trauma-Informed PRACTICES in SCHOOLS: DISTRICT LEVEL CHANGE EFFORTS and IMPLEMENTATION OUTCOMES

The current study examines the construct validity of Weiner et al. (2017) implementation outcome measures in a school setting, and assesses the impact of building trauma-informed organizational capacity on acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of adopting and implementing trauma-informed practices in schools.

The validity of the implementation outcome measures were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Then, the implementation outcome measures were used in pretest posttest fashion to assess the effectiveness of organizational capacity-building in schools. While identifiers were requested from all participants, only a small proportion of responses could be matched across the two timepoints. Dependent samples t-tests were conducted comparing matched participant time one and two scores, and independent t-tests were conducted within each timepoint comparing matched and unmatched participants.

The results of the CFA support the construct validity of the implementation outcome measures within school settings. Dependent samples t-tests of matched participants demonstrated increases in the feasibility of implementing trauma-informed practices, while results of the independent t-tests demonstrated that matched participants reported higher mean scores of appropriateness and acceptability at posttest.

The three implementation outcome measures may be used in school settings to monitor trauma-informed change processes. Participation in the change process may enhance perceived appropriateness, acceptance, and the feasibility of implementing trauma-informed practices in schools.

This study contributes to the evidence-base of adopting and implementing trauma-informed practices in schools. There is a need for continued assessment of change processes geared toward building trauma-informed school systems.