Early Risers ‘Skills for Success’ Program (OJJDP Model Program Guide)

Office of Justice Programs, Innovation - Partnerships – Safer Neighborhoods

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Serving Children, Families and Communities

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Early Risers ‘Skills for Success’ Program

Intervention:

The Early Risers ‘Skills for Success’ Program is a comprehensive preventive intervention that targets elementary school children (ages 6 to 10) who are at high risk for early development of conduct problems (i.e., who display early aggressive, disruptive, or nonconformist behaviors). The Early Risers Program aims to prevent high-risk children’s further development of problem behaviors by improving their social and academic skills and intervening in their family environment.

A great deal of research suggests that children who are identified as exhibiting early aggressive behavior can develop later serious and chronic antisocial behavior, including serious aggression and violence (August, Realmuto, Hektner, and Bloomquist 2001). Early aggression in children can lead to a progressive stacking of disruptive behavior and failed skill acquisition, which in turn can result in significant issues with school, family, and friends—including academic failure, alienation from family members, peer rejection, and more serious conduct problems. This developmental pathway of antisocial behavior has several theoretical labels (e.g., early starter model of antisocial behavior, life-course persistent antisocial behavior, the aggressive–versatile pathway). The goal of Early Risers is to alter the developmental trajectory of early aggressive, high-risk children onto a more adaptive developmental pathway.

Intervention components of Early Risers integrate social learning, social development, and cognitive–behavioral models. The program also draws on developmental theory and comprehensive parenting interventions to preempt problem and delinquent behavior in young children exhibiting early aggression, which can progress into more serious conduct problems.

The program targets four salient competence domains related to an adaptive developmental pathway: 1) academic competence; 2) behavioral self-regulation; 3) social competence; and 4) parent investment in child. Deficits in these domains can increase a child’s risk for future antisocial behaviors. Enhancing these domains can serve as a protection against future risk.

The enhanced competence gained through the program leads to the development of positive self-image, independent decision-making, healthy problem-solving, assertive communication, and constructive coping. Once acquired, these attributes and skills collectively enable youths to resist personal and social forces that encourage early substance use and potential abuse and dependency.

Early Risers is a multicomponent, high-intensity, competency-enhancement program based on the premise that early, comprehensive, and sustained intervention is necessary to target multiple risk and protective factors. Early Risers uses a full-strength intervention model with two complementary components, CORE and FLEX. The interventions are

Parent education and skills training
Proactive parent–school consultation
Child social skills training and strategic peer involvement
Reading/educational enrichment activities
Family support, consultation, and brief interventions to cope with stress
Contingency management of aggressive, disruptive, and noncompliant behavior

The CORE component is delivered during 6 weeks of summer school sessions and includes ongoing teacher consultation and student mentoring during the school as well as a biweekly family program that consists of parent education, skills training, and child social skills training groups. The FLEX component is delivered at the same time but functions as a prevention case management tool to handle unique family issues that the CORE curriculum may not be able to adequately address. FLEX uses family strengths as levers for change and adapts services to the individual needs of children, parents, and families.

Evaluation Methodology:

Study 1
August, Realmuto, Hektner, and Bloomquist (2001) examined the effects of Early Risers ‘Skills for Success’ Program over a 2-year intervention trial in two semirural, Midwestern geographical sites consisting of white families of low to low–middle socioeconomic status. Within each site, 10 demographically comparable schools agreed to participate in the screening of kindergarten children for aggressive/disruptive behavior. After students were screened, at each site 5 schools were randomly assigned to the program group and 5 schools were randomly assigned to the control group, for a total of 10 program schools and 10 control schools. A total of 1,840 kindergarten children were screened for early-onset aggressive behavior, and 18.5 percent (341 students) met the high-risk criteria.

Parental consent was received for 124 children from program schools and 121 children from comparison schools, to form the original sample of 245 students. The intervention group was mostly white (84.7 percent) and male (63.7 percent), with an average age of 6.6 years. The control group was also mostly white (93.4 percent) and male (73.6 percent), with an average age of 6.7 years. The two groups were not significantly different on baseline characteristics, except that the intervention group had a higher proportion of ethnic minorities in the sample.

