Early Childhood Evidence-Based Programs
Updated January 8, 2008
Program
DARE to be You (DTBY)
Age
Range
2-5
Intervention
Level
Universal
2-10
Selective/
Targeted
Staff of
children210
3-14
Positive results were found in
parental self-esteem, locus of
control, parent reasoning skills,
child behavior, and social
support networks.
Universal
Focuses on classroom management skills, such
as proactive teaching strategies, ways to manage
inappropriate classroom behavior, the effective
use of praise and encouragement, and how to
build positive relationships with students.
(Social/Emotional)
After the training, teachers
showed an increase in the use of
praise and reduction in criticism,
and also report more prosocial
behaviors.
Universal/
Selective/
Targeted
Project ACHIEVE is an evidence-based school
effectiveness and school improvement program
focusing on the academic and social-emotional/
behavioral progress and success of all students.
It works well with schools implementing PBS
and/or RTI.
(Social/Emotional/Behavioral)
Overall discipline referrals to the
office decreased 16%; schoolbased discipline referrals to the
office decreased 10%; school
bus discipline referrals to the
office decreased 26%; out-ofschool suspensions decreased
Cost(s): $225 for K-12 school curriculum
Ordering Information:
www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/DTBY/
Author(s): Webster-Stratton
Cost: About $1000 per program (child, teacher,
parent) + training and supplementals (videos,
puppets, etc.)
Ordering Information:
www.incredibleyears.com/
Incredible Years: Teacher Training Program
Author(s): Webster-Stratton
Cost: About $1000 per program (child, teacher,
parent) + training and supplementals (videos,
puppets, etc.)
Ordering Information:
www.incredibleyears.com/
Project ACHIEVE
Author(s): Knoff
Cost: $156.95 per classroom, plus training and
parent materials
Research
This program is focused on improving the
parenting skills of parents with young children.
Its goal is to promote children’s resiliency to
problems later in life, which can, in turn, reduce
children’s later drug and alcohol use. Program
objectives include: improving parents’ selfesteem, enhancing decision-making skills,
increasing parent-child communications,
learning effective stress management, and
timing of child developmental milestones.
(Social/Emotional)
Includes four separate components targeting
parents of high-risk children or children
displaying behavior problems. The components
focus on parenting skills that promote children’s
social competence and reduce behavior
problems and also teach parents how to play
with children, help children learn, give effective
incentives and praise, use limit-setting, and
handle misbehavior.
(Social/Emotional)
Author(s): Jan Miller-Heyl
Incredible Years: Parent-Training Programs
Description
Results indicate that, after the
program, parents showed an
increase in effective and positive
discipline approaches.
Ordering Information:
http://www.projectachieve.info/home.html
Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies
(PATHS)
5-10
Universal/
Selective
PATHS focuses on the promotion of social
competence through cognitive skill building for
children. This curriculum-based program
emphasizes teaching students to identify,
understand, and self-regulate their emotions.
(Emotional and behavior problems)
5-6
Selective
4-11
Selected
Early intervention program designed to prevent
antisocial behavior in school. The goal is to
divert antisocial kindergarteners from an
antisocial behavior pattern in later school years
and help them develop competencies to build
effective teacher- and peer-related, socialbehavioral adjustments. The program targets atrisk kindergarteners.
(Aggression/Depression)
SAFE Children is a school- and communitybased program that aims to help families
manage educational and child development in
communities where children are at a high risk
for substance abuse and other behavior
problems. It also aims to help children ages 5-6
make the transition to elementary school, have a
successful first year of school, and set a strong
base for their future. Participants receive
individual tutoring sessions twice a week and
the family is involved in a 20-week program.
Additional program goals include: developing
bonds among parents, developing parenting
skills, build social and personal skills in the
children, and involve parents in school-based
approaches.
(Social/Emotional)
Author(s): Greenberg, Kusche, Domitrovich, and
Cortes
29%; grade retentions decreased
47%; special education referrals
decreased 61%; special
education placements decreased
57%; reading and math score
improved.
Students receiving the PATHS
curriculum produced significant
improvements in social problem
solving and understanding of
emotions at post-test.
Cost: $699 per classroom
Ordering Information:
www.channing-bete.com/
First Step to Success
Author(s): Hill Walker
Cost: $3,000
Ordering Information:
www.uoregon.edu/~ivdb/
Schools and Families Educating Children
(SAFE Children)
Author(s): Patrick N. Tolan, Ph.D., Deborah
Gorman-Smith, Ph.D., and David B. Henry Ph.D.
Cost(s): Unknown
Ordering Information:
http://www.psych.uic.edu/
fcrg/index.html
Teachers rated the students as
significantly more adaptive, less
aggressive, and less maladaptive
compared with other students.
