The Resilient, Engaged, and Connected (REC) Study
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Project Details
The Resilient, Engaged, and Connected (REC) Study is a five-year NIH-funded study to rigorously evaluate the effects of a school-based program for supporting parents of Pre-K students on parent engagement and their children’s early learning and behavior. The study is being conducted in partnership with schools in Baltimore City and Cecil County Maryland.
We welcome parents of 4-or 5-year-old Pre-K students enrolled in one of 30 participating schools in Baltimore City or Cecil County Maryland and their children’s teachers. Parents must speak either English or Spanish to participate. Parents are being recruited at the start of the Pre-K academic year and will be asked to complete an initial survey and follow-up surveys around 5, 9, and 12 months later. Teachers will also complete surveys at the same time points. Some parents will be invited to participate in an evidence-based parenting program called the Chicago Parent Program. All parents and teachers will be compensated for participation.
What is the Chicago Parent Program?
The Chicago Parent Program is a 12-session group-based parenting program designed to support parents raising young children. Originally developed in Chicago, it is now implemented in schools nationwide. To support community ownership, some agencies have renamed the program to better align with the families they serve. For example, in Baltimore City, the program is called “ChiPP.” In Cecil County, it is called “Bringing Up Cecil.”
Funding
This study is funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and has been approved by the Institutional Review Boards (IRB) of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Baltimore City Public Schools.
Meet our team
Co-Directors
Dr. Debbie Gross
Dr. Debbie Gross is the Leonard and Helen Stulman Endowed Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and developer of the Chicago Parent Program. She is a child mental health nurse and parent advocate conducting research with families of young children for over 30 years. Debbie is best known for her work designing behavioral health interventions that support families of young children from low-income, underserved communities.
Dr. Amie Bettencourt
Dr. Amie Bettencourt is a child psychologist and Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her work focuses on integrating evidence-based programs into early education, schools, and primary care settings to promote children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health. She has been working to implement and evaluate the impacts of the Chicago Parent Program on parents, children, and schools since 2014.
Coordinators
Jennifer Bennett
Jennifer Bennett is a Senior Research Program Coordinator for the REC Study. She holds a master’s degree in elementary education and served as lead teacher for Baltimore City Public Schools for eight years. As the mother of two children, Jennifer is very involved in the local school communities, including serving on the PTA for six years. Jennifer coordinates parent and teacher recruitment in participating schools.
Nicole Fortune Hernandez
Nicole Fortune Hernandez is a Research Assistant for the REC Study. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public health, a master’s degree in health policy and management, and is currently pursuing a medical degree. She has served as a research assistant and has experience with cognitive behavioral interviewing. She also has worked in healthcare consulting and has had the opportunity to work collaboratively in many projects. She supports parent and teacher recruitment in participating Baltimore City schools.
Michelle Kessler
Michelle Kessler is a study coordinator for the REC Study. She is a licensed masters-prepared social worker in Maryland. Kessler brings professional experience in child welfare and community organization. She is excited about engaging with schools, teachers and families in the community. Michelle coordinates parent and teacher recruitment in participating schools.
Grace McIlmoyle
Grace McIlmoyle is a Research Assistant for the REC study. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biobehavioral health and a Master of Public Health. She hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. Grace serves as a Research Coordinator for Maryland Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care (BHIPP). Grace supports parent and teacher recruitment in participating schools.
Tiana Morel
Tiana Morel is a Research Assistant for the REC Study. She holds a bachelor’s degree in clinical counseling and is pursuing a master’s in clinical psychology. She has served as a Preschool Teacher Aid and the Family and Community Engagement Coordinator for Baltimore City Public Schools where she managed family and community engagement strategies. Tiana supports parent and teacher recruitment in participating schools.
Lily Stavisky
Lily Stavisky is a Research Coordinator recruiting parents and teachers in schools participating in the REC Study. She also serves as the Research Program Coordinator for the Supporting Resilient Families (SuRF) Study evaluating the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the Chicago Parent Program individualized for families in child mental health settings. Lily holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.
Collaborators
Dr. Susan Breitenstein
Dr. Susan Breitenstein is a Senior Associate Dean for Research and Innovation and professor at The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Her research focuses on improving the social and emotional well-being of parents and children. Her professional life has centered on family-focused behavioral and mental health promotion and prevention programs, specifically through parent training interventions.
Erin Cunningham
Erin Cunningham is Program Associate at the Fund for Educational Excellence and assists with coordination and management of the Chicago Parent Program (ChiPP) in Baltimore City Public Schools. Prior to joining the team at the Fund for Educational Excellence, Erin worked in city government supporting efforts to reduce community violence and support families impacted by intimate partner violence. Erin will be coordinating Chicago Parent Program (ChiPP) implementation in participating schools in Baltimore City.
Dr. Lieny Jeon
Dr. Lieny Jeon is the Jane Batten Bicentennial Associate Professor in the Department of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. She also serves as Director of Early Childhood Initiatives at the Baltimore Education Research Consortium. Her research focuses on early care and education, and the effect of neighborhoods on children’s lives
Dr. Nancy Perrin
Dr. Nancy Perrin is a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She is a methodologist and biostatistician with extensive experience in study design and analysis. Her areas of expertise include longitudinal study design and analysis, clustered data, psychometrics, and handling messy data that comes along with doing research in real-world settings.
Dr. Karen Shen
Dr. Karen Shen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a health economist. Her research has focused on the caregiving workforce and care for people with mental health-related disorders. Dr. Shen is leading the cost-effectiveness analysis for the REC Study.
Kwane Wyatt
Kwane Wyatt is the Analysis and Engagement Program Director at the Fund for Educational Excellence and manages implementation of the Chicago Parent Program (ChiPP) in Baltimore City Public Schools. Prior to joining the Fund, Kwane served as Career Placement Manager with NPower, a workforce development organization where he cultivated partnerships with the business community to support job preparation for young adults. Kwane will be coordinating ChiPP implementation in participating schools in Baltimore City.
Learn more about the REC Study
Contact Sequoia Jackson at [email protected].