Grant Closed

A Randomized Trial of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) in Rural Educational Settings: Efficacy for Elementary Students With Disruptive Behaviors

NCSER
Program: Special Education Research Grants
Program topic(s): Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Competence
Award amount: $2,999,994
Principal investigator: Susan Sheridan
Awardee:
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Year: 2010
Project type:
Efficacy
Award number: R324A100115

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to test the efficacy of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) in rural Nebraska elementary schools. Students with social-behavioral problems early in their school careers are at high risk of developing long-term pervasive behavioral and academic problems. CBC is an indirect intervention that allows for individuation of parent- and teacher-delivered behavior plans that are grounded in ecological-behavioral theory, supported by empirical evidence, and implemented across multiple setting (e.g., home and school). Evidence for the efficacy of CBC exists, including small-n experimental designs and randomized trials in urban and suburban school settings. However, the CBC intervention has never been tested for efficacy in rural settings, where schools struggle to access specialized services, including consultation and parent involvement programs.

Project Activities

Elementary schools in rural Nebraska will be randomly assigned to either the intervention condition or the typical classroom service model. Approximately 270 Kindergarten through 3rd grade students with disruptive, externalizing behaviors will participate in the study. The CBC intervention will be implemented for eight weeks. Multiple rating scale and observational measures will be used to assess student behavioral and academic outcomes, and parent/teacher beliefs and practices and the family-school relationship. Researchers will also examine how fidelity of implementation influences treatment outcomes.

Structured Abstract

Setting

The research will occur in 90 Kindergarten to 3rd grade classrooms in rural elementary schools in Nebraska.

Sample

Approximately 90 teachers will participate in the study; approximately 270 students (2-3 students per classroom) identified through a teacher screening as having disruptive, externalizing behaviors will participate.
Intervention
CBC focuses on improving student behaviors through structured problem solving and collaborative, consistent implementation of evidence-based interventions across home and school settings. In CBC, parents and teachers serve as joint consultees, and the consultation process is conducted with parents and teachers as partners in addressing student behavior problems that interfere with learning. Problems are identified, defined, analyzed, and treated through mutual and collaborative interactions between parents and teachers with the guidance and assistance of a consultant. In this project, consultants will implement the CBC intervention through a sequence of interviews and activities during pre-consultation and four formal stages: a) conjoint problem identification (Week 1), conjoint problem analysis/plan development (Week 2), behavior plan implementation and fidelity support (Weeks 3–6), and conjoint plan evaluation (Weeks 7–8).

Research design and methods

This study will utilize a three-cohort cluster-randomized trial with repeated measures design, where classrooms serve as the unit of randomization, and classrooms are nested within schools. Classrooms will be randomly assigned to the CBC intervention or to typical classroom services. The immediate and long-term (i.e., one year following participation) effects of CBC will be evaluated.

Control condition

Participants in the control condition will receive typical services currently available through the school's district for students with behavioral concerns.

Key measures

Multiple measures will be used to assess student behavioral (e.g., social-emotional functioning) and academic outcomes, and parent/teacher beliefs and practices (e.g., perceptions of parent efficacy) and the family-school relationship. Also, the researchers will collect data on the fidelity of the intervention implementation.

Data analytic strategy

Latent growth modeling with repeated measures nested within children, children nested within classrooms, and classrooms cross-classified within consultants and schools will be used to will be used to analyze differences between the growth rates of treatment and control students' behavioral and academic functioning. In addition, the researchers will investigate potential mediators (e.g., fidelity) and moderators (e.g., parent and teacher beliefs) of intervention effects.

People and institutions involved

IES program contact(s)

Jacquelyn Buckley

Deputy Commissioner
NCSER

Products and publications

Products: The products of this project include evidence of the efficacy of CBC intervention, published reports, and presentations.

Book

Nugent, G.C., Kunz, G.M., Sheridan, S.M., Glover, T.A., and Knoche, L.L. (in press). Rural Education Research in the United States: State of the Science and Emerging Directions. New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-42940-3

Sheridan, S.M. (2014). The Tough Kid: Teachers and Parents as Partners. Eugene, OR: Pacific Northwest Publishing.

Sheridan, S.M., and Christenson, S.L. (under review). Family-School Partnerships and Student Success: Building Bridges Between Conceptual, Empirical, and Practical Frameworks. New York: Springer.

