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

September 27, 2011

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.

Proposed Changes

• To better measure how closely the ERSG curriculum is being followed and how the program is being implemented in general, we are requesting that some of the wording and instructions be slightly modified on the fidelity self-report survey, which the eight ERSG contracting facilitators will complete at two separate time points during the study period. The fidelity self-report measure to be completed by each ERSG facilitator is attached as Appendix J (clean and track change versions).

• To better measure how closely the ERSG curriculum is being followed and how the program is being implemented in general, we are requesting that some of the wording and instructions be slightly modified on the fidelity self-report survey, which the eight ERSG contracting facilitators will complete at two separate time points during the study period. These fidelity measures will be used as a tool to inform program improvement. The observation fidelity measure is attached as Appendix K (clean and track change versions).

• Because of difficulty following up with a transient student population, the 18-month follow-up survey is being removed from this study. This will result in a reduction in burden by 400 hours (see table below). The OMB protocol has been updated to reflect this change.

• Due to the transient nature of students who participate in this study, as well as expected attrition rates, we request to eliminate the 18-month follow-up survey. Eliminating the survey will decrease burden to the study participants by 400 hours and will reduce cost by a total of $2,900.

• The deletion of the 18-month follow-up survey is not expected to significantly impact the results of the study. A 12-month follow-up survey will still be administered to examine the long-term effectiveness of the Expect Respect Support Group program in reducing rates of dating violence victimization and perpetration and increasing healthy, non-violent relationship behaviors for at-risk youth.

• Because of the transient nature of the high-risk sample involved in the study, it is likely that an 18-month follow-up would have very high attrition rates. Those participants who continue to be involved in the study would likely be a very biased sample. Therefore, the data collected at 18-month follow-up would have very limited power and low generalizability. Removing the 18-month follow-up will not negatively impact the interpretation of results, the use of the data, or the generalizability, as it is likely that those data would yield issues with validity and reliability

Change to Burden and/or Cost

• The non-substantive change request for modification of the fidelity measures to be completed by the eight ERSG facilitators and their supervisor does not change the scope or the burden of the project. The goals of the project remain the same.

• The removal of the 18-month follow up survey reduces burden to students by 400 hours. The removal also affects the estimated annualized burden cost by reducing it by $2,900. See revised burden and cost tables with the 18-month follow up period removed below.

Estimate of Annual Burden Hours

Type of Respondent	Form Name	No. of Respondents	No. of Responses per Respondent	Response Burden (hours)	Total Burden Hours
Control Schools (School districts surrounding Austin Independent School District)	Intake assessment	400	1	15/60	100
	Baseline Survey	300	1	1	300
	Completion Survey	200	1	1	200
	Follow-up Survey 1 (12 month)	200	1	1	200
Intervention Schools (Austin Independent School District)	Intake assessment	400	1	15/60	100
	Baseline Survey	300	1	1	300
	Completion Survey	200	1	1	200
	Follow-up Survey 1 (12 month)	200	1	1	200
Total					1600

Estimated Annualized Burden Cost

Type of Respondent	Form Name	No. of Respondents	No. of Responses per Respondent	Response Burden (hours)	Hourly Wage Cost	Respondent Cost
Control Schools (School districts surrounding Austin Independent School District)	Intake assessment	400	1	15/60	$7.25	$725
	Baseline Survey	300	1	1	$7.25	$2,175
	Completion Survey	200	1	1	$7.25	$1,450
	Follow-up Survey 1 (12 month)	200	1	1	$7.25	$1,450
Intervention Schools (Austin Independent School District)	Intake assessment	400	1	15/60	$7.25	$725
	Baseline Survey	300	1	1	$7.25	$2,175
	Completion Survey	200	1	1	$7.25	$1,450
	Follow-up Survey 1 (12 month)	200	1	1	$7.25	$1,450
Total						$11,600

Appendices

Appendix J: ERSG Facilitator Program Implementation Fidelity Measure

Appendix K: ERSG Observational Program Implementation Fidelity Measure

Created: 18 November 2009