Parents Parents Encourage Pupils Encourage Pupils

(PEP)(PEP)A Targeted Tier 2 Intervention for

Students “At Risk” for Reading Difficulties

Shuck, Ulsh, & Platt (1983)Shuck, Ulsh, & Platt (1983)

See PEP Handout 1Summary of PEP

PEP: Rationale PEP: Rationale Urban children don’t achieve in reading at a Urban children don’t achieve in reading at a

comparable level to suburban children.comparable level to suburban children. Parents’ reinforcement of skills taught at Parents’ reinforcement of skills taught at

school have a direct effect on children’s school have a direct effect on children’s achievement.achievement.

Parents from lower SES do not make as much Parents from lower SES do not make as much contact with schools as middle or higher SES contact with schools as middle or higher SES parents – maybe lack confidence, parents – maybe lack confidence, communication skills, or knowledge about communication skills, or knowledge about learning processes.learning processes.

When school staff assist parents, their When school staff assist parents, their involvement in academic programs increase involvement in academic programs increase resulting in increased student achievement.resulting in increased student achievement.

PEP: Target PopulationPEP: Target Population

Low SES students from inner city schoolsLow SES students from inner city schools All students behind at least 2 grade levels in All students behind at least 2 grade levels in

reading, of average intelligence or above, and reading, of average intelligence or above, and served at a reading resource laboratory at served at a reading resource laboratory at schoolschool

Experimental Group: Experimental Group: 75 randomly selected students grades 3-575 randomly selected students grades 3-5

Control Group: Control Group: Comparable; did not receive PEP Comparable; did not receive PEP

Implementation ofImplementation ofParent Encourage Parent Encourage

Pupils (PEP)Pupils (PEP)

See PEP Handout 2for list of Implementation Procedures

Students participate in daily 30-Students participate in daily 30-minute reading lab over school year. minute reading lab over school year.

The lab provides: The lab provides: daily homework, daily homework, word lists, word lists, reading games, reading games, books for tutoring activities at homebooks for tutoring activities at home calendars to track completed activities.calendars to track completed activities.

Children chose one or more of four Children chose one or more of four activities to do with their parents each activities to do with their parents each day at home.day at home.

PEP: Intervention PEP: Intervention ProceduresProcedures

See PEP Handout 2See PEP Handout 2

PEP: Intervention PEP: Intervention ProceduresProcedures

The intervention materials are provided The intervention materials are provided to parents:to parents:

During parent conferencesDuring parent conferences Sent home if parents could not attend the Sent home if parents could not attend the

conferences. conferences. Self-explanatory calendars given to Self-explanatory calendars given to

parents with clear directions for how to parents with clear directions for how to reward and note the completion of the reward and note the completion of the child’s selected daily activity child’s selected daily activity

PEP: Directions to PEP: Directions to ParentsParents

You can help your child become a You can help your child become a better reader by listening and better reader by listening and helping her to do at least one of the helping her to do at least one of the following activities available to her following activities available to her in the reading lab:in the reading lab:

A.A. Read a book Read a book B.B. Reading homeworkReading homeworkC.C. Read a word list Read a word list D.D. Play reading gamesPlay reading games

Each activity earns 10 pointsEach activity earns 10 points

PEP: Directions to PEP: Directions to Parents(cont’d) Parents(cont’d) See PEP Handout 3See PEP Handout 3

After work is completed: Circle A, B, C or D on the calendar to

show the work done by your child. If your child does more than one

activity, circle each letter that applies. As a reward for doing at least one of the

above activities, fill in the “Happy Face” with a pen or pencil.

Please return this calendar to the lab at the end of the month.

PEP: Example Completed PEP: Example Completed CalendarCalendar

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

ABCD

After the child completes the daily activity, After the child completes the daily activity, the parent fills in the happy face on the the parent fills in the happy face on the calendar.calendar.

Children return the home activity tracking Children return the home activity tracking calendar to school each month.calendar to school each month.

The reading lab teachers keep a school The reading lab teachers keep a school activity tracking calendar at school.activity tracking calendar at school.

Points are recorded for completion of Points are recorded for completion of reading assignments in class and combined reading assignments in class and combined with points for activities earned at home.with points for activities earned at home.

