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

University of Oregon

Status: Completed

Conditions: Achievement

Treatments: Behavioral: Family Check-Up

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02289092

05142014.022

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full 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.

Enrollment: 848 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

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

Exclusion Criteria:

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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848 participants in 2 patient groups

Family Check-Up Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

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).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Family Check-Up

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Control families will receive services as usual that are being provided to the families within their school