Over the last two decades, numerous studies have been conducted to determine how effectively the Kids on the Block educational system achieves its goals of educating young audiences about differences, disabilities and social issues.  The studies range from informal questionnaires and evaluations to formal research studies conducted by trained researchers.  The results have been positive and attest to the effectiveness of the Kids on the Block’s unique education presentation.

Summaries of research papers/studies follow. 

DISABILITY AWARENESS
PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION
OTHER STUDIES
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Numerous organizations cite Kids on the Block programs as innovative, promising or best practices such as:

Department of Defense Schools - Military Student.org
Frederick County Mental Health Association and Frederick County Public Schools, Maryland
IDEA Partnership
State of New Jersey Department of Education - Cranford High School, New Jersey
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAHMSA)
Warwick Public Schools, Rhode Island


Tell us how your organization utilizes Kids on the Block programming so we might share your work with others!
 



1) “A Study of an Effort to Modify Non-handicapped Students’ Attitudes Toward the Handicapped”

A doctoral thesis by Sarah Gaddy Hawkins Grider, Ed.D., The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, May 1985

Fifth and sixth grade students from public schools in Northern Virginia viewed Kids on the Block performances on blindness, mental retardation, learning disabilities, emotional disorders and cerebral palsy. They participated in approximately five hours of follow-up activities (role-playing, disability simulation, etc.) developed by The Kids on the Block. Before and after being exposed to the program, students completed tests designed to determine a change in attitude.  Additionally, the researchers administered a follow-up test four weeks after the performances to determine if the Kids on the Block program had produced lasting attitudinal changes.

Conclusion:

●    Negative attitudes toward people with disabilities can be altered.  “Results obtained supported the findings of previous studies which suggested that negative attitudes toward the handicapped can be altered.”

●    The Kids on the Block puppetry program was a successful method for instilling positive attitudes toward the handicapped in non-handicapped students.  “Students receiving the educational intervention (The Kids on the Block presentation) differed significantly in attitude change scores from the students who did not. This was interpreted to mean that the intervention positively affected attitudes toward the handicapped.” Moreover, “...the positive results obtained imply the effectiveness of The Kids on the Block and reinforce the efficacy of some of the intervention strategies incorporated by The Kids on the Block.”

●    The Kids on the Block had a positive effect that was maintained over time.  “The improvement in attitude change scores made by the group receiving the intervention...was maintained from post test to delayed post test indicating relatively stable treatment effects.”
   


2) “The Use of Puppetry to Modify Non-handicapped Students’ Attitudes Toward the Handicapped”

A study by Pauline Haugland, a graduate student in education at California State University, Los Angeles, California, 1986

Third, fourth and fifth grade students at a Los Angeles, California elementary school viewed a Kids on the Block performance on cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness and mental retardation.  Afterwards, a test to determine whether an attitude change had occurred was administered to these students as well as to a control group that had not viewed the performance.

Conclusion:

●    ”...there was a significant change in attitude as a result of the influence exerted by The Kids on the Block.”

●    The study had also attempted to determine whether the attitudes of boys and girls would be affected differently by the program.  However, the study found no detectable difference in attitude according to gender.
   

3)”Examining the effectiveness of one innovative program with the goal to improve the knowledge and attitudes of elementary school aged students toward the disabled using THE KIDS ON THE BLOCK puppet approach”

A study by Fern Snart, Ph.D., special education professor with the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 1993

The presentation of a questionnaire involving knowledge and attitudes, both before and after a scheduled  KIDS ON THE BLOCK puppet performance in selected third grade classrooms in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Objective:

●    The development of an assessment device which could provide information about the factual knowledge and general feelings/ attitudes which elementary school aged children possess toward their peers who are disabled.

●    The use of this instrument to examine knowledge and attitudes of third grade students both before and after a school performance of THE KIDS ON THE BLOCK puppet educational program.

Conclusion:

●    Responses indicated a significant increase in factual knowledge, with 17 of 25 knowledge-based questions having statistically different responses at the time of post-test.

●    Attitudes of the children were more “positive following the puppet presentation.”

●    The results strongly suggest that an educational system such as KIDS ON THE BLOCK puppets may represent an effective medium through which young children can learn about disabilities, “...and perhaps develop a more positive feeling about their peers who are disabled.”



4)“The Effectiveness of the Kids on the Block Program in Increasing Children’s Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Individuals with Disabilities”

research conducted by Jean M. Schumacher, M.A., J. Michael Leibowitz, Ph.D. and David W. Furst, Ph.D.  with the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, 1997

“This study is a large scale evaluation of the Kids on the Block program.  Subjects included second and fifth grade children from 13 schools in a large midwestern city.  Two outcome measures were used to measure children’s knowledge of and attitudes toward individuals with disabilities.  A one-month follow-up was also conducted.”

