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                            Funding & Awards
 Comprehensive Assessment of School Climate to Improve Safety in Maryland Middle Schools
Award Information
Awardee
              The Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia
Award #
              2014-CK-BX-0005
Funding Category
              Competitive
Location
                    Charlottesville, VA
Congressional District
              5
Status
              Closed
Funding First Awarded
              2014
Total funding (to date)
              $3,616,205
Original Solicitation
              NIJ FY 14 Investigator-Initiated Research: The Comprehensive School Safety Initiative
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2014, $3,616,205)
Statement of the Problem: Many schools struggle to proactively promote a positive climate and safety, especially in middle schools where behavioral concerns increase.  A partnership between the University of  Virginia (UVA), Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Sheppard Pratt Health System (SPHS), and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is submitting this proposal to NIJ with the goal of promoting middle school safety through the use of a continuum of evidence-based approaches to school climate improvement, violence prevention, and culturally-responsive classroom management. This proposal examines the efficacy, costs, and benefits of an augmented version of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), which provides personnel with safety (e.g., surveys, observations) and climate data, technical assistance, and training in evidence-based interventions. A recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the proposed Maryland Safe and Supportive Schools (MDS3) model has demonstrated effects in Maryland high schools.  We propose to adapt this model for use in middle schools, thereby preventing the negative sequalae of violence involvement, disengagement from school, and disparities in outcomes for minority students.  Subjects: The targeted RCT sample is youth attending 40 middle schools across 3 diverse Maryland counties in the Baltimore metro area.
Partnerships: This proposal builds upon a 15-year partnership between UVA, JHU, SPHS, and MSDE which has collaboratively scaled-up PBIS in Maryland and conducted multiple RCTs testing different prevention programs. Research Design and Methods: This study aims to (1) adapt for middle schools and assess the acceptability and feasibility of the  MDS3 model in 4 pilot schools; (2) test the efficacy of MDS3 for improving school safety and climate, problem behaviors, engagement, and achievement using a group RCT in 40 middle schools; and (3) measure the programmatic costs and benefits associated with the implementation of MDS3 to inform state-wide dissemination efforts. We hypothesize that MDS3 intervention schools will display decreased behavioral infractions and ethnic disparities, and improved school safety and academic success.
Analysis: Aim 1 uses a mixed-methods approach. Aim 2 utilizes multilevel analyses to assess student outcomes over 3 years. Aim 3 will use cost-benefit and return on investment analyses.
Products: Products include a comprehensive training series on the use of school safety and climate data to inform the selection and implementation of evidence-based programs; sustainable school climate survey system for use state-wide; administrator walk-through observation tool; professional development materials on culturally-proficient classroom management; peer-reviewed and practitioner oriented research summaries; archived data files (e.g., surveys, observations) submitted to NIJ. ca/ncf



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      Examining the Psychometrics and Characteristics of the Assessing School Settings: Interactions of Students and Teachers
                  Race-based Bullying Victimization and Adjustment Difficulties: Racial-Ethnic Differences in the Protective Role of School Equity
                  School climate and bullying bystander responses in middle and high school
                  Planning for a Crisis, but Preparing for Every Day: What Predicts Schools' Preparedness to Respond to a School Safety Crisis?
                  A Randomized Controlled Trial of MTSS-B in High Schools: Improving Classroom Management to Prevent EBDs
                  Contextualizing the Association Between School Climate and Student Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Rurality
                  Teacher-Student Incongruence in Perceptions of School Equity: Associations with Student Connectedness in Middle and High Schools
                  The role of bullying-related policies: Understanding how school staff respond to bullying situations
                  A systematic literature review of school climate in low and middle income countries
                  Comprehensive Assessment of School Climate to Improve Safety in Maryland Middle Schools
                  School climate measurement: Invariance across middle and high school students
                  A multilevel analysis of racial discipline disproportionality: A focus on student perceptions of academic engagement and disciplinary environment
                  Cross-National Differences in Bullying Dynamics: Comparing Latinx Youths' Experiences in Mexico and the USA
                  Does School Climate Mean the Same Thing in the United States as in Mexico? A Focus on Measurement Invariance
                  Examining the Relative Utility of PBIS Implementation Fidelity Scores in Relation to Student Outcomes
                  Improving the Measurement of School Climate Using Item Response Theory
                  Parental Responses to Bullying: Understanding the Role of School Policies and Practices
                  Teacher stress and burnout in urban middle schools: Associations with job demands, resources, and effective classroom practices
                  Triangulating School Climate: Areas of Convergence and Divergence Across Multiple Levels and Perspectives
                  Youth Reactions to Bullying: Exploring the Factors Associated With Student's Willingness to Intervene
                  Surveillance or Safekeeping? How School Security Officer and Camera Presence Influence Students' Perceptions of Safety, Equity, and Support
                  Adjustment outcomes of victims of cyberbullying: the role of personal and contextual factors
                  A Cross-National Comparison of Risk Factors for Teen Dating Violence in Mexico and the United States
                  Examining Variation in Adolescent Bystanders' Responses to Bullying
                  Obese and Overweight Youth: Risk for Experiencing Bullying Victimization and Internalizing Symptoms
                  The Moderating Role of Spirituality in the Association Between Stress and Substance Use Among Adolescents: Differences by Gender
                  School environments and obesity: The mediating role of personal stress
                  Ten-Year Trends in Bullying and Related Attitudes Among 4th-to 12th-Graders
                  Teen Dating Violence Victimization Among High School Students: A Multilevel Analysis of School-Level Risk Factors

  
Date Created: September 30, 2014
    
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                      Exploring the Impact of Station Dog Programs on Agency Wellness and Community Relationships
                  Comprehensive Evaluation of Kinetic and Thermodynamic Approaches to Predict Evaporation of Ignitable Liquids for Fire Debris Applications
                  Research & Evaluation of Boston's Community Violence Intervention & Prevention Initiative
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