Parents Under Construction™ (which will frequently be referred to in this document by its previous name, Primary Prevention) has been extensively evaluated in sixteen separate, independently conducted research studies and found effective in:

1. teaching children parenting skills, and
2. positively impacting children’s attitudes regarding the use of mentally healthy discipline techniques, regardless of age, sex, socio-economic status, and race.

The most recent studies indicate:

1. knowledge gains and attitude remain at five-year follow-up
2. some students report greater empathic capacity after participating in the program
3. teachers implementing the program note improved student behavior
4. parents participating in parent/child program activities overwhelmingly approve of the Parents Under Construction Program

The following is an overview of research conducted to date.

• 1991-92: INITIAL PILOT STUDY
• 1994-95: Teaching Children To Be Parents: An Evaluation of The Primary Prevention Program
• 1995-96: Teaching Children To Be Parents: An Evaluation of the Primary Prevention Program For Grades Kindergarten Through Three
• 1996-97: 7-12th Grade Primary Prevention Program Re-Evaluation Study
• 1997: Spanish Primary Prevention Program Fall 1997 Study
• 1998: Program Evaluation of the 4-6th Grade Spanish Primary Prevention Program.
• 1998: Results From Pilot Testing of Primary Prevention Program Preschool Curriculum
• 1999: An Evaluation of The Primary Prevention Program and Its Relation to Empathy and Pro-social Behavior
• 1999: Program Evaluation Results of the Pre-Kindergarten Primary Prevention Program (now called Parents Under Construction)
• 2000: Teaching Children and Their Parents Parenting Skills: A Continuing Evaluation of the Parents Under Construction Program K-3rd Grade Parent/Child Curriculum
• 2000: Teaching Children Parenting Skills: An Interim Evaluation of the Parents Under Construction Program 4-6th Grade and 7-12 Grade at One Year
• 2001: Teaching Children and Their Parents Parenting Skills: A Preliminary Evaluation of the Parents Under Construction Program K-3rd Grade Parent/Child Curriculum /English and Spanish
• 2001: Teaching Children and Their Parents Parenting Skills: A Preliminary Evaluation of the Parents Under Construction Program 4-6th Grade Parent/Child Curriculum
• 2001: Teaching Children Parenting Skills: A Final Evaluation of the Parents Under Construction Program 4-6th Grade and 7-12 Grade at One Year
• 2002: Teaching Children Parenting Skills: A Final Evaluation of the Parents Under Construction Program 7-12 Curriculum and Parent Intervention Component
• 2005: Teaching Children Parenting Skills: May 2005 follow-up study of students receiving the parents under construction program in 2000-2001.

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