Justification for Change

A Controlled Evaluation of Expect Respect Support Groups (ERSG): Preventing and Interrupting Teen Dating Violence among At-Risk Middle and High School Students

(OMB no. 0920-0861 exp. date 08/31/2013)

Proposed Changes: Justification and Overview

March 24, 2010

Project Description

The prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence (TDV) make it a public health concern that requires early and effective prevention. In order to protect young people and build an evidence-base of effective prevention strategies, evaluation of TDV prevention programs is needed, including those programs currently in the field. Expect Respect Support Groups (ERSG) were identified by CDC through the empowerment evaluation process as a program in the field (Austin Independent School District) that is in need of rigorous evaluation. The ERSG program has demonstrated favorable, albeit preliminary, results in a pre-post program evaluation, which strongly suggests s that a controlled evaluation is needed to more rigorously examine program effects. The proposed study has two primary goals and two exploratory aims. The primary goals are: 1) To evaluate the effectiveness of ERSG in preventing and reducing TDV, and 2) Comparing whether there are increased healthy conflict resolution skills reported by at-risk male and female middle and high school students supported by ERSG, compared to at-risk students in control schools who do not receive ERSG. The exploratory aims are: 1) To evaluate whether the effectiveness of ERSG is enhanced by the presence of a universal, school-wide prevention program, and 2) To examine whether participants with different characteristics respond differently to the intervention. For example, we will examine whether outcome for boys or girls are the same.

The requested changes to this study are non-substantive and will not change the scope of work of this study. We are requesting to remove four items from the baseline and completion/follow-up questionnaires (Attachments D and E, respectively) because it was determined that these items were not necessary to address study questions. Removal of these items will not result in a change in burden hours for the students completing the surveys.

Additionally, in order to measure how closely the ERSG curriculum is being followed and how the program is being implemented in general, we are requesting the addition of a self-report fidelity measure which the eight ERSG facilitators would complete at two separate time points during the study period. Additionally, we are requesting that a second observational fidelity measure be completed by the lead ERSG facilitator, who will observe two separate sessions for the eight facilitators during the study period. The facilitators’ supervisor would complete a fidelity instrument to record the extent to which the curriculum is followed and to record how the program is being implemented in general. These fidelity measures will be used as a tool to inform program improvement. The two distinct measures of program fidelity are attached as Attachments J and K, respectively.

Proposed Changes

• To improve the readability and flow of the survey instruments, and to acclimate students to some of the sensitive questions posed in the survey, the order in which items appear on the baseline and completion surveys has changed. However, none of the wording has changed and we are not requesting the addition of any new questions.

• We are requesting the removal of four items from the baseline (item #s 23-26) and completion/follow-up surveys (item #s 20-23). The four items are listed below:

Think about your longest dating relationship in the past 3 months. This can be a past or current relationship.
How often did you and this dating partner spend time together in the past 3 months?	1 About once a month	2 About once a week	3 Several times a week	4 Daily
How much time did you and this partner spend together all alone in the past 3 months?	1 Never, we were usually with other friends	2 Some- times all alone	3 Mostly all alone	4 Always all alone
Who do you feel had more power in this dating relationship in the past 3 months?	1 I had more power	2 My dating partner had more power	3 We had equal power
How physically affectionate were you and your partner in the past 3 months?	1 Not much, we mostly held hands	2 A little, we hugged or kissed sometimes	3 A lot, but there were things we didn’t do physically	4 There was not much my partner and I didn’t do to show each other physical affection

• To measure how closely the ERSG curriculum is being followed and how the program is being implemented in general, we are requesting the addition of a self-report fidelity measure which the eight ERSG facilitators would complete at two separate time points during the study period.

• We are requesting that an observational fidelity measure be completed by the ERSG facilitators’ supervisor, who will observe two separate sessions for the eight facilitators during the study period. The facilitators’ supervisor would complete a fidelity instrument to note the extent to which the curriculum is followed and to record how the program is being implemented in general. These fidelity measures will be used as a tool to inform program improvement. The two distinct measures of program fidelity are attached as Attachments D and E , respectively.

Change to Burden and/or Cost

• This non-substantive change request for removal of four items from the baseline and completion/follow-up surveys does not include a change to the currently approved burden and/or costs to the students completing the surveys.

• The non-substantive change request for addition of a fidelity measure to be completed by the eight ERSG facilitators will increase the burden to facilitators by 4 hours, but does not change the scope of the project. The goals of the project remain the same, and the additional fidelity measure will be used for program improvement purposes. A completed burden hour table is shown below. The total respondent cost is $29.00.

• The non-substantive change request for addition of a fidelity measure to be completed by the ERSG facilitators’ supervisor will increase the burden to the facilitators’ supervisor by 4 hours, but does not change the scope of the project. The goals of the project remain the same, and the additional fidelity measure will be used for program improvement purposes. A completed burden hour table is shown below. The total respondent cost is $29.00.

Type of Respondent	Form Name	No. of Respondents	No. of Responses per Respondent	Response Burden (hours)	Total Burden Hours	Hourly Wage Cost	Respondent Cost
ERSG Facilitator	ERSG Facilitator Program Implementation Fidelity Measure	8	2	15/60	4	$7.25	$29.00
ERSG Facilitator Supervisor	ERSG Observational Program Implementation Fidelity Measure	1	16 (2 per facilitator x 8 facilitators)	15/60	4	$7.25	$29.00
Total					8		$58

Appendices

Attachment D: Baseline Survey (clean and track changed versions)

Attachment E: Completion and 12- and 18-month Follow Up Survey (clean and track changed versions)

Attachment J: ERSG Facilitator Program Implementation Fidelity Measure

Attachment K: ERSG Observational Program Implementation Fidelity Measure

Created: 18 November 2009