Online Training and Support for Effective Implementation of RTR

描述(由申请人提供)：艾滋病毒感染仍然是美国以证据为基础的课程中年轻人(14-18岁)的一个严重的公共卫生问题。在过去的25年里，减少年轻人无保护的性行为冒险行为的供应和需求都有所增加。在这些课程中，最受欢迎和国家认可的课程之一是降低风险(RTR)。RTR是一个以课堂为基础的16节课的课程，在多个对照试验中已经证明，它可以推迟性行为的开始，并降低与高中年龄青年发生无保护措施的性行为的比率。改变这些行为是减少意外怀孕以及艾滋病毒和性传播疾病传播的关键。教育工作者需要以技能为基础的培训，因为研究表明，如果教育工作者准备好并拥有知识、技能、动机和支持，课程更有可能被忠实地教授，并复制积极的学生结果(Ringwalt等人，2003年)。尽管以技能为基础的培训对实施质量和忠诚度有已知的积极影响，但教育工作者往往没有或不能获得他们需要的培训。面对面的培训非常有限，因为它们安排起来很耗时，进行起来很昂贵，而且往往很难参加。它们也不提供持续的执行支持。建议的第二期校本研究将发展和严格评估网上培训及支援系统RTRWorks！的成效，让校本教育工作者作好准备，准确地推行网上培训及支援。为了测试RTRWorks！的有效性，我们将进行一项测试前/测试后的随机对照试验，在教育工作者层面随机分为两组：1)在线培训干预组；2)社区标准(自我准备)控制组。我们将从美国各地招募230名教育工作者参加，每个部门有115名教师。RTRWorks！将提供一种新的在线培训模式。如果这种模式被证明是有效的，它可以应用于其他循证干预课程，并对其进行调整，涵盖所有内容领域，包括青春期性行为、肥胖预防和药物滥用预防。公共卫生相关性：艾滋病毒感染在美国年轻人(14-18岁)中仍然是一个严重的公共卫生问题。在过去的25年里，在制定旨在预防艾滋病毒和青少年意外怀孕的循证计划方面取得了重大进展。鉴于最近其他有希望的预防举措(如疫苗试验和杀微生物剂)的失败，有效传播和实施这些循证方案的重要性变得更加重要。然而，尽管基于技能的培训对实施质量和忠诚度有已知的积极影响，但由于时间、资金或其他障碍，教育工作者往往没有或不能获得这些计划所需的培训。建议的在线培训计划和支持系统，RTRWorks！将使校本教育工作者做好准备，以忠实地实施RTR，这是一项国家认可的循证计划。如果这一模式被证明是有效的，在这笔赠款下开发的在线技能培训将提供无障碍、低成本、“始终在线”的培训和实施支助服务。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): HIV infection is still a serious public health problem with young people (14-18 year olds) in the U.S. Evidence- based curricula to reduce unprotected sexual risk-taking behaviors among youth have grown in availability and demand over the past 25 years. One of the most popular and nationally recognized of these curricula is Reducing the Risk (RTR). RTR is a 16-lesson, classroom-based curriculum that has been shown, in multiple controlled trials, to delay the onset of intercourse and reduce the rate of unprotected sex with high school age youth. Changing these behaviors is key to reducing the incidence of unintended teen pregnancy and transmission of HIV and STDs. Educators need skills-based training because research shows that curricula are more likely to be taught with fidelity and replicate positive student outcomes if educators are prepared and have the knowledge, skill, motivation and support to implement the curricula with fidelity (Ringwalt et al., 2003). Despite the known positive effects of skills-based training on implementation quality and fidelity, educators frequently do not or cannot acquire the training they need. Face-to-face trainings are extremely limited because they are time consuming to arrange, expensive to conduct, and often difficult to attend. Nor do they provide ongoing implementation support. The proposed Phase II SBIR will develop and rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of the online training and support system, RTRWorks!, to prepare school-based educators to implement RTR with fidelity. To test the effectiveness of RTRWorks!, we will conduct a pre-test/post-test randomized controlled trial, randomizing at the educator level to one of two arms: 1) the online training intervention arm; and 2) the community standard (self preparation) control arm. We will recruit 230 educators from across the U.S. to participate, with 115 teachers in each arm. RTRWorks! will provide a new online training model. If this model proves to be effective, it can be applied and adapted to other evidence-based intervention curricula across the full spectrum of content areas including adolescent sexual behavior, obesity prevention, and substance abuse prevention. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: HIV infection is still a serious public health problem with young people (14-18 year olds) in the U.S. During the past 25 years, significant progress has been made in developing evidence-based programs designed to prevent HIV and unintended pregnancy in adolescents. Given the recent failure of other promising prevention initiatives (e.g. vaccine trials and microbicides) the importance of effective dissemination and implementation of these evidence-based programs becomes even more critical. However, despite the known positive effects of skills-based training on implementation quality and fidelity, educators frequently do not or cannot acquire the training they need on these programs due to time, monetary or other barriers. The proposed online training program and support system, RTRWorks! will prepare school-based educators to implement RTR, a nationally recognized evidence-based program, with fidelity. If this model proves to be effective, the online skills-based training developed under this grant will provide an accessible, low-cost, "always-on" training and implementation support service.