A Randomized Controlled Trial of Trauma-awareness Training for Early Childhood Educators
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Trauma-awareness Training for Early Childhood Educators
Background. To increase school readiness, Pre-K programs for low-income children must be
 responsive to the role of trauma in the lives of children, families, and staff. In 2017-2018,
 the School District of Philadelphia's (SDP) Office of Early Childhood Education will help
 Pre-K teachers support children's social-emotional and behavioral health, which is essential
 for early learning, by offering teachers a professional development course called Enhancing
 Trauma Awareness (ETA).

 Purpose. To determine whether teachers who take ETA will have: 1) better work functioning; 2)
 more trusting work relationships; and 3) better health.

 Population. Pre-K classroom teachers (n=128) working in centers under SDP auspice that serve
 exclusively low-income (≤300 % of poverty) children.

 Intervention. A 12-week professional development course-Enhancing Trauma Awareness-will
 delivered by Lakeside Global Institute in 6 group sessions, with 16 teachers per group and
 each session lasting 2.5 hours.

 Design. Consenting teachers will be randomly assigned by classroom (lead teacher and/or
 assistant teacher) to receive the ETA course in either fall 2017 (intervention groups) or
 spring 2018 (wait-list control groups).

 Data collection and analysis. An external evaluation team (Temple University) will administer
 a confidential, online survey to all 128 teachers in fall 2017 (before fall course), winter
 2017 (after fall course), and spring 2018 (after spring course). Teacher-children
 relationship quality will be the a priori primary outcome, and secondary outcomes will be
 assessed across the domains of work functioning, trust, and health.
Inclusion Criteria:Preschool classroom teacher who works in a center that is under the
 auspice of the School District of Philadelphia and serves exclusively low-income (≤300 % of
 poverty) children.