Common Sense Parenting® (CSP)
About This Program
Target Population: Parents and other caregivers of children ages 6-16 years
For parents/caregivers of children ages: 6 – 16
Program Overview
Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) is a group-based class for parents comprised of 6 weekly, 2-hour sessions led by a credentialed trainer who focuses on teaching practical skills to increase children's positive behavior, decrease negative behavior, and model appropriate alternative behavior. Each class is formatted to include a review of the prior session, instruction of the new skill, modeled examples, skill practice/feedback, and a summary.
Program Goals
The goals of Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) are:
- Equip parents with a logical method for changing their children's behaviors through teaching positive behaviors, social skills, and methods to reduce stress in crisis situations
- Provide parents with practical strategies for enhancing parent-child communication and building robust family relationships
Logic Model
View the Logic Model for Common Sense Parenting® (CSP).
Essential Components
The essential components of Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) include:
- A group/class format with a recommended size of 8-10 parents per group
- A class curriculum that is formatted to include a review of the prior session including homework, instruction of the new skill, modeled examples, skill practice/feedback, and a summary.
- Course components that are organized as follows:
- Session 1 – Parents are Teachers
- Effective discipline
- Describing children's behaviors
- Using consequences to change behaviors
- Session 2 – Encouraging Good Behavior
- Giving kids reasons
- Using Effective Praise to increase positive behaviors
- Session 3 – Preventing Problems
- Teaching social skills to children
- Using Preventive Teaching to set children up for success
- Session 4 – Correcting Problem Behavior
- Staying calm
- Using Corrective Teaching to stop problem behaviors and teach alternative behaviors
- Session 5 – Teaching Self-Control
- Developing a Safe Home Plan
- Using Teaching Self-Control when children are not cooperating or are having an emotional outburst
- Session 6 – Putting it all Together
- Holding family meetings
- Establishing family routines and traditions
- Developing a parenting plan for using all the CSP skills
Program Delivery
Parent/Caregiver Services
Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) directly provides services to parents/caregivers and addresses the following:
- Parenting challenges, especially with youth who have behavior problems
Recommended Intensity:
One 2-hour weekly session
Recommended Duration:
6 weeks
Delivery Settings
This program is typically conducted in a(n):
- Community Daily Living Setting
- Hospital
- Community-based Agency / Organization / Provider
- School Setting (Including: Day Care, Day Treatment Programs, etc.)
Homework
Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) includes a homework component:
Parents receive homework at each session in the form of activity worksheets, which help them practice and think about the concepts learned in class. They are instructed to remember examples of their attempts to practice the skills at home. Both the worksheets and personal examples are reviewed at the next session.
Languages
Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) has materials available in languages other than English:
Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish
For information on which materials are available in these languages, please check on the program's website or contact the program representative (contact information is listed at the bottom of this page).
Resources Needed to Run Program
The typical resources for implementing the program are:
- Computer with Office 2010 or greater
- Windows Media Player
- Projector
- Speakers or sound system
- Credentialed trainers and program materials
- Enough space for 8 - 10 parents to meet with the trainer
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- On-call contract support for hearing impaired parents
Manuals and Training
Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications
Minimum qualifications for Parent Trainer are:
- Associates degree in Human Services or Behavioral Sciences or two years of direct service or training experience
- Successful completion of the CSP Authorized Parent Trainer workshop
- Provide own transportation to complete travel requirements
- Available to work flexible hours, including weekends and evenings
Manual Information
There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.
Program Manual(s)
Burke, R., Herron, R., & Barnes, B. (2015). Common Sense Parenting® (4th ed.): Using your head as well as your heart to raise school-aged children. can be ordered through the Boys Town Press at https://www.boystownpress.org/ or 800-282-6657.
The Common Sense Parenting® Fourth-Edition-Using Your Head as Well as Your Heart to Raise School-Aged Children Trainer Guide is available by completing the Common Sense Parenting® Authorized Parent Trainer workshop. To register, visit https://boystowntraining.org/ or 800-282-6657.
Training Information
There is training available for this program.
