Clinical trial NCT01670591: Effects of Prevention in School (PS): a Swedish School-wide Positive Behavior Support Program at the Primary Prevention Level
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Problem Behaviors Among Students
Classroom Learning Environment
Lead sponsor: Karolinska Institutet
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2012-08-22
Enrollment: 3207
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 10
Maximum age (years): 15
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Prevention in School (PS) is a modified School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Program at the universal prevention level, developed by Swedish researchers for the school years 4 -9. By defining and teaching school rules to all teachers and students, and by consistently acknowledging students when meeting behavioural expectations, the program aims to reduce problem behaviours in school areas and to improve the classroom learning climate. Against this background, the purpose of this study is to examine whether PS is more effective than schools' ordinary practices in meeting these goals.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Schools situated in Stockholm county and in bordering counties within travelling distance from Stockholm.
* Comprising the grades 4-9 (10-15 years).
* A minimum of 2 classes/50 students in each of the grades 5-7.
* A majority (min.80%)of the staff is positive towards program participation.
* School management willing to take active part in change/developmental work.
* A willingness to submit to study conditions (randomization etc)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Participation in other ongoing research projects.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Student problem behaviors
timeFrame: 24 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Classroom learning climate
timeFrame: 24 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Stockholm
country: Sweden
facility: STAD, Stockholm Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet
Study officials:
affiliation: STAD, Stockholm Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet
name: Maria Bodin
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Horner RH, Todd AW, Lewis-Palmer T, Irvin LK, Sugai G, & Boland JB. The school-wide evaluation tool (SET): A research instrument for assessing school-wide positive behaviour support. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 6, 3-12, 2004.
citation: Sundell K, Koutakis N, Hellqvist A, Andrén J, Karlberg M, Forster M & Hassler-Hallstedt M. Prevention i skolan. Forskningsbaserat preventionsprogram för grundskolans år 4-9. FoU-rapport 2007:6. Stockholms stadsledningskontor: FoU-enheten, 2007.
citation: Sørlie M-A, Ogden T. Immediate impacts of PALS: A school wide multi-level programme targeting behaviour problems in elementary school. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 5: 471-492, 2007.
citation: Sørlie M-A, Nordahl, T. Problematferd i skolen: Hovedfunn, forklaringer og pedagogiske implikasjoner. [Behaviour problems in school: Main findings, explanations, and pedagogical implications].Hovedrapport fra forskningsprosjektet Skole- och samspillsvansker (Rapport 12a/98). Oslo: Norsk Institutt for forsknings om oppvekst, velferd og aldring, 1998.