Life Stories for Black Youth: Exploring Cultural Heritage through Storytelling

描述(申请人提供)：美国有1000万未满18岁的黑人儿童。与白人儿童相比，这些儿童面临着严重的学业和行为健康差距(Bland-Noble，2004；USDHHS，2001)。需要与文化相关的项目来减少黑人青年中的行为健康差距(Carter，1996；Tillman&Shirley，2002)。具体地说，研究表明，接受黑人学生和融入学校社区是促进跨领域积极运作的关键环境因素(例如，Griig 2003；Carter等人，1997；Smith等人，1999)。庆祝黑人文化遗产，促进对多样性的接受，并教育学生了解不同文化之间的相似性的干预措施，可以有效地创造一个综合的、接受的学校环境，从而促进行为健康益处(Coard，Wallace，Stevenson，&Miller，2004；Roscigno，1998)。拟议的创新产品，儿童的生活故事：黑人文化遗产系列(LS-BCH)，是一项面向高年级儿童的校本课程，重点是黑人遗产和文化，由专业的黑人讲故事人担任。完整的故事库将包括传统故事(例如来自地下铁路的故事)和经验故事(例如文化适应)，以提高黑人学生的自尊和学校参与度，并促进一体化、积极的整体学校氛围。该项目的第一阶段将涉及两个具体目标：(1)开发课程原型，即专业手册(行政指导方针、课程脚本、活动)、以黑人专业故事讲述者为特色的DVD、家长讲义和网络资源，以及(2)原型产品的可行性测试(即，由参与课程采用的学校专业人员和3-5年级学生及其家长的焦点小组进行详细的产品评估)。在第二阶段，原型将根据第一阶段的调查结果进行修订和扩展，以包括另外四名黑人故事讲述者和所有附带的课程剧本和材料。第二阶段还将完成一项随机治疗对照研究，考察儿童在学校的学习、社会情绪和行为功能以及整体学校氛围的变化。第一阶段和第二阶段项目的努力将为3-5年级的儿童制定一项以证据为基础的、普遍的、文化遗产校本课程：儿童生活故事：黑人文化遗产系列(LS-BCH)，它使用引人入胜和强大的讲故事的教育形式来分享黑人文化遗产的故事，与配套的课程和材料一起，促进黑人学生对文化的接受和融入学校社区。与公共健康相关：数据一直表明全国黑人和白人之间存在成就差距。为了有效解决黑人青年面临的差异，需要与文化相关的课程，这些课程涉及与接受和融入学校社区有关的关键环境和社会因素。迫切需要与文化相关的项目，以促进文化接受和融入学校社区。LS-BCH满足了这一需求，并与《2010年健康人：理解和改善健康》相一致，后者强调“一种设计、实施和评估过程，以解决特定人口群体(族裔和种族)的特殊问题”(USDHHS，2000)。LS-BCH代表了一种与文化相关的产品，旨在解决日益增长的人口多样性和对文化上有能力的干预措施的需求，以帮助消除种族和种族行为健康差异。这项拟议的研究也与卫生局局长的精神健康报告(USDHHS，2001)的建议是一致的。具体地说，报告建议“调整服务以满足所有美国人的需求，包括种族和少数民族”。特别需要普遍的方案(即，对学校的所有儿童一视同仁)，因为它们可以应用于学校内的每一间教室，并能在个人和系统层面上影响变革(实施起来更具成本效益)。这项研究的发现将促进我们对如何通过校本课程成功地解决黑人青年行为健康差距的理解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There are 10 million Black children under the age of 18 in the United States. These children face serious academic and behavioral health disparities compared with their White counterparts (Breland-Noble, 2004; USDHHS, 2001). Culturally-relevant programs are needed to decrease behavioral health disparities among Black youth (Carter, 1996; Tillman & Shirley, 2002). Specifically, research suggests that acceptance of Black students and integration into the school community are key environmental factors that promote positive functioning across domains (e.g., Grieg 2003; Carter et al., 1997; Smith et al., 1999). Interventions that celebrate Black cultural heritage, promote acceptance of diversity, and educate students about similarities among cultures can effectively engender an integrated, accepting school environment, thereby fostering behavioral health benefits (Coard, Wallace, Stevenson, & Miller, 2004; Roscigno, 1998). The proposed innovative product, LifeStories for Kids: Black Cultural Heritage Series (LS-BCH), is a school- based curriculum for upper elementary children focusing on Black heritage and culture featuring professional Black storytellers. The complete story library will include both traditional (e.g., stories from the Underground Railroad) and experiential (e.g., acculturation) stories in order to increase self-esteem and school engagement among Black students, as well as promote an integrative, positive overall school climate. Phase I of this project will address two specific aims: (1) Development of a curriculum prototype i.e., Professional Manual (administrative guidelines, lesson scripts, activities), DVD featuring a Black professional storyteller, parent handouts, and web resources, and (2) Feasibility testing of the prototype product (i.e., detailed product evaluation by school professionals involved in curriculum adoption and focus groups with students in grades 3-5 and their parents). During Phase II, the prototype will be revised and expanded based on Phase I findings to include four additional Black storytellers and all accompanying lesson scripts and materials. A randomized treatment-control research study examining changes in children's academic, social-emotional, and behavioral functioning at school, as well as the overall school climate, will also be completed in Phase II. The efforts of the Phase I and Phase II projects will result in an evidence-based, universal, cultural heritage school-based curriculum for children in grades 3-5, LifeStories for Kids: Black Cultural Heritage Series (LS-BCH), which uses the engaging and powerful educational format of storytelling to share stories of Black cultural heritage that, along with accompanying lessons and materials, promote cultural acceptance and integration of Black students into the school community. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Data consistently point to an achievement gap between Blacks and Whites across the nation. Culturally- relevant curricula that speak to key environmental and social factors associated with acceptance and integration into the school community are needed in order to effectively address the disparities faced by Black youth. There is a pressing need for culturally-relevant programs that foster cultural acceptance and integration into the school community. LS-BCH addresses this need and is consistent with Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health, which emphasizes "a design, implementation, and evaluation process that accounts for special issues for select population groups (ethnic and racial)" (USDHHS, 2000). LS-BCH represents a culturally relevant product to address increasing demographic diversity and the need for culturally competent interventions to help eliminate ethnic and racial behavioral health disparities. The proposed research is also consistent with recommendations by the Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health (USDHHS, 2001). Specifically, the report recommends "tailoring services to meet the needs of all Americans,including racial and ethnic minorities". Universal programs (i.e., applied equally with all children in a school) are particularly needed because they can be applied to every classroom within schools and can affect change at both the individual and systems levels (more cost-effective to implement). Findings from this research will advance our understanding of how to successfully address the behavioral health disparities of Black youth through school-based curricula.