Citation

Poduska JM, Kellam S, Brown CH, Ford C, Windham A, Keegan N, Wang W. Implement. Sci. 2009; 4(1): 56.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group - BMC)

DOI

10.1186/1748-5908-4-56

PMID

19725979

PMCID

PMC2753630

Abstract

BACKGROUND: While a number of preventive interventions delivered within schools have shown both short-term and long-term impact in epidemiologically based randomized field trials, programs are not often sustained with high quality implementation over time. This study was designed to support two purposes. The first purpose was to test the effectiveness of a universal classroom-based intervention, the Whole Day First Grade Program (WD), aimed at two early antecedents of drug abuse and other problem behaviors, namely aggressive, disruptive behavior and poor academic achievement. The second purpose was to examine the utility of a multilevel structure to support high levels of implementation during the effectiveness trial, to sustain WD practices across additional years, and to train additional teachers in WD practices. METHODS: The WD intervention integrated three components, each previously tested separately: classroom behavior management; instruction, specifically reading; and family-classroom partnerships around behavior and learning. Teachers and students within twelve schools were randomly assigned to receive either the WD intervention or the standard first grade program of the school system (SC). Three consecutive cohorts of 1st graders were randomized within schools to WD or SC classrooms and followed through the end of third grade to test the effectiveness of the WD intervention. Teacher practices were assessed over three years to examine the utility of the multilevel structure to support sustainability and scaling-up. DISCUSSION: The design employed in this trial appears to have considerable utility to provide data on WD effectiveness and to inform the field with regard to the structures required to move evidence-based programs into practice. Clinical Trials Registration Number: NCT00257088.

Language: en