Muttart Foundation – 2001

Safe and Caring Schools (SACS) Project Evaluation 2000-2001 Evaluation Report.

In 1997 the Muttart Foundation began independent evaluation of the Toward a Safe and Caring Curriculum – ATA Resources for Integration, the SACSC Project curriculum resource for elementary grades. The report is titled Safe and Caring Schools (SACS) Project Evaluation 2000-2001 Evaluation Report.

Since the entire resource was not completed until 2001, the evaluation focussed on implementation. Interim report findings identified factors that facilitated project implementation including:

• Relevancy and age-appropriateness of the materials,
• The ease with which the materials were integrated into the program of studies (Alberta prescribed curriculum)
• The potential for the project to affect student behaviour, and
• The common language offered by the project for talking about safe and caring issues.

Preliminary results identified by the evaluation included the following:

• In general, educators said that their students’ safe and caring behaviours and attitudes improved.
• Specifically, they reported that they had observed more incidents of sharing and respect for differences of opinion, culture, and race.
• They reported fewer incidents of physical and psychological bullying committed by students against other students and fewer cases of students threatening teachers.
• Student knowledge related to the affects of violence and bullying increased significantly

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