This program is for children in elementary school and their parents living in neighborhoods with at-risk factors.

Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT), a school- and family-based program, is designed to prevent the development of conduct problems, such as antisocial behavior, involvement with delinquent peers, and drug and alcohol use.

A population-based randomized intervention trial found that, compared to the control group, children participating in the LIFT program were less aggressive on the playground and were rated by teachers as more positive. Mothers participating in the LIFT program were also found to interact less aversively toward their children. Intervention effects were strongest for children with the highest level of behavior problems and for mothers with the highest levels of aversive verbal behavior. At the 3-year follow-up, 5th graders participating in LIFT were significantly delayed in displaying problem behaviors and interacting with peers displaying behavior problems, and 1st graders were less likely to show an increase in severity of problem behaviors. At the 7-year follow-up, participants in LIFT were less likely to show an increase in rate of tobacco and illicit drug use especially for female participants.

LIFT intends to change child and parent behaviors, such as child oppositional, defiant, and antisocial behavior and parent discipline and monitoring practices, that can promote adolescent delinquent behavior. The program consists of the following three components:

• Classroom-based component includes 20 sessions, and each session contains four parts: classroom instruction and discussion on specific social and problem-solving skills, small and large group skills practice, group cooperation game played during free play, and review and presentation of daily rewards;
• Playground-based component consists of a modification of the Good Behavior Game* that focuses on positive peer relations and interactions on the playground. Children are placed into small groups and earn rewards for demonstrating problem-solving skills, prosocial behaviors, and ignoring disruptive and negative behaviors; and
• Group-delivered parent training component coincides with the child classroom-based and playground-based components and contains 10 to 15 families.  Parent sessions contain three parts: review of home practice activities from the previous week; lecture, discussion, and role-plays; and presentation of the home practice activities for the following week and prize drawings.

Videotaped scenarios are used to demonstrate skills.  Weekly LIFT newsletters, messages from teachers, and weekly contacts from the group facilitator are also used to enhance parent involvement.

* A separate Fact Sheet is available for this program.

LIFT was created in 1990 and has been implmented with classes from 12 schools that are located in neighborhoods with higher-than-average rates of juvenile crime in the Eugene/Springfield, OR area.

For information on training for facilitators, please contact Dr. J. Mark Eddy using details in the Contact section.

Considerations for implementing this program include offering parenting sessions in the evenings and providing prizes and free childcare to accommodate and encourage parent involvement; finding time to include classroom and playground components of program within existing curriculums; and receiving parent, teacher, and school administration buy-in.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing LIFT, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

The classroom-based component includes 20 1-hour sessions implemented over 10 weeks; the playground component includes the Good Behavior Game, which is played for 15 minutes during recess; the parent training component consists of 6-weekly, 2.5-hour sessions.

Information on implementation costs was not located.  Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.

To move the LIFT program to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one external evaluation must be conducted that demonstrates sustained, positive outcomes. This study must be conducted independently of the program developer.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact J. Mark Eddy, Ph.D., by mail Oregon Social Learning Center, 160 E. Fourth Ave., Eugene, OR 97401, phone 1-541-485-2711, email marke@oslc.org, or visit https://www.oslc.org/projects/linking-interests-families-teachers/

https://www.oslc.org/projects/linking-interests-families-teachers/; https://nationalgangcenter.ojp.gov/spt/Programs/91; https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/ratedprograms/191#ar; and Eddy, Reid, and Fetrow (2000)