Promising Practices
The Promising Practices database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.
The ultimate goal is to support the systematic adoption, implementation, and evaluation of successful programs, practices, and policy changes. The database provides carefully reviewed, documented, and ranked practices that range from good ideas to evidence-based practices.
Learn more about the ranking methodology.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Teens
Goal: The Reconnecting Youth program has three main goals: 1) increase school performance; 2) decrease drug involvement; and 3) decrease suicide-risk behaviors.
Impact: Significant increases in positive connections with teachers, friends, and family members; significant improvements in GPA; lasting reductions in hard drug use; decreases in anger-control problems; reductions in depression and hopelessness; and increases in enhancing personal control were observed.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of Ripple Effects is to use technology to prevent social injury and promote school and life success for children and teenagers.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Adolescent Health, Teens, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The goals of the program are: 1) to promote abstinence maintenance among sexually abstinent students and encourage safer sex practices to sexually active students, 2) compare the effect of RAPP when taught by different providers, and 3) to explore the factors that impact a student's decision to engage in sexual activity.
Impact: Regular teacher-taught male (p=.001) and female students (p=.05) and peer-taught male students (p=.02) had the highest rates of delaying the onset of sexual activity.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children
Goal: To create a sustainable school lunch program that incorporated healthier food items by leveraging the combined efforts of several school districts.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children, Urban
Goal: The mission of Safety Street is to increase injury prevention knowledge for children through interactive teaching of pedestrian, home, and vehicle safety.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Oral Health, Children, Families, Rural
Goal: The goal of Saving Smiles is to improve the oral health and in turn overall health of children in Lafayette County, especially for the poor and underserved.
Impact: Most students from the 11 participating schools in Lafayette County received a screening, fluoride varnish, and oral health education, and most of the children referred for dental care were seen by a dentist.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / School Environment, Children, Teens
Goal: This program's primary goals are to teach young people about emotions, including anger and aggression, and to help them recognize alternatives to violent behavior and aggressive responses.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / School Environment, Children, Teens, Urban
Goal: The goal of this program is to reduce violent tendencies among youth through civic education.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Families, Urban
Goal: The goal of Shape Up Somerville is to prevent obesity through a community-based environmental change intervention.
Impact: Through multi-level social interventions (community, school, family) intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and screen time can decrease among children.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Childcare & Early Childhood Education, Children
Goal: The program’s goal is to help young children learn the social and emotional skills necessary for school readiness and success.