WWC review of this study

The Efficacy of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation in the Home Setting: Outcomes and Mechanisms in Rural Communities

Sheridan, Susan M.; Witte, Amanda L.; Holmes, Shannon; Wu, ChaoRong; Bhatia, Sonya A.; Angell, Samantha (2017). Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED581450

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    221
     Students
    , grades
    K-3

Reviewed: February 2018

At least one finding shows promising evidence of effectiveness
At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards without reservations
Behavior outcomes—Statistically significant negative effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Compliance (Classroom Observation)

IES Funded Studies vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
249 students

0.04

0.04

No

--

Ignoring Negative Stimulus (Classroom Observation)

IES Funded Studies vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
249 students

0.00

0.00

No

--

Non-Physical Aggression (Classroom Observation)

IES Funded Studies vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
249 students

0.00

0.00

No

--

Physical Aggression (Classroom Observation)

IES Funded Studies vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
249 students

0.00

0.00

No

--

Motor Movement (Classroom Observation)

IES Funded Studies vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
249 students

0.11

0.16

Yes

-16
 
 

Interference (Classroom Observation)

IES Funded Studies vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
249 students

0.01

0.02

No

--

Off-Task Behavior (Classroom Observation)

IES Funded Studies vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
249 students

0.09

0.15

No

--

Noncompliance (Classroom Observation)

IES Funded Studies vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
249 students

-0.01

0.01

No

--
School engagement outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

On-task behavior

IES Funded Studies vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
249 students

0.97

0.93

Yes

 
 
23
 
Social outcomes outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Social Skills Improvement Scale (SSiS): Social Skills

IES Funded Studies vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
175 students

49.75

43.70

Yes

 
 
24
 

Appropriate social behavior (observation)

IES Funded Studies vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
249 students

0.19

0.16

Yes

 
 
10
 


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • Female: 24%
    Male: 76%

  • Rural
    • B
    • A
    • C
    • D
    • E
    • F
    • G
    • I
    • H
    • J
    • K
    • L
    • P
    • M
    • N
    • O
    • Q
    • R
    • S
    • V
    • U
    • T
    • W
    • X
    • Z
    • Y
    • a
    • h
    • i
    • b
    • d
    • e
    • f
    • c
    • g
    • j
    • k
    • l
    • m
    • n
    • o
    • p
    • q
    • r
    • s
    • t
    • u
    • x
    • w
    • y

    Midwest
  • Race
    Black
    3%
    Other or unknown
    11%
    White
    86%
  • Ethnicity
    Hispanic    
    5%
    Not Hispanic or Latino    
    95%

Setting

The study took place in 40 rural communities in three Midwestern states. There were 45 schools with 152 classrooms included in the study. Of the 45 schools, 24 were defined as rural schools and 21 were defined as town schools based on the distance from an urbanized area and urbanized cluster. Across the 45 schools, the average class size was 13.3 students, with an average school enrollment of 260 students (it is unclear if this is for grades K-3 or the entire school), and the school had 18.9 classroom teachers employed, on average. Thirty-eight of the 45 schools in the study were Title I schools.

Study sample

Of the 267 students randomly assigned, 76% were male and 24% were female. The average age of the students was 6.88 (1.22 SD) and the average grade was 1.48 (1.12 SD). Students were in kindergarten (27%), grade 1 (21%), grade 2 (29%), and grade 3 (23%). Eighty-six percent of students were White/non-Hispanic, 3% were African American, 5% were Hispanic or Latino, and 6% were Asian or another race. The average behavior severity (1-9 scale) was 6.57 (1.40 SD), 44% of parents reported their student had a disability, 24% of the students had an IEP according to the teachers report, and 56% of students were eligible for free or reduced price lunch. Of the 267 parents involved in the study, 90% were female and 10% were male. The average age of the parents was 34.19 (7.55 SD). Ninety percent of parents were White/non-Hispanic, 2% were African American, 4% were Hispanic or Latino, and 3% were Asian or other. Twenty-one percent of parents indicated there were fewer than two adults in the home. Of the students' mothers, 10% had less than a high school education, 59% had a high school diploma or GED, and 31% had a college or advanced degree. Fifty-seven percent of parents were married, 19% were single, 16% were divorced, and 8% were indicated some other marital status.

Intervention Group

Consultants met with parents and teachers for four 45-60 minute sessions over the course of an 8-week period. Each session followed the CBC problem-solving protocol. The first session was focused on the specific behaviors the intervention would target, the goals, and instructions for the parents and teachers on how to collect data. The first session was conducted with a teacher-parent pair. In the second CBC session, the parents developed an implementation plan to use in the home. The third CBC session was a home visit per student and offered support for the intervention. The final CBC session evaluated students' progress toward the intervention goals and reviewed the next course of action. All of the teachers in the study were White/non-Hispanic and the majority (97%) were female. The teachers were, on average, 41.22 (12.6 SD) years old and had 15.3 (11.31 SD) years of teaching experience. All of the consultants in the study were White/non-Hispanic and all but one of the 14 consultants were female. The consultants were, on average, 29.63 (5.97 SD) years old with 2.64 (0.71 SD) years of graduate school.

Comparison Group

Students in the comparison condition received business-as-usual behavioral services and general school policies related to disruptive behaviors to which all students were subject. This included referrals to the office (presumably, an administrative office) for in-school or out-of-school suspension.

Support for implementation

The 14 masters level clinicians serves as consultants and completed a four week, 64-hour long training on the implementation of the CBC program over a four-week period. During the intervention, consultants received 1 hour of supervision per week from CBC experts and 2 hours of group supervision per month from a licensed psychologist. Teachers and parents both received support from consultants and received a CBC behavioral, strategies toolkit of intervention plans based on The Tough Kid Tool Box series.

In the case of multiple manuscripts that report on one study, the WWC selects one manuscript as the primary citation and lists other manuscripts that describe the study as additional sources.

  • Sheridan, S. M., Witte, A. L., Holmes, S. R., Coutts, M. J., Dent, A. L., Kunz, G. M., & Wu, C. (2017). A randomized trial examining the effects of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation in rural schools: Student outcomes and the mediating role of the teacher–parent relationship. Journal of School Psychology, 61, 33-53.

 

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