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Tribes
Intervention:
Tribes is an intensive universal prevention strategy administered in elementary classrooms that is designed to reduce aggressive and violent behavior, reduce risk factors for the development of violent behavior later in life, and increase protective factors that enhance resiliency. This universal prevention strategy is based on the idea that intervention programs should build resiliency—not merely reduce risk factors—and should use the classroom environment as an agent of change. The target population for Tribes is elementary school children, specifically children in first through fourth grades.
Tribes is designed to be administered to an entire classroom through the entire academic year; it is integrated into the class curriculum. The key features of the program are to organize children into smaller learning groups called “tribes” and to develop a nurturing classroom climate that includes respect for others, teamwork, building relationships, and individual accountability.
Students and teachers agree to honor four critical agreements while in class:
Listen attentively to one another.
Show appreciation for one another.
Show mutual respect.
Agree that students have the right to not participate in Tribes-related activities if they choose not to.
In addition, children are taught to set goals, define expectations for themselves and their learning group (i.e., their tribe), and reflect on what was learned and how it was learned. There are 12 collaborative skills that students learn to work effectively together.
The Tribes program is not curriculum based; rather, it is constructed and implemented as a way to organize classrooms and teach children. Teachers receive 3 days of training, as well as onsite support, to learn how to restructure their classrooms and aid in the implementation of the Tribes program.
Additional Information: Negative Program Effects
An outcome evaluation (described in Evaluation Methodology and Outcomes) found that the program in general had no effects on children’s behavior when boys and girls were assessed as a group, but when girls were considered separately, the program had significant negative effects on girls’ behavior and academic performance.
Evaluation Methodology:
Study 1
Hanson and colleagues (2011) used a cluster randomized trial to evaluate the impact of the Tribes program on first through fourth grade students in San Francisco and several other school districts throughout California. Randomization was done at the classroom level, as elementary school teachers are assigned to one class. Because of children’s rapid development, two separate studies were conducted with separate samples of first and second graders and third and fourth graders. The final sample consisted of 79 classrooms receiving the Tribes program and 74 classrooms serving as a control group. In total, 2,309 students were included in the study. Since treatment and control classrooms were contained in the same school, there was a concern that contamination (the Tribes program being used in control classrooms) could occur, but the researchers took every step possible to minimize this threat to the research design. Analyses indicated that the groups were equivalent at baseline.
The student sample was 22 percent Hispanic, 20 percent non-Hispanic white, 14 percent African American, 12 percent Chinese, 11 percent Filipino, and 21 percent “other” (which included those with missing race/ethnicity data). Sixty percent of students were eligible for free or reduced-price meals, and 38 percent were classified as English language learners. Attrition from the study was limited (13 of 166 randomly assigned teachers dropped out of the study).
Outcomes were measured upon completion of the program and 6 months afterward to detect any sustained program effects. Data was collected from multiple sources using a variety of instruments. A specially designed teacher survey was used to measure implementation and fidelity of the program. Items from the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist and the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (the BERS–2) were used to construct a checklist for parents and teachers to rate children’s prosocial and antisocial behavior. Additionally, trained researchers conducted direct observation of classroom environment and child behavior. Children were assessed through individual interviews that concentrated on moral judgment and on academic performance which was collected from archival records. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to conduct analyses.
Evaluation Outcome:
Study 1
Although Hanson and colleagues (2011) detected some significant findings, the preponderance of evidence suggests that the Tribes program had no effect on reducing aggressive and antisocial behavior and made a detrimental impact on girls’ academic performance.
Aggressive/Rule Breaking Behavior
The results on the impact of the Tribes program are mixed when examining aggressive behavior. In the overall sample and according to both parent and teacher reports, there were no significant differences for aggressive or rule-breaking behavior, social problems, or attention problems—immediately postintervention and 6 months postintervention—between children receiving Tribes and control group youths.
Gender subanalysis suggests that the program had differential effects for boys and girls. There appear to have been more beneficial impacts for boys and more detrimental impacts for girls. However, reports on male behavior differed depending on the source for the first and second grade sample. According to teachers, boys receiving the Tribes program displayed more statistically significant increases in aggressive and rule-breaking behavior than boys in the control group. Yet, parent-reported rule-breaking behavior shows a statistically significant decrease for boys receiving the Tribes program, compared with boys in the control group. For the other sample, children in third and fourth grades, Tribes appears to be beneficial for males. According to teachers, boys receiving the Tribes program demonstrated significantly lower levels of aggressive and rule-breaking behavior, as well as fewer social and attention problems.
