Implementing a school-wide trauma-informed education approach An evaluation of student-outcomes during the first year of implementation

Trauma-informed education is an internationally and widely adopted approach to support traumatized students in their needs in schools. In this two-year longitudinal pre-posttest design study, the outcomes of a school-wide trauma-informed approach during a baseline year and first year of implementation in two regular primary and six special primary and secondary schools were examined with six measurement waves. We examined students’ perception of school class climate, more specifically class atmosphere, quality of student relationships, quality of teacher-student alliance and order in the classroom. In addition, we examined posttraumatic stress symptoms, internalizing, externalizing, attention and total behavioral problems, executive functioning, and resilience. Results of the piecewise latent growth curve models showed more positive scores for atmosphere in the classroom and resilience at the end of the first implementation year compared to the end of the baseline year. In addition, there was an increase in youth-reported classroom atmosphere during the implementation year. After the first year of implementing the trauma-informed educational approach initial modest positive outcomes begin to emerge.