Promoting Healthy Child Development

Since the 1970’s, ORI researchers have studied the factors that lead to children’s social and academic success, as well as what leads to problem behaviors such as substance use, delinquency, and school failure. These ORI scientists partner with parents, schools, and communities to develop, adapt, implement, and test evidence-based programs to improve child outcomes and prevent the onset of problem behaviors.
Current Research
Fostering Social and Academic Success in School and Community Settings
Many factors influence how well a child does in school. ORI scientists are studying many of these factors by designing and testing effective reading and math curricula, researching the most effective way to teach children appropriate social behavior, and working with school staff to ensure that the school climate promotes academic and social excellence.
Current ProjectsMore
- Building a Flexible and Comprehensive Approach to Supporting Student Development of Whole Number Understanding
- Examining the Efficacy of Friends on the Block: An Intensive Early Literacy Intervention for Elementary Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disability
- Motivational Interviewing Skills for Coaching
- Social and Emotional Learning Study Groups for Educators of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
- Evaluation of We Have Choices, an Upper-Elementary Self-Management Program
- Malleable Instructional Factors for Beginning Word Reading
- Efficacy of Enhanced First Step to Success Intervention for Tertiary-Level Students with Disruptive Behavior
- Preschool First Step to Success: An Efficacy Replication Study
- Parents Plus: Language Coach
- BEST in CLASS Web: A Web-based Intervention Supporting Early Childhood Teachers' Use of Evidence-based Practices with Young Children at Risk for Emotional/Behavioral Disorders
- Alphabet Instruction Details for At-Risk Preschool Children
- Project MAPS: Mapping Non-Response to Math Interventions
- Stepping Up KinderTEK: Expanding Early Math Instruction for Students with Disabilities
- Project ReACT: Neutralizing the Effects of Implicit Bias on Racial Disproportionality in School Discipline
- Evaluation of the KinderTEK iPad Math Program
- The STELLAR Project: Phase 2: Strategies for Technology Enhanced Learning and Literacy Through Art
- An Investigation of Direct Instruction Spoken English for At-Risk English Learners
- Internet Implementation of Empirically-Supported Interventions that can be Remotely Delivered in Authentic Preschool Programs for Mothers and Teachers: Evaluation of Direct Child and Teacher Outcomes
- Precision Math: Using Interactive Gaming Technology to Build Student Proficiency in the Foundational Concepts and Problem Solving Skills of Management and Data Analysis
- A Randomized Control Trial of a Tier 2 Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention
- Ecological Approach to Family Intervention and Treatment (EcoFIT) Integrated with PBS: An Effectiveness Trial in Middle School
- Efficacy Trial of Carescapes: Promoting Social Development in Home-based Child Care
- Efficacy Trials of Early Learning In Mathematics (K-Math)
- Enhancing Core Reading Instruction in First Grade (ECRI): Implementing a System of Multi-Tiered Instruction and Data-Based Decision Making through Advanced Professional Development
- Online School Staff Training: Establishing Positive Behavior Support in Elementary School Instructional Settings
- Reducing Teacher Stress & Building a More Effective School Culture
- Student Self-Management System
- Ecological Momentary Assessment of Peer Affiliation, Perceptions, and Behavior
- Adolescent Peer Social Network Dynamics and Problem Behavior
- Interactive Multimedia Training Program for First Step to Success Intervention
- A Web Based Professional Development Program for Child Care Providers
- Efficacy of Supplemental Early Vocabulary Connections Instruction for English Language Learners
- Expanding the Reach of Evidence-Based Interventions for Improving Social-Emotional Outcomes for Infants in Child Care
- First Step: Home/School Intervention for Preschoolers with Disruptive Behaviors
- Translating Effective Maltreatment Intervention into the Community
Parenting and Family Strengthening for Healthy Child Development
Research shows that children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health outcomes improve when parents provide skilled and loving support and are actively involved in their children’s lives. Research also shows that evidence-based parenting programs help parents improve their parenting skills. ORI researchers have identified, developed, and studied several effective parenting programs and are leaders in working toward widespread adoption of these practices.
Current ProjectsMore
- Integrated Smart Speaker/Mobile Application to Promote Positive Parenting among Caregivers of Youth with Challenging Behaviors
- The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Substance Use, Mental Health, and Service Utilization in the Early Steps Multisite Longitudinal Sample
- Media-enhanced Technology for Promoting the Behavioral Health and Family Relationships of Typically Developing Young Siblings
- Multi-media Professional Development for Parenting Educators to Deliver Oral Hygiene Education for Parents of Young Children
- Preventing Substance Use in the Context of Poverty: Risk and Protection from Early Childhood to Early Adulthood
- Coach Facilitated Mobile Parent-Training program for Women with Cognitive Delays who are Mothers of Infants
- Utilizing Smart Speaker Technology to Deliver Parenting Education Support to Parents of Young Children
- Your Strength, Your Baby: Reducing Maternal Depression and Promoting Infant Social-Emotional Health and Development
- Multi-Media Parent-Based Intervention to Promote Dental Hygiene Among Young Children: BeReady2Smile
- Online vs Staff Delivery: Child & Family Outcomes, Cost Analysis and Satisfaction
- Evaluating an Online Parenting Support System Disseminated by Pediatric Practices
- The ProGirls Study
- A Mobile Web-Based Parenting Intervention to Strengthen Social-Emotional Development of Very Low Birth Weight Infants
- Online Parent Training for Children with Behavior Disorders
- Improving Access to Early Parent Education and Support
- Internet-Based Fidelity Enhancement of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care
Promoting Positive Youth Development through Healthy Communities
ORI researchers are helping community leaders provide youth with the best possible environment for growing up healthy and happy. ORI was instrumental in helping Oregon towns and cities with the promotion of anti-tobacco, pro-social activities. ORI researchers work with students, teachers, parents, and community leaders to find solutions to such issues as delinquency; underage access to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs; poor nutrition; physical inactivity; unsafe neighborhoods, and health disparities.
Current ProjectsMore
- Predictors of Positive Adaptation in High Risk and Trauma Impacted Youth: The Role of Executive Function and Regulation
- READY for WAGES: Research on Employment of Adjudicated Youth through Working at Gaining Social Skills Curriculum
- Peer Influence and Selection Mechanisms Underlying Adolescent Problem Behaviors
- Social-Spatial Risk and Protective Mechanisms in Urban Adolescent Substance Use
- Communities and Schools Together for Childhood Obesity Prevention - CAST
- Identifying, Mediating and Moderating Mechanisms to Address Outcomes Associated with Poverty for Adolescents with Disabilities: Secondary Analysis of Data from the NLTS2