PEP: Intervention PEP: Intervention ProceduresProcedures

See PEP Handout 4See PEP Handout 4

PEP: Teacher Tracking PEP: Teacher Tracking CalendarCalendar

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Total

Week 1

Homework – 20Book report – 15

Homework-10Prescrp. Sheet-20

Homework-10Poem-10

Homework-20Dolch words – 15

Homework Fri/Sat -20Poem-10

150

5-50 Prescription Sheet 5-50 Dolch Words 10 Homework

5-25 Written Book Report 5-25 Poems

Each month students can save points or purchase a prize from the “class store”.

Two levels of prize values: 600 points - pencils, jacks, or other small item; 900-1,500 points- baseball hats, footballs, kites,

books Most prizes donated by local stores, civic

groups and parents. Parent and student post-treatment

acceptability and outcome surveys may be completed. Student Survey – See PEP Handout 5 Parent Survey – See PEP Handout 6

For Integrity Checklist see PEP Handout 7

PEP: Intervention PEP: Intervention ProceduresProcedurescontinuedcontinued

About the About the Parents Encourage Parents Encourage

Pupils (PEP) StudiesPupils (PEP) Studies

Shuck, Ulsh, and Platt (1983)Shuck, Ulsh, and Platt (1983)

Parent-teacher conferences held 3 times: beginning, middle (Jan.), and end of year.

At the conference the teacher gives parents a brief written progress report: Total number of books read, Teacher and parent comments, Work completed in the lab, Homework completed

The reports are sent home for comments and signatures for parents unable to attend.

PEP: Intervention ProceduresPEP: Intervention Procedurescontinued continued

PEP: Study DescriptionsPEP: Study Descriptions

Across entire school year (180 days), daily homework assigned by reading lab done with parents at home Students participated in reading lab 30 minutes daily Behavior modification plan reinforced students’ home and school reading assignment completion Experimental and Control Groups Pre-Post Test

PEP: ParticipantsPEP: Participants

Experimental Group:Experimental Group: Parents of target students Parents of target students 75 randomly selected students grades 3-5 who 75 randomly selected students grades 3-5 who

were at least 2 grade levels behindwere at least 2 grade levels behind

Control Group: Control Group: 75 Comparable peers; did not receive PEP 75 Comparable peers; did not receive PEP

All Study Subjects:All Study Subjects: Average or above IQsAverage or above IQs Low SESLow SES

PEP: Intervention PEP: Intervention ProceduresProcedures

Students participated in reading lab Students participated in reading lab 30 minutes daily30 minutes daily

Lab met with parents at beginning, Lab met with parents at beginning, middle and end of school yearmiddle and end of school year

Parents provided with materials and Parents provided with materials and tracking calendar for completion of 1 tracking calendar for completion of 1 or more of 4 daily home activities or more of 4 daily home activities supporting readingsupporting reading

Behavior modification plan reinforced Behavior modification plan reinforced students’ home and school reading students’ home and school reading assignment completionassignment completion

PEP: Research QuestionPEP: Research Question

Does Parent Involvement increase students’ Does Parent Involvement increase students’ reading achievement?reading achievement?

PEP: Evaluation MeasuresPEP: Evaluation Measures

Pre-Post Testing with the Stanford Pre-Post Testing with the Stanford Achievement Test – Reading Achievement Test – Reading Comprehension subtestComprehension subtest

Slosson Intelligence Test used as Slosson Intelligence Test used as quick screener of intelligence for quick screener of intelligence for subject selectionsubject selection

PEP: Overall ResultsPEP: Overall Results

Reading Achievement:Reading Achievement: Post-Test reading comprehension scores on Post-Test reading comprehension scores on

the Standford Achievement Test for the Standford Achievement Test for students who received parent tutoring were students who received parent tutoring were significantly higher than those that did not significantly higher than those that did not receive parent tutoring.receive parent tutoring.

PEP: Research LimitationsPEP: Research Limitations

No cultural information provided No cultural information provided Limited information on how parents were Limited information on how parents were

trained or informed.trained or informed. Measures too infrequent to inform Measures too infrequent to inform

intervention needs.intervention needs.