Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (OJJDP Model Program Guide)

Office of Justice Programs, Innovation - Partnerships – Safer Neighborhoods

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Serving Children, Families and Communities

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Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program®

Intervention:

Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) is designed to develop the positive potential of teens, leading to successful life outcomes and decreased risk-taking behaviors such as teen violence, school failure, and teen pregnancy. As the program is delivered during a critical time in adolescent brain development, the curriculum-guided discussions and activities support brain maturity as youths engage in thinking about their goals, values, and behaviors.

The supports and opportunities provided through TOP® clubs are also critical to helping teens achieve their potential. The development of supportive relationships with adult facilitators is a core component, as are relationships with peers in the program. Youths examine and practice decision-making skills and have opportunities for meaningful involvement through the planning and execution of community service activities.

The program is targeted at teens in grades 6 through 12 (or, more narrowly, 12- to 17-year-olds). It has been replicated successfully with youths at high risk (defined as having a history of class failure, school dropout, school suspension, or involvement with pregnancy).

TOP® consists of three interrelated elements:

Community service learning. Specifically in the community service learning component, TOP® provides genuine opportunities for teens to make and feel the impact of their work. Youths in TOP® complete a minimum of 20 hours of service each year. Students select projects that are both challenging and important to them. Their work can be completed in groups, which provides ample opportunities for students to practice their communication, conflict management, and self-regulation skills.
Curriculum-guided peer group meetings. The TOP® curriculum addresses multiple important teen topics and includes 4 years of unduplicated and age-appropriate materials that evoke the development of the following self-regulatory, social, and emotional skills: ability to build and maintain positive relationships; critical thinking about one’s own social environment, thoughts and actions and the formation of high standards and integrity; communication skills and assertiveness; goal-setting and evaluation of self; analysis, problem-solving, decision-making, and priority-setting; confidence, assertiveness, persistence, and belief in one’s ability; self-discipline, time management, and balance; social competencies to choose appropriate behaviors in various circumstances; and evaluation and integration of physically and emotionally healthy choices for oneself.
Positive adult guidance and support. Each TOP® club is led by at least one consistent and trained facilitator over the 9-month cycle. The maximum facilitator-to-teen ratio is 1 trained facilitator to 25 teens. When TOP® is facilitated in a fashion consistent with the training, youths report that the TOP® facilitator likes them and cares about them and that the TOP® facilitator is perceived as someone who is sensitive to the youths’ feelings and needs. Youth participation in the group discussion is high. Youth talking time in the group is high; facilitator talking time is low. Youths report that the social environment of the program is emotionally supportive and safe.

Each TOP® club is led by at least one consistent and trained facilitator over the 9-month dose of the program. TOP® is available within a large network of Certified TOP® Replication Partners (organizations or schools) throughout the country (see Implementation section to learn more). Each partner manages training, technical assistance, and quality assurance within its own network. Each partner is led by a Champion and has a Coordinator. Each partner also has TOP® Trainers who lead the training for facilitators.

TOP® has an explicit developmental focus, helping teens understand and evaluate their current and future life options. The program emphasizes the positive effects of community service learning on normative social development of adolescents, as a preventive measure against teen pregnancy and school failure. The program follows from the premise that establishing autonomy in social interactions while maintaining a sense of relatedness with others can help adolescents avoid problem behaviors.

Evaluation Methodology:

Study 1
Allen and colleagues (1994) conducted an evaluation of Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) using a pre–post design and a well-matched comparison group. Characteristics of TOP® were evaluated at 66 different sites nationwide from 1987 through 1992. Participants consisted of 1,020 students who participated in TOP® and 1,013 comparison students. Students ranged from 11 to 19 years old and from 7th to 12th grades. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess students’ problem behaviors, containing items asking students a) whether they had ever been pregnant (females) or caused a pregnancy (males), b) whether they had failed any courses during the previous year at school, and, c) whether they had been suspended at any time during the previous year at school. The incidence of each of these three problem behaviors was summed to yield a problem behavior score for each student, and the scores were used to measure the program’s effectiveness in reducing problem behaviors.

Study 2
Allen and colleagues (1997) conducted a randomized controlled trial of TOP® across 25 sites nationwide from 1991 through 1995, concentrating on the program’s impact on teenage pregnancy, course failure, and school suspension. The sample consisted of 695 high school students, who were randomly assigned to either TOP® or to a control group. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess students’ problem behaviors, containing items asking students a) whether they had ever been pregnant (females) or caused a pregnancy (males), b) whether they had failed any courses during the previous year at school, and c) whether they had been suspended at any time during the previous year at school. Students were told that the information they provided would be kept confidential, and they were specifically reassured that none of their answers would be available to school officials. Participants were assessed at program entry, to provide baseline data, and were then assessed at program exit 9 months later. Students’ scores in both the treatment and comparison groups were compared between the two time periods to provide indicators of the program’s effectiveness in reducing problem behaviors.

