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NREPP SAMHSA'S National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices
IMPORTANT LEGACY NOTICE: Legacy Programs have not been reviewed by the current National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP). The programs in this database were reviewed only under the previous National Registry of Effective Prevention Programs system. This section is intended to be used for historical reference only. If you would like more information about a program listed here, please contact the program developer directly. The program developer of each Legacy Program listed here agreed to post program information on this site.

Service Learning Evaluation Project: Program Effects for At-Risk Students (formerly known as Tinkham Alternative High School)

Brief Program Description

The Tinkham Alternative High School is a substance abuse prevention alternative high school program that serves at-risk students referred by local high schools. The Tinkham method employs broad-based and multifaceted social learning strategies. The heart of the program, service learning, is designed to provide students with opportunities to "give back" to the community by caring for others. Along with this experiential component, counseling, coaching, mentoring, tutoring, and referral is provided to offer comprehensive student assistance in their service endeavors. In addition, students with substance abuse problems are referred for ancillary services, and family counseling is made available through the school's family resource center. In research testing the Tinkham method, Tinkham students were compared with an at-risk matched sample of traditional high school students. Results revealed that Tinkham students showed significant improvements in their grade point averages from pretest to posttest, significantly higher grades in English and Math at posttest, and a consistent number of suspensions over the evaluation period as compared to an increasing number for traditional school subjects. Additionally, evaluation findings revealed that Tinkham students with higher levels of participation in service learning activities evidenced significantly higher grade point averages and fewer suspensions than Tinkham students with lower levels of participation in these activities.

Contact Information

For indepth information on this program, please use the contact listed below.

Program Developer

Lynn Malinoff, Ed.D.
Consultant
Wayne-Westland Community Schools
450 South Venoy Street
Westland, MI 48186
Phone: (734) 678-6655
Fax: (734) 595-2439
Email: lmalinof@umich.edu

In January 2000, this program was designated as a Promising Program under SAMHSA's previous National Registry of Effective Prevention Programs system.