Crossroads

Developers
Tori Sisk, M.Ed., L.P.C. – Coordinator, Student Development & Support Services; Arlington Independent School District

Anna Lee, B.A. – Program Liaison, Student Development & Support Services; Arlington Independent School District
Program Summary
Crossroads is an intervention aimed at reducing risky sexual behavior among older adolescents. The three-day program is an adaptation of the Be Proud! Be Responsible! Program and was adapted to include developing interpersonal skills, building connections with community resources, and educational/vocational goal setting among older adolescents.
Intended Population
The program was designed for and tested with high school youth 17-19 years old who were identified as at-risk for dropping out of school (youth had to be participating in Drop Out Prevention services). 
Program Setting

The program is designed for and was evaluated in various community-based settings, including health clinics, after school, or in the home.

Contact and Availability Information

Tori Sisk, M.Ed., L.P.C./Anna Lee, B.A.
4814 W. Arkansas Ln, Arlington, TX 76016
682-867-7668

https://www.aisd.net/district/departments/academic-services/transformational-learning/guidance-and-counseling/student-outreach-services/

Sample of Curriculum Available for Review Prior to Purchase
Yes
Languages Available
English
Monitoring and Evaluation Tools
Monitoring and evaluation tools available
Yes
Monitoring and evaluation tool usage required
No
Information about available monitoring and evaluation tools (if applicable)

Crossroads offers fidelity logs.

Program Core Components

The data presented on this page reflects responses from the program’s developer or distributor to a program component checklist that asked them to report on the individual components within their TPP program. The same program component checklist was sent to the developer or distributor of every active TPP program with evidence of effectiveness. The program component table provides data on seven types of program components including content, delivery mechanism, dosage, staffing, format, environment, and intended population characteristics; whether the component was present or optional in the program; whether the component is considered to be core to the program; and the lesson number or activity where the component can be found in the program. For more details, refer to the FAQ.

Program component data is not available.

Program Objectives
The program seeks to prevent and/or reduce sexual risk behavior by providing an open space for youth to discuss sensitive sexual health topics.
Program Content
Crossroads is a three-day program, focusing on building personal skills, preventing pregnancy and STIs, and identifying available community resources. Each day has a specific theme, and includes activities at different locations.
  • Day 1 “Who am I?” takes place in an outdoor experiential learning adventure camp. Activities include participating in a challenge course, and identifying attitudes and personal beliefs about relationships.
  • Day 2 “Where am I Going?” takes place at a community college and includes a college tour. Youth also begin the modified Be Proud! Be Responsible! curriculum.
  • Day 3 “Where Do I get Help?” includes a visit to a local community organization where youth participate in a community service project and learn about available resources. Day 3 also includes meetings with healthcare workers, and the conclusion of the Be Proud! Be Responsible! curriculum.
Program Methods
Crossroads was designed for the teaching portion of the curriculum to be delivered in a large group setting by a main facilitator. Other activities, including skill-building and guided in-depth discussions are conducted by a facilitator in small groups of 10 or fewer youth.
Program Structure and Timeline
The program was designed to deliver 16 activities over the course of 7 hours each day for a total of 21 hours over three days. When the program was evaluated, some cohorts received a shorter modified version for a total of 18.75 hours across three days. Some activities were modified, but the total number of activities (16) did not change.
Staffing
Facilitators are required to have a minimum of three years of experience in teaching, counseling, or social work.
Staff Training
Facilitators are trained on how to implement the curriculum by the developers. Staff also receive additional staff development trainings for practitioners working with at-risk youth.
Additional Needs for Implementation
The curriculum manual outlines the modules, activities, and objectives of the program. Each activity includes procedures, and lists the time and materials required for implementation. The Appendix of the curriculum manual includes all necessary handouts and Powerpoint presentations.