Sheridan, S.M., and Kim, E.M. (2015). Processes and Pathways of Family-School Partnerships Across Development, Research on Family-School Partnerships, Volume 2. New York: Springer.

Book chapter

Beesley, A., and Sheridan, S.M. (in press). Future Directions for Rural Education Research. In G.C. Nugent, G.M. Kunz, S.M. Sheridan, T.A. Glover, and L.L. Knoche (Eds.), Rural Education Research in the United States : State of the Science and Emerging Directions. New York: Springer.

Clarke, B.L., Koziol, N.A., and Sheridan, S.M. (in press). The Effects of Rurality on Parents' Engagement in Children's Early Literacy. In G.C. Nugent, G.M. Kunz, S.M. Sheridan, T.A. Glover, and L.L. Knoche (Eds.), Rural Education Research: State of the Science and Emerging Directions. New York: Springer.

Coutts, M.J., Sheridan, S.M., Sjuts, T.M., and Smith, T.E. (2014). Home-School Collaboration for Intervention Planning. In J.T. Mascolo, V.C. Alfonso, and D.P. Flanagan (Eds.), Essentials of Planning, Selecting and Tailoring Interventions for Unique Learners (pp. 92-119). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Garbacz, S.A., Swanger-Gagne, M.S., and Sheridan, S.M. (2015). The Role of School-Family Partnership Programs for Promoting Student SEL. In J.A. Durlak, C.E. Domitrovich, R.P. Weissberg, and T.P. Gullotta (Eds.), The Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning (pp. 244-260). New York: Guilford.

Garbacz, S.A., Swanger-Gagne, M.S., and Sheridan, S.M. (2015). The Role of School-Family Partnership Programs for Promoting Student SEL. In J.A. Durlak, C.E. Domitrovich, R.P. Weissberg, and T.P. Gullotta (Eds.), The Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning (pp. 244-260). New York: Guilford.

Holmes, S.R., Witte, A.L., and Sheridan, S.M. (in press). Conjoint Behavioral Consultation in Rural Schools. In K. Michael, and J. Jameson (Eds.), Handbook of Rural School Mental Health. New York: Springer.

Knoche, L.L., and Witte, A.L. (2016). Strengths-Based Educational Interventions in Rural Settings: Promoting Child Development Through Home-School Partnerships. In L. Crockett, and G. Carlo (Eds.), Rural Ethnic Minority Youth and Families in the United States Theory, Research, and Applications (pp. 227-246). New York: Springer.

Sheridan, S.M. (2014). Single-Case Designs and Large N Studies: The Best of Both Worlds. In T.R. Kratochwill, and J.R. Levin (Eds.), Single-Case Intervention Research: Methodological and Statistical Advances (pp. 299-308). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/14376-011

Sheridan, S. M., Clarke, B. L., & Ihlo, T. B. (2012). Consultation in early childhood education: Ecological advances and research needs. In R. C. Pianta, L. M. Justice, W. S. Barnett, & S. M. Sheridan (Eds.), The handbook of early education (pp. 435-454). New York, NY: Guilford.

Sheridan, S.M., and Kim, E.M. (2015). Foundational Aspects of Family-School Connections: Definitions, Conceptual Frameworks, and Research Needs. In S.M. Sheridan, and E.M. Kim (Eds.), Foundational Aspects of Family-School Partnership Research, Volume 1 of the Series Research on Family-School Partnerships (pp. 1-14). New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13838-1_1

Sheridan, S.M., and Kim, E.M. (2015). Foundational Aspects of Family-School Connections: Definitions, Conceptual Frameworks, and Research Needs. In S.M. Sheridan, and E.M. Kim (Eds.), Foundational Aspects of Family-School Partnership Research, Volume 1 (pp. 1-14). New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13838-1_1

Sheridan, S.M., and Kim, E.M. (2015). Processes and Pathways of Family-School Partnerships Across Development, Research on Family-School Partnerships: An Interdisciplinary Examination of State of the Science and Critical Needs, Vol. 2. In S.M. Sheridan, and E.M. Kim (Eds.), . New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-16931-6

Sheridan, S.M., and Kim, E.M. (in press). Contexts of Family-School Partnerships: Research, Practice, and Policy. In S.M. Sheridan, and E.M. Kim (Eds.), Research on Family-School Partnerships: An Interdisciplinary Examination of State of the Science and Critical Needs, Volume 3. New York: Springer.

