re-experience the adventure of childhood while contributing to the well-being of a child.

In-School Mentoring is truly a community partnership. Schools, the business community, service clubs, and faith-based organizations are collaborating to provide this cost-effective program. Schools allow breaks from regular programming for children to take part. Local businesses promote the program to their employees and support workers who are Mentors.