Common Sense Parenting® – School Age
Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) – School Age is a group-based parent training class designed for parents of children ages 6–16. The program aims to teach positive parenting techniques to strengthen the parent-child bond, and behavior management strategies to help increase positive child behaviors, decrease child problem behaviors, and model appropriate options to address child behaviors.
Trainers deliver CSP – School Age in six structured sessions that teach parents about: (1) appropriate child discipline strategies, (2) effective praise, (3) social skills, (4) appropriate responses to and alternative options to address problem behavior, (5) strategies to manage strong emotions and remain calm, and (6) how to develop parenting styles that will improve parent-child relationships. In each session, trainers review the prior session, and instruct parents in new skills, model strategies, provide feedback on skill practice, and summarize the lesson. Between sessions, parents complete homework and practice activities.
CSP – School Age is rated as a promising practice because at least one study achieved a rating of moderate or high on study design and execution and demonstrated a favorable effect on a target outcome.
Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed: Apr 2023
Sources
The program or service description, target population, and program or service delivery and implementation information were informed by the following sources: the program or service manual, the program or service developer’s website, the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare, and the studies reviewed.
This information does not necessarily represent the views of the program or service developers. For more information on how this program or service was reviewed, visit the Review Process page or download the Handbook.
Target Population
CSP – School Age is designed for parents of children ages 6–16.
Dosage
Trainers deliver six weekly 2-hour CSP – School Age sessions in-person to groups of 8–10 parents.
Location/Delivery Setting
Recommended Locations/Delivery Settings
Trainers can deliver CSP – School Age in-person in school settings, community-based organizations, and hospitals.
Location/Delivery Settings Observed in the Research
- Community Center (e.g., religious or recreational facility)
Education, Certifications and Training
Trainers must have at least an associate degree in Human Services or Behavioral Sciences or 2 years of direct service or training experience.
Trainers must complete a 3-day training workshop, either online or in-person. During workshops, trainers lead role play activities, discussions, feedback sessions, and video demonstrations.
Program or Service Documentation
Book/Manual/Available documentation used for review
Burke, R., Herron, R., & Barnes, B. A. (2015). Common Sense Parenting®: Using your head as well as your heart to raise school-aged children: Trainer guide (4th ed.). Boys Town Press.
Available languages
CSP – School Age materials are available in English, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, and Spanish.
Other supporting materials
Burke, R., Herron, R., & Barnes, B. A. (2015). Common Sense Parenting®: Using your head as well as your heart to raise school-aged children (4th ed.). Boys Town Press.
Burke, R., Herron, R., & Barnes, B. A. (2015). Common Sense Parenting®: Using your head as well as your heart to raise school-aged children: Parent workbook (4th ed.). Boys Town Press.
For More Information
Website: https://www.boystown.org/parenting/Pages/common-sense-parenting.aspx
Phone: (800) 545-5771
Email: training@boystown.org
Note: The details on Dosage; Location; Education, Certifications, and Training; Other Supporting Materials; and For More Information sections above are provided to website users for informational purposes only. This information is not exhaustive and may be subject to change.
| Results of Search and Review | Number of Studies Identified and Reviewed for Common Sense Parenting® – School Age |
|---|---|
| Identified in Search | 10 |
| Eligible for Review | 2 |
| Rated High | 0 |
| Rated Moderate | 1 |
| Rated Low | 1 |
| Reviewed Only for Risk of Harm | 0 |
| Outcome | Effect Size
 and Implied Percentile Effect
|
N of Studies (Findings) | N of Participants | Summary of Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child well-being: Behavioral and emotional functioning |
0.20
7 |
1 (2) | 66 |
Favorable:
0 No Effect: 2 Unfavorable: 0 |
| Adult well-being: Family functioning |
0.70
25 |
1 (1) | 66 |
Favorable:
1 No Effect: 0 Unfavorable: 0 |
Note: For the effect sizes and implied percentile effects reported in the table, a positive number favors the intervention group and a negative number favors the comparison group.
| Outcome | Effect Size
and Implied Percentile Effect
|
N of Studies (Findings) | N of Participants | Summary of Findings |
Months after treatment when outcome measured
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child well-being: Behavioral and emotional functioning |
0.20
7 |
1 (2) | 66 |
Favorable:
0 No Effect: 2 Unfavorable: 0 |
- |
| Thompson, 1996 | |||||
| Child Behavior Checklist: Internalizing |
0.11
4 |
- | 66 | - | 0 |
| Child Behavior Checklist: Externalizing |
0.29
11 |
- | 66 | - | 0 |
| Adult well-being: Family functioning |
0.70
25 |
1 (1) | 66 |
Favorable:
1 No Effect: 0 Unfavorable: 0 |
- |
| Thompson, 1996 | |||||
| Family Satisfaction Scale |
0.70
*
25 |
- | 66 | - | 0 |
*p <.05
Note: For the effect sizes and implied percentile effects reported in the table, a positive number favors the intervention group and a negative number favors the comparison group. Effect sizes and implied percentile effects were calculated by the Prevention Services Clearinghouse as described in the Handbook of Standards and Procedures, Section 5.10.4 and may not align with effect sizes reported in individual publications.
