Attachment 4_YEARS Program observation protocol - Updated Oct 2016

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Overview

General Info.
Sections A-B
Section C
Section D
Section E-1
Section E-2
Section F
Section G
Sections H-I
Sections J-K

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Sheet 1: General Info.

HMRE Program Observation Checklist
	Program Name:		Observer Name:
	Session duration:						Strategies observed (check all that apply):
	Time of day session took place (AM/PM):
	# of staff:		Lecture		Small-group activity
	Staff are peers/near peers (Yes/No) :		Video		Social media
	Staff are adults (Yes/No):		Role-play		Internet
	# of participants:		Class discussion		Other (describe):
	Group is predominantly male/predominantly female/mixed:		Small-group discussion

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Sheet 2: Sections A-B

A.	Staff is representative of [observed] population served (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, language)	Yes	No	Notes
1	Gender: staff represented all genders present in the group.
2	Race/ethnicity: staff were from the same racial and/or ethnic background as the predominant groups of youth in the program.
3	Language: staff were fluent in the language that program participants spoke.
B.	Program space	Yes	No
1	Program space was clean and well-maintained.
2	Meeting space is informal. This means that participants sit in a circle or gather in different parts of the room, rather than sitting in rows, participants can get up and move around, the meeting space is colorful and has youth-friendly posters and other materials around the room.
3	There was enough furniture for the number of participants and type of activities.

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Sheet 3: Section C

C.	HMRE topics covered during this session	Information was presented		Notes related to topic?
		Major focus (topic is the main focus of the lesson, or ties heavily into the lesson, or is brought up repeatedly throughout the session, and/or leads to a focused discussion when raised)	Minor focus (topic is mentioned once or twice, but is not the main focus on the lesson)
	Healthy romantic relationships
	Sexual activity
	Violence/abuse prevention - including physical, sexual, and emotional/psychological
	Gender and sexuality
	Parenting/co-parenting
	Communication
	Social skills
	Conflict management
	Financial management
	Career goals
	Educational goals
	Housing
	Marriage and cohabitation
	Extended family relationships
	Any skills were practiced (Yes/No)
	If able to specify, note the types of skills practiced:

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Sheet 4: Section D

D.	Physical and psychological safety	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly agree	N/A	Notes
	SESSION
1	The emotional climate of the session was predominantly positive. This was characterized by teamwork, inclusiveness, and an absence of negative youth and staff behaviors such as derogatory comments or bullying.
	STAFF
2	Staff interacted with youth in a respectful manner.	NEVER	RARELY	OFTEN	ALWAYS
3	Staff members proactively resolved conflicts among youth. Staff helped youth to examine the relationship between their actions and subsequent consequences.	NEVER	RARELY	OFTEN	ALWAYS
4	Staff members maintained a safe and respectful environment. There was mutual respect for, and inclusion of, others of different religions, ethnicities, classes, genders, abilities, appearances, and sexual orientations.
5	Staff members enforced ground rules for program participation.	NEVER	RARELY	OFTEN	ALWAYS
6	If anyone made derogatory comments about race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or disability , instructors addressed it immediately and made it clear that such behavior is unacceptable.	NEVER	RARELY	OFTEN	ALWAYS
D.	Physical and psychological safety	Yes	No
7	Staff members reviewed or referenced ground rules for program participation.

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Sheet 5: Section E-1

E.	Appropriate structure	Yes	No	Notes
	SESSION
1	Session started within 5 minutes of scheduled time.
2	Session ended within 5 minutes of scheduled time.
	STAFF
3	The session had a staff to participant ratio of 1:15.
4a	Staff warmly greeted (at least 50% of) youth.
4b	Staff greeted (at least 50% of) youth by name.
4c	Staff smiled at (at least 50% of) youth as they entered.
	YOUTH
5a	Participants received incentives for participation.
5b	List the types of incentives
5c	Participants received refreshments.
5d	Refreshments were healthy.
E.	Appropriate structure	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly agree	N/A	Notes
	SESSION
6a	All necessary materials were prepared in advance.
6b	Materials were available in sufficient quantities.
7	There was sufficient time to complete the lesson.
8	If the program serves a specific target population. (e.g., foster youth, juvenile justice, etc.), the content was inclusive of the population
9	Program content appeared to be developed with youth in mind (versus adults). This means scenarios were youth-friendly, activities were catered to youth versus adults, and content was at an appropriate developmental and comprehension level for youth in the session.
10	Youth appeared to be able to understand the materials.
E.	Appropriate structure	Yes	No	Notes
11	Staff assigned homework.