The researchers used two tools to evaluate the program.  Children’s Knowledge about Handicapped Persons Scale which is a 24 question true and false measurement to “assess children’s beliefs concerning persons with disabilities,” and the Children’s Social Distance from Handicapped Persons Scale which assesses “how close a child is willing to get to disabled peers.”

“The analysis indicated that for both the Knowledge and Social Distance Scales the students in the experimental group showed significant improvement at post-test and follow-up compared to the control group.  This preliminary analysis indicates that the Kids on the Block program can effectively improve students attitudes toward persons with disabilities, as well as increase their knowledge of disabilities.  Improvements in scores were seen in both second and fifth grade, and for both male and females.”

Conclusion:

●    “This study suggests that Kids on the Block is an effective and easily implemented program to improve student attitudes towards individuals with disabilities.  If attitude change results in behavior change, having students participate in a Kids on the Block performance could improve the quality of interactions between the disabled students and their non-disabled regular education peers, thereby improving their educational experience and the quality of the learning environment for all students by reducing stigmatization and labeling.”

           



1)"Child Abuse Council of Windsor and Essex County Kids on the Block Research Project"

conducted by Colleen Richardson-Millican, Coordinator, The Child Abuse Council of Windsor and Essex Counties, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, March 1993.

Objective:

●    To determine if The Kids on the Block program, in addition to being an educational and prevention tool, had an added dimension of providing a forum in which children feel comfortable to disclose abuse.  Between November 1991 and October 1992, when a child disclosed abuse during or shortly after a Kids on the Block program, the case was reported to the proper authorities by the teacher or school principal.  The child Abuse Council, keeping confidentiality a priority, later worked with the Children's Aid Society to decide the correlation between the number of alleged abuse cases opened as a result of The Kids on the Block in relation to the number of general cases reported.

Conclusion:

●    A significant number of the disclosures in the county can be directly related to a Kids on the Block performance.  "Approximately one third of the reports of abuse...can most likely be related to a Kids on the Block performance at the schools.”

●    More schools need to receive a Kids on the Block performance.  "Since only half of the schools in the county received a performance during this time period, the...statistics and this research indicated that if the Kids on the Block program was implemented in more schools, the number of disclosure would increase."

●    The Kids on the Block programs need to continue to receive funding.  "The Kids on the Block programs should receive permanent funding as this research demonstrates a clear, direct relationship between the...program and child abuse disclosures.”

2)"An Evaluation of A Preschool Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Program:  The Kids on the Block Go to Preschool"

conducted by Laurie A. Sullivan, Shirley L. Robinson, et al, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, April 1994.

The program was presented at 51 local Head Start sites during one year to approximately 700 four and five year-old children.  The children's emotional reaction to the performance as well as a pre and post test knowledge of safety skills were considered.
   
Objective:

●    To assess the effectiveness of The Kids on the Block child abuse prevention program on increasing young children's awareness of safety skills.

Conclusion:

    ●    Knowledge concerning safety skills increased.  "...4 and 5 year old children increased their knowledge about general safety skills following puppet presentations."

    ●    Children enjoyed the presentations.  "when asked if they liked the puppet presentations all but one of the children responded affirmatively."

    ●    In summary "There was no indication of negative emotional impact on children who participated in the program". "This 20-minute program significantly increased children's knowledge of safety skills."
   
●     The Kids on the Block programs on physical and sexual abuse prevention are a worthwhile investment for any organization.  By providing children with information about personal safety, children are provided with the power to get help if needed and learn who to go to in case of emergency.
 

  



1) “A Unique Approach to presenting Organ and Tissue Donation to the Adult Population”

a study conducted by Elaine M. Vuyosevich, R.N., M.S., C.C.T.G., Margo Akerman, M.S., Becky Ferguson, B.S., Mitchell H. Goldman, MD with the University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1993.

Objective:

●    This study posed the question, “While puppets have been used to educate children, can they also be used successfully with adults?”  To answer the question of effectiveness in educating both the public and medical professional adult population, the study employed pre and post evaluation formatting to assess “individuals’ feelings concerning organ and tissue donation.”

Conclusion:

●    The results showed that while some participants of the study expressed negative feelings about viewing puppets as an adult during the pretest, after viewing a program all the negative responses became positive.  In fact, “After the [Kids on the Block] program 98 responders felt encouraged to discuss organ/tissue donation with family and friends.”

●    The researchers concluded that the “‘KIDS’ encouraged discussion and changed negative feelings [about organ donation].”