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Prevention Science, Vol. 5, No. 1, March 2004 ( C 2004)PROSPER CommunityUniversity Partnership Model for
Public Education Systems: Capacity-Building for
Evidence-Based, Competence-Building PreventionRichard Spoth,1,3 Mark Greenberg,2 Karen Bierman,2 and Cleve Redmond1This paper presents a model to guide capacity-building in state public education systems for
delivery of evidence-based family and youth interventionsinterventions that are designed
to bolster youth competencies, learning, and positive development overall. Central to this
effort is a linking capacity agents framework that builds upon longstanding state public education infrastructures, and a partnership model called PROSPER or PROmoting School
communityuniversity Partnerships to Enhance Resilience. The paper presents an overview
of the evolving partnership model and summarizes positive results of its implementation over
a 12-year period in an ongoing project.KEY WORDS: partnership; capacity-building; diffusion; evidence-based intervention; family and youth.M. Scott Peck opens his Road Less Traveled with
a simple statement: Life is difficult. Were he writing a book on prevention science, he might well have
stated: Applying prevention science to practice is
quite difficult. This paper begins with the premise
that there is inadequate infrastructure and capacity
for diffusion of evidence-based prevention programs
and practices; it suggests one approach to a prevention science-to-practice road that could be more
traveled. Essentially, it describes a framework for
enhancing the capacity of state and local public education systems to support student competence building, learning, and development through community
university partnerships. Central to this framework is a
model for linking capacity-related agents within various segments of state public education systems, including state universities and their Extension systems,1Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute, Iowa State
University, Ames, Iowa.2Prevention Research Center, Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, Pennsylvania.3Correspondence should be directed to Richard Spoth, Miller Senior, Prevention Scientist and Director, Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute, Iowa State University, ISU Research Park,
Building 2, Suite 500, 2625 North Loop Drive, Ames, Iowa 50010;
e-mail: [email protected] the purpose of sustained, quality implementation
of evidence-based interventions for both students and
their families.THE NEED TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINABLE
INTERVENTION DELIVERYA number of researchers have lamented the
dearth of literature on effective methods and
supportive infrastructures for sustaining quality implementation of preventive and competence-building
interventions (see Altman, 1995; Elias & Clabby,
1992; Morrisey et al., 1997; Wandersman et al., 1998).
Too frequently, efficacious interventions implemented in...