Trauma-Informed Elementary Schools: Evaluation of School-Based Early Intervention for Young Children

Abstract

Trauma-Informed Elementary Schools (TIES) is a program designed to bring trauma-informed services to early elementary classrooms. Built on a foundation of adverse childhood experiences research and the Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency framework, TIES provides early intervention to children who exhibit symptoms of chronic stress or trauma in the classroom. Designed as an innovative school-based approach, TIES provides classrooms with a resource liaison to support teachers in recognizing and responding to trauma indicators. This article describes a study that examined the effectiveness of the TIES intervention across multiple domains, measuring the quality of classroom interaction by comparing TIES classrooms with comparison classrooms in 11 schools in a rural Appalachian state. CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System) was used to measure classroom outcomes at the beginning (baseline) and end (follow-up) of the school year. Results indicate that TIES classrooms demonstrated significant improvement from baseline to follow-up in multiple domains, whereas comparison classrooms showed decline. The article concludes with a discussion of the study’s implications.