WWC review of this study

Efficacy of the Social Skills Improvement System Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS-CIP) Primary Version

DiPerna, James Clyde; Lei, Puiwa; Bellinger, Jillian; Cheng, Weiyi (2015). School Psychology Quarterly, v30 n1 p123-141. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1056685

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    432
     Students
    , grade
    2

Reviewed: February 2018

At least one finding shows strong evidence of effectiveness
At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards without reservations
Comprehension outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

STAR Reading Test

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
402 students

269.85

276.59

No

--
General Mathematics Achievement outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

STAR Math scale scores

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
402 students

472.63

475.70

No

--
Problem behavior outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Problem behavior (composite)

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

0.39

0.50

Yes

 
 
9
 

Hyperactive-inattentive

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

0.59

0.67

No

--

Interference

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

random subsample - observation measure;
208 students

0.27

0.27

Yes

 
 
0
 
Show Supplemental Findings

Internalizing

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

0.34

0.50

Yes

 
 
12

Externalizing

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

0.39

0.48

No

--

Bullying

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

0.21

0.27

No

--
School engagement outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Academic Motivation

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
402 students

3.74

3.39

Yes

 
 
14
 

Academic Engagement

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
402 students

3.98

3.66

Yes

 
 
14
 

Active Engaged Time

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

random subsample - observation measure;
198 students

2.20

2.18

No

--

Passive Engaged Time

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

random subsample - observation measure;
198 students

2.17

2.16

No

--
Social-emotional competence outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Social Skills (composite)

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

2.33

2.14

Yes

 
 
14
 

Self-control

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

2.25

2.11

Yes

 
 
9
 

Positive social

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

random subsample - observation measure;
208 students

0.28

0.25

No

--
Show Supplemental Findings

Empathy

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

2.37

2.16

Yes

 
 
14

Communication

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

2.44

2.26

Yes

 
 
13

Engagement

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

2.37

2.17

Yes

 
 
13

Responsibility

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

2.38

2.20

Yes

 
 
12

Cooperation

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

2.21

2.02

Yes

 
 
11

Assertion

IES Funded Studies (NCER) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
432 students

2.19

2.04

Yes

 
 
10


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • Female: 54%
    Male: 46%

  • Rural, Urban
  • Race
    Asian
    2%
    Black
    18%
    Other or unknown
    2%
    White
    73%
  • Ethnicity
    Hispanic    
    5%
    Not Hispanic or Latino    
    95%

Setting

The study takes place in 39 second-grade classrooms across two mid-Atlantic school districts. One district was a small urban district, and the other district was a small rural district. The classroom sample represented 95% of all second grade classrooms across the participating schools.

Study sample

Of the 432 students in the DiPerna et al. (2015) analytic sample, 1.9% where Asian, 18.1% Black, and 72.7% White. Five percent were Hispanic. Forty-five percent of the students were male. A measure of free/reduced price lunch or financial position was not provided. Around 6% of students were listed as "special education consideration." Among students in the intervention group 11.4% were described as special education, compared to 6.37% in the comparison group (DiPerna et al [2015]). The above statistics were aggregated based on group-specific data presented in Table 1, p. 125. Sample characteristics were similar for the slightly smaller subsample of 402 students in the DiPerna et al. (2016) analytic sample.

Intervention Group

The SSIS-CIP is a curriculum designed to improve children’s social skills and to minimize problem behavior. Teachers are expected to teach one unit composed of three lessons per week. There are 10 units in total. All teachers were able to complete the 30 lessons within the 12-week study period. Each unit focuses on a key classroom social behavior and includes three scripted lessons. The lessons rely on six instructional strategies in addition to short video vignettes. Each lesson takes 20 to 25 minutes to complete. The intervention and study sample were not limited to children with social skills issues.

Comparison Group

Students in the comparison condition received business-as-usual instruction.

Support for implementation

Teachers in the intervention group were formally trained in a 1-day workshop (1 workshop in each district). Each workshop followed a structured protocol. The first half of the training included a detailed overview of materials, lesson plans, and video vignettes. During the second half, teachers practiced teaching the first lesson in small groups. During the intervention, researchers monitored fidelity and checked in with all teachers to see if they had any questions.

In the case of multiple manuscripts that report on one study, the WWC selects one manuscript as the primary citation and lists other manuscripts that describe the study as additional sources.

  • DiPerna, J. C., Lei, P., Bellinger, J., & Cheng, W. (2016). Effects of a universal positive classroom behavior program on student learning. Psychology in the Schools, 53(2), 189-203.

 

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