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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03382080

A School-based Intervention Project to Increase Completion of Upper Secondary School in Norway

Drop out from upper secondary school represents a risk for the future health and wellbeing of young people. Strengthening of psychosocial aspects of the learning environment may be an effective strategy to promote completion of upper secondary school. The COMPLETE study is a school based cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating two school-based interventions, namely the Dream School Program (DSP) and the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) among 1st grade upper secondary school students in four counties in Norway. The interventions aim to improve psychosocial learning environments and subsequently school achievements and decrease drop-out and absence.

Specifically, the COMPLETE study will

1. Evaluate whether the DSP alone

1. increases completion 2. increases presence 3. improves school achievements 4. improves mental health and wellbeing 2. Evaluate whether the DSP and the MHST combined

1. increase completion 2. increase presence 3. improve school achievements 4. improve mental health and wellbeing

The COMPLETE study will also evaluate the effect of the DSP and MHST combined and the DSP alone against secondary outcomes of school satisfaction and loneliness. 3. Evaluate through a process evaluation whether the interventions were implemented in line with guidelines for each of the interventions, and whether the degree of program fidelity has influenced the effect of the interventions on the primary and secondary outcomes.

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Key information

Conditions

Drop Out Absence Academic Achievement/Average Grade Behavior Mental Health Personal Satisfaction Psychological Well-Being

Age range

15 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • School inclusion criteria: not been or currently involved in either of the Dream School Program or the Mental Health Support Team or similar programs or research projects
  • Student inclusion criteria: student enrolled at any of the included schools.

Exclusion criteria

  • Schools previously or currently involved in either of the Dream School Program or the Mental Health Support Team or similar programs or research projects.
  • Student exclusion criteria: students with special needs or who are illiterate in Norwegian are excluded from the survey assessment, but included in the interventions.

Treatment and study plan

Dream School Program

Other

The Dream School program is a whole school program, involving staff and students, with the aim of creating learning environments where students are confident and experience a sense of belonging, and where mental health is promoted.

Other names: Drømmeskolen (Norwegian name)

Mental Health Support Team

Other

MHST is also a whole school project but aimed at specific students at risk of dropping out. It is a systematisation of the student services through

  • Co-location of services and staff working in services
  • "One open door" to increase accessibility to the services and staff for students
  • Focus on the transition from lower to upper secondary school
  • Close follow-up of students at risk to ensure tailored help to each student
  • Early intervention and follow up when students starts being absent from school This work demands cross- and multidisciplinary collaborations within the MHST, between MHST and school leadership, and between lower and upper secondary schools.

Other names: Nærværsteam (Norwegian name)

Primary outcomes

  1. Drop-out

    Time frame: Each participant is assessed after 10 months

    If the student has not complete upper secondary school within five years or if the student quit school and is without any regular activity during the course of the study period, i.e. grade 1-3 of upper secondary school

  2. Drop-out

    Time frame: Each participant is assessed after 22 months

    If the student has not complete upper secondary school within five years or if the student quit school and is without any regular activity during the course of the study period, i.e. grade 1-3 of upper secondary school

  3. Drop-out

    Time frame: Each participant is assessed after 34 months

    If the student has not complete upper secondary school within five years or if the student quit school and is without any regular activity during the course of the study period, i.e. grade 1-3 of upper secondary school

  4. Drop-out

    Time frame: Each participant is assessed after 58 months

    If the student has not complete upper secondary school within five years or if the student quit school and is without any regular activity during the course of the study period, i.e. grade 1-3 of upper secondary school

  5. Absence

    Time frame: Each participant is assessed after 10 months

    Total days and hours absent at closure of first school year in upper secondary school

  6. Absence

    Time frame: Each participant is assessed after 22 months

    Total days and hours absent at closure of second school year in upper secondary school

  7. Absence

    Time frame: Each participant is assessed after 34 months

    Total days and hours absent at closure of third school year in upper secondary school

  8. Academic achievement

    Time frame: Each participant is assessed after 10 months

    Average grade at closure of first school year in upper secondary school

  9. Academic achievement

    Time frame: Each participant is assessed after 22 months

    Average grade at closure of second school year in upper secondary school

  10. Academic achievement

    Time frame: Each participant is assessed after 34 months

    Average grade at closure of third school year in upper secondary school

  11. Change from baseline Mental Health at 6 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months

    Short form of Symptom Check List (SCL-5), on a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Not bothered to Very bothered, with higher values indicating a worse outcome.

  12. Change from baseline Mental Health at 18 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months

    Short form of Symptom Check List (SCL-5), on a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Not bothered to Very bothered, with higher values indicating a worse outcome.

