Coaching for School Readiness

Overseen By Jaime Peterson, MD, MPH

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Oregon Health and Science University

Disqualifiers: Child too ill, parents unable, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

300 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how a one-hour school readiness coaching session for parents affects young children's readiness for school and parents' ability to support learning at home. Held at a pediatric clinic, the session aims to boost early math and literacy skills for children aged 3 to 5 and increase parents' confidence in nurturing these skills. After three months, families return for a follow-up to compare progress. Families with children eligible for Medicaid, receiving primary care at one of the specified clinics, and who can communicate in English or Spanish might be a good fit for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study offers families the opportunity to directly contribute to educational research that could enhance early childhood learning strategies.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this coaching intervention is safe for children and parents?

Research has shown that school readiness coaching sessions are well-liked and help parents adopt more supportive behaviors. For instance, one study found that a short coaching session at a clinic, led by a bilingual coach, was popular with low-income Latinx parents. These parents increased their school readiness activities at home. No negative effects or safety issues were reported in these studies. Since this involves coaching and not medical treatment, it is generally considered safe for participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

The School Readiness Coaching Intervention is unique because it focuses on preparing both parents and children for school through personalized coaching sessions. Unlike traditional preschool programs that often emphasize classroom settings, this intervention provides individualized support with a Community Health Worker. The sessions equip parents with practical tools and resources, enhancing their ability to foster early math and literacy skills at home. Researchers are excited about this approach because it not only prepares children for school but also strengthens community connections by linking families to local resources.

What evidence suggests that the School Readiness Coaching Intervention is effective for improving school readiness skills?

Research has shown that early childhood programs, such as the School Readiness Coaching Intervention in this trial, can prepare young children for school. Studies have found that these programs enhance early math and reading skills, which are crucial for academic success. For instance, one study discovered that implementing a school readiness program in community centers improved preschool children's learning experiences. Additionally, when parents receive resources and tools, they gain confidence in supporting their children's learning at home. Overall, evidence suggests that school readiness coaching positively impacts both children's skills and parents' involvement in their education. ^{3 5 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Jaime Peterson, MD, MPH

Principal Investigator

Oregon Health and Science University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for parents of children aged 3-5 years who are interested in enhancing their child's school readiness skills. The coaching aims to boost the parent's knowledge and ability to support early math and literacy at home. Participants will engage in a clinic-based session with follow-up.

Inclusion Criteria

Child is eligible for Medicaid services

My child and I can communicate in either English or Spanish.

Receives primary care at one of 2 clinic sites

Exclusion Criteria

I cannot complete the study tasks required.

My child is too sick to take part in this study.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Coaching Session

Participants receive a 1-hour individualized parent-child School Readiness Coaching Session conducted with a Community Health Worker

1 hour

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants return for a follow-up session to assess changes in school readiness skills and parent confidence

3 months

1 visit (in-person)

Long-term Monitoring

Monitoring of well-child check rates at the pediatric clinic

Year one and year two

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• School Readiness Coaching Intervention

Trial Overview The intervention being tested is a one-hour school readiness coaching session provided by community health workers at pediatric clinics, with a focus on improving preschool-aged children’s learning skills and parental involvement.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: School Readiness Coaching Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Two 1-hr individualized parent-child School Readiness Coaching Sessions conducted with Community Health Worker to assess child and parent school readiness skills and behaviors and provide parents with modeling, tools, and resources to support parent early math and literacy skills for home practice and connect them to preschool and community resources.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Oregon Health and Science University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,024

Recruited

7,420,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The study involved 1,570 pre-K students and 393 teachers, showing that increased coaching cycles for teachers led to better instructional interactions in the classroom.

These improved interactions were linked to significant gains in students' early literacy and working memory skills, supporting the effectiveness of coaching in enhancing school readiness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coaching Teachers to Improve Students' School Readiness Skills: Indirect Effects of Teacher-Student Interaction. Pianta, RC., Lipscomb, D., Ruzek, E.[2022]

The Getting Ready intervention uses an ecological approach to enhance school readiness by improving the developmental contexts and relationships in children's lives, focusing on both child and family readiness.

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) is a key component of the intervention, providing tailored support to families, which is essential for promoting effective school readiness strategies, although further research is needed to optimize its implementation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Conjoint behavioral consultation: implementing a tiered home-school partnership model to promote school readiness. Clarke, BL., Sheridan, SM., Woods, KE.[2019]

School readiness should be viewed as a shared responsibility among children, schools, families, and communities, emphasizing that schools must be prepared to support all levels of readiness rather than excluding children based on their initial capabilities.

Early identification and support for children's developmental needs can significantly improve their readiness for kindergarten, highlighting the important role pediatricians play in advocating for and promoting early childhood development from birth.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

School readiness. High, PC.[2022]

A 10-week intervention program for 3- to 4-year-old children significantly improved gross motor skills, print-concept knowledge, and alphabet knowledge, indicating its effectiveness in enhancing foundational skills for school readiness.

