The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) Early Childhood Development division administered the AmeriCorps Learning Early Achieves Potential (LEAP) initiative in southern Minnesota. The initiative sought to improve school readiness of preschool children who attend Head Start centers that were falling in the gap of the school-readiness skillset. This program focuses on increasing preschoolers’ social-emotional learning (SEL) skills.
 
Study Goals:
The purpose of this report was to review the goals of the LEAP program, evaluation methodology, fidelity to the LEAP program, and opportunities for further development.
 
Research Questions:
The research questions were:
  • What were the essential elements of the LEAP model?
  • What social-emotional learning SEL tools and strategies were being used by LEAP members?
  • How were tools employed?
  • How effective were tools in building SEL skills in children?
Findings:
The evaluation found the following:
  • The classroom observations demonstrated that all of the LEAP core strategies or tools were implemented, with direct intervention and modeling being the most common technique.
  • Interviewed LEAP members and classroom teachers valued the LEAP program and linked children’s growth in social and emotional skills to the LEAP program.
  • Experience in the LEAP program seemed to strengthen the extent to which the LEAP member implemented the program.
  • While all core strategies were observed, MindUp lesson implementation was inconsistent across sites.
  • The lack of understanding about LEAP members’ and teachers’ roles interfered with the integration of SEL into the classroom.
  • Building positive relationships is essential for success.
  • The value of the MindUp lesson implementation could be enhanced by improving the language and classroom activities to be age appropriate.
For more information, download the full report.

Full report

Full Report
SouthernMinnesotaInitiativeFoundation.20AC220629.Report-Revised_508.pdf

Further information

Program/Intervention
AmeriCorps LEAP Initiative
Implementing Organization
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation
Intermediary(s)

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

AmeriCorps Program(s)
AmeriCorps State and National
Age(s) Studied
0-5 (Early childhood)
Focus Population(s)/Community(s)
Rural
Suburban
Urban
Low Income
Outcome Category
School readiness
Study Type(s)
Implementation
Study Design(s)
Non-Experimental
Level of Evidence
Preliminary
Researcher/Evaluator
ACET Inc.
Published Year
2018
Study Site Location (State)
Minnesota