Systematic Efficacy Replication Study of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation in Elementary Schools

American Institutes for Research

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Emotional Disturbances

Treatments: Behavioral: Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05466214

Systematic Efficacy CBC 2021

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this project is to conduct an impact evaluation of the Conjoint Behavioral Consulting (CBC) intervention under real-world conditions as an IES Efficacy Replication trial. CBC is a family-school partnership intervention proven efficacious for children with serious emotional and behavior problems. The investigation will conduct a systematic efficacy replication of CBC to identify important process and context variables in need of attention prior to a CBC effectiveness study. School-based specialists (SBSs) will implement CBC and will be responsible for working directly with parents and teachers who have a student with or at risk for severe emotional disturbance, with more implementation support (i.e., non-routine conditions) than would be expected under routine conditions to ensure adequate fidelity of implementation. The research questions examine the impact of CBC, when implemented by SBSs, on student, parent, and teacher outcomes, as well its effect on mediational pathways. In addition, the research team will gather stakeholder feedback in focus groups to provide information about factors that stakeholders perceive as impeding or promoting CBC adoption, implementation, and sustainability.

Full description

Sixty schools will be recruited for this impact evaluation (20 from Madison Metropolitan School District, and 40 from Milwaukee Public Schools). The population for this evaluation will consist of the 12 children from grades k-4 in each participating school who demonstrate the highest levels of behavioral and/or emotional difficulties in school, based on teacher ratings on the BASC3-BESS screening (and whose families consent to participate in the evaluation). The total population for this evaluation will include 720 students. Baseline will take place at the beginning of the intervention school year, outcome 1 at the end of the intervention school year, and outcome 2 at the end of the subsequent school year. At all three timepoints, the research team will gather parent questionnaires (covering competence in problem solving, parenting strategies, parent-teacher relationships, and their child's social and behavioral functioning), teacher questionnaires in relation to each study child (covering the parent-teacher relationship, teacher competence in problem solving, and the student's social and behavioral functioning), direct observations of teacher and student behavior in the classroom, and student records related to discipline.

Enrollment: 720 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 4 to 10 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Enrolled in kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, or Grade 4 at recruitment
• Among the 12 students with the highest risk score on the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System 3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC3-BESS) in the above grade span in their school (among those with parental consent for screening).

Exclusion Criteria: None

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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720 participants in 2 patient groups

CBC Treatment Group

Experimental group

Description:

For this group, school staff who work with families and teachers to address student emotional and behavioral concerns will use the CBC model to do so.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC)

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

For this group, school staff who work with families and teachers to address student emotional and behavioral concerns will engage in business as usual.