Improvements as a results of the
program include: greater
improvement in academic
achievement, parental
enthusiasm for and involvement
in children’s school life, use of
effective parenting practices,
greater family organization
strategies, increased social
competence in children, and
increase family emotional
cohesion.
Open Circle Curriculum
5-10
Universal
Multiyear, comprehensive program that aims to
strengthen students’ social competency skills in
communication, self-control, and interpersonal
problem-solving; to promote relationships
between students and adults that allow growth;
build a sense of community in classrooms and
schools that provides a common language
between students teachers and other adults.
(Social/Emotional/Conduct problems)
Findings suggest that exposure
to 2 or more years of the
program has an impact on social
adjustment even if participation
in the program ends. Girls had
less adjustment problems and
boys had less fights.
3-8
Universal
The program has shown to
strengthen children’s social and
life skills, help children manage
their own behavior, differentiate
between safe and harmful
substances and situations, and
prevents increased
aggressive/antisocial behavior.
0-5
Selective
6-10
Targeted
Al’s Pals, a resiliency-based, early childhood
prevention curriculum, is designed to develop
personal, social, and emotional skills in children
3-8 years of age and to help them gain the skills
needs to express feeling appropriately, accept
differences, relate to others, use self-control,
make safe/healthy choices, and resolve conflicts
peacefully. The program is implemented by
teachers, after they have undergone an intensive
training seminar, and is accompanied by high
levels of parental involvement.
(Social/Emotional)
Voluntary home visitation program designed to
promote healthy families and children through a
variety of services, including child development,
access to health care, and parent education.
Designed for families determined to be at-risk.
Goals include prevention of negative birth
outcomes (low birth weight, substance abuse,
criminal activity, child abuse, and neglect),
increased parenting skills, healthy pregnancy
practices, and the use of social systems.
(Substance abuse/Child abuse and neglect)
Specifically designed for parents of children
taking part in the Early Risers program that
focuses on children at a high risk for developing
conduct problems. PEAK offers small-group
parent education and skills trainings that focus
on topics including normal child development,
parenting challenges, parenting techniques to
promote positive behaviors, and skills to manage
stress and improve family relationships.
(Social/Emotional)
Author(s): Unknown
Cost(s): $775 per teacher for training and
consultation.
Ordering Information:
www.open-circle.org
Al’s Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices
Author(s): Susan R. Geller, M.S.
Cost(s): $1,000 to $5,000
Ordering Information:
http://www.wingspanworks
.com/about_frameset.htm
Healthy Families America
Author(s): Lisa Schreiber
Cost(s): $3,800 per trainer. $75 for materials per
participant.
Ordering Information:
www.healthyfamiliesamerica.org
Early Risers – Skills for Success PEAK
(Parents Excited About Kids) Program
Author(s): Gerald J. August, Ph.D., George
Realmuto, Ph.D., and Michael Bloomquist, Ph.D.
Cost(s): $1,500 to $3,200 per year for one child
Ordering Information: earlyrisers@umn.edu
Parents reported engaged in
significantly fewer acts of
serious abuse and neglect. Low
birth weight was 2 ½ times
higher for control group.
The Early Risers program has
shown improvements in
children’s academic
achievement, self-regulation,
and social competence.
Good Behavior Game (GBG)
6-10
Universal
A classroom management strategy that is
designed to improve aggressive/disruptive
classroom behavior and prevent later
criminality. The program is implemented in
early elementary years to provide children with
the skills they need to respond to later, possibly
negative, life experiences and societal
influences. Children learn to monitor their own
behavior and conform to expectations in the
classroom.
(Substance abuse/Conduct problems)
Results indicate a significant
impact on aggressive behaviors,
with children seeming less
aggressive. In addition, children
were less likely to be diagnosed
with conduct disorder, be
suspended from school, and
deemed in need of mental health
services.
6-11
Universal
Child social skills training sessions are held
during the regular school day and are focused on
preventing aggressive and antisocial behaviors
in children. The program contains two distinct
segments. The first segment includes 1)
classroom instruction and discussions
surrounding specific social and problem-solving
skills, 2) skills practices in both small and large
group settings, 3) free play in the context of a
group cooperation game, and 4) review and
presentation of daily rewards. The second
segment includes the formal class problemsolving session and free play and rewards. The
curriculum is similar for all elementary students,
but different group exercise, delivery formats,
and content emphases can be modified to meet
the developmental level and issues based on
grade level.
(Conduct problems)
Results have shown that the
program decreases aggressive
behaviors with peers on the
playground.
Author(s): Barrish, H.H., Saunders, M, & Wold,
M.
Cost(s): Free
Ordering Information:
www.bpp.jhu.edu/publish/Manuals/gbg.html.
Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers
(LIFT)
Author(s): John Reid, Ph.D.
Cost(s): Contact Dr. Reid for more information.
Ordering Information: johnr@oslc.org;
www.oslc.org