Training Contact:
- Susan Lamke
Boys Town
www.boystowntraining.org/parenting.html
susan.lamke@boystown.org
phone: (531) 355-1477
Training Type/Location:
Training is provided by the National Training department at the Boys Town Home Campus located in Boys Town, Nebraska. Staff members from other Boys Town sites, such as Boys Town Nevada, receive their training at Home Campus in Nebraska. Four training methods are used to ensure that the program is implemented as designed:
- First, extensive training sessions for trainers (i.e., interventionists/workshop leaders) emphasizes:
- Instruction in effective skills and practices
- Demonstration of effective skills and practices
- Practice with parenting skills
- Feedback on practice efforts and training processes
- Ongoing coaching by Boys Town staff
- Second, interventionists work through the program's training package, which includes a textbook, trainer guide, parent workbook, and flash drive with 6 prescribed presentations and 67 vignettes that model correct and incorrect ways of using the skills.
- Third, all interventionists complete a three-day training program related to implementation of the program.
- Fourth, program replication efforts include training in the use of program fidelity assessments.
Number of days/hours:
3-day training program (approximately 24 hours)
Additional Resources:
There currently are additional qualified resources for training:
For Common Sense Parenting materials, including books and DVDs, contact:
- Boys Town Press
email: btpress@boystown.org
phone: 1-800-282-6657
https://boystowntraining.org/
Implementation Information
Pre-Implementation Materials
There are no pre-implementation materials to measure organizational or provider readiness for Common Sense Parenting® (CSP).
Formal Support for Implementation
There is formal support available for implementation of Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) as listed below:
Formal Support is available through Boys Town National Training. Contact Susan Lamke, Director National Training, at Susan.Lamke@boystown.org or (531) 355-1477 for more information.
Fidelity Measures
There are fidelity measures for Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) as listed below:
Fidelity of training is assessed through direct observation or video review of class session using Common Sense Parenting® Model Fidelity Instrument.
Established Psychometrics:
Oats, R. G., Cross, W. F., Alex Mason, W., Casey-Goldstein, M., Thompson, R. W., Hanson, K., & Haggerty, K. P. (2014). Implementation assessment of widely used but understudied prevention programs: An illustration from the Common Sense Parenting trial. Evaluation and Program Planning, 44, 89–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2014.02.002
Implementation Guides or Manuals
There are implementation guides or manuals for Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) as listed below:
Implementation Guides are used for the Authorized Instructor process, the Authorized Parent Trainer process, and service delivery and parent trainer requirements.
These tools are not publically available. Contact Susan Lamke, Director of National Training at susan.lamke@boystown.org or 531-355-1477 for more information or check online at https://boystowntraining.org/parenting.html or https://www.boystown.org/parenting/Pages/common-sense-parenting.aspx
Implementation Cost
There have been studies of the costs of implementing Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) which are listed below:
Thompson, R. W., Ruma, P. R., Schuchmann, L. F., & Burke, R. V. (1996). A cost-effectiveness evaluation of parent training. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 5, 415–429. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02233863
Research on How to Implement the Program
Research has been conducted on how to implement Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) as listed below:
Gross, T. J., Mason, W. A., Parra, G. F., Ringle, J., Oats, R. G., & Haggerty, K. P. (2015). Adherence and dosage contributions to parenting program quality. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 6(4), 467–489. https://doi.org/10.1086/684108
Mason, W. A., Fleming, C. B., Thompson, R. W., Haggerty, K. P., & Snyder, J. J. (2014). A framework for testing and promoting expanded dissemination of promising preventive interventions that are being implemented in community settings. Prevention Science, 15(5), 674–683. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-013-0409-3
Oats, R. G., Cross, W. F., Mason, W. A., Casey-Goldstein, M., Thompson, R. W., Hanson, K., & Haggerty, K. P. (2014). Implementation assessment of widely used but understudied prevention programs: An illustration from the Common Sense Parenting trial. Evaluation and Program Planning, 44, 89–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2014.02.002
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research
Child Welfare Outcome: Child/Family Well-Being
Mason, W. A., Fleming, C. B., Ringle, J. L., Thompson, R. W., Haggerty, K. P., & Snyder-Griffith, J. J. (2015). Reducing risks for problem behaviors during the high school transition: Proximal outcomes in the Common Sense Parenting trial. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24, 2568–2578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0059-5
Type of Study:
Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants:
321 families
Population:
- Age — Parents: Mean=40 years; Adolescents: Mean=13 years
- Race/Ethnicity — Parents: 48% Caucasian/White, 26% African American, 9% Hispanic/Latino, 7% Mixed or Other, 4% Asian American, 4% Pacific Islander, and 2% Native American; Adolescents: Not specified
- Gender — Parents: 83% Female; Adolescents: 53% Female
- Status — Participants were parents and children recruited from 8th grade junior high school.
