Healing Species - Program Results

Formal Evaluations of the Successfulness of the Program:

2004 Lexington District One In-House Evaluation of Healing Species Pilot Project:

The evaluation was based on a complex student pre-testing and post-testing process. Teacher written-reports of observable behavior changes in students after Healing Species were also part of the evaluation. This formal evaluation, headed by Dr. Donna Shealy, Head of Guidance for Lexington One, was conducted to determine if Healing Species should be brought back. Based on their evaluation, Lexington One signed a $42,000.00 contract to bring Healing Species back to every elementary school in that district.

2004 Formal Outside Evaluation by the University of South Carolina School of Social Work:

Data was collected from schools in several districts in South Carolina public schools. The participants were representative of low, middle, and high socioeconomic status (SES) levels. Overall USC Social Work Evaluation results state that “the program positively and significantly alters students’ beliefs about aggression, levels of empathy, and violent and aggressive behaviors.”

Statistical results across all SES levels:

      o Out-of-school suspensions for violent behavior decreased by more than 50%
      o Aggression decreased significantly
      o Choice-making based on empathy for others increased significantly
      o Classroom behavior significantly improved

Results Using the Normative Beliefs About Aggression Scale (NOBAGS)

      o Retaliation Aggression, General Aggression, and Total Aggression Combined decreased by 62%

Results Using the Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents (IECA)

      o Choice making using empathy increased by 42%

Results Using the Aggressive Behavior Teacher Checklist (ABTC)

      o Teachers rated displays of violence by students decreased by 66.9%

Results by Review of out-of-school suspensions for physical fights

      o Suspensions decreased by over 55%

2006 © Healing Species. All rights reserved.

Success for Orangeburg students and their community:

- In 2001, Orangeburg was reported by the Associated Press, as being second in the nation, behind Washington, D.C., for crime per capita. Since the inception of the Healing Species, crime in Orangeburg has decreased 23%. Of the 23% decrease, half of that was juvenile crime.

- Teacher and guidance counselor evaluations of Healing Species students state that there is an 80-100% improvement in students’ ability to walk away from fights, concentrate in class, offer kindness instead of bullying, learn appropriate ways of reacting to a bully, and take responsibility to help another. The teachers also report continued improved behavior, grade point averages, and standardized test scores of those children who receive the lessons.

- One Healing Species student’s lead led to the largest bust of a dog fighting operation in South Carolina. Healing Species immediately coordinated and sponsored a state-wide conference for law enforcement on underground pit bull dog fighting, bringing in national experts from across the country. Over 75 law enforcement agents attended. The conference was a huge success, and led to new law enforcement attention being brought to this otherwise illusive barbaric activity.

- As new results come in each semester, the Healing Species staff reviews and modifies the curriculum to successfully change the lives of those who receive the program in the future.