Project Activities
This project will use community-based participatory research to iteratively adapt and refine the Path program for grades 3 to 5 and develop a whole-school implementation model that is feasible and acceptable. In a pilot study, the project will use a quasi-experimental design to test the promise of the updated elementary school program for improving classroom climate, family engagement, and student skills and behavior.
Structured Abstract
Setting
This study will take place in elementary school classrooms in New York City.
Sample
To begin, 32 staff members from 2 schools that have previously used the Path program in the early grades and 10 community members (including student and family advocates as well as leaders in community-based education and behavioral health) will participate in efforts to refine and adapt Path for students in upper elementary school with EBD. Then, approximately 36 school staff and 48 students and their caregivers across 4 schools will participate in continued efforts to further refine and assess its feasibility and acceptability. In the next phase, 56 school staff and 66 students and their caregivers across 6 schools will participate in activities to identify factors that support implementation and the costs of the Path program. Finally, 100 staff and 228 students and their caregivers across 12 schools will participate in the quasi-experimental pilot study.
Intervention
The Path program, which is based on a model designed to meet the needs of students with autism, will be adapted in this project for use with upper elementary school students with EBD. Core elements of the Path program include a small class size with full-time co-teachers (one special education and one general education), evidence-based universal and targeted strategies, robust classroom and family support from social workers and occupational therapists, and a research-practice-community partnered approach. Core components of the program include a schedule with predictable routines incorporating movement breaks, warm and safe relationships, positive classroom management, social-emotional learning and trauma-informed interventions that encourage self-regulation and social problem solving, engaging and effective instruction, and staff collaboration. Students in the program will access individualized support, including implementation of trauma-informed cognitive-behavioral interventions, de-escalation procedures, self-regulation support, counseling or emotional support, and opportunities to practice social skills. Families of students in the program will be encouraged to engage with the Path staff through regular communication and opportunities to visit the school and classrooms, participate in conjoint behavioral consultation, and will be able to access supports to meet family goals and develop caregiver capacity.
Research design and methods
This project will use community-participatory research to adapt and refine the Path program. In phase 1, the research team will meet with a community council, school staff at Path schools, and content experts to solicit ideas for program revision and will conduct focus groups and administer surveys with school staff to collect feedback on the revised program. In phase 2, the team will introduce the revised Path program to new schools, and use surveys, fidelity checklists, coaching and consultation notes, and qualitative focus groups and interviews to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the Path program and will evaluate staff implementation of the program. In phase 3, the research team will measure implementation dosage and quality for the refined Path program and collect data to understand how the program affects staff relationships and mindsets. In phase 4, the team will conduct a pilot study with a quasi-experimental design to test the effects of the program on school staff, family, and student outcomes by comparing results from Path schools to similar schools, as determined by propensity score matching, across New York City.
Control condition
In the pilot study, the comparison condition will consist of public schools similar to the treatment schools but not implementing the Path program.
Key measures
: Student and family outcomes will be measured via psychometrically sound, widely used teacher, family, and student questionnaires and classroom observations, as well as administrative data, including attendance, disciplinary infractions, grade-level retention, and classroom type. Key widely used measures include the Classroom Assessment Scoring System to assess classroom climate; New York City Department of Education's school climate survey; Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (Short Form); Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to assess student internalizing, externalizing and pro-social behaviors; Academic Competence Evaluation Scale (Short Form), the Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory, and the School Liking and Avoidance Questionnaire to assess student engagement, performance, and motivation; and the Parent Empowerment and Efficacy Measure, and the Quality Improvement Practices Index to assess school staff fidelity to continuous improvement practices.
Data analytic strategy
In phase 1, researchers will use qualitative analyses of focus groups and summarize closed-ended survey items with descriptive statistics. In phase 2, they will summarize adherence to each element of the revised program, report on team notes using descriptive statistics, and conduct qualitative coding of focus group data. In phase 3, researchers will use descriptive statistics to describe implementation dosage and fidelity; longitudinal social network analysis to evaluate changes in school staff relationships, attitudes, and behavior; and multilevel models to examine changes over time in family–school ties and staff mindsets. They will also engage in qualitative coding of meetings and consultation notes to understand implementation mechanisms. Finally, in phase 4, researchers will use a quasi-experimental design and multilevel regression to evaluate the initial impact of the program on staff, family, and child outcomes.
Cost analysis strategy
Researchers will use the ingredients method to estimate the costs to implement the Path program. They will examine both incremental costs and the distribution of costs across implementation phases.
Products and publications
Products: This project will result in a fully developed intervention that improves outcomes for elementary students with EBD. The project will also result in peer-reviewed publications and presentations as well as additional dissemination products that reach education stakeholders such as practitioners and policymakers.
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.