Trust Amanda Evaluation Results – Fall 2004

 

Introduction

 

Bridgework Theater creates and performs plays that address urgent problems faced by children and youth.  In 2002, Bridgework created a play that addresses the problem of responsibility.  The play, Trust Amanda, meets the needs of children in grades 1 - 4.  During the fall of 2004, Bridgework performed Trust Amanda for 11,000 children in ten states.  

 

Goal and Objectives

 

The goal of Trust Amanda is to increase the willingness of participants to take responsibility for problems they can prevent or solve.  The objective of the play is that students who participate in Trust Amanda will demonstrate at least one of the following:

 

·        More willingness to admit mistakes

·        More willingness to volunteer to take responsibility

·        More willingness to keep promises

·        More willingness to help solve problems         

 

The Play and Related Activities ‑ Program Description

 

Bridgework's program consists of:

 

1.  A live performance of Trust Amanda, a 40 minute play

2.  A classroom activity session led by a classroom teacher

3.  A list of resources that classroom teachers can use to create or improve long-term strategies for increasing responsibility

 

Evaluation Design

 

Bridgework's evaluator compared the attitudes of a group of young people who had not participated in the program (control group) with the attitudes of a similar group of young people who had seen the play (test group). 

 

Statement (1): If I do something wrong next week, I (will, might or might not, won’t) admit that I did it.  The statement measured willingness to admit mistakes.

 

Statement (2): In the next week or two, I (won’t, might or might not, will) volunteer to do extra jobs.  The statement measured willingness to volunteer to take responsibility.

 

Statement (3): If I promise to do something, but later I find out it’s really hard to keep the promise, I (will, might or might not, won’t) change my mind.  The statement measured willingness to keep promises.

 

Statement (4): Next week, if someone has a really hard problem they need help with, I (won’t, might or might not, will) think about what I can do to solve the problem.  The statement measured willingness to help solve problems.

 

The evaluator received completed tests from a total of 520 students.  Of those students, 256 were in the control group, 264 were in test group.

 

Scoring

 

Points along the semantic continuum were weighted with values of one (left side of the continuum) to three (right side of the continuum).  The mean score of the control group was compared to the mean score of the experimental.  For all three statements, a significant increase in mean score was desired.  A z‑test at the .05 level of significance (95% chance that test results can be replicated) was used to determine statistical significance. 

 

Results

 

The difference between responses of the control group and test were significantly different (and were in the desired direction) for statements 1, 3 and 4.  The results indicate that the program caused increased willingness to take responsibility.  Trust Amanda accomplished its objective. 

 

 

 

Statement 1

Statement 2

Statement 3

Statement 4

Mean, Control Group

 

 

1.27

2.53

2.38

2.72

Mean, Test Group

 

1.21

2.55

2.50

2.82

Z-score (Control compared to Test)

 

1.66

.42

1.95

2.25

p value

 

p< .05

p> .1

p>.025

p< .025

Desired Direction?

 

Yes

Insignificant Change

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

Schools that participated in the evaluation included: Corpus Christi School (South Bend, IN); Franklin Elementary (Archbold, OH); Petsworth Elementary (Gloucester, VA); Springfield School (Michigan City, IN)