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Category: Project

Description: The purpose of this study is to conduct a process evaluation of the Human Trafficking Youth Prevention Education (HTYPE) Demonstration Grant Program. The HTYPE Demonstration Grant Program funds local educational agencies (LEAs) to partner with a nonprofit or NGO to build the capacity of selected schools to provide skills-based human trafficking prevention education for educators, other staff, and students, and establish a Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol (HTSSP) that addresses the safety, security, and well-being of staff and students. Eight HTYPE Demonstration Program grants were awarded in September 2020 (with a period of performance of 36 months). The HTYPE Demonstration Grant Program projects vary in implementation strategy and training curricula but are consistent in concept and overarching goals. The multi-site process evaluation of the HTYPE Demonstration Grant Program is being conducted by RTI International through a contract from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with ACF’s Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP). This study is being conducted as part of the Human Trafficking Policy and Research Analyses project. OPRE’s webpage about the project is located here: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/project/human-trafficking-policy-and-research-analyses-project-2019-2024 RTI will be conducting a process evaluation of the HTYPE Demonstration Grant Program. Overall, this process evaluation will describe each grantee’s services, activities, policies, and procedures. Specifically, the process evaluation of the HTYPE Demonstration Grant Program will: • Investigate and document how projects approach and accomplish the goals of the HTYPE Demonstration Grant Program; • Inform ACF’s efforts to support human trafficking prevention education in schools; and • Inform future evaluation. More specifically, the process evaluation will address several research questions: 1. What are the existing conditions and resources in the pre-project environment? 2. What are the existing mandates (e.g., state legislation requiring school staff to receive human trafficking prevention education) in the pre-project environment? 3. To what extent were LEAs able to identify, coordinate, and collaborate with partner organizations in the development and implementation of required project activities? 4. What implementation models were used by HTYPE Demonstration Program projects to deliver human trafficking prevention education to educators and other staff? 5. What was the nature or quality of implementation of human trafficking prevention education for educators and other staff by HTYPE Demonstration Program projects? 6. What implementation models were used by HTYPE Demonstration Program projects to deliver human trafficking prevention education to students? 7. What was the nature or quality of implementation of human trafficking prevention education for students by HTYPE Demonstration Program projects? 8. What models were used to train LEA staff to implement and replicate project activities? 9. What models were used by HTYPE Demonstration Program projects to develop and implement the HTSSP? 10. How are HTYPE Demonstration Program projects planning for sustainable implementation? 11. What, if any, activities not required by the grant supported implementation? Or were perceived to have likely supported implementation? (e.g., activity related to caregiver education) 12. How has LEA internal capacity to address human trafficking changed over the project period? 13. What key lessons were learned that would be useful for other LEAs interested in implementing similar programs? 14. What are the main takeaways for funders and policymakers interested in supporting school-based anti-human trafficking prevention programs? 15. What are the main takeaways for funders interested in conducting an outcome evaluation of school-based anti-human trafficking prevention initiatives? Year 1 of data collection consists of semi-structured interviews with 8 project directors and up to 9 each of non-profit partners and law enforcement partners. Interviews will include questions about partnerships, implementation approaches and timeline, staffing, and key implementation facilitators and barriers. Year 1 of data collection will inform the design of data collection instruments for Years 2 and 3. Therefore, this study registration represents Year 1 activities and will be updated early in 2022 to reflect Year 2 and Year 3 data collection. Analysis of the process evaluation data has the potential to inform federal, state, and community policymakers, funders, and practitioners to make decisions about future school-based prevention approaches to address human trafficking, as well as inform the refinement of future implementation and evaluation strategies.