Evaluation of Training Content by Expert Judgment: The North Carolina Curriculum Review

Project

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey

UNC Greensboro

Department of Social Work

N.C. Curriculum Review Project

In-depth curriculum review of 2 or more curricula by trainers and curriculum developers including

Reading curriculaAttending trainingCompletion of a Global Template that identifies important elements for review

Comparison of curriculum content with policy and other curriculaFacilitation of review process by university consultant

Purposes of Curriculum Review

Ensure child welfare curriculum adherence to policy

Identifying instances of inconsistency or unnecessary duplication between curricula

Documenting how training addresses CSFR outcomes and other elements of interest as well as gaps in training

Assessment of attendance and satisfaction data for specific training courses

Precipitants of Curriculum Review

Reorganization of training system in 1998, including addition of many new courses

Child welfare reformMultiple (Alternative) Response System based on 7 specific strategies

Application of family-centered and system of care principles to child welfare practice

Training as systemic factor in CFSR reviews

Global Template

Evaluation of specific elements for each curriculumFamily-centered principles of partnershipDiversityCFSR outcomesMRS strategies

Comparison of competencies and learning objectives between curriculaParticipant satisfaction dataTraining attendance dataOther elements

Overlap, redundancyLanguage and termsPolicyPractice

Process of Curriculum Review

Training manager identifies curricula to be reviewed and reviewersFacilitator convenes meeting to discuss process, facilitator takes and distributes minutesReviewers

receive and review copies of all curricula attend trainings (participant/observer)complete Global Template on all curricula

Entire work group meets to discuss the reviews and agree on modificationsReviewers

revise Global Template with feedbackrevise curricula and submit to training manager

Facilitator writes final report, including final versions of Global Templates

Inconsistency: Where, When, and How to Interview Children

Forensic approachCourt as a primary client

Tends to “err” on side of child safety

Children interviewed “alone” (outside the vicinity of parents)

Family assessment approachFamily as primary client

Tends to “err” on side of parents

Children can be interviewed “alone” (in another room than parents)

Recommendations

Clarify how CFI fits into overall family assessment and how social worker makes judgment about when, where, and how to interview childrenClarify when different approaches to interviewing children are most appropriateChange language in one curriculum because same language is used differently in the other

Family-Centered Meetings and Shared Parenting

Confusion about various meetingsFamily-centered meetings (FCMs)

Child and Family Team Meetings (CFTMs)

Team Decision-making Meetings (TDMs)

What is shared parenting?

Is it a meeting or a process?

Initial meeting cannot occur during a Child and Family Team Meeting because purpose is relationship development

First CFTM takes time to organize; SP meeting must be held within 7 days of placement

After initial SP meeting, CFTMs can be considered as a part of the SP process

Policy Recommendations

Policy should more clearly define and describe shared parenting

Policy should clarify that SP contacts can be made at CFTMs as long as purposes of SP are addressed (but not initial SP meeting)

Curricular Recommendations

Need to combine 2 curricula dealing with working with foster parentsClarify relationship between CFTMS and shared parentingAdd strategies for operationalizing family-centered principlesAdd practical material on how to “do” shared parentingDocumentation

Benefits of Curriculum Review

Brings together different perspectives

Highlights misunderstandings of concepts, terms, policy

Opportunity to resolve tensions around practice differences

Highlights needs for policy clarification

Highlights instances when same activities and/or handouts are used in trainings