The Positive Family Support Project - Partnering With Families for a Successful Transition to School

Testing the Efficacy of an Ecological Approach to Family Intervention and Treatment During Early Elementary School to Prevent Problem Behavior and Improve Academic Outcomes

The Positive Family Support Project seeks to understand some of the factors that increase success for children in early elementary school, such as positive family support at home. This study will inform us on ways to help children learn and succeed in school.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Achievement
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Family Check-Up

Detailed Description

The transition to elementary school is a critical time for the development of key skills that are necessary for school success, including sustained attention, self-regulation, initiating and sustaining successful peer relationships, and academic competence. Parent support at home, such as positive parenting and support for learning, is associated with school readiness indicators that predict successful adaptation to the school context. For many children at risk for poor developmental outcomes this transition can be difficult and may lead to early academic problems, which in turn may define a trajectory that culminates in more severe forms of problem behavior and learning difficulties. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of implementing the Family Check-Up (FCU), a school-based, ecological approach to family intervention, during the transition into elementary school.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 848
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Oregon
    • Eugene, Oregon, United States, 97403
      • University of Oregon Child and Family Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria: 700 Kindergarten children and their families entering Kindergarten in the Clackamas School District in 2014 and 2015 -

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Family Check-Up Intervention; Prior to the feedback session, trained clinicians will observe family interactions by reviewing the video-taped observations and questionnaires filled out by parents. Therapists then use this data to inform the intervention process and provide feedback to parents based on norms for this age period. Feedback sessions will include a discussion of goal attainment and plans to achieve goals, with specific attention to the parent's role in supporting positive behavior. Options for obtaining goals are based on the literature about empirically supported interventions for this age group and include (a) periodic follow-up and support, (b) brief support for change on a specific topic, and (c) community referral (e.g., substance abuse referral; domestic violence referral; referral for individual therapy for depression; referral for family therapy and support for families in conflict).	Behavioral: Family Check-Up; Parents fill out questionnaires about their child and families and then participate in a videotaped interaction with their child. Clinicians then observe the video and analyze the questionnaires to establish family needs based on supports, stress, parenting, values, and strengths. Therapists then use this information to inform the intervention process and provide feedback to families with the use of motivational interviewing. parents identify goals for parenting and/or child behavior and to connect them with resources when needed. Feedback includes a discussion of goal attainment and plans to achieve goals. Goal achievement includes options such as (a) periodic follow-up and support, (b) brief support for change on a specific topic, and (c) community referral (e.g., substance abuse referral; domestic violence referral; referral for individual therapy for depression; referral for family therapy and support for families in conflict).; Other Names: Positive Family Support
No Intervention: Control; Control families will receive services as usual that are being provided to the families within their school

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in parenting skills measured by standardized questionnaires	Change in parenting skills for parents participating in the intervention arm measured by standardized questionnaires	Up to 3 years
Change in child self-regulation and behavioral control measured by standardized questionnaires	Change in child self-regulation in the classroom for children participating in the intervention arm in comparison to children participating in the control arm measured by standardized questionnaires	Up to 3 years
Increase chances for child school success as measured by early literacy standardized testing scores	Increase chances for success in school for children participating in the intervention arm in comparison to children participating in the control arm as measured by early literacy standardized testing scores	Up to 3 years
Increase positive child social relationships as measured by standardized questionnaires	Increase positive social relationships in child participating in the intervention arm in comparison with children in the control arm as measured by standardized questionnaires	Up to 3 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Decrease in family stress/hardship as measured by standardized questionnaires	Decrease in family stress and or hardship for families participating in the intervention arm as measured by standardized questionnaires	Up to 3 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Oregon

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Stormshak EA, DeGarmo D, Garbacz SA, McIntyre LL, Caruthers A. Using Motivational Interviewing to Improve Parenting Skills and Prevent Problem Behavior During the Transition to Kindergarten. Prev Sci. 2021 Aug;22(6):747-757. doi: 10.1007/s11121-020-01102-w.
• Stormshak EA, McIntyre LL, Garbacz SA, Kosty DB. Family-centered prevention to enhance parenting skills during the transition to elementary school: A randomized trial. J Fam Psychol. 2020 Feb;34(1):122-127. doi: 10.1037/fam0000570. Epub 2019 Jul 18.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): June 30, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 14, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 12, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): November 13, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 21, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 16, 2022
• Last Verified: June 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 05142014.022