Program Description
Developed by researchers at the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Teachers and Parents as Partners (TAPP) is a family-school partnership intervention to help solve children’s behavioral and academic challenges through an individualized approach. Also referred to as Conjoint Behavioral Consultation, implementation of TAPP involves three meetings between an identified school specialist (e.g., school counselor, school psychologist, instructional specialist, trauma specialist, administrator, special education teacher, etc.), teacher and parent with each meeting averaging 45-50 minutes. School specialists lead the TAPP process, where they work with parents and their child’s teachers to:
– Identify and prioritize a student’s learning and behavioral needs.
– Select goals and strategies to be used cooperatively at home and school.
– Implement a joint plan at home and school.
– Evaluate the plan and monitor the student’s progress.
TAPP has been extensively studied and implemented in rural communities, where specialized support services are often difficult for families to access.
Program Outcomes
Two randomized controlled trials (RCT) evaluated the effectiveness of Teachers and Parents as Partners (TAPP), also referred to as Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC), in improving behavior and strengthening relationships between families and schools. The first study, conducted in 2012 across 21 Midwestern elementary schools, included 207 K–3 students with disruptive behaviors, their families, and 82 teachers. Teachers in the TAPP group reported significantly greater improvements in student adaptive behavior on the BASC-2 compared to the control group (effect size = +0.39), as well as significantly higher gains in social skills on the SSRS (effect size = +0.47). While teacher ratings of externalizing behavior on the BASC-2 showed improvement for students in the TAPP group, the difference was not statistically significant (effect size = +0.18). In addition, teachers reported stronger relationships with parents on the Parent–Teacher Relationship Scale–II (PTRS-II) (effect size = +0.47); however, parent ratings were not significantly different from controls.
The second study extended this research to 45 rural schools and included 267 K–3 students, their families, and 152 teachers. Teacher-reported outcomes again favored the TAPP group, with a significant improvement in school-related behavioral problems on the BASC-2 (effect size = +0.45). However, teacher-reported social skills on the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) did not differ significantly between groups (effect size = +0.14). In contrast, direct classroom observations conducted showed significant advantages for the TAPP students who exhibited more on-task behavior, greater prosocial classroom behavior, and less off-task motor and passive behavior, with effect sizes ranging from +0.28 to +0.46. On the PTRS-II, teachers again reported significantly stronger relationships with parents (effect size = +0.46), and parents in the TAPP group also reported significantly stronger relationships with teachers (effect size = +0.51).
Based on results from the two studies, TAPP meets the criteria for a Strong evidence rating in both Family Engagement and Social-Emotional Learning categories.
Staffing Requirements
An identified school specialist is needed to lead the TAPP process with teachers and parents. The time invested by school specialists over the six-week intervention is approximately four hours per child.
Professional Development/Training
School specialists will receive six online training modules that will cover all stages of the TAPP process and related content. This includes a didactic component via PowerPoint, embedded video examples, guided notes, knowledge checks, final quizzes and a certificate of completion.
Technology
School specialists will need internet