Comprehensive School-Based Framework to Develop School-Researcher-Community Partnerships

Introduction: Researchers from the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) are partnering with educators in 46 middle schools to implement the Safe Communities Safe Schools (SCSS) model. The four-year initiative funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is designed to develop research-practice-policy partnerships between school based teams and researchers at the CSPV to ensure the successful implementation of the SCSS model. The model consists of three core program components and a data informed approach to implement evidence based programs, practices and strategies aimed to improve school safety, reduce violence and improve positive youth development. Additional assessments, such as a Readiness Assessment and the Safe and Healthy School Assessment are used to provide feedback to the multi-disciplinary team about their teams’ motivation and capacity to implement the model and where they stand with regard to implementing key elements of school safety.

Methods: The American Institutes of Research (AIR) is evaluating the extent to which the SCSS model is being implemented as designed and using a staggered entry randomized control trial to evaluate the short, intermediate, and long term outcomes of the SCSS model. Data sources include implementation logs, program fidelity observations, student and staff school climate surveys, and official school records (test scores, referrals, suspensions, etc.).

Results: Data from the first and second year of implementation suggest that a majority of the schools are implementing the model as intended. The teams have completed their tasks including; 1) meeting with our research team as scheduled, 2) developing strong trusting relationships with our research team, 3) administering student and staff climate surveys, 4) completing the Readiness and Safe and Healthy School Assessments, 5) selecting and prioritizing risk and protective factors based on their data, 6) and using prioritized risk and protective factors to select their Blueprint program.

Conclusions: This research-practitioner partnership is based on a trusting relationship that creates a foundation for bridging research and practice. The partnership establishes the opportunity for gathering information to guide the school’s prevention efforts using evidence-based programs and practices to address their prioritized risk and protective factors. This individualized approach increases the school’s capacity to use data and select and effectively implement evidence-based programs and practices that are useful and valuable for their school. Researchers offer feedback loops to help inform educators about their progress with implementation and achieving their intended results.