Only publications with eligible contrasts that met design and execution standards are included in the individual study findings table.
Full citations for the studies shown in the table are available in the "Studies Reviewed" section.
Studies Rated Moderate
Study 14251Thompson, R. W., Ruma, P. R., Schuchmann, L. E., & Burke, R. V. (1996). A cost-effectiveness evaluation of parent training. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 5(4), 415-429. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02233863
Studies Rated Low
Study 14247Mason, W. A., Fleming, C. B., Ringle, J. L., Thompson, R. W., Haggerty, K. P., & Snyder, J. J. (2015). Reducing risks for problem behaviors during the high school transition: Proximal outcomes in the Common Sense Parenting trial. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(9), 2568-2578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0059-5
Fleming, C. B., Mason, W. A., Haggerty, K. P., Thompson, R. W., Fernandez, K., Casey-Goldstein, M., & Oats, R. G. (2015). Predictors of participation in parenting workshops for improving adolescent behavioral and mental health: Results from the Common Sense Parenting trial. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 36(2), 105-118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-015-0386-3
Mason, W. A., Fleming, C. B., Gross, T. J., Thompson, R. W., Parra, G. R., Haggerty, K. P., & Snyder, J. J. (2016a). Randomized trial of parent training to prevent adolescent problem behaviors during the high school transition. Journal of Family Psychology, 30(8), 944-954. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000204
Mason, W. A., January, S. A. A., Fleming, C. B., Thompson, R. W., Parra, G. R., Haggerty, K. P., & Snyder, J. J. (2016b). Parent training to reduce problem behaviors over the transition to high school: Tests of indirect effects through improved emotion regulation skills. Children and Youth Services Review, 61, 176-183. https://doi.org/0.1016/j.childyouth.2015.12.022
Fleming, C. B., Mason, W. A., Thompson, R. W., Haggerty, K. P., & Gross, T. J. (2016). Child and parent report of parenting as predictors of substance use and suspensions from school. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 36(5), 625-645. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431615574886
This study received a low rating because baseline equivalence of the intervention and comparison groups was necessary and not demonstrated.Studies Not Eligible for Review
Study 14249
Sternhagen, T., Schumacher, H., Ferrell, K., & Willman, A. (2020). Parenting children with ADHD. South Dakota Medicine, 73(7), 296-304. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32805778/
This study is ineligible for review because it does not use an eligible study design (Study Eligibility Criterion 4.1.4).
Study 14250
Thompson, R. W., Burke, R. V., Daly, D. L., & Ruma, P. (1992, August 14-18). Multiple effects of Boys Town's parent training program: Initial results [Paper presentation]. The 100th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, United States. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED352572.pdf
This study is ineligible for review because it does not use an eligible publication source (Study Eligibility Criterion 4.1.2).
Study 14252
Thompson, R. W., Ruma, P. R., Brewster, A. L., Besetsney, L. K., & Burke, R. V. (1997). Evaluation of an Air Force child physical abuse prevention project using the reliable change index. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 6(4), 421-434. https://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1025093328618
This study is ineligible for review because it is not a study of the program or service under review (Study Eligibility Criterion 4.1.6).
Study 14253
Thompson, R. W., Grow, C. R., Ruma, P. R., Daly, D. L., & Burke, R. V. (1993). Evaluation of a practical parenting program with middle- and low-income families. Family Relations, 42(1), 21-25. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/584916
This study is ineligible for review because it is not a study of the program or service under review (Study Eligibility Criterion 4.1.6).
Study 14254
Ruma, P. R., Burke, R. V., & Thompson, R. W. (1996). Group parent training: Is it effective for all ages? Behavior Therapy, 27(2), 159-169. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(96)80012-8
Dishion, T. J., & Patterson, G. R. (1992). Age effects in parent training outcome. Behavior Therapy, 23(4), 719-729. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(05)80231-X
This study is ineligible for review because it is not a study of the program or service under review (Study Eligibility Criterion 4.1.6).
Study 14308
Griffith, A. K. (2010). The use of a behavioral parent training program for parents of adolescents. The Journal of At-Risk Issues, 15(2), 1-8. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ942866
This study is ineligible for review because it does not use an eligible study design (Study Eligibility Criterion 4.1.4).
Study 14310
Duppong-Hurley, K., Hoffman, S., Barnes, B., & Oats, R. (2016). Perspectives on engagement barriers and alternative delivery formats from non-completers of a community-run parenting program. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25, 545-552. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0253-0
This study is ineligible for review because it does not use an eligible study design (Study Eligibility Criterion 4.1.4).
Study 14313
Friman, P. C., Soper, S. H., Thompson, R. W., & Daly, D. L. (1993). Do children from community-based parent training programs have clinically significant behavior problems? Journal of Community Psychology, 21(1), 56-63. http://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6629(199301)21:1%3C56::AID-JCOP2290210107%3E3.0.CO;2-N
This study is ineligible for review because it is not a study of the program or service under review (Study Eligibility Criterion 4.1.6).