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Sheet 6: Section E-2

E.

Appropriate structure

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

N/A

Notes

STAFF

12

Staff explained the goals of and objectives for the lesson clearly.

NOT EXPLAINED

EXPLAINED BUT NOT CLEAR

EXPLAINED AND CLEAR, BUT NOT RELATED TO WHAT WAS DONE

EXPLAINED AND CLEAR, RELATED TO WHAT WAS DONE

13

Staff stated expectations for participation at the beginning of activities.

NEVER

RARELY

OFTEN

ALWAYS

14

Staff explained the rationale for all rules or requests.

NEVER

RARELY

OFTEN

ALWAYS

15

Staff explicitly drew connections between the current lesson and previous lessons.

16

Staff delivered content in an engaging manner. This means activities that involved skill-building included guided practice for at least half of the skill-building time; staff provided structured opportunities to discuss what the youth were doing in the session and what they were thinking about (e.g., small group feedback); activities balanced concrete experiences (e.g., field trip or creative writing) with abstract learning (e.g., lecture, diagrams, or group discussion).

NO ENGAGING PRACTICES

ONE OF THREE ENGAGING PRACTICES

TWO OF THREE ENGAGING PRACTICES

ALL THREE ENGAGING PRACTICES

17

Staff used technology and/or social media to engage youth and/or deliver content. (If technology and/or social media is used, note what was used, and how)

NO TECH AVAILABLE

NO TECH USED

TO ENGAGE OR DELIVER

TO ENGAGE AND DELIVER

18

Staff were knowledgeable about the program. (This means staff were very familiar with the concepts and answered questions with ease)

ANSWERED ALMOST NO QS

ANSWERED FEW QS

ANSWERED MOST QS

ANSWERED ALL QS (ACCURATELY)

19

Staff delivered the curriculum with confidence. (This means staff did not hesitate in addressing questions and concerns. Staff were well organized and not nervous)

MANY NOTES AND DISORGANIZED

MANY NOTES AND/OR DISORGANIZED

FEW NOTES AND WELL ORGANIZED

NO NOTES AND WELL ORGANIZED

YOUTH

20

Youth were engaged with the content and materials

NO YOUTH

SOME YOUTH

MOST YOUTH

ALL YOUTH

21

Youth actively participated in discussions and activities.

22

Youth had a chance to ask questions about topics or issues that came up during the session.

23

Youth engaged in positive, friendly interactions with each other.

NEVER

RARELY

OFTEN

ALWAYS

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Sheet 7: Section F

F.

Supportive relationships

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

N/A

Notes

STAFF

1

Staff responded to youth's questions in a nonjudgmental manner.

NEVER

RARELY

OFTEN

ALWAYS

2

Staff appeared to be comfortable discussing sensitive topics, such as sexuality and relationships, in a nonjudgmental manner.

NEVER

RARELY

OFTEN

ALWAYS

3

Staff members modeled healthy relationships in their interactions with youth (for example, communication and listening skills, conflict management skills, and social skills.)

4

Staff engaged in conversations with youth and asked youth questions in a supportive manner.

5

Staff members encouraged all youth to participate in a respectful manner.

6

Staff respected participants' right to privacy when discussing personal or sensitive topics.

NEVER

RARELY

OFTEN

ALWAYS

7

Staff maintained professional boundaries when they interacted with youth.

NEVER

RARELY

OFTEN

ALWAYS

YOUTH

8

Youth freely engaged in conversations with staff.

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Sheet 8: Section G

G.