The program included structured movement instruction and interactive reading, demonstrating that targeted early interventions can positively impact essential developmental skills in young children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of a Direct-Instruction Intervention to Improve Movement and Preliteracy Skills among Young Children: A Within-Subject Repeated-Measures Design. Bedard, C., Bremer, E., Campbell, W., et al.[2022]

The First Step to Success (FSS) intervention effectively reduces problem behaviors in young children at risk for school failure, as shown in a study involving three students and their teachers.

Performance feedback from FSS coaches significantly improved teachers' implementation fidelity of the intervention, which in turn was linked to reductions in student problem behaviors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A preliminary analysis of the effects of coaching feedback on teacher implementation fidelity of first step to success. Rodriguez, BJ., Loman, SL., Horner, RH.[2021]

A clinic-based school readiness (SR) coaching intervention was positively received by low-income Latinx parents, who appreciated the one-on-one support from a bilingual coach and believed it could benefit other parents as well.

The intervention encouraged parents to engage in new early literacy activities with their children, although many still lacked a comprehensive understanding of school readiness, indicating a need for further education and resources.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

School Readiness Coaching in the Pediatric Clinic: Latinx Parent Perspectives. Peterson, JW., Almanzar, N., Chamberlain, LJ., et al.[2021]

The study involved 152 children aged around 4 years and compared two intervention programs over 20 weeks, finding that the Phonology with Reading (P + R) program improved literacy and phonological skills, while the Oral Language (OL) program enhanced vocabulary and grammatical skills.

Both programs were effective and delivered by trained teaching assistants, but over 50% of the children still required additional literacy support after the intervention, highlighting the need for ongoing assistance for at-risk students.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improving early language and literacy skills: differential effects of an oral language versus a phonology with reading intervention. Bowyer-Crane, C., Snowling, MJ., Duff, FJ., et al.[2022]

The report highlights the significant disparities in school readiness among children in the U.S., particularly affecting low-income families, which can lead to long-term negative outcomes.

It emphasizes the importance of collaborative efforts between pediatricians and community stakeholders to create and implement effective clinic-based interventions aimed at improving early learning and school readiness for these children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Kinder Ready Clinics: A Collaborative Model for Creating Equitable and Engaged Early Learning Environments for Low-income Families. Bruce, JS., De La Cruz, MM., Thadani, R., et al.[2022]

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the causal impact of responsive parenting interventions on children's academic readiness, focusing on skills like problem-solving, language proficiency, and executive functioning, using data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

The study will assess various moderators that may influence the effectiveness of these interventions, providing insights that could inform policies and practices to enhance early childhood development and address social disparities before children enter school.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The causal influence of responsive parenting behaviour on academic readiness: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Prime, H., Andrews, K., Gonzalez, A., et al.[2021]

School-based coaching has been shown to effectively enhance the knowledge and skills of school personnel, leading to improved student achievement and behavior, as highlighted by four large-scale studies.

Key components of coaching, such as feedback and practice, play a crucial role in mediating classroom practices and teacher-student interactions that contribute to better learning outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Advancing the science of coaching in education: An introduction to the special issue. Reddy, LA.[2023]

Citations

1. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1750946723001575

Early childhood interventions in educational settings that ... This review aims to assess the effectiveness of early childhood interventions delivered in educational settings for promoting school readiness for children aged ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9119566/

Implementing a School Readiness Intervention in Community ... This study introduced an evidence-based curriculum (REDI) to improve the educational experiences of preschool children in childcare centers.

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-school-readiness-4-2023-a71e4

Coaching for School Readiness The goal of this clinical trial is to examine how a clinic-based school readiness coaching session conducted by a community health worker for parents of ...

4. onlinelibrary.wiley.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cl2.1363

Centre‐based early education interventions for improving ... To evaluate the effectiveness of centre-based interventions for improving school readiness in preschool children.

5. journals.sagepub.com journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0009922820941230

A Clinic-Based School Readiness Coaching Intervention ... This intervention study assessed school readiness (SR)-related parent behaviors and perceived barriers for Latino parent-child pairs.

6. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32696662/

A Clinic-Based School Readiness Coaching Intervention ... This intervention study assessed school readiness (SR)-related parent behaviors and perceived barriers for Latino parent-child pairs (N ...

7. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1876285920305672

School Readiness Coaching in the Pediatric Clinic: Latinx ... A brief clinic-based SR coaching intervention with a bilingual SR coach was well received by low-income Latinx parents and increased parent SR behaviors.

8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3967127/

Parent Engagement and School Readiness: Effects of the ... This study reports the results of a randomized trial of a parent engagement intervention (Getting Ready) designed to facilitate school readiness among ...