Presenter:

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Build the Pathway of Change for Aboriginal
Early Childhood Development Programs in British
Columbia Using Logic Models and Analysis of
Outcome Measures

• Presenter
• Quintessential Research Group Inc, Canada
• Jacqueline M. Quinless (M.A) - Research Director
• April 23, 2009

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Overview

• Aboriginal Population Profile 2006
• Project Background
• Participatory Methodology Results
• Pathway Design Model Program Evaluation
• Outcome Measures
• Aboriginal Head Start Campbell River
• National Aboriginal Data Sources
• Policy Implications
• Next Steps

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Defining the Aboriginal Population in Canada

• Concepts to count Aboriginal people are
  multidimensional
• Origin or Ancestry
• Identity
• Registered Indian Status
• First Nation/Band membership

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(No Transcript)
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Aboriginal Population Profile 2006

• The number of people who identified as Aboriginal
  (North American Indian/First Nations, Métis
  and/or Inuit) surpassed the one-million mark,
  reaching 1,172,790.
• This accounts for almost 4 of the total
  Population of Canada, up from 3.3 in 2001 and
  2.8 in 1996.
• The Aboriginal population in Canada is growing
  extremely fast. According to Statistics Canada
  from the period between 1996 and 2006 the
  Aboriginal population in Canada grew by 45,
  which is the nearly six times faster than the 8
  rate increase for the non-Aboriginal population
• Of the three Aboriginal groups in Canada, the
  Métis experienced the greatest increase in the
  past decade. Their number grew 91, reaching
  389,785 people in 2006. This was more than three
  times as fast as the 29 increase in First
  Nations people, whose number reached 698,025. The
  Inuit increased 26, to 50,485

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Perhaps foremost, children are seen in diverse
Aboriginal traditions as gifts from the Creator
they are cared for as the purpose of life. Care,
education, is not bounded by schools or by
mind-body-spirit fragmentations or by stages of
life. From before birth until after death
children are a sacred legacy on loan to parents
by the Creator (Stairs et. al. 2002 323).
ABORIGINAL CHILDREN
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Aboriginal Children Profile 2006

• According to the 2006 Census, there were
  approximately 7,000 Inuit, 35,000 Métis and
  47,000 off-reserve First Nations children under
  the age of six across Canada
• Nearly half (49) of off-reserve First Nations
  children under age 6 were in low-income families,
  compared with 18 of non-Aboriginal children.
  Dissatisfaction with housing was over twice as
  high for those living in low-income families than
  for those not in low-income families (22 versus
  9).
• The Aboriginal population is younger than the
  non-Aboriginal population. Almost half (48) of
  the Aboriginal population consists of children
  and youth aged 24 and under, compared with 31 of
  the non-Aboriginal population.
• About 9 of the Aboriginal population was aged 4
  and under, nearly twice the proportion of 5 of
  the non-Aboriginal population
• .

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Aboriginal Children Profile 2006

• Compared to non-Aboriginal children, higher
  percentages of young Aboriginal children are
  growing up in large families and with young
  parents. Among Aboriginal children under six
  years old had mothers between the ages of 15 to
  24 compared to 8 of non-Aboriginal children
• A signifcantly larger proportion of Canadian
  Aboriginal children aged 14 and under lived with
  a lone mother (29) compared to their
  non-Aboriginal counterparts (14).
• More Aboriginal children aged 14 and under lived
  with a lone father (6) compared to the
  non-Aboriginal population (3).

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Source Government of British Colmumbia
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The Aboriginal Population British Columbia

• The 2006 Census enumerated 196,075 Aboriginal
  people in BC, accounting for 5 of the total
  population in the province
• The Aboriginal population in BC grew by 15
  between 2001 and 2006, more than three times the
  rate of the non-Aboriginal population, and by 39
  between 1996 and 2006
• More Aboriginal people are now living in
  off-reserve urban centers. In 2006, 60 of the
  Aboriginal population in BC lived in urban areas
  while 26 lived on reserves
• The majority of Aboriginal children aged 14 and
  under (58) lived with both parents in BC, while
  28 lived with a lone mother and 6 with a lone
  father. In contrast, 13 of non-Aboriginal
  children in BC lived with a lone mother, and 3
  with a lone father.