Study 3
Allen and Philliber (2001) conducted a randomized controlled trial of TOP® with the intention of examining how well the program addresses the needs of those students within the program who are at the highest risk of problematic behavior. Data was collected over a 4-year period across more than 60 sites nationwide. For a subset of about 20 percent of students (n=660), random assignment to treatment and control groups was used. Participants in this evaluation of TOP® consisted of 1,673 students who participated in TOP® and 1,604 comparison students; all students were in the 9th through 12th grades. The same self-report questionnaires used in the Allen and colleagues (1997) study were used to assess students’ problem behaviors. At entry, students were asked a) whether they had ever been pregnant (females) or caused a pregnancy (males), b) whether they had failed any courses during the previous year at school, and, c) whether they had been suspended at any time during the previous year at school. At exit, the same questions were asked of students (except that the pregnancy question was modified to refer only to the academic year of the program). Final analyses concentrated on whether this broad-based competence-enhancing intervention was most efficacious when serving higher-risk adolescents, and was assessed in terms of both familial risk factors and behavioral risk factors.

Evaluation Outcome:

Study 1
Teen Pregnancies
Allen and colleagues (1994) found that, based on data collected at program exit, Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) youths (females only) had lower levels of pregnancies (3.2 percent) relative to comparison students (5.4 percent). This difference was statistically significant.

Course Failures
Based on data collected at program exit, program youths had lower levels of course failures (31.2 percent) relative to comparison students (37.2 percent). This difference was statistically significant.

School Suspensions
Based on data collected at program exit, program youths had lower levels of school suspensions (16.5 percent) relative to comparison students (21.4 percent). This difference was statistically significant.

Study 2
Allen and colleagues (1997) found that Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) participants experienced significantly lower levels of teenage pregnancy, course failure, and school suspension than students in the control group, even after accounting for baseline levels of these behaviors.

Teen Pregnancies
Based on data collected at program exit, program youths (females only) had lower levels of pregnancies (4.2 percent) relative to control youths (9.8 percent). This finding was statistically significant.

Course Failures
Based on data collected at program exit, program youths had lower levels of course failures (26.6 percent) relative to control youths (46.8 percent). This finding was statistically significant.

School Suspensions
Based on data collected at program exit, program youths had lower levels of school suspensions (13 percent) relative to control youths (28.7 percent). This finding was statistically significant.

Study 3
Allen and Philliber (2001) found that results confirmed earlier findings regarding the overall efficacy of the Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®), and indicated that the program appeared most effective for those students at greatest initial risk of the problem behaviors being targeted.

Teen Pregnancies
Based on data collected at program exit, program youths demonstrated only 53 percent of the pregnancy rate that was demonstrated by students in the comparison group.

Course Failures
Based on data collected at program exit, program youths demonstrated only 60 percent of the course failure rate that was demonstrated by students in the comparison group.

School Suspensions
Based on data collected at program exit, program youths demonstrated only 52 percent of the suspension rate that was demonstrated by students in the comparison group.

Other Information:

Costs: Cost analyses of Wyman's Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) indicate that the program can be offered for a full academic year to a class of 18 to 25 students for about $500 to $700 per student. These figures include costs for facilitator and site-level coordinator time; when this time is provided as an in-kind contribution by schools and community volunteer service organizations, the direct costs of the program drop to less than $100 a student (Allen and Philliber 2001). For information on costs related to becoming a Certified TOP® Replication Partner and managing a network, contact the Wyman Center.

Implementation: Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) is made available in communities through organizations or schools that contract with and are trained by Wyman to replicate the program in their city, state, or sector. These entities are “Certified TOP® Replication Partners,” who take responsibility for the training, fidelity monitoring, and technical assistance of local providers of the program. To become a Certified Replication Partner requires an application process, a contract with Wyman, and a first-year fee for training, program materials, data management, and the first year’s site visit. There is an annual fee per year for Certified Replication Partners. These fees allow for partners to serve up to 50 clubs or a thousand teens in their network of providers. Partners may serve more than a thousand teens, and annual fees are adjusted to allow for greater support for larger networks. The Wyman Center also provides Certified Replication Partners and those in their networks access to TOPnet Online as part of the partner’s fees. This site allows for teen and facilitator surveys to be conducted online and for survey reports to be generated online. The site also provides networking across TOP® clubs, providers, and partners and gives users access to program materials, question-and-answer sites, and grant announcements.

TOP® partners and providers ensure a minimum dosage of one session per week for 9 months, with no fewer than 25 sessions. Each session lasts 1 to 2 hours. Providers place at least one trained facilitator for each group of teens and a minimum of 20 hours a year of service for each participant. Service learning activities are intended to respond to the needs and capacities of both students and local communities. In 2010, Wyman launched a robust set of supports and accountabilities to ensure that TOP® is delivered with fidelity. This system is Wyman’s National Network and includes (as of September 2012) 46 Certified TOP® Replication Partners with more than 500 provider organizations, serving tens of thousands of teens throughout the United States. The program has been successfully replicated in school-based settings as an augmentation of an existing course or as an elective. It has also been successful as an afterschool program or community-based initiative.

