IMPROVING DISADVANTAGED FAMILIES' EDUCATIONAL SKILLS: CHANGES IN CHILDREN AND CAREGIVERS '

Summary.-The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects for three famiLies, each with a fifth-gade child at risk, of training in skills such as communicating with teachers and administrators, providing a quiet place for their child to work, and praising their child's appropriate changes in academic and social behaviors. The caregivers were trained by a university smdent in these skills and evaluated in an AB time series design. All three families showed increased involvement in the school. Two of the three children improved performance both at school and at home. Schools and persons in the community may assist students at risk by training parents in educational skds designed to help children complete work at school and at home and to increase the parents' contacts with the schools (Vacha & McLaughlin, 1992, 1993). The present study evaluated the effectiveness of training families with fifth-grade children who were at risk for school failure. Three 10-yt-old children, two mothers, and one grandmother participated. Each child had been identified by the fifth grade teacher as being at risk for school failure on the basis of classroom behavior, academic performance, and home environment. In two families on public assistance, fathers were terminally ill and not at home. In the third family a grandmother was raising a child with fetal alcohol syndrome. Weekly home and school visits were made to follow-up each week's activities. The objectives of home visits were to help caregivers learn to seek answers concerning the children's school performance and to help design home programs to aid parents in establishing control of children's behaviors. Target behaviors selected by these caregivers included homework completion, chore completion, showing consideration for other students, and helping each other in the classroom. Each task was individualized and consequences (books and materials that could be used to reward the children) were provided caregivers. At the end of each day, the student and caregiver and the student and teacher reviewed and graphed each child's perfoi-ma~ce. During baseline, Child 1 completed 50.0% of the homework and Children 2 and 3 0.0%. After two visits, Child 1 completed 96.4% of his homework, and Child 2 completed 71.0% of his homework. After Week 3, Child 3 completed no homework assignments. Baseline data for completion