Sheridan, S.M., Clarke, B.L., and Christenson, S.L. (2014). Best Practices in Promoting Family Engagement in Education. In P.L. Harrison, and A. Thomas (Eds.), Best Practices in School Psychology: Systems-Level Services (pp. 439-453). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Sheridan, S.M., Clarke, B.L., and Ihlo, T.B. (2012). Promoting Young Children's Mental Health Through Early Childhood Consultation: Ecological Advances and Research Needs. In R.C. Pianta, L.M. Justice, W.S. Barnett, and S.M. Sheridan (Eds.), The Handbook of Early Education (pp. 435-454). New York: Guilford Press.

Sheridan, S.M., Clarke, B.L., and Ihlo, T.B. (2012). Promoting Young Children's Mental Health Through Early Childhood Consultation: Ecological Advances and Research Needs. In R.C. Pianta, L.M. Justice, W.S. Barnett, and S.M. Sheridan (Eds.), The Handbook of Early Education (pp. 435-454). New York: Guilford Press.

Sheridan, S.M., Holmes, S.R., Smith, T.E., and Moen, A.L. (2016). Complexities in Field-Based Partnership Research: Exemplars, Challenges, and an Agenda for the Field. In S.M. Sheridan, and E.M. Kim (Eds.), Family-School Partnerships in Context (pp. 1-23). New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-19228-4

Sheridan, S.M., Kunz, G.M., and Witte, A. (in press). Rural Parents and Teachers as Partners. In G.C. Nugent, G.M. Kunz, S.M. Sheridan, T.A. Glover, and L.L. Knoche (Eds.), Rural Education Research: State of the Science and Emerging Directions. New York: Springer.

Sheridan, S.M., Rispoli, K.M., and Holmes, S. (2014). Treatment Integrity in Conjoint Behavioral Consultation: Conceptualizing Active Ingredients and Potential Pathways of Influence. In L. Sanetti, and T. Kratochwill (Eds.), Treatment Integrity: A Foundation for Evidence-Based Practice in Applied Psychology (pp. 255-278). New York: APA Books.

Sheridan, S.M., Sjuts, T.M., and Coutts, M.J. (2013). Understanding and Promoting the Development of Resilience in Families. In S. Goldstein, and R. Brooks (Eds.), Handbook of Resilience in Children (pp. 143-160). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3661-4_9

Witte, A.L., and Sheridan, S.M. (2011). Family Engagement in Rural Schools. In S. Redding, M. Murphy, and P. Sheley (Eds.), Handbook on Family and Community Engagement (pp. 153-156). Lincoln, IL: Academic Development Institute/Center on Innovation and Improvement. Full text

Book chapter, edition specified

Coutts, M.J., Sheridan, S.M., Sjuts, T.M., and Smith, T.E. (2014). Home-School Collaboration for Intervention Planning. In J.T. Mascolo, V.C. Alfonso, and D.P. Flanagan (Eds.), Essentials of Planning, Selecting, and Tailoring Interventions for Unique Learners (1st ed., pp. 92-119). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Erchul, W.P., and Sheridan, S.M. (2014). The State of Scientific Research in School Consultation. In W.P. Erchul, and S.M. Sheridan (Eds.), Handbook of Research in School Consultation: Empirical Foundations for the Field (2nd ed., pp. 3-17). New York: Taylor and Francis Group/ Routledge.

McCurdy, M., Coutts, M.J., Sheridan, S.M., and Campbell, L.M. (2012). Ecological Variables in School-Based Assessment and Intervention Planning. In R. Brown-Chidsey, and K. Andren (Eds.), Assessment for Intervention: A Problem-Solving Approach (2nd ed., pp. 39-61). New York: Guilford.

Sheridan, S.M., and Erchul, W.P. (2014). Final Comments on School Consultation Research. In W.P. Erchul, and S.M. Sheridan (Eds.), Handbook of Research in School Consultation (2nd ed., pp. 525-532). New York: Taylor and Francis Group/Routledge.