  13. Change from baseline Mental Health at 30 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months

    Short form of Symptom Check List (SCL-5), on a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Not bothered to Very bothered, with higher values indicating a worse outcome.

  14. Change in Mental Wellbeing from baseline at 6 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months

    Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), on a 5 point Likert scale from None of the time to All of the time, with higher values indicating a better outcome

  15. Change from baseline Mental Wellbeing at 18 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months

    Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), on a 5 point Likert scale from None of the time to All of the time, with higher values indicating a better outcome

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change from baseline School satisfaction at 6 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6, 18 and 30 months

    Three items from the School Satisfaction Scale, a subscale of the Multidimensional Student's Life Satisfaction Scale. 5 point Likert scale from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  2. Change from baseline School satisfaction at 18 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months

    Three items from the School Satisfaction Scale, a subscale of the Multidimensional Student's Life Satisfaction Scale. 5 point Likert scale from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  3. Change from baseline School satisfaction at 30 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months

    Three items from the School Satisfaction Scale, a subscale of the Multidimensional Student's Life Satisfaction Scale. 5 point Likert scale from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  4. Change from baseline Loneliness at 6 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months

    Loneliness Scale, 5 point Likert scale from Not at all to To a very high degree with higher values indicating a worse outcome.

  5. Change from baseline Loneliness at 18 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months

    Loneliness Scale, 5 point Likert scale from Not at all to To a very high degree with higher values indicating a worse outcome.

  6. Change from baseline Loneliness at 30 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months

    Loneliness Scale, 5 point Likert scale from Not at all to To a very high degree with higher values indicating a worse outcome.

Other outcomes

  1. Change from baseline Social competence at 6 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months

    Wichstrøm Social Competence Scale, a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Describes me very poorly to Describes me very well, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  2. Change from baseline Social competence at 30 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months

    Wichstrøm Social Competence Scale, a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Describes me very poorly to Describes me very well, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  3. Change from baseline Social competence at 18 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months

    Wichstrøm Social Competence Scale, a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Describes me very poorly to Describes me very well, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  4. Change from baseline Relatedness at 6 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months

    Teacher and Classmate Support Scale, a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  5. Change from baseline Relatedness at 18 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months

    Teacher and Classmate Support Scale, a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  6. Change from baseline Relatedness: support at 30 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months

    Teacher and Classmate Support Scale, a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  7. Change from baseline Relatedness: peer connection at 6 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months

    Positive Youth Development Connection Scale, on a 5 point Likert scale, ranging from Almost never or never true to Always true, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  8. Change from baseline Peer connection at 18 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months

    Positive Youth Development Connection Scale, on a 5 point Likert scale, ranging from Almost never or never true to Always true, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  9. Change from baseline Peer connection at 30 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months

    Positive Youth Development Connection Scale, on a 5 point Likert scale, ranging from Almost never or never true to Always true, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  10. Change from baseline Autonomy support at 6 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months

    Ten items from the Learning Climate Scale, a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Strongly disagree to Strongly agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  11. Change from baseline Autonomy support at 18 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months

    Ten items from the Learning Climate Scale, a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Strongly disagree to Strongly agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  12. Change from baseline Autonomy support at 30 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months

    Ten items from the Learning Climate Scale, a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Strongly disagree to Strongly agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  13. Change from baseline Academic competence at 6 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months

    Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  14. Change from baseline Academic competence at 18 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months

    Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  15. Change from baseline Academic competence at 30 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months

    Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  16. Class climate

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline

    Caring Climate Scale, on a 5 point Likert scale, ranging from Strongly disagree to Strongly agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  17. Change from 6 month Class climate at 18 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at 6 and 18 months

    Caring Climate Scale, on a 5 point Likert scale, ranging from Strongly disagree to Strongly agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

  18. Change from 6 month Class climate at 30 months

    Time frame: Based on self-report in survey assessment at 6 and 30 months

    Caring Climate Scale, on a 5 point Likert scale, ranging from Strongly disagree to Strongly agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Bergen

Other

Collaborators

  • Bodin Upper Secondary School
  • Hordaland County
  • Nordland Research Institute
  • Nordland county
  • Oxford Research
  • Sogn og Fjordane county
  • Troms county
  • Voksne for Barn

Registry information

Official study title

COMPLETE - a School-based Intervention Project to Improve Psychosocial Learning Environments and Increase Completion of Upper Secondary School in Norway: a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Acronym: COMPLETE

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2020
First posted
Dec 22, 2017
Registry last updated
Mar 25, 2020

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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