Girls participating in Tribes displayed higher scores in parent-reported measures of emotional and behavioral strengths, compared with girls in the control group. Additionally, for both boys and girls there is no evidence that any programmatic effects were sustained or emerged at the 6-month follow-up.
Academic Performance
The other significant impacts detected for girls receiving the Tribes program were detrimental. For girls in both samples, grades 1 through 4, those participating in the Tribes program exhibited statistically significant lower test scores in English and mathematics, compared with girls in the control group. The researchers are not sure why the Tribes program would be associated with marked declines in academic performance and only for girls.
Other Information:
References:
Benard, Bonnie. 2005.
What Is It About Tribes? The Research-Based Components of the Developmental Process of Tribes TLC®.
Windsor, Calif.: CenterSource Systems.
Cheswass, Roger. 2003. “Evaluation of the Implementation and Impact of Tribes TLC®.” Preliminary Evaluation Report. San Francisco, Calif.: WestEd Regional Educational Laboratory.
———. 2004. “Evaluation of the Implementation of Tribes TLC®: Second Year Study.” Final Evaluation Report. San Francisco, Calif.: WestEd Regional Educational Laboratory.
Gibbs, Jeanne. 2001a.
Discovering Gifts in Middle School: Learning in a Caring Culture Called Tribes.
Windsor, Calif.: CenterSource Systems.
———. 2001b.
Tribes: A New Way of Learning and Being Together.
Windsor, Calif.: CenterSource Systems.
Hanson, Thomas, Jo Ann Izu, Anthony Petrosino, Bo Delong–Cotty, and Hong Zheng. 2011.
A Randomized Experimental Evaluation of the Tribes Learning Communities Prevention Program. Final Evaluation Report
. San Francisco, Calif.: WestEd Regional Educational Laboratory.
Holt, Judith. 2000. “Tribes Training and Experiences Lower the Incidence of Referral Actions for Teachers and Students.” Research Summary. Tulsa, Okla.: Tulsa Public Schools.
Kiger, Derick. 2000. “The Tribes Process: Phase 3 Evaluation.” Executive Summary. Beloit, Wis.: Research and Accountability Department, School District of Beloit.
Program Specification:
New Rating:
No Effects
Re-reviewed Date:
October 2012
Program Type:
Classroom Curricula
Conflict Resolution / Interpersonal Skills
Leadership and Youth Development
School/Classroom Environment
Ethnicity:
Asian
African American
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
White
Other Ethnicity
Gender:
Both
Age:
6
-
10
Target Settings:
Suburban
Urban
Problem Behaviors:
Academic Problems
Aggression/Violence
Alcohol,Tobacco and Other Drug Use
Delinquency
Risk & Protective Factors:
Risk
Community
Community instability
Family
Child victimization and maltreatment
Family transitions
Poor family attachment / Bonding
Individual
Antisocial behavior and alienation / Delinquent beliefs / General delinquency involvement / Drug dealing
Early onset of aggression and/or violence
Lack of guilt and empathy
Life stressors
Poor refusal skills
Peer
Association with delinquent and/or aggressive peers
Peer rejection
School
Dropping out of school
Frequent school transitions
Inadequate school climate / Poorly organized and functioning schools / Negative labeling by teachers
Low academic achievement
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
Family
High family expectations
Opportunities for prosocial family involvement
Individual
Healthy / Conventional beliefs and clear standards
High individual expectations
Perception of social support from adults and peers
Positive / Resilient temperament
Positive expectations / Optimism for the future
Self-efficacy
Social competencies and problem solving skills
Peer
Good relationships with peers
Involvement with positive peer group activities
School
Above average academic achievment / Reading and math skills
High expectations of students
High quality schools / Clear standards and rules
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:
CASEL
Status:
Program is in operation at this time.
Performance Measures:
Suggested OJJDP Performance Measures for the Program Types(s):
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
School/Classroom Environment
Logic Model:
PDF
Performance Matrix:
PDF
Contact Information: