Evaluation of the Resilient Families Program effects on disadvantaged Grade 8 adolescents

A) THE INTERVENTION involves secondary schools implementing the Resilient Families intervention with Grade 8 students and their parents. Resilient Families is a structured program that includes a student social relationship curricula and parent education components and is designed to be integrated into the normal secondary school processes to enhance family-school partnerships. The delivery of the program occurs under a license system that includes implementation training and support. The five components are: (1) 10-session student curriculum. (2) Distribution to all families of a parent education book designed for the Resilient Families program titled: Preparing adolescents for success in school and life. Distributed by Australian Council for Education Research, Camberwell, Victoria. 119 pages. (3) Brief parent education groups, based on Parenting Adolescents Quiz (PAQ) where parents interact together to answer questions designed to improve understanding of current adolescent health scientific information. (4) Longer parent education groups, based on Parenting Adolescents: A Creative Experience (PACE) led by a trained facilitator with the aim to increase family management skills for raising healthy adolescents including: family rules, positive communication, problem solving and conflict resolution. Parents interact together in professionally facilitated groups to support each other to improve parenting behaviours. (5) Support to strategically review school policies and practices relating to parents and families. B) FREQUENCY/DURATION OF THE INTERVENTION: (1) Student curriculum – 10 weekly 45-50-minute sessions. (2) Parent education book completed over approximately 10 weeks at home by parents. (3) At least one 2-hour PAQ event and (4) one PACE group advertised to all parents consisting of 8-weekly sessions each of 2 hours. (5) At least one 2-hour strategic planning session with school leaders to review family-school partnership arrangements. C) MODE OF ADMINISTRATION: (1) Student curriculum implemented as part of usual classroom activities. (2) Parent education book is sent home by school to the registered home address. (3) PAQ and (4) PACE groups are conducted at the school. (5) Strategic planning sessions are held at the school. D) TARGET INTENSITY: (1) Student curriculum - targeted to reach all students. (2) Parent education books - targeted to reach all parents. (3) PAQ and (4) PACE group attendance are optional for parents - invitations are sent to all parents with on average 10% volunteering to attend at least one event. (5) Strategic planning sessions target two or more school leaders. E) WHO ADMINISTERS THE INTERVENTION? (1) Student curriculum implemented by secondary school teachers following 2-hour training. (2) Parent education book is self-administered at home by parents. (3) PAQ and (4) PACE group sessions are facilitated by trained school staff or external experts who have relevant counselling qualifications. (5) Strategic planning sessions facilitated by trained external experts. F) STRATEGIES USED TO MONITOR ADHERENCE TO THE INTERVENTION: (1) Student curriculum fidelity measured by school teacher-completed checklist and by pre-post changes in student skills. (2) The school strategy for distributing the parent education book is recorded and fidelity is assessed through a parent survey. (3) PAQ and (4) PACE group session attendance and session coverage are recorded by facilitators. Pre-post improvements in parent skills are measured in parent surveys. (5) School strategic planning outcomes are recorded by an external expert. This information is used by each school in their continuous improvement efforts and guides the implementation of Resilient Families to new student cohorts in future years.