The purpose of this project is to further develop and refine the Resilience Education Program (REP), a Tier 2 intervention for elementary and middle school students (Grades 4-8) at risk for internalizing problems.
Research has documented a lack of high-quality, feasible, school-based Tier 2 internalizing interventions, even as many schools have adopted MTSS frameworks, such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and are engaging in universal screening for behavior, which increases their identification of students with internalizing problems. In other words, schools are identifying concerns, but they lack the strategies to effectively address them.
Initial research has supported REP efficacy, usability, and feasibility. The purpose of this project is to refine and enhance REP, while also subjecting it to further testing. We will engage in a series of projects across four years:
- Year 1: refine and enhance REP in consideration of feedback attained through focus groups with teachers, parents, mental health professionals, and content experts.
- Year 2: implement REP in real-world settings and attain feedback regarding REP feasibility and usability from educators and parents.
- Year 3: conduct component analyses to determine which aspects of REP are necessary or sufficient to yield effects.
- Year 4: conduct a randomized controlled trial to yield pilot efficacy data.
Project REP is funded by a grant from the National Center for Special Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences, within the Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support Learning portfolio (R324A190129).