Developmental rationale: caring school communities meeting needs for autonomy, belonging, and competence¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 4 claims (1 for, 3 against) · 1 study (1 quant-synthesis), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The program rests on a research-based account of students' academic, social, and ethical development. The report states the program "was developed based on research-supported claims that students’ academic, social, and ethical development benefit from: caring school communities; having their psychological needs for autonomy, belonging, and competence met; having a better sense of “connectedness” to schools." It further holds that cooperative rather than competitive learning environments and social support and guidance from teachers in formal and informal learning situations benefit development. This rationale explains why the intervention operates schoolwide through community-building rather than through standalone lessons.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Implementation as a schoolwide intervention involving all students, staff, and families rather than isolated classroom lessons

Constraints¶

• The studies reviewed implemented the CDP rather than the updated CSC program

Target Learners¶

• Elementary school students in grades K–6

Target Learning Objectives¶

• Academic, social, and ethical development; connectedness to school

Claims¶

• Csc Potentially Positive Behavior Effects [+W]
• CSC/CDP shows no discernible effects on academic achievement [-W]
• CSC/CDP shows no discernible effects on knowledge, attitudes, and values [-W]
• Statistically significant effects reported by the CDP studies were not statistically significant as recalculated by the WWC [-W]

Related Theories¶

• Gilligan's Ethic of Care
• Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development
• Recovery school theory of change: sober peer connectedness and social capital support recovery and academic achievement

Examples¶

• One-day teacher workshop plus optional training-of-trainers for implementing CSC
• Character Education

Key Sources¶

• What Works Clearinghouse. (2007). Caring School Community™ WWC Intervention Report, Character Education. U.S. Department of Education. http://www.devstu.org/csrd/cdp_index.html