Sheridan, S.M., Clarke, B.L., Ransom, K.A. (2014). The Past, Present, and Future of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation Research. In W. Erchul, and S. Sheridan (Eds.), Handbook of Research in School Consultation (2nd ed., pp. 210-247). New York: Taylor & Francis Group/Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203133170.ch9

Sheridan, S.M., Moen, A., and Bhatia, S. (2014). Family-Centered Positive Psychology: A Framework for Research-Based Practices. In L.M. Edwards, S.J. Lopez, and S.C. Marques (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

Book, edition specified

Erchul, W.P., and Sheridan, S.M. (2014). Handbook of Research in School Consultation: Empirical Foundations for the Field. (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.

Journal article, monograph, or newsletter

Clarke, B.L., Sheridan, S.M., and Woods, K.E. (2014). Conjoint Behavioral Consultation: Implementing a Tiered Home-School Partnership Model to Promote School Readiness. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 42(4).

Garbacz, S.A., and Sheridan, S.M. (2011). A Multidimensional Examination of New Zealand Family Involvement in Education. School Psychology International, 32(6): 600-615. doi:10.1177/0143034311403034

Garbacz, S.A., McDowall, P.S., Schaughency, E., Sheridan, S.M., and Welch, G.W. (2015). A Multidimensional Examination of Parent Involvement Across Child and Parent Characteristics. The Elementary School Journal, 115(3): 384-406. doi:10.1086/680325

Garbacz, S.A., Sheridan, S.M., Koziol, N., Kwon, K., and Holmes, S.R. (2015). Congruence in Parent-Teacher Communication: Implications for the Efficacy of CBC for Students With Behavioral Concerns. School Psychology Review, 44(2): 150-168. doi:10.17105/spr-14-0035.1

Kim, E.M., Sheridan, S.M., Kwon, K., and Koziol, N. (2013). Parent Beliefs and Children's Social-Behavioral Functioning: The Mediating Role of Parent-Teacher Relationships. Journal of School Psychology, 51(2): 175-185. doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2013.01.003

Kwon, K., Kim, E., and Sheridan, S. (2012). Behavioral Competence and Academic Functioning Among Early Elementary Children With Externalizing Problems. School Psychology Review, 41(2): 123-140.

Kwon, K., Kim, E.M., and Sheridan, S.M. (2014). The Role of Beliefs About the Importance of Social Skills in Elementary Children's Social Behaviors and School Attitudes. Child and Youth Care Forum, 43(4): 455-467. doi:10.1007/s10566-014-9247-0

Minke, K., Sheridan, S.M., Kim, E.M., Ryoo, J.H., and Koziol, N.A. (2014). Congruence in Parent-Teacher Relationships: The Role of Shared Perceptions. Elementary School Journal, 114(4): 527-546. doi:10.1086/675637

Schwehr, E., Bocanegra, J.O., Kwon, K., and Sheridan, S.M. (2014). Impact of Children's Identified Disability Status on Parent and Teacher Behavior Ratings. Contemporary School Psychology, 18(2): 133-142. doi:10.1007/s40688-014-0014-x

Semke, C.A., and Sheridan, S.M. (2012). Family-School Connections in Rural Educational Settings: A Systematic Review of the Empirical Literature. School Community Journal, 22(1): 21-48. Full text

Sheridan, S.M., Bovaird, J.A., Glover, T.A., Garbacz, S.A., Witte, A., and Kwon, K. (2012). A Randomized Trial Examining the Effects of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation and the Mediating Role of the Parent-Teacher Relationship. School Psychology Review, 41(1): 23-46.

Sheridan, S.M., Koziol, N.A., Clarke, B.L., Rispoli, K.M., and Coutts, M.J. (2014). The Influence of Rurality and the Role of Parental Affect on Kindergarten Children's Social and Behavioral Functioning. Early Education and Development, 25(7): 1057-1082 . doi:10.1080/10409289.2014.896682

Sheridan, S.M., Ryoo, J.H., Garbacz, S.A., Kunz, G.M., and Chumney, F.L. (2013). The Efficacy of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation on Parents and Children in the Home Setting: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of School Psychology, 51(6): 717-733. doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2013.09.003

Related projects

Evaluation of Efficacy of CBC for Addressing Disruptive Behaviors of Children at Risk for Academic Failure

R305F050284

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

 

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

 

You may also like

Zoomed in IES logo
Contract

What Works Clearinghouse Supporting and Analyzing ...

Contract number: 91990025F0014
Read More