Florida State University Independent Study evaluates program
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (July 29, 2015) – MBF Child Safety Matters®, powered by Monique Burr Foundation for Children, Inc. (MBF), was recently shown to be an effective and quality program that empowers children with the knowledge and skills to recognize and respond to unsafe situations, according to an independent study conducted by Florida State University’s (FSU) School of Teacher Education. The evaluation took place from January through July 2015 and was approved by the FSU Institutional Review Board.
Specific findings from the independent study of MBF Child Safety Matters® include:
- Most of the 620 kindergarten through fifth grade students surveyed, demonstrated pre- to post-test gains on student assessments, which shows MBF Child Safety Matters™ is successfully educating participants with strategies to prevent all types of child abuse, bullying, cyberbullying and digital abuse.
- Procedural fidelity to the prescribed MBF Child Safety Matters® curriculum exceeded 90 percent by its facilitators, typically school counselors. This includes adherence to lesson plans, general guidelines and program language.
- Children respond well to MBF Child Safety Matters® and facilitators are enthusiastic about using the program.
- Facilitators believe MBF Child Safety Matters® topics are explained appropriately in the scripts, lesson PowerPoints and other materials, rating average topic coverage and appropriateness at a 4.7 on a scale of 5.
