Analysis: 2005-2006 School Survey Outcome Data

Preliminary Findings

Following the 2005-06 academic year, schools which received the entire or parts of the MARC K-12 anti-bullying program were anonymously surveyed regarding the impact of the program on their school.  The survey was administered to guidance personnel or adminstrators in the schools.  Information gathered focused more on perceptions of effectiveness rather than utilizing measures such as the number of bullying reports.  Concrete measures such as the number of bullying reports are more reliable than subjective data, but also suffer from problems such as external validity.  Future measures may include both forms of data.

The entire range of services offered to schools included help developing administrative policy; faculty and support staff training; MARC Student Facilitators (only available for Middle and High Schools); and Parent presentations.  Most schools utilized faculty trainings and most middle and high schools utilized the MARC Student Facilitators.  Many schools also sponsored Parent Presentations evenings which were generally characterized by low attendance but motivated parents.  Very few schools opted to review policy, although interest in that issue seems to be progressively increasing.

Trends below represent preliminary findings.  More sophisticated analyses are being conducted, but in the interest of time and public safety, it was decided to publish preliminary findings while these analyses are being conducted.  The following trends in the data were noted:

*     Middle and high school staff were the ones who felt the most impact from the MARC program. Since these grade levels generally participate in student facilitations, there is evidence that this component is an important part of the MARC program.

*     The data shows that teachers and guidance staff are more sensitive than administrators to the gains made once the MARC program is in place.

*     Those who recall receiving follow-up materials from MARC were generally likely to use them.

*     Larger schools have reported a more dramatic positive impact on their school climate after MARC has provided them with services. This may be a spurious finding, related to the fact that middle and high schools frequently reported more dramatic changes than elementary schools which tend to be smaller. This may also indicate the importance of the student facilitation piece of the MARC program since only the middle and the high schools receive that part of the program.

*     One third of those elementary schools surveyed said that all teachers used Discussion Time after being trained in the technique. Since MARC is a program that adapts its programs to the developmental needs of the audience it is targeting, Discussion Time is a part of the MARC program that is specific to elementary schools only.

*     All of those surveyed reported that the faculty in-service training was interesting and engaging.