Required supplemental materials include notecards, bandanas or small rope, a cargo net, a platform with a fulcrum in the center that allows the platform to balance or lean on each side, tarp with a grid, maze map, two sets of cards, harnesses, a ropes course, a zip line course, and a community resource packet.
Fidelity
Detailed fidelity logs were created by the evaluation team to monitor that all programming was delivered in the same manner at each intervention. Fidelity logs are available, however are not available to be published at this time. Fidelity logs will be available for the public at the time requests are made to obtain the curriculum. 
Technical Assistance and Ongoing Support
If curriculum is requested and released by AISD, technical assistance will be included with the full Curriculum and Facilitators Guide.
Allowable Adaptations
Crossroads may be directly translated in other languages.
Adaptation Guidelines or Kit
No
Study Findings

Evidence by Outcome Domain and Study

Citation Sexual Activity Number of Sexual Partners Contraceptive Use STIs or HIV Pregnancy

Marshall, B. D., McNeely, C. A., Martinez, J. F. (2011a). Benefits of intensive youth development: Delaying age at first sexual intercourse among middle school students in baltimore. Unpublished manuscript. (Comparison of Crossroads/TCAP versus Crossroads only.)

 		n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Marshall, B. D., McNeely, C. A., Martinez, J. F. (2011b). Benefits of intensive youth development: Delaying age at first sexual intercourse among middle school students in baltimore. Unpublished manuscript. (Comparison of Crossroads/TCAP versus waitlist controls.)

 		n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Slater, H.M., and Mitschke, D.B. (2015). "Evaluation of the Crossroads Program in Arlington, TX: Findings from an Innovative Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program" Arlington, TX: University of Texas at Arlington.

 		n.a. n.a. Potentially favorable evidence n.a. n.a.
KEY
Evidence Indication
Favorable findings
Two or more favorable impacts and no unfavorable impacts, regardless of null findings
Potentially favorable findings
At least one favorable impact and no unfavorable impacts, regardless of null findings
Indeterminate findings
Uniformly null findings
Conflicting findings
At least one favorable and at least one unfavorable impact, regardless of null findings
Potentially unfavorable findings
At least one unfavorable impact and no favorable impacts, regardless of null findings
Unfavorable findings
Two or more unfavorable impacts and no favorable impacts, regardless of null findings
Note: n.a. indicates the study did not examine any outcome measures within that particular outcome domain, or the study examined outcome measures within that domain but the findings did not meet the review evidence standards.
Detailed Findings
Citation Details

Marshall, B. D., McNeely, C. A., Martinez, J. F. (2011a). Benefits of intensive youth development: Delaying age at first sexual intercourse among middle school students in baltimore. Unpublished manuscript. (Comparison of Crossroads/TCAP versus Crossroads only.)

This is a quasi-experimental study that received a low rating because the timing of data collection differed for the intervention and comparison groups

Marshall, B. D., McNeely, C. A., Martinez, J. F. (2011b). Benefits of intensive youth development: Delaying age at first sexual intercourse among middle school students in baltimore. Unpublished manuscript. (Comparison of Crossroads/TCAP versus waitlist controls.)

This study did not meet the review's screening criteria

Slater, H.M., and Mitschke, D.B. (2015). "Evaluation of the Crossroads Program in Arlington, TX: Findings from an Innovative Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program" Arlington, TX: University of Texas at Arlington.

The program was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial involving 1,174 adolescents classified as high risk for dropping out of high school. The adolescents were recruited to participate in the study from one alternative and six traditional high schools in the Arlington Independent School District in Texas. The intervention was implemented outside the regular school day (in the afternoon and during the weekend) in a community-based setting for three consecutive days. Study surveys were administered and three, six, and twelve months after the intervention ended.

Six months after the intervention, adolescents participating in the intervention were significantly less likely than those in the study control group to report having had vaginal intercourse without using a condom in the past three months (odds ratio = 0.38, confidence interval = 0.59 to 0.79). The study found no statistically significant program impacts on having anal or oral sexual intercourse without a condom at the six-month follow-up. For the follow-up conducted 3 months after the program ended, the study found no evidence of statistically significant program impacts on having vaginal, anal, and oral sexual intercourse without a condom.

The study also examined program impacts on having sexual activity without using a condom and on ever being pregnant 12 months after the program ended. However, the findings for the 12-month follow-up did not meet the review standards because they were based on a sample with high attrition.

Notes

Some study entries may include more than one citation because each citation examines a different follow-up period from the same study sample, or because each citation examines a different set of outcome measures on the same study sample. A blank cell indicates the study did not examine any outcome measures within the particular outcome domain or the findings for the outcome measures within that domain did not meet the review evidence standards.

Information on evidence of effectiveness is available only for studies that received a high or moderate rating. Read the description of the review process for more information on how these programs are identified.