Session: Implementing Large Scale Interventions in Schools: Promoting Parent Engagement and School Support for Family-Centered Interventions (Society for Prevention Research 22nd Annual Meeting)

This symposium will bring together a series of research studies focused on embedding parent support services and family-centered intervention models into schools.  In each of the projects, an intervention was implemented to support the uptake of services in schools that promote family engagement and parenting skill development.  The research papers in this symposium focus on three studies implemented across the developmental continuum, including preschool, elementary school, and middle school.  In each paper, measures related to outcomes as well as uptake and fidelity were examined.  Results will focus on both implementation and uptake of the models as well as direct outcomes.

The paper, “Promoting Positive Family Support in Middle Schools,” examines the process of embedding the PFS program into 41 middle schools across the state of Oregon.   Schools were randomly assigned to either the PFS program or middle school as usual.  Intervention schools received consultation support for uptake of the program, which included extensive staff training in a 3-tiered intervention model that included the Family Check-Up.  Control and intervention schools were compared on delivery of critical components of the PFS model, and results support successful uptake of the model by intervention schools.

The paper, “Results and Lessons Learned from the National Effectiveness Study of First Step to Success”, describes the implementation of First Step to Success in the context of a large, randomized trial where 48 elementary schools were assigned to receive support to implement the intervention model or school as usual. First Step to Success includes a student, teacher, and parent component.  Results of this research suggest that First Step to Success was associated with improvements in student level behavior and implemented with fidelity with teachers and parents.

The paper, “Extending and Enriching Head Start Home Visits with Evidence-Based Intervention Components: Implementation Outcomes and Impact,” examines the effectiveness of the REDI-P program, which extends the parenting support services provided to Head Start families by providing enhanced parent skills training and activities that support family engagement in school.  Participants were families enrolled in Head Start (N=210) who received approximately 10 sessions of additional support.  Results suggest improvements in both early literacy skills and teacher rated behavior at school entry.

At the conclusion of the session, we will discuss challenges related to implementation of evidenced based practices into school settings, barriers to successful implementation, and tools for enhancing fidelity of implementation and successful community uptake.