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General Characteristics 2006

• Largest young and growing population
• Most disadvantaged of all Canadians in terms of
  income, employment, housing, nutrition, and
  health
• Life chances are less (ten years less than
  others)
• Highest infant mortality rate and disease rate
• Limited educational opportunities
• In the spring of 2006, the provincial government
  enacted the New Relationship Trust Act, which
  provides funds for First Nations in BC to acquire
  tools, training, and skills to better participate
  in land and resource management planning, and
  develop social, economic and cultural programs
  for their communities

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Project Background

• Vision
• Build a common coordinated provincial program
  evaluation system for Aboriginal Early Child
  Developments (AECD) Programs
• Culturally-relevant honors community-specific
  needs
• Flexible enough to handle the diversity of
  program content
• Need a solid understanding of how agencies
  organizations are evaluating their AECD programs
• Capacity-building focus
• Two evaluation assessments

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Project Background

• Current Picture
• The use of program logic models are growing9 out
  of 43 agencies were using this tool to visually
  map out how their service deliverables were
  impacting outcomes among their target group.
• Agencies using logic models seem to be better
  equipped at conducting program evaluations and
  are able to apply evaluation strategies that are
  more meaningful to them.
• A provincial logic model framework is a sensible
  precursor to a provincial evaluation systema
  common approach to modeling program information
  will help identify build upon evaluation
  systems already in place.

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Project Background

• Current Picture (continued) ...
• While logic models take many different forms, the
  standard approach to logic modeling tends to
  resemble the linear format pictured below.

• Logic models can serve as powerful tools for
  consensus building, communicating, advocating,
  planning evaluating. 
• BUT, they do pose some challenges

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Project Background

• Current Challenges
• The complex terminology can make program planning
  and evaluation more cumbersome confusing.
• Terms describing the elements of a logic model
  tend to mean different things to people, agencies
  and regions.
• The structure compartmentalizes rather than
  teases out the story of what is happening as a
  result of the program.
• The approach tends to be not user-friendly or
  holistic.

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Participatory Methodology Results
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Pathway Design

• Redesigning the Framework
• The goal was to redesign a logic model framework
  that visually groups and links program elements
  in a consistent and easy-to-understand way.
• The idea of a cyclical pathway emulating a
  Medicine Wheel emerged from years of conducting
  program evaluations dialogues with key
  stakeholdersUniversity of Victoria, Aboriginal
  Head Start Association of BC, BC Stats and the BC
  Ministry of Children Family Development.
• The framework was refined after consulting 10
  different Aboriginal agencies across BC.
  Participants included child educators, team
  leaders, managers, executive directors, regional
  advisors, consultants and outreach workers.

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The Pathway of Change A CulturallyRelevant
Approach
OUTPUTS
Everything on the earth has a purpose, every
disease an herb to cure it, and every person a
mission, Mourning Dove (Chistine Quintasket),
Salish.
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Outcome Measures
Performance measurement
Outcome Assessments
Monitoring Indicators
Accountability and Effectiveness
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Outcome Measures

• What is the point of outcome measures?
• Achieving program objectives, community goals
• Accountability and funding
• Providing a tool for advocacy and negotiation
• Improving the quality of life and life chances of
  Aboriginal families and children
• Using outcomes measures exclusively on their own
  can be limiting

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National Benchmarks

• Currently the Aboriginal Head Start Association
  of BC uses Pathway Model framework in strategic
  planning
• Outcomes can be benchmarked with aggregated
  national and provincial datasets for performance
  measurement and program/service delivery
  enhancement
• Examples of National Data Sources
• 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey
• 2006 Census of Population
• 2006 Aboriginal Childrens Survey

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Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC

• One of six Key Components
• The purpose of the Culture and Language component
  is to provide children with a positive sense of
  themselves as Aboriginal children
• to build on the children's knowledge of their
  Aboriginal languages and experience of culture in
  their communities.
• A desire for life long learning, and
  opportunities to develop fully as successful
  young people
• Why learn a traditional language?
• Research has shown that the worldview of a people
  is rooted in their language --language and
  culture are intertwined. Language revitalization
  is associated with cultural preservation
• How is the initiative working at a local level?

