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La Mesa-Spring Valley highlights Parent Empowerment Program to support young children and families
Summary
District staff said the Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) provides early-intervention support for children ages 3—6 and trains caregivers in evidence-based behavior strategies; the district said it co-funded launch with a federal mental-health grant and restricted federal dollars to increase longevity.
La Mesa-Spring Valley School District officials described a year-old Parent Empowerment Program that pairs young children with their caregivers to teach social-emotional and behavior skills aimed at reducing disruptive behaviors and supporting classroom success. The board heard a video and testimony from students, teachers and parents during a spotlight on Murray Manor Elementary and a dedicated program report.
"We're proud to be one of only two expansion sites in the nation," Chelsea Gould, the district9s coordinator of early intervention and mental health, told the board, saying the program draws on the Regional Intervention Program developed at Vanderbilt University. "Parents get training and strategies to limit their child's challenging behaviors while increasing the positive behaviors they want to see more of."
Gould described PEP as a research-based, two-way model in which children and caregivers attend sessions together. Children practice targeted skills in small classrooms while parents learn and practice the same strategies, sometimes observing through a two-way mirror while case managers coach from the other room. PEP serves children ages 3 through 6 and addresses issues including separation anxiety, emotional regulation and tantrums.
Board members asked for operational details. Gould said each rotation typically serves about six children and that the program, which operated Tuesday and Thursday, would expand to four days the following week to serve more families. She said the shortest enrollment is roughly three months and the average is about five to six months, with families remaining in the program as long as they need support. The district said PEP is currently housed at Loma Elementary School and serves families across the district.
A parent who participated in the program described improvements in her son's behavior and engagement in class, saying the child "is quite literally doing what I was doing when sitting there and reading or making sure that, oh, keep your hands to yourself." A classroom teacher told the board that PEP had renewed her enthusiasm for teaching and improved classroom dynamics.
Officials described funding strategies designed to preserve program continuity. The district said it used an initial federal mental-health grant and co-funded PEP with restricted federal dollars eligible for such a new program to avoid supplanting; administrators said they continue to seek targeted grants to sustain and expand services. "We wanted to try to be able to preserve at some level this establishment of this program so that there's a place for longevity," an administrator said.
The program9s early-intervention focus, administrators said, is intended to reduce long-term costs by helping children before they require more intensive special-education services. Board members expressed interest in longitudinal data to track outcomes as PEP students advance through the district.
The board did not take a separate vote on the PEP presentation; the item was informational. The district encouraged interested families and school staff to visit the Loma site and said it welcomes district and external visitors seeking to replicate the model.
