The MC Program
The Development of the Making Choices Curriculum
The Art of Group Work Practice with Manualized CurriculaMaeda J. Galinsky
Mary A. Terzian
Mark W. Fraser
Groupwork - An Interdisciplinary Journal for Working with Groups 17/2, 2007
There is a growing trend in social work toward the use of group-based manuals. Occasionally considered to be opposing approaches, practice based on manualized curricula and practice based on group processes are – in our view – complementary to each other. In this paper, we examine the advantages and disadvantages of manuals as a basis for practice. We offer a series of design and practice principles intended to assist designers and users of manuals. We illustrate the application of these principles with a manualized program, Making Choices, whose aim is to decrease aggression and improve peer relationships in elementary school children.
Keywords: Group Work, Manuals, Evidence-Based Practice, Practice curricula, Practice Principles, School-based Program
Using Multilevel Statistical Models in Social Work Intervention Research
James K. Nash
Portland State University
Lawrence L. Kupper
Mark W. Fraser
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Journal of Social Service Research, Vol. 30(3) 2004
http://www.haworthpress.com/web/JSSR
ABSTRACT. Statistical analyses of data from a classroom-based study illustrate the need to account for intra-class clustering in studies involving schools, classrooms, and other higher order units of analysis. Students were clustered in homerooms that were assigned to intervention and comparison conditions. Standard multiple linear regression analysis yielded a significant group effect but incorrectly ignored intra-cluster response correlations. A multilevel model appropriately accounting for the dependency among responses in the same cluster yielded a nonsignificant group effect. Implications for the analysis of intervention research data are discussed.
Early Development and Pilot Testing of a Problem-Solving Skills-Training Program for Children
James K. Nash
Portland State University
Mark W. Fraser
Maeda J. Galinsky
Lawrence L. Kupper
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Research on Social Work Practice, Vol. 13 No. 4, July 2003 432-450
Objective: This pilot study examined the impact of a prototype problem-solving skills-training program, Making Choices, on proximal outcomes in 70 6th-grade students. Method: Students received three components of Making Choices and completed pretest and posttest measures of skills on each component. Paired-sample t tests were used to assess proximal effects. Baseline measures were used to identify four subgroups of children, and differences in skill acquisition across subgroups were assessed. Results: Students displayed significantly higher scores at posttest on measures of two of three proximal skills. Nonaggressive-accepted and aggressive accepted students displayed stronger skills at posttest, and aggressive-rejected and nonaggressive-rejected students failed to show significant gains. Conclusions: Results provided preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of Making Choices and guided refinement of the prototype program.
Keywords: skills-training groups; problem-solving; children; developmental research
Intervention Research in Social Work: Recent Advances and Continuing Challenges
Mark W. Fraser
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Research on Social Work Practice, Vol. 14 No. 3, May 2004 210-222
The purpose of this article is to review substantive and methodological advances in interventive research. Three substantive advances are discussed: (a) the growing use of a risk factor perspective, (b) the emergence of practice-relevant microsocial theories, and (c) the increased acceptance of structured treatment protocols and manual. In addition, three methodological developments are discussed. They include new developments for dealing with attrition, for dealing with selection effects, and for decomposing complexities using text and numerical analyses. Arguing that intervention research holds the potential to unify research scholarship in social work, the conclusion discusses ongoing challenges associated with the implementation of new programs, variance in outcomes by method, reactivity to measurement, and construct validity in the context of culture.
Keywords: social work research; intervention research; methodology
The Carolina Child Checklist of Risk and Protective Factors for Aggression
Mark J. Macgowan
Florida International University
James K. Nash
Portland State University
Mark W. Fraser
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Research on Social Work Practice, Vol. 12 No. 2, March 2002 253-276
Objective: Extending the Social Health Profile and other instruments that measure problem behavior in childhood, the Carolina Child Checklist (CCC) was developed to measure risk and protective factors related to aggressive behavior in children ages 6 to 12. This study reports the psychometric properties of the CCC. Method: The measure’s dimensionality, reliability (internal consistency and test-retest), standard error of measurement, and validity (convergent, concurrent, treatment sensitivity) were evaluated in a project involving 171 sixth-grade students. Results: Factor analysis indicated four dimensions called Learning Orientation (behaviors and attributes related to classroom success), Relational Aggression, Social Involvement, and Physical Aggression. The measure has high internal consistency with low measurement error. Test-retest findings suggest a stable measure. The CCC has good convergent and concurrent validity and appears sensitive to treatment effects. Conclusions: The CCC is a promising measure for social workers assessing risk and protective factors related to childhood aggression.