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Qwallayuw Aboriginal Head Start Center Campbell
River
AHSABC Campbell River

• The name for the centre is Qwallayuw, (Gwalyou)
  means "my reason for living.
• The center has two Elders who are knowledgeable
  about native dancing, and teach the children in
  oral tradition. There are several teachers and
  parents involved in the program
• There are two sessions everyday from 900 -1130
  and from 1230 to 230.
• Group activities include circle, science, art,
  culture, cooking, gym, playground, walk,
  computers, or literacy with the Kindergarten
  Teacher.

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GUIDING VISION
Children have a positive sense of themselves as
Aboriginal children?
Building the Pathway of Change Campbell River
OUTCOME INDICATORS MEASURES
Through performance at graduation ceremony and
teacher assessments, children have learned 20 new
Kwakwala words, 3 new dances and 4 songs,
2 stories in oral tradition and learn
about clans.
OUTPUTS
DESIRED OUTCOMES

• every afternoon day from 900 to 1130 and 1230
  to 230
• 49 off reserve children ages 3 to 5 years
• Kwakwala
• 9 males and 11 females in each class

First Nation Children have increased knowledge of
Aboriginal languages and cultural teachings
KEY STRATEGIES
An afternoon program with the following group
activities circle, art, culture, cooking,
computers, or literacy. Classes also teach
children many dances and involvement in clans,
such as wolf, eagle, raven, and bear.

INPUTS
Teacher, 2 elders, 5 parents, musical instruments
and funding for resources (e.g., 2 computers and
small library).
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Pathway of Change Data
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2006 Profile of Aboriginal Children, Youth, and
Adults

• This interactive online tool is available at
  www.statcan.ca and provides an extensive set of
  data about Aboriginal children, youth and adults
  (Métis, Inuit and off-reserve North American
  Indians) using key indicators from the Aboriginal
  Peoples Survey (2006) and Aboriginal Childrens
  Survey (2006)
• Data are presented using the concepts of
  Aboriginal identity, Treaty Indian or Registered
  Indian status (as defined by the Indian Act of
  Canada) and Aboriginal ancestry.

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Example Using National Data for Benchmarking
Source Statistics Canada, Aboriginal Childrens
Survey 2006, Community Profiles
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Policy Implications

• The pathway to change logic model and outcome
  measures helps to describe and assess the various
  components of the Aboriginal Head Start program
  (provincially and nationally)
• Knowledge of language is one of the values that
  many Aboriginal communities and families want to
  teach their children and is a way to maintain
  cultural strength
• It contributes to the body of knowledge that can
  inform researchers about early childhood programs
  supported by local Aboriginal organizations
• This methodology and interactive tool has
  applications for local and regional evaluations
  and can be used to generate outcomes compatible
  with National program/policy objectives

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Next Steps

• In the next few months, the following will be
  distributed to Aboriginal Head Start Sites in BC
  
• Pathway of Change Do-it-Yourself Workbook
  contains step-by-step instructions on how to
  build the pathway of change (including glossary,
  tips, definitions and instructions)
• An interactive tool that can help people
  electronically build (i.e., record, store
  report) their programs pathway of change.
• Future ideas include converting the electronic
  tool into an online web-based program and
  expanding on pathway reporting options (e.g.,
  converting open-ended text into checklist
  categories).
• Continued use of national datasets and more
  sophisticated quantitative analysis that links
  outcomes for enhanced program planning and
  benchmarking purposes