Frequently Asked Questions

Watch D.O.G.S is designed to address a need within many communities where positive male role models may be lacking. Although the program is designed to include male role models, it does not exclude female role models who wish to participate from doing so. It has created a program called Moms of Marvelous Students that compliments the Watch DOG program. From the program literature:

“We get asked all too often, “are moms allowed?” The answer is always, “of course!!”
We just suggest the program always be implemented with a focus on speaking directly to the men in the community because that has been proven effective in getting everyone to show up in more meaningful ways, including the dads and dudes.”

More info here: M.O.M.S 

 The Watch D.O.G.S program leaves it up to the school administration to determine eligibility for participation in the program as a volunteer. Typically, all positive male role models in a child’s life are eligible to be a Watch D.O.G.S. To make the language more inclusive, Watch DOGS are also referred to as Watch DUDES in order to include male role models that may not be the biological or custodial father. This is a topic that can be addressed through the planning process and implemented via the approved volunteer screening form provided by the school.  

 The school implementing the Watch D.O.G.S program is responsible for vetting all participants in the program. Often, the process used for vetting potential Watch D.O.G.S, Dudes, or M.O.M.S mirrors the schools existing school volunteer screening process. One of the benefits of contracting with Admiralty Consulting is the volunteer screening process review included with our Watch D.O.G.S implementation program. We will review your school’s volunteer screening process and make recommendations on improvements/modifications based on evidence based practices and security protocols. Oftentimes, a national background check through online websites such as www.backgroundchecks.com or www.checkr.com. Prices range from between $30 and $50 per background check conducted, with volume discounts available. Existing background check services used for employment purposes can also be used for the Watch D.O.G.S screening process. After reviewing your existing volunteer screening process, Admiralty Consulting will work with you to determine which options are the best fit for your school. 

 The program coordinator can be anyone chosen by the school, to include a volunteer. This person will need to be able to work directly with teachers and administrators on site in order to coordinate volunteer schedules prior to volunteers arriving at the school. This process can be streamlined through effective planning and communication; however the program coordinator will need direct access to faculty, staff, and buildings. Admiralty Consulting can make recommendations regarding selecting a program coordinator and also provides training to help program coordinators succeed. In some scenarios, Admiralty Consulting can provide a program coordinator as well.  

Programs such as Watch D.O.G.S sometimes struggle to maintain the necessary momentum needed to sustain the program for the long term. Because we believe the desired outcomes of increased school safety, decreased levels of bullying, and increases in parental participation are desired for the long term, we want to help ensure that your school has all the tools it needs to sustain this program. One tool we feel is important to maintaining the program over time is data that demonstrates how the program is performing. By using our simple model for learning improvement (Fulcher, 2019), which is to first assess, then intervene (Watch D.O.G.S), followed by a follow-on assessment, we can measure the impact of the program. This program evaluation data can be used to support future allocation of resources to maintain the program, provide motivation for program participants and other stakeholders, as well as reassure administrators regarding their investment. The data collection process is handled 100% by Admiralty Consulting, and does not require data collection tasks from faculty or staff. However, in order to collect data regarding the program’s effectiveness, Admiralty Consulting will need to explore sources of possible data to include the possibility of administering short surveys, focus groups, or interviews. Although this would require participation from faculty and staff, Admiralty Consulting will handle all administration, analysis, cataloging of data, etc. Any constraints or limitations regarding data collection are addressed during the planning process ensuring that the proposed data collection plan meets the needs of the faculty and staff.