Outcome variables were four global competence domains: academic competence, behavior self-regulation problems, social competence, and parent investment. Data on academic competence, behavioral self-regulation, and social competence was measured through several scales. The Woodcock–Johnson Test of Achievement—Revised measured students’ basic reading and arithmetic skills. Teachers also completed the following:

The Behavioral Assessment System for Children–Teacher Rating Scale, which rates dimensions of externalizing, internalizing, and adaptive behavior
The Teacher’s Scale of Child’s Actual Competence and Social Acceptance, which rates cognitive competence
The Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation—Revised, which provides additional information about classroom behavior

Parents completed the Parent Observation of Classroom Adaptation, which assessed child behavior in the home. Finally, parent investment in the child was measured through the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, which assessed parenting practices. The data was collected from students, teachers, and parents during May and June in each of 3 subsequent years. This study examined the results at the end of the second year of the intervention.

Children in the intervention and control groups were categorized into three groups on the basis of their level of severity of aggression relative to the normative sample across all 3 time periods examined in the study. Children were categorized as either mildly, moderately, or severely aggressive based on their scales on the Aggression Scale of the Child Behavior Checklist–Teacher Reporting Forms. Approximately one third of the intervention and control groups fell into each of these categories.

The outcomes were measured with composite variables computed as a mean of at least two scales. Assignment to group was randomized by school rather than by individual; thus, data was analyzed using a three-level mixed random regression model procedure, with time points nested within individual participants nested within schools. An intent-to-treat strategy was used in the analyses, meaning all available data was included, even data from missing participants.

Study 2
A follow-up study by August and colleagues (2002) evaluated the intervention effects of Early Risers following a third year of the program. The study used the same sample of children from the 2001 study. The rate of attrition was 18.8 percent over a 3-year period and did not differ by intervention or control group. At the 3-year follow-up, there were 100 students in the intervention group and 99 students in the control group. There were no significant differences between the students who were retained and those who dropped out of the study, except that retained students tended to be slightly older and were more likely to be white.

The 2002 follow-up study examined the same outcome variables and used the statistical methods from the original 2001 study. In addition, a sample of kindergarten children was drawn from the same schools used to select program and control group participants, but the sample served as normative participants. The children were selected from the following year’s kindergarten class and did not receive intervention activities. The sample was drawn to be proportionally equivalent to the general population of kindergarten students in terms of gender and aggressive behavior. The resulting sample (n=92) included 45 percent boys, and only 19 percent were in the at-risk range for aggressive behavior.

Evaluation Outcome:

Study 1
Academic Competence
August, Realmuto, Hektner, and Bloomquist (2001) found that the children who participated in the Early Risers intervention improved over time in measures of academic competence, whereas the scores of the control group declined slightly. The differences between the two groups were significant at the end of the second year of the intervention trial.

Social Competence
Although both the intervention and control groups significantly improved in social competence over time, no significant effects of the Early Risers intervention were found.

Behavioral Self-Regulation
There were no significant overall intervention effects on self-regulation problems. However, the severely aggressive children in the control group remained relatively stable over time, whereas those in the intervention group improved. At the end of 2-year phase of the program, the severely aggressive children in the intervention group scored significantly lower than the severely aggressive children in the control group on self-regulation problems.

Parent Investment in Child
Parent investment remained stable over time for both groups, and no significant effects of the intervention were found.

Study 2
Academic Competence
At the 3-year follow-up, August and colleagues (2002) found that the Early Risers intervention group continued to show significantly more improvement in academic achievement than control participants. Also, unlike control participants, the academic achievements of program participants were within the range of students in the normative group (i.e., children not exhibiting early aggressive behavior).

Social Competence
The intervention group showed significantly more improvement over time in social skills than the control group. However, the score for the intervention group was still significantly different from the average score of children in the normative group.

This result is contrary to the findings from the 2001 study, which found no significant group differences in social skills for this sample following the initial 2-year phase of the Early Risers program.

Behavioral Self-Regulation
There was no significant intervention effect found on the average scores for aggression, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. In addition, the mean scores of these measures were significantly different from the mean score of the normative group, for both program and control participants, at the end of the 3-year follow-up.

Parenting Skills
Program parents reported more improvement in effective discipline practices over time than control participants, though the intervention effect did not quite reach significant (p=0.054). The average score on parental discipline for program participants was not significantly different from the normative average.

Other Information:

References:

August, Gerald J., Elizabeth A. Egan, George M. Realmuto, and Joel M. Hektner. 2003. “Parceling Component Effects of a Multifaceted Prevention Program for Disruptive Elementary School Children.” Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 31:515–27.