Other Information: The Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) was developed in 1978 in the St. Louis (MO) Public Schools system. Since its development, TOP® has been implemented at hundreds of sites with more than 100,000 middle and high school age youths. In 1981 the Junior League of St. Louis (MO) and the Danforth Foundation began sponsoring the program with the goal of increasing high school graduation rates and reducing teen pregnancy. In 1984 the Junior League of St. Louis launched a national demonstration program that was taken over in 1987 by the Association of Junior Leagues International. In 1996, Cornerstone Consulting Group of Houston, Texas, acquired the program. Cornerstone shepherded the refinement of the curriculum, training methods, national replication, and research until 2005. Wyman began delivering TOP® to middle and high school teens in St. Louis in 1998, also working with Cornerstone to train other Missouri providers. Wyman took over the national replication of TOP® in 2005 and then purchased the copyrights for the program from Cornerstone. Wyman's National Network was launched in 2010.

References:

Allen, Joseph P., and Susan Philliber. 2001. “Who Benefits Most From a Broadly Targeted Prevention Program? Differential Efficacy Across Populations in the Teen Outreach Program.” Journal of Community Psychology 29:637–55.

Allen, Joseph P., and Susan Philliber. 1991. "Evaluating Why and How the Teen Outreach Program Works: Years 3–5 of the Teen Outreach National Replication (1986/87–1988/89)." Fact Sheet, January.

Allen, Joseph P., Susan Philliber, Scott Herrling, and Gabriel P. Kuperminc. 1997. “Preventing Teen Pregnancy and Academic Failure: Experimental Evaluation of a Developmentally Based Approach.” Child Development 64(4):729–42.

Allen, Joseph P., Gabriel P. Kuperminc, Susan Philliber and Kathy Herre. 1994. “Programmatic Prevention of Adolescent Problem Behaviors: The Role of Autonomy, Relatedness, and Volunteer Service in the Teen Outreach Program.” American Journal of Community Psychology 22(5):617–38.

Program Specification:

New Rating:

Effective

Re-reviewed Date:

September 2012

Program Type:

Academic Skills Enhancement

Classroom Curricula

Leadership and Youth Development

Restorative Justice

Truancy Prevention

Gender:

Both

Age:

12 - 17

Special Populations:

Females

Target Settings:

Rural

Suburban

Urban

Problem Behaviors:

Academic Problems

Sexual Activity/Exploitation

Risk & Protective Factors:

Risk

Community

Low community attachment

Individual

Early sexual involvement

Life stressors

School

Dropping out of school

Low academic achievement

Low academic aspirations

Negative attitude toward school / Low bonding / Low school attachment / Commitment to school

School suspensions

Truancy / Frequent absences

Protective

Community

High community expectations

Presence and involvement of caring, supportive adults in the community

Prosocial opportunities for participation / Availability of neighborhood resources

Rewards for prosocial community involvement

Individual

Healthy / Conventional beliefs and clear standards

High individual expectations

Perception of social support from adults and peers

Positive expectations / Optimism for the future

Self-efficacy

Social competencies and problem solving skills

School

Above average academic achievment / Reading and math skills

High expectations of students

Opportunities for prosocial school involvement

Presence and involvement of caring, supportive adults in school

Rewards for prosocial school involvement

Strong school motivation / Positive attitude toward school

Student bonding (attachment to teachers, belief, commitment)

Additional Information:

Status:

Program is in operation at this time.

Performance Measures:

Suggested OJJDP Performance Measures for the Program Types(s):

Delinquency Prevention
Academic Skills Enhancement
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
School Programs
Academic Skills Enhancement
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
Delinquency Prevention
Classroom Curricula
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
School Programs
Classroom Curricula
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
Delinquency Prevention
Leadership and Youth Development
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
School Programs
Truancy Prevention
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
Restitution/Community Service
Restorative Justice
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
Diversion
Restorative Justice
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF

Contact Information:

Program Developer:
Claire Wyneken
Senior Vice President Wyman Center
600 Kiwanis Drive
Eureka, MO 63025
Phone: 636.549.1236
Email: Click Here
Website: Click Here

Training & TA Provider:
Felice McClendon
National Network Partner Development Manager The Wyman Center
600 Kiwanis Drive
Eureka, MO 63025
Phone: 636.549.1238
Email: Click Here
Website: Click Here

Claire Wyneken
Senior Vice President Wyman Center
600 Kiwanis Drive
Eureka, MO 63025
Phone: 636.549.1236
Email: Click Here
Website: Click Here