Location/Institution: Tacoma, Washington
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to test Common Sense Parenting (CSP), in its standard form and in a modified form known as CSP Plus, with low-income 8th graders and their families during the high school transition. Participants were randomly allocated to CSP, CSP Plus, or minimal-contact control conditions. Measures utilized include the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) and the Social Competence Scale-Parent (PCOMP-P). Results indicate that CSP and CSP Plus had statistically significant effects on increased parent-reported child emotion regulation skills. CSP Plus showed a statistically significant effect on increased parent perceptions of their adolescent being prepared for high school, but only in a model that excluded the CSP condition. Neither program had a significant proximal effect on parenting practices. Additionally, CSP Plus showed some limited signs of added value for preparing families for the high school transition. Limitations include the reliability of self-reported measures, statistically significant intervention effect sizes were not large in magnitude, and the length of follow-up.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: Approximately 6 months.
Fleming, C. B., Mason, W. A., Haggerty, K. P., Thompson, R. W., Fernandez, K., Casey-Goldstein, M., & Oats, R. G. (2015). Predictors of participation in parenting workshops for improving adolescent behavioral and mental health: Results from the Common Sense Parenting trial. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 36(2), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-015-0386-3
Type of Study:
Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants:
321 families
Population:
- Age — Parents: Mean=40 years; Adolescents: Mean=13 years
- Race/Ethnicity — Parents: 48% Caucasian/White, 26% African American, 9% Hispanic/Latino, 7% Mixed or Other, 4% Asian American, 4% Pacific Islander, and 2% Native American; Adolescents: Not specified
- Gender — Parents: 83% Female; Adolescents: 53% Female
- Status — Participants were parents and children recruited from 8th grade junior high school.
Location/Institution: Tacoma, Washington
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Mason et al. (2015). The purpose of the study was to examine predictors of engagement and retention in a group-based family intervention across two versions of the program: Common Sense Parenting (CSP), a standard version requiring only parent attendance for six sessions, and CSP Plus, an adapted version with two additional sessions that required attendance by the son or daughter. Participants were randomly allocated to CSP, CSP Plus, or minimal-contact control conditions. Measures utilized include the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) and the Social Competence Scale-Parent (PCOMP-P). Results indicate that CSP Plus had a higher rate of engagement than CSP, a difference that was statistically significant after adjusting for other variables assessed at enrollment in the study. Higher household income and parent education, younger student age, and poorer affective quality in the parent–child relationship predicted greater likelihood of initial attendance. In CSP Plus, parents of boys were more likely to engage with the program than those of girls. The variables considered did not strongly predict retention, although retention was higher among parents of boys. Retention did not significantly differ between conditions. There was no support for the concern that asking children of parents to attend workshops might decrease engagement. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures, generalizability of the findings being limited by the community sample taking part in an evaluation of a preventive intervention, and lack of follow-up.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.
Fleming, C. B., Mason, W. A., Thompson, R. W., Haggerty, K. P., & Gross, T. J. (2015). Child and parent report of parenting as predictors of substance use and suspensions from school. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 36(5), 625–645. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431615574886
Type of Study:
Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants:
321 families
Population:
- Age — Parents: Mean=40 years; Adolescents: Mean=13 years
- Race/Ethnicity — Parents: 48% Caucasian/White, 26% African American, 9% Hispanic/Latino, 7% Mixed or Other, 4% Asian American, 4% Pacific Islander, and 2% Native American; Adolescents: Not specified
- Gender — Parents: 83% Female; Adolescents: 53% Female
- Status — Participants were parents and children recruited from 8th grade junior high school.
Location/Institution: Tacoma, Washington
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Mason et al. (2015). The purpose of the study was to utilize Common Sense Parenting (CSP) to examine how child and parent reports of parenting were related to early adolescent substance use and school suspensions. Participants were randomly allocated to CSP, CSP Plus, or minimal-contact control conditions. Measures utilized include the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) and the Social Competence Scale-Parent (PCOMP-P). Results indicate that relationships between measures of parenting and adolescent problem behavior outcomes are not uniform across reporters or across behaviors and that, in some cases, the discrepancies between child and parent reports may be important. Both parent and child reports of overall better family management practices had unadjusted associations with less substance use, but only child-report predicted substance use when both measures were considered together and use at baseline was controlled. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures, generalizability of the findings being limited by the community sample taking part in an evaluation of a preventive intervention, and lack of follow-up.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.
