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Field
Trial Title
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Before
Education in Emergencies, Evidence for Action (3EA): Testing remedial support and targeted interventions in Lebanon (2016-17)
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After
Education in Emergencies, Evidence for Action (3EA): Testing remedial tutoring support and targeted interventions in Lebanon (2016-18)
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Trial Status
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Before
on_going
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After
completed
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Abstract
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Before
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.
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After
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 Healing Classrooms Tutoring and low-cost targeted social-emotional interventions for the school-aged Syrian refugee population in the Bekaa and Akkar regions of Lebanon.
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 tutoring support/wait-list (K = 21); (2) Healing Classrooms Tutoring Basic (K = 33); and (3) Healing Classrooms Tutoring Mindfulness (K=33). In Spring 2017, half of sites will continue providing Healing Classrooms Tutoring Basic while half of sites will provide Healing Classrooms Tutoring Brain Games.
In 2017-18, IRC will deliver programming to 57 program sites, stratified by region and prior year's treatment status. They will be randomized to two treatment arms: Healing Classrooms Tutoring basic (K =28) or Healing Classrooms Tutoring 5-component SEL curriculum (K =29)
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Trial End Date
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Before
July 31, 2017
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After
July 31, 2019
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Last Published
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Before
April 07, 2017 07:13 PM
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After
June 18, 2021 03:43 PM
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Study Withdrawn
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Before
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After
No
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Intervention Completion Date
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Before
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After
May 31, 2018
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Field
Data Collection Complete
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Before
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After
Yes
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Field
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)
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Before
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After
Year 1: 87 sites
Year 2: 57 sites
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Field
Was attrition correlated with treatment status?
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Before
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After
No
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Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations
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Before
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After
Year 1 students = 4,598 (ITT)
Year 2 students = 4,289 (ITT)
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Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms
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Before
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After
Year 1: Healing Classrooms Tutoring = 33; Healing Classrooms Tutoring Plus SEL = 33; Wait-list control = 21
Year 2: Healing Classrooms Tutoring = 28, Healing Classrooms Tutoring Plus 5-Component SEL = 29
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Is there a restricted access data set available on request?
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Before
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After
No
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Program Files
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Before
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After
No
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Data Collection Completion Date
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Before
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After
May 31, 2018
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Is data available for public use?
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Before
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After
No
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Intervention (Public)
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Before
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.
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After
Healing Classrooms Tutoring: 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
Healing Classrooms Tutoring 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 HCT 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.
In fall of 2017, teachers in 30 of 60 sites will receive training in 5-component SEL, focusing on the competencies of brain building, mindfulness, emotion regulation, conflict resolution, pro-social skills, and perseverance. Teachers continued to receive the same implementation support as tin the prior year, including 5 day HCT training, 3 day SEL training, TLC, monthly mentoring visits. Children received same 8 hours of HCT, and the HCT+SEL group implemented additional 30 minutes of 5-component SEL programming per day
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Intervention End Date
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Before
July 31, 2017
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After
July 31, 2018
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Field
Primary Outcomes (End Points)
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Before
Literacy skills, Math skills, and mental health outcomes
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After
For access to programming versus no access to programming (Year 1, Cycle 1), the Primary Impacts are: Literacy skills, Math skills, and Perceptions of supportive classroom environment
For contrast of Healing Classrooms Tutoring vs. Healing Classrooms Tutoring Plus, Primary outcomes are Executive Function skills, Emotional Regulation, Prosocial Skills, and Stress Reactivity
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Primary Outcomes (Explanation)
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Before
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
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After
Literacy skills are measured via the Early Grades Reading Assessment (EGRA). Math skills are measured via the Early Grades Math Assessment (EGMA). Perceptions of supportive classroom environment will be used via Child-Friendly Schools Questionnaire.
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Experimental Design (Public)
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Before
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).
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After
Year One, Cycle one includes a 3-arm site (informal tent settlement or building) randomization. Randomization is stratified by region,
Treatment conditions are:
(1) no Healing Classrooms Tutoring /waitlist (K = 20);
(2) Healing Classrooms Tutoring Basic (K = 33);
(3) Healing Classrooms Tutoring plus Low-Cost Targeted Intervention (K=33).
Year Two: a two-armed site-randomized trial to determine the effect of comprehensive SEL programming on children’s academic and social emotional outcomes over and above LIHC retention support alone. Sites (K= 60) will be stratified based on their condition in year one to ensure balance of prior intervention(s) between treatment and control conditions. Minimally-detectable effect sizes average 0.2, with a range of .12-.37 .
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Randomization Method
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Before
Randomization was completed in office via computer (STATA).
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After
Randomization was completed in office via computer.
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Randomization Unit
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Before
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.
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After
Randomization for all cycles/years was conducted at the site level. Randomization was stratified by the region. Each region had two or three groups: waitlist (no remedial support; year 1, cycle 1 only), treatment (Healing Classrooms Tutoring + SEL intervention), and control (Healing Classrooms Tutoring only) group sites are assigned in each region.
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Was the treatment clustered?
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Before
Yes
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After
No
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Planned Number of Clusters
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Before
87 Community sites, defined as an informal tent settlement or a building serving 2-3 informal tent settlements
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After
Year 1: 87 Community sites, defined as an informal tent settlement or a rented building space pulling from nearby residential area
Year 2: 60 Community sites, defined as an informal tent settlement or a rented building space pulling from nearby residential area
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Planned Number of Observations
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Before
5,300 students
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After
5220 students in Year 1
3000 students in Year 2
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Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
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Before
(1) no remedial support/waitlist (K = 21);
(2) Remedial Support Basic (K = 33);
(3) Remedial Support plus Low-Cost Targeted Intervention (K=33).
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After
Year 1, Cycle 1: (1) no remedial tutoring support/waitlist (K = 21); (2) Healing Classrooms Tutoring Basic (K = 33); (3) Healing Classrooms Tutoring plus Low-Cost Targeted Intervention (K=33).
Year 2: (1) Healing Classrooms Tutoring Basic (K = 30); (2) Healing Classrooms Tutoring plus 5-component SEL Intervention (K=30)
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Power calculation: Minimum Detectable Effect Size for Main Outcomes
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Before
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
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After
MDES for no Healing Classrooms Tutoring vs. Healing Classrooms Tutoring Basic or Healing Classrooms Tutoring plus: (one cycle) .17-.21.
MDES for Healing Classrooms Tutoring basic vs. Healing Classrooms Tutoring Plus (one cycle): .13-.21.
MDES for Healing Classrooms Tutoring basic vs. Healing Classrooms Tutoring 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
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Keyword(s)
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Before
Education
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After
Education
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