Systematic Supervision: DVD Elementary School Training

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal addresses the need for effective school-wide strategies that improve elementary school climate and ensure that common areas and classrooms are managed in ways that allow all students to be safe and secure. In Phase I, successful group-training materials were developed for school staff, Systematic Supervision: Creating A Safe and Positive Playground. This interactive multimedia training covered the basic techniques of common-area supervision, positive behavior support (PBS), and team-based data analysis and intervention planning for use on school playgrounds by staff. It included compatible behavioral expectation training materials for students - the award-winning video Play by the Rules. In Phase II project, school-wide systematic supervision training will be extended to all other school environments where adult supervision and behavior support are difficult to provide. This training will be formatted for both group (DVD) and individual (interactive web) study. The evaluation of the Phase II product will be conducted using a wait-list control design and the active participation of the Los Angeles Unified School District and the San Francisco Unified School District. The evaluation of the effects of the Phase II training will use direct observations, archival student data (office discipline referrals, etc.), normed and validated measures for staff and students, and program-specific measures to answer three core questions: First, does multimedia training of staff (and students) in specific areas systematic supervision result in an improved school climate? Second, does the training result in increased levels of staff self-efficacy for maintaining order in the public areas of the school? And third, does the training result in improved and adequate mastery of skills concerning the supervision and behavioral strategies presented to staff? In order to answer these questions, the following tasks will be completed: 1) Develop four new training components to be delivered using an Internet-enhanced DVD format -eDVD, 2) Conduct focus groups with school professionals, parents, and students to ensure that program content will be compatible with the school environment and sensitive to the needs of diverse school communities, and 3) Evaluate the Systematic Supervision program with a wait-list control design with 36 schools assigned to intervention or control conditions using measures that describe the school environment and the behavior of administrators, teachers and staff, and students.