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Education in Emergencies, Evidence for Action (3EA): Testing remedial tutoring support and targeted interventions in Lebanon (2016-18)

Last registered on April 07, 2017

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Education in Emergencies, Evidence for Action (3EA): Testing remedial support and targeted interventions in Lebanon (2016-17)
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0002123
Initial registration date
April 07, 2017

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 07, 2017, 7:13 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
New York University, Global TIES for Children

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2016-11-01
End date
2017-07-31
Secondary IDs
Abstract
Lebanon, a nation of approximately 4 million citizens, is now sheltering more than 1 million registered Syrian refugees, approximately half of whom are Syrian children between the ages of 3 and 18. This study investigates the impact of remedial support and low-cost targeted social-emotional interventions (mindfulness and Brain Games) for the school-aged Syrian refugee population in the Bekaa and Akkar regions of Lebanon from November 2016 to July 2017. In Fall 2016, we will randomize sites, defined as informal tent settlements and/or buildings serving 1-3 informal tent settlements, stratified by region: (1) no remedial support/wait-list (K = 21); (2) Remedial Support Basic (K = 33); and (3) Remedial Support Mindfulness (K=33). In Spring 2017, half of sites will continue providing Remedial Support Basic while half of sites will provide Remedial Support Brain Games.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Aber, J. Lawrence. 2017. "Education in Emergencies, Evidence for Action (3EA): Testing remedial support and targeted interventions in Lebanon (2016-17)." AEA RCT Registry. April 07. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.2123-1.0
Former Citation
Aber, J. Lawrence. 2017. "Education in Emergencies, Evidence for Action (3EA): Testing remedial support and targeted interventions in Lebanon (2016-17)." AEA RCT Registry. April 07. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/2123/history/16049
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Remedial Support Basic: Lebanese teachers will be trained in the IRC’s Learning in a Healing Classrooms approach to providing high-quality safe, supportive, predictable and cooperative learning environments. Facilitators complete pre-service face-to-face training, participate in monthly Teacher Learning Circles (TLCs), and receive regular mentoring visits from trained IRC field staff. Children attend 8 hours of remedial class per week with foci on Arabic, Math, and a second language

Remedial Support Mindfulness/Brain Games: In fall of 2016, half of all teachers (see below, Research Design) will receive additional training to incorporate targeted mindfulness strategies into their LIHC daily classroom routines. In the Spring, the same teachers will receive additional training to incorporate a set of executive-functioning "Brain Games" into classroom routines. Both trainings include: (1) 1-2 days additional pre-service face-to-face training; (2) dedicated monthly Teacher Learning Circles; and (3) mentoring visits including mindfulness/brain games support on a monthly basis. Teachers will be encouraged to use targeted practices to facilitate classroom transitions (e.g., switching from Arabic to math instruction), with an expectation of spending 20-30 minutes per day on these activities.
Intervention Start Date
2016-11-01
Intervention End Date
2017-07-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Literacy skills, Math skills, and mental health outcomes
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Literacy skills are measured via the Early Grades Reading Assessment (EGRA). Math skills are measured via the Early Grades Math Assessment (EGMA). Mental Health outcomes are measured via the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
3-arm site (informal tent settlement or building) randomization. Randomization is stratified by region,
Treatment conditions are:
(1) no remedial support/waitlist (K = 20);
(2) Remedial Support Basic (K = 33);
(3) Remedial Support plus Low-Cost Targeted Intervention (K=33).
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization was completed in office via computer (STATA).
Randomization Unit
Randomization was conducted at the site level, defined as an informal tent settlement or a building serving 2-3 informal tent settlements. Randomization was stratified by the region. Each region had three groups: waitlist (no remedial support), treatment (remedial support + mindfulness intervention), and control (remedial support only) group sites are assigned in each region.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
87 Community sites, defined as an informal tent settlement or a building serving 2-3 informal tent settlements
Sample size: planned number of observations
5,300 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
(1) no remedial support/waitlist (K = 21);
(2) Remedial Support Basic (K = 33);
(3) Remedial Support plus Low-Cost Targeted Intervention (K=33).
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
MDES for no remedial support vs. remedial support basic or remedial support plus: (one cycle) .17-.21. MDES for remedial support basic vs. remedial support plus (one cycle): .13-.21. MDES for remedial support basic vs. remedial support plus (two cycles): .15-.25. MDES is calculated accounting for students nested within schools (2 levels only). Student N per sites=60, % variance explained by school level variables .3-.7, school level ICC .05-.10, power .8
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
International Rescue Committee Institutional Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2016-10-19
IRB Approval Number
EDU 1.00.001
IRB Name
New York University University Committee on Activities Involving Human Subjects (UCAIHS)
IRB Approval Date
2016-10-21
IRB Approval Number
IRB-FY2016-1174

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials