Family-Centered Prevention during the Transition to Elementary School to Reduce Behavioral and Academic Risk

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of the Family Check-Up for reducing parent- and teacher-reported emotional and behavior problems in early elementary school during the transition to school. The Family Check-Up (FCU) is multi-level, ecological approach to intervention and treatment that reduces behavior problems and improves academic success in early childhood and secondary settings. Although the Family Check-Up has been tested during the early childhood years, it has never been studied as a preventive approach to learning and behavior problems at school entry. Our approach to collaborating with schools enhances the potential for sustainability and policy change.

Methods

365 families entering kindergarten across two cohorts and five schools have been recruited and randomly assigned to the FCU or a school-as-usual control condition. The sample is balanced by gender and is 63% White and 37% ethnically diverse. Parent- and teacher report of child emotional and behavior problems was measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and an adapted version of the Student Strengths and Needs Survey. Analyses will include (a) tests of baseline equivalence, (b) tests of effects associated with random assignment using intent-to-treat analysis within a hierarchical linear modeling framework, and (c) an examination of subgroups of high-risk students.

Results

Results indicated children in the FCU condition outperformed children in the control condition on teacher-report emotional and behavior problems in first grade (t = -2.51, df = 191, p = .013). Model estimated differences in gains between FCU and control conditions was -1.71 (Hedges g = -0.28). Estimated differences between FCU and control conditions in pretest to post-test change in the outcome were -1.34 for students at the 50th percentile at baseline (p = .021), and -2.41 for students at the 75th percentile at baseline (p < .001). Subgroup analyses for students at or above the 50th percentile on teacher-report emotional and behavior problems at pretest generated an effect size of g = -0.43 (p = .035). Implications for an ecological approach to assessment and intervention in early elementary school are discussed.