The Impact of a School-Based, Trauma-Informed CBT Intervention for Young Women

The University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab are partnering with the City of
Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, and Youth Guidance to implement a randomized controlled
trial to test the efficacy of Youth Guidance's Working on Womanhood program in academic years
2017-18 and 2018-19. Incoming 9th, 10th, and 11th grade female students in 10 Chicago Public
Schools high schools will be screened for eligibility and randomized to either a treatment
group that will be offered to receive WOW services over two academic years, or to a control
group that will not be offered to receive WOW services over two academic years. Control group
students will still be eligible to receive other status quo school and community supports.
Outcomes of interest will be measured using administrative data and a comprehensive student
survey.

WOW is a trauma-informed, in-school group counseling and clinical mentoring program developed
by non-profit Youth Guidance. Informed by CBT, WOW helps girls challenge unhelpful thoughts
and build self-esteem and self-efficacy to make positive and healthy decisions. WOW aims to
reduce depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, and improve academic and behavioral outcomes.
WOW delivers a 26-lesson curriculum via weekly small-group counseling sessions during the
school day. The curriculum is designed around five core values: self-awareness, emotional
intelligence, healthy relationships, visionary goal setting, and leadership, and delivered by
masters-level social workers and counselors. WOW counselors may also provide individual
counseling and referrals to other services. The WOW program fills a critical gap in the
existing set of programs available to these students, by providing services that cater to the
unique needs of young women in our most under-resourced high schools.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Chicago Public Schools high schools, chosen in collaboration with Youth Guidance
leadership, that serve majority low-income, minority students in community areas
impacted by violence

- School's 9th, 10th, and 11th grade female student population is large enough to
support at least 50 treatment students and 50 control students, after accounting for a
60 to 70 percent take-up rate and exclusion criteria

- Schools do not currently have WOW services (as of AY2016-17)

- School administrators are enthusiastic about the program and agree to the terms and
conditions of the experimental design

- All female students in these selected schools entering 9th, 10th, or 11th grade in
Fall 2017

Exclusion Criteria:

- Students with an overall attendance rate below 75% during AY2016-17

- Students who display proactive aggression towards others

- Students with severe cognitive / developmental disabilities, these include: autistic,
emotional and behavior disorder, educable mental handicap, intellectual disability -
profound, severe/profound handicap, and trainable mental handicap