Supporting Ci3T Implementation: A Comparison of Enhanced and Traditional Professional Learning Offerings
Creators: name: Buckman, Mark
name: Lane, Kathleen
name: Oakes, Wendy
name: Common, Eric
name: Briesch, Amy
name: Chafouleas, Sandra
name: Royer, David
name: Sherod, Rebecca
name: Fleming, Kandace
Publisher: name: Open Science Framework
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Teacher Education and Professional Development
subject: Education
subject: Elementary Education
subject: Education
subject: Social and Behavioral Sciences

description: This underpowered randomized control trial is part of Project ENHANCE, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). This two-year project has been developed with two school districts to support the design, installation, and evaluation of the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) Model of Prevention in their elementary schools. In this study, we are comparing two approaches for Ci3T implementation: Enhanced Ci3T (E-Ci3T) and Traditional (T-Ci3T) Implementation Series and Delivery to: (a) examine Ci3T Leadership Teams’ feasibility, usability, integrity, and knowledge; and (b) determine the impact on teacher and student outcomes. E-Ci3T and T-Ci3T shared the same learning objectives and activities. Core activities include: remote professional learning series for Ci3T Leadership Teams, coaching support (before, during, and after each session), Ci3T monthly meetings at school sites, access to professional learning resources on ci3t.org, access to stand-alone EMPOWER session for faculty and staff, access to monthly Ci3T Trainer and Coaches call, and monthly district meetings. The unique feature of E-Ci3T is the enhanced professional learning resources (ebooks and interactive resources). As part of this longitudinal Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (Shadish, Cook, &amp; Campbell, 2002) taking place in 16 schools in two districts (one west coast, N = 7 schools; one southern, N = 9), we randomized at the school level within each district given Ci3T is a school-wide intervention and thus it is not possible to assign students randomly to conditions (see Figure 1 in separate file). Within each district, we implemented a matched-pair block randomization procedure to strengthen the probability that randomizing a small number of schools will produce a balanced group allocation. First, we created a table of key school characteristics and shared this table with the school district leaders to confirm the Title 1 status and student enrollment numbers were accurate based on their most current information. Both district leaders provided updated information with respect to Title 1 status. Then, we blocked by Title 1 status (yes vs. no), then within each block we matched nearest neighbors by student enrollment (smallest to largest) creating 3 pairs and 1 singleton in the west coast district and 4 pairs and 1 singleton in the southern district. Next, we randomly assigned members in each pair to opposite groups (T-Ci3T, n = 7 schools, or E-Ci3T, n = 7 schools). The two singletons were also randomly assigned to separate groups balancing the number of schools allocated to each condition overall, resulting in 8 schools in each condition (T-Ci3T, n = 8 schools, or E-Ci3T, n = 8 schools). Results of the random assignment were shared with district leaders and principals, along with dates and times for the Ci3T Implementation Series and Delivery to be conducted during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 year (Project ENHANCE Years 4 and 5). Each of the 16 schools assembled a Ci3T Leadership Team that participated in a year-long, manualized Ci3T Professional Learning Series to design their Ci3T model, separate from this study. In the current study, each school’s Ci3T Leadership Team will engage in either the Traditional (T-Ci3T) or Enhanced (E-Ci3T) Professional Learning Series and Delivery. In the coming years, assessments will be obtained multiple times in each of the two years of the study (see separate file with Table 1 Project ENHANCE - RCT: T-Ci3T vs. E-Ci3T Overview and Table 2 Assessment Schedule: ENHANCE RCT: T-Ci3T vs. E-Ci3T for 2022-2023 academic year; the same timelines will be followed during the 2023-2024 academic year. No blinding will be used in the study as people will know their condition based on their access to the password-protected Enhanced professional learning materials as part of the E-Ci3T condition. Note. At the time of this pre-registration, the school randomization has taken place as planned. Ci3T Leadership Teams have not yet been consented and professional learning activities have not started.