August, Gerald J., Joel M. Hektner, Elizabeth A. Egan, George M. Realmuto, and Michael L. Bloomquist. 2002. “The Early Risers Longitudinal Prevention Trial: Examination of 3-Year Outcomes in Aggressive Children With Intent-to-Treat and As-Intended Analyses.” Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 16:27–39.

August, Gerald J., Susanne S. Lee, Michael L. Bloomquist, George M. Realmuto, and Joel M. Hektner. 2003. “Dissemination of an Evidence-Based Prevention Innovation for Aggressive Children Living in Culturally Diverse, Urban Neighborhoods: The Early Risers Effectiveness Study.” Prevention Science 4(4):271–86.

August, Gerald J., George M. Realmuto, Joel M. Hektner, and Michael L. Bloomquist. 2001. “An Integrated Components Preventive Intervention for Aggressive Elementary School Children: The Early Risers Program.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 69:614–26.

August, Gerald J., George M. Realmuto, Ken C. Winters, and Joel M. Hektner. 2001. “Prevention of Adolescent Drug Abuse: Targeting High-Risk Children With a Multifaceted Intervention Model—The Early Risers ‘Skills for Success’ Program.” Applied and Preventive Psychology 10:135–54.

Program Specification:

New Rating:

Promising

Re-reviewed Date:

June 2011

Program Type:

Classroom Curricula

Conflict Resolution / Interpersonal Skills

Leadership and Youth Development

Mentoring

Parent Training

School/Classroom Environment

Ethnicity:

White

Other Ethnicity

Gender:

Both

Age:

6 - 10

Target Settings:

Rural

Urban

Problem Behaviors:

Aggression/Violence

Family Functioning

Risk & Protective Factors:

Risk

Family

Family management problems / Poor parental supervision and/or monitoring

Poor family attachment / Bonding

Individual

Antisocial behavior and alienation / Delinquent beliefs / General delinquency involvement / Drug dealing

Cognitive and neurological deficits/Low intelligence quotient/Hyperactivity

Early onset of aggression and/or violence

Favorable attitudes toward drug use/Early onset of AOD use/Alcohol and/or drug use

Life stressors

Mental disorder / Mental health problem / Conduct disorder

Poor refusal skills

Peer

Association with delinquent and/or aggressive peers

Peer rejection

School

Inadequate school climate / Poorly organized and functioning schools / Negative labeling by teachers

Low academic achievement

Protective

Family

Effective parenting

Good relationship with parents / Bonding or attachment to family

Individual

Positive / Resilient temperament

Positive expectations / Optimism for the future

Religiosity / Involvement in organized religious activities

Self-efficacy

School

Above average academic achievment / Reading and math skills

High expectations of students

Presence and involvement of caring, supportive adults in school

Strong school motivation / Positive attitude toward school

Student bonding (attachment to teachers, belief, commitment)

Additional Information:

SAMHSA: NREPP

Status:

Program is in operation at this time.

Performance Measures:

Suggested OJJDP Performance Measures for the Program Types(s):

Delinquency Prevention
Classroom Curricula
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
School Programs
Classroom Curricula
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
Delinquency Prevention
Leadership and Youth Development
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
Mentoring
Mentoring
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
Delinquency Prevention
Parent Training
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
Mental Health Services
Parent Training
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
School Programs
School/Classroom Environment
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF

Contact Information:

Program Developer:
Gerald J. August, Ph.D.
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
2450 Riverside Avenue, F256/2B West
Minneapolis, MN 55454–1495
Phone: 6122739711
Fax: 6122739779
Email: Click Here

Training & TA Provider:
Sarah M. Coleman or Nicole Morrell
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
2450 Riverside Avenue, F256/2B West
Minneapolis, MN 55454–1495
Phone: 1.612.627.4514
Fax: 1.612.627.4454
Email: Click Here

Program Locations:
Staff
Perspectives Family Center
3381 Gorham Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55426–4292

Staff
Moorhead Public Schools
2410 14th Street
Moorhead, MN 56560

Staff
MidSouth Health Systems
2707 Browns Lane
Jonesboro, AR 72401

Staff
Unlimited Success
665 West Fourth Street
Winston–Salem, NC 27101

Staff
Tatanka Elementary
703 Eighth Street Northeast
Buffalo, MN 55313–1826