A School-based Intervention Project to Increase Completion of Upper Secondary School in Norway

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Drop out from upper secondary school represents a risk for the future health and wellbeing of young people. Strengthening of psychosocial aspects of the learning environment may be an effective strategy to promote completion of upper secondary school. The COMPLETE study is a school based cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating two school-based interventions, namely the Dream School Program (DSP) and the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) among 1st grade upper secondary school students in four counties in Norway. The interventions aim to improve psychosocial learning environments and subsequently school achievements and decrease drop-out and absence. Specifically, the COMPLETE study will Evaluate whether the DSP alone increases completion increases presence improves school achievements improves mental health and wellbeing Evaluate whether the DSP and the MHST combined increase completion increase presence improve school achievements improve mental health and wellbeing The COMPLETE study will also evaluate the effect of the DSP and MHST combined and the DSP alone against secondary outcomes of school satisfaction and loneliness. Evaluate through a process evaluation whether the interventions were implemented in line with guidelines for each of the interventions, and whether the degree of program fidelity has influenced the effect of the interventions on the primary and secondary outcomes.

Official Title
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COMPLETE - a School-based Intervention Project to Improve Psychosocial Learning Environments and Increase Completion of Upper Secondary School in Norway: a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Drop Out, Absence, Academic Achievement/Average Grade, Mental Health

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Dream School Program
* Other: Mental Health Support Team


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: School inclusion criteria: not been or currently involved in either of the Dream School Program or the Mental Health Support Team or similar programs or research projects Student inclusion criteria: student enrolled at any of the included schools. Exclusion Criteria: Schools previously or currently involved in either of the Dream School Program or the Mental Health Support Team or similar programs or research projects. Student exclusion criteria: students with special needs or who are illiterate in Norwegian are excluded from the survey assessment, but included in the interventions.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 15 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Dream School Program (DSP)<br>The Dream School Program is a whole school program, involving staff and students, with the aim of creating learning environments where students are confident and experience a sense of belonging, and where mental health is promoted. | Other: Dream School Program<br>* The Dream School program is a whole school program, involving staff and students, with the aim of creating learning environments where students are confident and experience a sense of belonging, and where mental health is promoted.<br>* Other names: Drømmeskolen (Norwegian name);|
| Experimental: DSP and Mental Health Support Team<br>A combination of the universal Dream Schoop Program (see description above) and the selective/indicative intervention Mental Health Support Team which is aimed at specific students at risk of dropping out of upper secondary school. It is a systematization of the student services through Co-location of services and staff working in services One open door to increase accessibility to the services and staff for students Focus on the transition from lower to upper secondary school Close follow-up of students at risk to ensure tailored help to each student Early intervention and follow up when students starts being absent from school | Other: Dream School Program<br>* The Dream School program is a whole school program, involving staff and students, with the aim of creating learning environments where students are confident and experience a sense of belonging, and where mental health is promoted.<br>* Other names: Drømmeskolen (Norwegian name);Other: Mental Health Support Team<br>* MHST is also a whole school project but aimed at specific students at risk of dropping out. It is a systematisation of the student services through Co-location of services and staff working in services One open door to increase accessibility to the services and staff for students Focus on the transition from lower to upper secondary school Close follow-up of students at risk to ensure tailored help to each student Early intervention and follow up when students starts being absent from school This work demands cross- and multidisciplinary collaborations within the MHST, between MHST and school leadership, and between lower and upper secondary schools.<br>* Other names: Nærværsteam (Norwegian name);|
| No Intervention: Control<br>The control group are upper secondary schools who run classes and the school as usual, and do not introduce new programs similar to the Dream School or Mental Health Support Team during the project period. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Drop-out | If the student has not complete upper secondary school within five years or if the student quit school and is without any regular activity during the course of the study period, i.e. grade 1-3 of upper secondary school | Each participant is assessed after 10 months | 
| Drop-out | If the student has not complete upper secondary school within five years or if the student quit school and is without any regular activity during the course of the study period, i.e. grade 1-3 of upper secondary school | Each participant is assessed after 22 months | 
| Drop-out | If the student has not complete upper secondary school within five years or if the student quit school and is without any regular activity during the course of the study period, i.e. grade 1-3 of upper secondary school | Each participant is assessed after 34 months | 
| Drop-out | If the student has not complete upper secondary school within five years or if the student quit school and is without any regular activity during the course of the study period, i.e. grade 1-3 of upper secondary school | Each participant is assessed after 58 months | 
| Absence | Total days and hours absent at closure of first school year in upper secondary school | Each participant is assessed after 10 months | 
| Absence | Total days and hours absent at closure of second school year in upper secondary school | Each participant is assessed after 22 months | 
| Absence | Total days and hours absent at closure of third school year in upper secondary school | Each participant is assessed after 34 months | 
| Academic achievement | Average grade at closure of first school year in upper secondary school | Each participant is assessed after 10 months | 
| Academic achievement | Average grade at closure of second school year in upper secondary school | Each participant is assessed after 22 months | 
| Academic achievement | Average grade at closure of third school year in upper secondary school | Each participant is assessed after 34 months | 
| Change from baseline Mental Health at 6 months | Short form of Symptom Check List (SCL-5), on a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Not bothered to Very bothered, with higher values indicating a worse outcome. | Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months | 
| Change from baseline Mental Health at 18 months | Short form of Symptom Check List (SCL-5), on a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Not bothered to Very bothered, with higher values indicating a worse outcome. | Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months | 
| Change from baseline Mental Health at 30 months | Short form of Symptom Check List (SCL-5), on a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Not bothered to Very bothered, with higher values indicating a worse outcome. | Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months | 
| Change in Mental Wellbeing from baseline at 6 months | Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), on a 5 point Likert scale from None of the time to All of the time, with higher values indicating a better outcome | Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months | 
| Change from baseline Mental Wellbeing at 18 months | Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), on a 5 point Likert scale from None of the time to All of the time, with higher values indicating a better outcome | Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change from baseline School satisfaction at 6 months | Three items from the School Satisfaction Scale, a subscale of the Multidimensional Student's Life Satisfaction Scale. 5 point Likert scale from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome. | Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6, 18 and 30 months | 
| Change from baseline School satisfaction at 18 months | Three items from the School Satisfaction Scale, a subscale of the Multidimensional Student's Life Satisfaction Scale. 5 point Likert scale from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome. | Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months | 
| Change from baseline School satisfaction at 30 months | Three items from the School Satisfaction Scale, a subscale of the Multidimensional Student's Life Satisfaction Scale. 5 point Likert scale from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome. | Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months | 
| Change from baseline Loneliness at 6 months | Loneliness Scale, 5 point Likert scale from Not at all to To a very high degree with higher values indicating a worse outcome. | Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months | 
| Change from baseline Loneliness at 18 months | Loneliness Scale, 5 point Likert scale from Not at all to To a very high degree with higher values indicating a worse outcome. | Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months | 
| Change from baseline Loneliness at 30 months | Loneliness Scale, 5 point Likert scale from Not at all to To a very high degree with higher values indicating a worse outcome. | Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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randomized controlled trial, drop out, upper secondary school, psychosocial learning environments