Mason, W. A., January, S. A. A., Fleming, C. B., Thompson, R. W., Parra, G. R., Haggerty, K. P., & Snyder, J. J. (2016). Parent training to reduce problem behaviors over the transition to high school: Tests of indirect effects through improved emotion regulation skills. Children and Youth Services Review, 61, 176–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.12.022
Type of Study:
Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants:
321 families
Population:
- Age — Parents: Mean=40 years; Adolescents: Mean=13 years
- Race/Ethnicity — Parents: 48% Caucasian/White, 26% African American, 9% Hispanic/Latino, 7% Mixed or Other, 4% Asian American, 4% Pacific Islander, and 2% Native American; Adolescents: Not specified
- Gender — Parents: 83% Female; Adolescents: 53% Female
- Status — Participants were parents and children recruited from 8th grade junior high school.
Location/Institution: Tacoma, Washington
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Mason et al. (2015). The purpose of the study was to utilize Common Sense Parenting (CSP) to examine reduced substance use, conduct problems, and school suspensions through previously identified short-term improvements in parents' reports of their children's emotion regulation skills. Participants were randomly allocated to CSP, CSP Plus, or minimal-contact control conditions. Measures utilized include the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Social Competence Scale-Parent (PCOMP-P). Results indicate that when compared to the control group, no direct effects of CSP on adolescent problem behaviors were found at 1-year and 2-year follow-ups and no direct effects of CSP on parenting were found at posttreatment, 1-year, and 2-year follow-ups. CSP did have statistically significant indirect effects on reduced substance use (1-year follow-up), conduct problems (2-year follow-up), and school suspensions (1- and 2-year follow-up) through improved parent-reported child emotion regulation skills at posttest. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures, generalizability of the findings is limited by the community sample taking part in an evaluation of a preventive intervention, and intervention condition families were offered an incentive to participate in the program.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 1 and 2 years.
Mason, W. A., Fleming, C. B., Gross, T. J., Thompson, R. W., Parra, G. J., Haggerty, K. P., & Snyder, J. J. (2016). Randomized trial of parent training to prevent adolescent problem behaviors during the high school transition. Journal of Family Psychology, 30(8), 944–954. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000204
Type of Study:
Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants:
321 families
Population:
- Age — Parents: Mean=40 years; Adolescents: Mean=13 years
- Race/Ethnicity — Parents: 48% Caucasian/White, 26% African American, 9% Hispanic/Latino, 7% Mixed or Other, 4% Asian American, 4% Pacific Islander, and 2% Native American; Adolescents: Not specified
- Gender — Parents: 83% Female; Adolescents: 53% Female
- Status — Participants were parents and children recruited from 8th grade junior high school.
Location/Institution: Tacoma, Washington
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Mason et al. (2015). The purpose of the study was to test the efficacy of Common Sense Parenting (CSP) with low-income 8th graders and their families to support a positive transition to high school. Participants were randomly allocated to CSP, CSP Plus, or minimal-contact control conditions. Measures utilized include the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ), the Parent-Child Affective Quality (PCAQ), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Conduct Problems Scale, and the Social Competence Scale. Results indicate that out of 52 regression models predicting 1- and 2-year follow-up outcomes, only 2 out of 104 possible intervention effects were statistically significant. No statistically significant intervention effects were found in the growth curve analyses. Tests of moderation also showed few statistically significant effects. Because CSP already is in widespread use, findings have direct implications for practice. Specifically, findings suggest that the program may not be efficacious with parents of adolescents in a selective prevention context and may reveal the limits of brief, general parent training for achieving outcomes with parents of adolescents. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures, generalizability of the findings is limited by the community sample taking part in an evaluation of a preventive intervention, and intervention condition families were offered an incentive to participate in the program.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 1 and 2 years.
Additional References
Duppong Hurley, K., Hoffman, S., Barnes, B., & Oats, R. (2016). Perspectives on engagement barriers and alternative delivery formats from non-completers of community-run parenting programs. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(2), 545-552. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0253-0
Contact Information
- Susan Lamke
- Agency/Affiliation: Boys Town National Research Institution
- Website: liftwithboystown.org/coaching/encouraging-parental-engagement
- Email: susan.lamke@boystown.org
- Phone: (531) 355-1477
Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed by CEBC: March 2025
Date Program Content Last Reviewed by Program Staff: April 2020
Date Program Originally Loaded onto CEBC: July 2010
