Embedding a Parenting Skills Program in Public PreK: Outcomes of a Quasi-Experimental Mixed Methods Study

ABSTRACT

This sequential mixed methods study evaluated the impact of the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) in 12 Baltimore Title I PreK programs on parent engagement and student outcomes from kindergarten through 2^nd grade. Phase 1 (quasi-experiment; N = 11,996) compared PreK students whose parents enrolled in CPP with those whose parents did not enroll in CPP on measures of kindergarten readiness, chronic absenteeism, suspensions/expulsions, and grade retention. Phase 2 (qualitative; n = 20) explored the perceptions of school-based staff, principals, and district and community leaders on CPP’s impact on parents, students, and parent engagement, and why they sought to continue CPP in the schools. Research Findings: No effects on student outcomes were found using administrative data. However, all of those interviewed described observed improvements in parent and student behavior and parent engagement and all schools have continued implementing CPP. Practice or Policy: Qualitative results highlight the importance of stakeholder perspectives and the limitations of administrative data for evaluating brief interventions serving families with complex needs.

Acknowledgments

The ChiPP Project implementation was funded by grants from the Leonard & Helen R. Stulman Charitable Foundation, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the Abell Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Wright Family Foundation, and the T. Rowe Price Foundation. This follow up study was supported by a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (1R21HD096197). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Baltimore City Public Schools leadership, staff, and families; the Fund for Educational Excellence; and the ChiPP Project group leaders in the implementation of the ChiPP Project; the Baltimore Education Research Consortium in accessing the administrative data used in Phase 1 of this study; and Elizabeth Stuart, PhD, for her consultation on the propensity score weighting approach used in the present study. The authors would also like to thank Susie Breitenstein, PhD and Lieny Jeon, PhD for their careful review and feedback on earlier drafts of this manuscript.

Disclosure Statement

Under an agreement between Rush University Medical Center and Dr. Deborah Gross, Dr. Gross is entitled to revenue from the program described in this paper. This arrangement has been reviewed and approved by the Johns Hopkins University in accordance with its conflict of interest policies. This manuscript was reviewed for bias by an independent reviewer prior to submission to this journal. No other authors of this manuscript have potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [1 R21HD096197-01].