Teachin It REAL: Online Training for Curriculum Fidelity

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): When teachers have the comfort, confidence and skills to implement Keepin' It R.E.A.L (KIR), an evidence-based, 10-session drug resistance curriculum, they are more likely to implement with fidelity, therefore increasing the chances of positive student outcomes. However, the reality is that time, travel and cost barriers prevent most teachers from receiving face-to-face skills-based curriculum training and the practice that instructional mastery requires. Training delivered via the World Wide Web or CD-ROM, eliminates the time, travel cost and practice barriers to effective curriculum training. Many current online educator trainings are limited in their effectiveness to teaching knowledge, but not instructional skills, while skills are necessary for effective curriculum implementation. Through innovative development of online training for instructional skill acquisition is the opportunity for high quality modeling, skill discrimination, and practice. Further, training sections can be repeated, even during curriculum implementation. This project will develop Teachin' it REAL (TIR), a skill-based online training to prepare middle school teachers to implement KIR with comfort, confidence, skill and fidelity. A randomized controlled trial will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the online training to prepare teachers to lead KIR with fidelity. Teachers (225) from throughout California will be randomly assigned to one of three experimental training conditions: 1) online training, 2) one-day training, and 3) no training. Teacher comfort, confidence, skill and fidelity while implementing KIR will be measured. Phase I found that teachers and administrators had interest in online training, (specifically CD-ROM) and schools had the technology needed. A prototype was developed to prepare teachers to lead a key activity using one of the essential educator skills to effectively lead the curriculum. A national sample of teachers found the prototype useful and effective. Phase I demonstrated that online teacher training for KIR was technologically, instructionally, and commercially feasible. We expect the teachers in the online training condition to implement KIR with greater fidelity than the one-day and no training teachers. We also expect that teachers will enjoy participating in the training and perceive it as effective. In Phase III, TIR will be marketed to schools and after-school programs using direct catalog mailers, websites and listserves, exhibits at conferences, evidence-based program lists, and white papers.