Implementing Restorative Practices for Youth

Discipline Practices Clinical Trial

Official title:

Cultivating Healing by Implementing Restorative Practices for Youth

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Terminated

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04067804
• Other study ID #: 08740101
• Secondary ID: 2016-CK-BX-0008
• Status: Terminated
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 4, 2017
• Est. completion date: July 31, 2019

Study information

• Verified date: August 2019
• Source: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

1.1 Project Goals and Objectives: The goals for this project are to: (1) Engage school district stakeholders in a Southwestern U.S. state in a structured planning process for incorporating tailored restorative practices within culturally and economically diverse middle schools to reduce adverse student outcomes related to discipline; (2) Produce scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness and the costs/benefits of restorative practices implemented in these middle schools using a stratified cluster randomized design and mixed methods; and (3) Build capacity within schools to implement and evaluate restorative practices with fidelity after implementation support has ended, and to facilitate a cascade of practices districtwide. The project consists of four phases based on the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) model.

Description:

Statement of the problem: Zero-tolerance policies, emphasizing rigid responses to infractions, including removal of students from school and referrals to juvenile justice systems, have prevailed nationwide. Such policies disproportionately affect minority/disadvantaged students by severely disciplining them for minimal infractions, imperiling their academic performance and graduation, and potentially leading to detention or incarceration. In contrast, restorative justice practices elicit understanding of the perspectives of those involved in conflict and rule violations, addressing the effect of offenses, and remedying the damage, thus opening up healing opportunities and keeping students in the classroom. Yet, little research exists regarding their effectiveness in reducing negative student outcomes and developing positive school climates. Our knowledge of factors associated with successful implementation and fidelity, and adaptations at the district, school, staff, and student levels to promote their sustained use is also inadequate.

Partnerships: This project addresses these gaps by developing a Community-Academic Partnership (CAP) to implement and evaluate a large-scale restorative practice initiative for middle schools. Our CAP involves a Southwestern U.S. state school district that wishes to remain anonymous, other key community entities, and academic researchers.

Research design/methods: The project will: (1) Engage school district stakeholders in a structured planning process for incorporating tailored restorative practices within culturally and economically diverse middle schools to reduce adverse student outcomes related to discipline; (2) Produce scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness and the costs/benefits of restorative practices implemented in these middle schools using a stratified cluster randomized design and mixed methods; and (3) Build capacity within schools to implement and evaluate restorative practices with fidelity after implementation support has ended, and to facilitate cascade of practices districtwide. A combination of qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups, and document review) and quantitative methods (surveys and administrative data review) will be used to evaluate and track implementation success and outcomes.

Analysis: Procedures include iterative qualitative data coding, descriptive statistical analysis, multilevel modeling, and cost/benefits analysis.

Products, reports, and archiving: This project will advance a set of strategies to enhance child wellbeing. The CAP will disseminate these strategies and accompanying evaluation methods via national/state conferences, districtwide reports, peer-reviewed publications, and open access mediums.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Terminated
• Enrollment: 12
• Est. completion date: July 31, 2019
• Est. primary completion date: July 31, 2019
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Middle school in the school district of study (School district wishes to remain anonymous)

Exclusion Criteria:

• A school that is not a middle school in the school district of study

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Discipline Practices

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Dynamic Adaptation Process
The Dynamic Adaptation Process draws from implementation science frameworks and methods, including the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment model, to organize planning and implementation activities. The Dynamic Adaptation Process is a structured methodology designed to integrate new interventions within complex systems, such as schools.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation	Albuquerque	New Mexico

Sponsors (5)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation	Restorative Solutions, Inc., U.S. Department of Justice, University of California, San Diego, Western Implementation Research and Evaluation

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Student Disciplinary Actions	Outcomes include total number of (1) detentions, (2) in-school suspensions, (3) out-of-school suspensions, (4) expulsions, and (5) referrals to juvenile justice.	1 year. Change from baseline through study completion, an average of 48 months
Primary	Bullying	Measured by the state's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey, outcomes will include student reports of bullying in the past 12 months.	24 months. Change from baseline, through study completion, an average of 48 months
Primary	School Safety	Measured by the state's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey, outcomes will include student reports of missing school in the past 30 days due to fears about their safety.	24 months. Change from baseline, through study completion, an average of 48 months
Primary	Teacher Support	Measured by the state's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey, outcomes will include student reports of a teacher or other adult at their school that makes them feel supported.	24 months. Change from baseline, through study completion, an average of 48 months
Secondary	Implementation Progress	Progress will be measured using a modified Stages of Implementation Completion (SIC) checklist. The SIC is an eight-stage measure that assesses progress of implementation using activity completion dates and duration of activities.	1 year. Change from baseline through study completion, an average of 48 months
Secondary	Implementation Fidelity	The specialist coordinators will conduct monthly fidelity ratings using a standardized checklist and provide data to their Implementation Resource Teams. A school staff web-survey across all 12 middle schools will also examine how frequently staff participate in the five primary restorative practice techniques and the level of perceived school support for these practices.	30 days. Change from baseline through study completion, an average of 48 months
Secondary	Cost/Benefit Analysis	Adhering to 2016 National Academy of Sciences guidelines, the intervention Cost/Benefit Analysis will focus on existing return on investment from both societal and government perspectives.	Change from baseline through study completion, an average of 60 months