Opportunities to belong

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

N/A

Notes

SESSION

1

Program materials (e.g., videos, posters, handouts, recruitment materials, etc.) were representative of the youth, including representations of LGBTQ youth, youth with disabilities, and youth from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, when relevant.

NEITHER

MATERIALS ONLY

CONTENT ONLY

MATERIALS AND CONTENT

2

Staff and materials used LGBTQ-inclusive terms to describe relationships. (See note below)

NO INCLUSIVE TERMS USED

USED INCONSISTENTLY

INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE

AFFIRMITIVE LANGUAGE

3

Materials and content were available in languages other than English when appropriate.

4

The staff's efforts to create a "group identity" were apparent. (e.g., shared traditions, shared language, or group name)

STAFF

5

Staff asked youth for ideas and suggestions.

6

Staff provided opportunities for youth to get to know one another through icebreakers or other team-building activities.

7

Staff explicitly recognized the achievements and/or contributions of at least some participants.

G.

Opportunities to belong

Yes

No

8

Staff provided opportunities for youth to work together.

G.

Opportunities to belong

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

N/A

Notes

YOUTH

9

Youth encouraged one another's participation in activities.

10

Youth held one another accountable for meeting program expectations.

11

Youth use ownership language, e.g. refer to the program as "ours", shared jokes, gestures, and traditions.

NEVER

RARELY

OFTEN

ALWAYS

Note on "Inclusive Language" and " Affirmative Language": Inclusive language is when facilitators avoid using heteronormative terms that might make LGBTQ youth feel left out. For example, staff might say "partner" instead of boyfriend/girlfriend or "they" instead of he/she. The intention is not to exclude LGBTQ youth. Affirmative language goes a step further and explicitly addresses LGBTQ youth and their needs. For example, affirmative programs might use LGBTQ individuals/couples in examples of positive relationships. They might include sexual health information that is particularly relevant to LGBTQ populations to ensure that LGBTQ youth find the content to be directly related their own relationships, like including information about anal sex along with information about vaginal sex.

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Sheet 9: Sections H-I

H.

Positive social norms

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

N/A

Notes

STAFF

1

When discussing relationships, staff members valued diverse relationships and family types.

2

Staff members encouraged youth to engage in respectful discussions, even when they disagreed. (This can be N/A, if youth engage respectfully without encouragement or reinforcement for staff)

3

Staff encouraged youth to consider how to engage with social media and other forms of communication in a respectful manner.

4

Staff encouraged youth to seek help when needed, including issues around abuse and mental health. (This can be N/A, if the issue does not concern the safety of youth)

I.

Support for efficacy and mattering

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

N/A

Notes

1

Staff provided opportunities for youth to take a leadership role.

2

Staff provided opportunities for youth assist their peers when appropriate. (This can be N/A, if there was not an opportunity for peers to assist each other)

3

Staff encouraged youth to consider how to make a difference in their own community. (This can N/A, if lesson content does not lend itself to talk about how it relates to community involvement)

4

Staff engaged youth in conversations about achieving their goals and referred youth to relevant resources when appropriate.

5

Staff provided youth with opportunities to reflect on what they have learned. (This can be N/A, but note why--i.e. ran out of time, homework wasn't given, etc.)

6

Staff allowed youth to make at least one choice about the process related to the activities during the program session. (e.g. youth decide who presents, order of activities, who leads an activity, what materials to use)

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Sheet 10: Sections J-K

J.

Opportunities for skill-building

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

N/A

Notes

1

Staff made explicit mention of the skills that were targeted.

2

Staff broke difficult tasks into smaller, easier steps.

3

Staff provided opportunities for most youth to practice skills during the lesson.

4

Staff responded appropriately to youth who were struggling.

5

Staff helped youth make connections between the skills that were taught and their ability to achieve their goals related to relationships, education, and careers.

6

Staff discussed how youth can use the skills that were taught in relevant, real-world situations.

K.

Integration of family, school, and community

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

N/A

1

Staff referenced other relevant community resources/programs.

2

Staff helped youth to make connections between program content and their own lives.

3

Staff encouraged youth to have discussions with family members or adult caregivers about the program content.