A logic model, also called a conceptual model and theory-of-change model, is a visual representation of how a program is expected to "work." It relates resources, activities, and the intended changes or impacts that a program is expected to create. Typically, logic models are diagrams or flow charts with illustrations, text, and arrows that…

Many out-of-school time programs conduct evaluations. As part of an evaluation, program participants (including children, their parents, and program staff) may be asked to provide information. Researchers refer to these individuals as "human subjects," and it is essential to protect their privacy, rights, confidentiality, and privileges.…

During the last decade, policy and public attention have focused increasingly on the out-of-school hours, and programs to fill this time have proliferated for children and youth. These programs serve varying purposes, including providing child care and a safe haven, improving academic performance, enhancing general youth development, allowing…

Increasing community involvement in out-of-school time programs can yield significant benefits to programs and the students that they serve. Community partnerships have the potential to meet a wide variety of needs, from improving participant recruitment and attendance to contributing volunteers or other resources to programs. This research brief…

The idea of education in nineteenth-century women's writing revolves around social class, social mores, and the subtleties of the writer's imagination. Nowhere can this be seen more vividly and thoroughly than in Charlotte Bronte's novel, "Jane Eyre". The book's opening scene, striking in its symbolic detail, highlights and foreshadows the…

Children in immigrant families are more likely than children in native-born families to face a number of risk factors for poor developmental outcomes, including higher poverty rates, lower household incomes, and linguistic isolation, (for example, when older children and adults in a household have difficulty speaking English). Previous research…

The study includes a longitudinal sample of 1,989 fathers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study and examines factors associated with fathering a higher-order birth (three or more children) and compares these factors to those predicting any subsequent birth. Also, the article examines differences by marital status. Logistic regression…

Using a sample of resident fathers in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (9-month Father Study), this study examined how father involvement is associated with infant cognitive outcomes in two domains (babbling and exploring objects with a purpose). Results from a series of logistic regression models indicate that varied aspects of…

Describes "The Brontes: A Hypertext Edition," a project that aims to provide cross-referenced editions, annotations, 19th-century critical accounts, and contextual links to sources for quotations and allusions in the Brontes' novels. Notes limitations of print editions and discusses theoretical concerns, the need for a range of tagging…

Many programs for youth attribute their successes to the characteristics of their staff members. Accordingly, ensuring the competence of youth workers is essential for all out-of-school time programs. Past research has identified a number of core competencies for youth workers, including professionalism and teamwork; however the increasing racial…

This brief describes different types of evaluations and sets forth five steps for selecting an evaluator that can benefit a program in the long run. It also provides some tips on the cost of evaluations. Evaluation refers to "the process of acquiring and assessing information to provide useful feedback about a program or program activity."…

The creative development of Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Patrick Branwell, Emily Jane, and Anne Bronte in England during the early 1800s is analyzed, with attention to the role of the parents, collaborative siblings, and the natural environment in supporting their talent. The education of the Brontes and the "little books" they wrote as…

This handout is a guide to library resources in the J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, for the study of the 19th-century English authors Branwell, Anne, Charlotte, and Emily Bronte. The guide is intended to help readers find resources in the Atkins library for biographical and critical material on the Brontes.…

This brief summarizes the importance of professional development, identifies core competencies for youth workers, highlights professional development training delivery models, and sets fourth next steps for professional development that can benefit youth programs. Programs often attribute their success to effective youth workers, and research…

Teaching has a history in which women figure prominently. Driven by need and ambition, many women worked as schoolteachers in the nineteenth century, although not necessarily attracted by the work itself. This essay focuses on Charlotte Bronte, examining the constraints and values that account for her choice of teaching as a career. It is based on…