University of Oregon
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if two behavioral interventions work to reduce office disciplinary referrals, improve attendance, and reduce depression and anxiety in 7th grade students. This project combines two evidence-based programs-the Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach (ISLA) for school-wide discipline reform and the Family Check-Up Online (FCU-O) for family-centered support-in an adaptive design to examine the unique and additive effects of these interventions on these child behavior outcomes. The main questions it will answer are: 1. What is the relative efficacy of ISLA vs. School-as-Usual? 2. What is the optimal sequencing of these interventions? 3. Which overall sequence of intervention strategies was most effective? Researchers will compare 6 combinations of these interventions to see which combination and sequencing provides the best student outcomes. School personnel participating in the project will be trained to implement the two interventions at their school. They will answer surveys in the fall, winter, and spring of their year of participation. Parent and Youth participants will complete surveys at baseline and then again 6 months and 12 months later.
In the past decade, youth mental health and behavior concerns have been some of the most significant challenges in schools, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A high percentage of adolescents experience mental health distress, but only a fraction of them recieve adequate services, especially in underserved communities. School-based services face barriers such as limited funding, staffing shortages, and a lack of evidence-based programming. Mental health issues are driven by a combination of individual and systemic risk factors, including inequitable school policies, caregiver stress, and fa…
School Inclusion Criteria: * The middle school must be located in Oregon and serve a population with high levels of NIH-defined health disparity; and * The middle school must have a history of collaboration with the National PBIS Technical Assistance Center or the Northwest PBIS network. School Staff Inclusion Criteria: * School staff must be employed by a participating middle school; and * School staff must be willing and interested in receiving training and support throughout implementation Family Inclusion Criteria: * The target child must attend a middle school which has been randomly…
ISLA is a school-wide, multi-component, instructional and restorative alternative to exclusionary discipline that involves universal prevention grounded in positive, preventative classroom strategies for all students, and layers on additional supports for students in need.Derived from the original School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions model (SWPBIS) with roots in social learning theory, ISLA emphasizes that behavior is learned through modeling and teaching, and that environmental factors and the quality of teaching practices influence when and how a behavior is likely to occur. The ISLA model emphasizes ongoing training and coaching of classroom-level prevention strategies and practices that teachers use to promote building strong relationships, preventing school disconnectedness, and improving instructional and restorative alternatives to exclusion.
The Family Check-Up Online is a digital intervention that includes an assessment, computer-generated feedback, and intervention modules that focus on improving family relationships and parenting skills in order to reduce child mental health problems and to improve child self-regulation. These modules include Healthy Behaviors for Stressful Times, Positive Parenting, Rules and Consequences, Supporting School Success, and Communication.
This intervention is the Family Check-Up Online plus telehealth support from a parenting coach. The Family Check-Up Online is a digital intervention that includes an assessment, computer-generated feedback, and intervention modules that focus on improving family relationships and parenting skills in order to reduce child mental health problems and to improve child self-regulation. These modules include Healthy Behaviors for Stressful Times, Positive Parenting, Rules and Consequences, Supporting School Success, and Communication. A coach based at the child's school meets with caregivers via telehealth modality to provide motivation and to help caregivers tailor the content of the modules to their specific child and family's needs.