Lessons Learned From Efficacy and Effectiveness Research in Elementary, Middle, and High Schools

TITLE: Lessons Learned from Efficacy and Effectiveness Research in Elementary, Middle, and High Schools

Prevention and intervention with at-risk children and youth can transform negative behavioral and academic patterns, increase school engagement and persistence, and prepare youth for successful adult lives. Children and youth identified for special education services are not the only targets for intervention; many other youth exhibit a cluster of risk factors including behavior problems, low academic performance, and poor attendance and participation (Hammond, Linton, Smink, & Drew, 2007)—factors that, if unaddressed, can result in school failure and dropout.

In this presentation, the authors will describe some of the challenges and opportunities in implementing, evaluating, and sustaining school-based preventive interventions in elementary, middle, and high schools. We will refer to specific effectiveness and efficacy studies under real world conditions in urban and suburban settings. Topics will include: identifying and addressing school priorities; creating buy-in for school-based mental health programs; clearly demarcating roles and responsibilities of researchers and school staff; considering developmental factors that impact on behavioral and academic outcomes; forging collaborative partnerships with educators, parents, and community resources; and planning for sustainability at the project’s onset.

We will report on two Institute of Educational Science (IES)-funded efficacy studies: the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program implemented with middle schoolers with elevated trauma experiences in San Francisco, and Check & Connect (C&C), implemented with at-risk high schoolers in San Jose, California. These randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examine the program’s efficacy with previously understudied populations (Asian and Hispanic youth, respectively) and in urban contexts. The authors will contrast the preliminary evidence on CBITS and C&C against the Society for Prevention Research’s (SPR) standards for efficacy and share lessons learned about implementation and evaluation of evidence based practices within a school-research partnership.

We will also report on the IES-funded National Effectiveness Study of First Step to Success, a large-scale RCT of an intervention for early elementary school students with behavior problems who are at risk for academic failure. First Step was implemented in 48 schools in five states (California, Florida, Illinois, Oregon, and West Virginia) and yielded short-term effects on behavioral and academic outcomes mediated by implementation fidelity. The authors will contrast the body of evidence on First Step against SPR’s standards for effectiveness and share lessons learned about implementation, evaluation, dissemination, and sustainability of evidence based practices in schools.