Research to Practice Briefs

PDF Icon Issue 1: Culturally appropriate programming
In this brief, we review the research on whether evidence-based programs are equally effective for youth from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

PDF Icon Issue 2: Strategies for recruiting and retaining participants in prevention programs
This brief offers strategies based in research and practice for making a program attractive and worthwhile to youth and families, recruiting participants, and keeping them involved.

PDF Icon Issue 3: Guidelines for selecting an evidence-based program: Balancing community needs, program quality, and organizational resources
There are several important considerations when selecting an evidence-based program for implementation. With questions to ask yourself and a list of online program registries, this brief gives you the tools you need to assess whether a program is the right one to implement in your community.

PDF Icon Issue 4: Program fidelity and adaptation: Meeting local needs without compromising program effectivness
In this brief, we review the types of changes that are often made to programs when they are implemented, and the effects these changes can have. We also suggest strategies for maintaining program effectiveness while ensuring that the program is appealing to participants and meets local needs.

PDF Icon Issue 5: Finding effective solutions to truancy
Taking a developmental, ecological approach, we examine the roles of students, parents, schools, and communities in truancy. We describe two critical components of truancy reduction approaches: Families, schools, and communities need to work together to set rules for school attendance and to enforce the rules quickly and consistently; and schools need to be places where students want to be.

PDF Icon Issue 6: Evidence-based programs: An overview
Discussions of evidence-based programs typically assume a certain level of familiarity with the subject. This brief describes what it means for a program to be “evidence-based,” the advantages and disadvantages of adopting and implementing evidence-based programs, and where you can learn more about evidence-based programs.

PDF Icon Issue 7: Girls in the juvenile justice system: Toward effective gender-responsive programming
Professionals at all levels of the juvenile justice system are struggling with how to effectively meet the needs of female juvenile offenders. In this brief, we examine the characteristics of girls in the juvenile justice system and suggest some promising strategies for creating a more gender-responsive juvenile justice system.

PDF Icon Issue 8: Wisconsin evidence-based parenting program directory
This directory provides an overview of currently available evidence-based parenting programs and is intended to serve the needs of parent educators, family practitioners, program planners and others looking for effective programs to implement with parents and families.

PDF Icon Issue 9: Best practices for youth employment programs
This research to practice review outlines the current effective programmatic practices used in youth employment programs.

PDF Icon Issue 10: Best practices for parent education and support programs
Drawing on current research and evaluations related to successful parent education and support programs this review highlights key program characteristics and practices that have been found to lead to effective programs.

PDF Icon Issue 11: What works to promote positive parenting among teen parents?
This research to practice review discusses some of the most important program elements and practices for enhancing the quality of parenting among adolescent parents.

PDF Icon Issue 12: An Extension Educator Perspective on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
In this article we provide a brief overview of ACEs, examine the evidence base, discuss some limitations of the research, and explore some implications of the research for Extension educators and other community and family professionals.

PDF Icon Issue 13: An Extension Educator Perspective on Trauma Informed Care
In this brief we provide a discussion of trauma-informed care, provide a critical overview of its principles and assumptions, discuss some misconceptions, and consider implications for family educators and professionals.