Evaluation and technical assistance from Ahearn Greene Associates
Ahearn Greene Associates offers research-level evaluation to assure program fidelity, quality and effectiveness.
One reason SFP programs are so well managed and well received by staff, families, funders and the community is that we can measure the impact of your local program. While we do not require evaluation or ongoing supervision, we strongly recommend and support ongoing evaluation as assurance of quality and effectiveness in teaching SFP skills to families.
Evaluation plans are individually tailored to each agency to assure they are responsive to your evaluation needs, requirements and expectations.
Direct consultation. The Ahearn Greene Associates training director is available for direct consultation to assure implementation in your community with the resources you have available, particularly assuring cultural congruence.
Evaluation design
Process evaluation
Assesses program fidelity based on SFP best practices across five domains: environment/context, population, program, staffing and curriculum. Additional measures include dosage, quality, participant satisfaction and adherence, evaluated through tracking data, fidelity checklists, staff interviews and on-site observations. Scope varies with the needs and budget of the project.
Outcome evaluation
Assesses program effectiveness across 18 parent, child and family outcome measures using a quasi-experimental, repeated-measures, pre/post design with post-hoc subgroup comparisons (Campbell & Stanley, 1967). The standardized design and instruments were used by the program developer, Dr. Karol Kumpfer, and continue to be used in state, local and federal evaluations and research studies by Ahearn Greene Associates and affiliated researchers.
Technical assistance and quality assurance
- Site visits combine technical assistance and evaluation: consultation on evaluation design, observation of a group session, staff interviews and a debriefing with recommendations for program improvement and fidelity. We recommend one visit per site per year.
- Technical assistance calls and web consultation, typically monthly or bi-monthly, with program administrators, group leaders, partners, funders and outside evaluators. An expert consultant helps assure fidelity, solve problems and connect you with other SFP programs. At the request of the agency or funder, the program developer may provide in-depth involvement, up to ongoing staff supervision and support.
- SFP training. Certified and Advanced Group Leader Training, plus professional development and community information seminars. See Training.
Evaluation instruments
- SFP Site Information Survey collects key fidelity information across the five fidelity domains.
- SFP Group Leader Session Checklist, completed after each session, measures dosage, participant responsiveness, quality and adherence.
- SFP Program Manager Observation Form provides fidelity data assuring the reliability and validity of facilitator reports.
- SFP Retrospective Parent Questionnaire, given in Session 13 or 14, uses standardized CSAP and NIDA core measures of child and parent mental health, substance abuse risk and resiliency, family management and cohesion, and social skills. Available in English and Spanish and translated into many other languages.
Outcome measures
The standard 18 parent, child and family measures used to evaluate SFP implementations.
| SFP outcome | Measure |
|---|---|
| Parent change objectives | |
| Increase positive parenting | SFP parenting skills |
| Increase parenting skills | SFP parenting skills |
| Increase parental supervision | SFP parenting skills |
| Increase parental efficacy | Alabama Parenting Scale |
| Increase parental involvement | Alabama Parenting Scale |
| Decrease parental substance use or misuse | CSAP 30-day use rates |
| Decrease parental depression | Radloff CES-D |
| Child change objectives | |
| Increase social skills (cooperation, assertion, responsibility, self-control) | Social Skills Rating Scale (parent and child) |
| Reduce overt aggression | POCA Child Rating Scale |
| Reduce covert aggression | POCA covert aggression scale |
| Reduce concentration problems (ADD) | POCA ADD scale |
| Reduce criminal behavior | POCA criminal behavior scale |
| Reduce hyperactivity | POCA hyperactivity scale |
| Reduce depression | POCA depression scale |
| Family change objectives | |
| Increase positive parent/child relationship or family cohesion | Moos FES cohesion |
| Reduce family conflict | Moos FES family conflict |
| Increase family organization and order | Moos FES family organization |
| Increase family communication skills | Moos FES communication |
| Increase overall family strengths and resilience | Kumpfer & Dunst Family Strengths and Resilience Scale |
All evaluation instruments and protocols are proprietary and copyrighted, and are used only with the express permission of Ahearn Greene Associates, LLC. Contact us to discuss permissions.
Ready to bring SFP to your community?
Tell us about your agency and the families you serve. We’ll reply within one or two business days with training options and a quote.