This Executive Summary provides an overview of the purpose, research methods, and major findings of the TestEdge National Demonstration Study, conducted by researchers at the Institute of HeartMath in collaboration with faculty and graduate students at Claremont Graduate University.

The study's primary purpose was to investigate the efficacy of the TestEdge program in reducing stress and test anxiety and improving emotional well-being, quality of relationships, and academic performance in public school students.

This Executive Summary provides an overview of the purpose, research methods, and major findings of the TestEdge National Demonstration Study, conducted by researchers at the Institute of HeartMath in collaboration with faculty and graduate students at Claremont Graduate University.

The study's primary purpose was to investigate the efficacy of the TestEdge program in reducing stress and test anxiety and improving emotional well-being, quality of relationships, and academic performance in public school students.

Collaborative partnerships between community based organizations (CBOs) and university-based researchers can successfully conduct useful HIV prevention research. Collaboratively conducted research contributes to good programs and good science.

The Legacy Project is an evaluation of 18 such partnerships. The evaluation found 6 essential elements for successful collaborative community-based research:

• Thoughtful selection of interventions for evaluation
• Secondary or alternative research questions incorporated into the research project from the beginning
• Flexibility to modify or change primary research question mid-study
• Appropriate, stable CBO staffing
• High level of university-researcher involvement with both intervention and evaluation
• Adequate funding for intervention, evaluation and participant time

Collaborative partnerships between community based organizations (CBOs) and university-based researchers can successfully conduct useful HIV prevention research. Collaboratively conducted research contributes to good programs and good science.

The Legacy Project is an evaluation of 18 such partnerships. The evaluation found 6 essential elements for successful collaborative community-based research:

• Thoughtful selection of interventions for evaluation
• Secondary or alternative research questions incorporated into the research project from the beginning
• Flexibility to modify or change primary research question mid-study
• Appropriate, stable CBO staffing
• High level of university-researcher involvement with both intervention and evaluation
• Adequate funding for intervention, evaluation and participant time

Collaborative partnerships between community based organizations (CBOs) and university-based researchers can successfully conduct useful HIV prevention research. Collaboratively conducted research contributes to good programs and good science.

The Legacy Project is an evaluation of 18 such partnerships. The evaluation found 6 essential elements for successful collaborative community-based research:

• Thoughtful selection of interventions for evaluation
• Secondary or alternative research questions incorporated into the research project from the beginning
• Flexibility to modify or change primary research question mid-study
• Appropriate, stable CBO staffing
• High level of university-researcher involvement with both intervention and evaluation
• Adequate funding for intervention, evaluation and participant time

In order to address these problems more effectively, it is not necessary to settle any of the
political debates that whirl around the issue of sexuality education. What is needed is a commitment to results. Elected officials, teachers, school boards and parents need to choose: is the function of sexuality education in public schools primarily to prevent disease and unplanned pregnancy or to promote traditional ideology?

We need to use the information currently available to set responsible sexuality education
policy focused on improved outcomes for youth. Quality research on program effectiveness, along with a close analysis of the needs of young people at especially high risk, provides important guidance.