Kids in Transition to School (KITS)
About This Program
Target Population: Foster children and other children at high risk for school difficulties who are entering kindergarten
For children/adolescents ages: 4 – 6
For parents/caregivers of children ages: 4 – 6
Program Overview
Kids in Transition to School (KITS) is a short-term, intensive intervention designed to enhance psychosocial and academic school readiness in children at high risk for school difficulties. KITS features a two-pronged approach: (a) a 24-session therapeutic playgroup focused on promoting social-emotional skills and early literacy in children about to be kindergarten students, and (b) an 8-session parent workshop focused on promoting parent involvement in early literacy and the use of positive parenting practices. The KITS curriculum is delivered during the summer before and the early fall of kindergarten.
Program Goals
The goals of Kids in Transition to School (KITS) are:
- Increase early literacy skills in children in foster care who are entering kindergarten
- Increase social skills in children in foster care who are entering kindergarten
- Increase self-regulation skills in children in foster care who are entering kindergarten
- Increase caregiver involvement in early literacy activities
- Increase caregiver involvement in schooling
Logic Model
View the Logic Model for Kids in Transition to School (KITS).
Essential Components
The essential elements of Kids in Transition to School (KITS) include:
- Implementation of the KITS therapeutic playgroup curriculum with groups up to 15 children and their caregivers. The curriculum features three key component—the teaching and practice of:
- Essential social skills for kindergarten: reciprocal social interaction (e.g., sharing, initiating and maintaining peer interactions); social problem-solving (e.g., cooperation, problem-solving, conflict resolution); and emotion recognition
- Early literacy skills necessary for reading: letter names, letter-sound correspondence, phonological awareness, conventions of print, vocabulary, and comprehension
- Self-regulatory skills (such as handling frustration and disappointment and controlling impulses) and teacher preferred behaviors (such as following multi-step directions, listening skills and attentional focus, sitting appropriately, raising a hand before talking, making appropriate transitions between activities, and using materials appropriately)
- Implementation of the KITS caregiver group curriculum with groups up to 15 parents. The curriculum includes lessons on helping children to develop their early literacy skills, developing routines around school activities, preparing children for the transition, home-school collaboration, and behavior management skills to handle any issues that arise during the transition.
- Other components of the program include:
- Low student to teacher ratio (1:4)
- High level of encouragement for appropriate behaviors with consistent limits set on inappropriate behaviors
- Explicit teaching and demonstration of social and self-regulatory skills
- Activity-based intervention for structured skill practice with high levels of feedback and encouragement that is systematically faded to increase independence
- Consultation with teachers and schools to facilitate a smooth transition to kindergarten
Program Delivery
Child/Adolescent Services
Kids in Transition to School (KITS) directly provides services to children/adolescents and addresses the following:
- Social skills deficits, literacy deficits, self-regulation deficits, poor early literacy skills, and defiance
Services Involve Family/Support Structures:
This program involves the family or other support systems in the individual's treatment: The caregiver of the child in foster care entering kindergarten attends 8 caregiver group meetings throughout the time the child is in the program.
Parent/Caregiver Services
Kids in Transition to School (KITS) directly provides services to parents/caregivers and addresses the following:
- Caregiver of a child in foster care with social skills deficits, literacy deficits, self-regulation deficits, poor early literacy skills, and defiance who is entering Kindergarten
Recommended Intensity:
Playgroups meet 2 times a week for 2 hours in the 2 months preceding kindergarten entry. Once school starts, playgroups meet once a week for 2 hours during the first 8 weeks of school (typically September to October). Parent groups meet for 2 hours every other week
Recommended Duration:
16 weeks total
Delivery Settings
This program is typically conducted in a(n):
- Community-based Agency / Organization / Provider
- School Setting (Including: Day Care, Day Treatment Programs, etc.)
Homework
Kids in Transition to School (KITS) includes a homework component:
Children receive weekly homework assignments designed to increase their fluency in literacy skills by providing additional practice with the letters and letter sounds being learned in the playgroups. Parents are given home exercises after each parent group session to practice the skills being learned in the parent workshops.
Languages
Kids in Transition to School (KITS) has materials available in a language other than English:
Spanish
For information on which materials are available in this language, 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:
One room for therapeutic playgroups that can be set up as a classroom. Whiteboard, easels, puzzles, books, art supplies and other materials typical of a kindergarten classroom. One room for caregiver groups. Occasional access to an additional room for playgroup activities conducted outside of the main classroom.
Manuals and Training
Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications
Playgroup supervisor: A Master's level education or higher in a clinical or education field. This person should also possess an understanding of behavioral and educational principles, supervisory skills, organizational skills, and a thorough understanding of the treatment model underlying the curriculum.
Playgroup lead teacher: A Bachelor's degree or at least two years of course work in a relevant field such as early education, special education, education, or psychology, and one year experience working directly with children in the 3-6-year-old age range. Experience following evidence-based curriculum practices. The lead teacher is responsible for the majority of the instruction during playgroups.
Playgroup assistant teachers: Bachelor's degree or course work in a relevant field such as early education, special education, education, or psychology or related experience working directly with children in an early childhood education setting.
Parent group supervisor: A Master's level education or higher in a clinical or education field. This person should also possess supervisory skills, organizational skills, and a thorough understanding of the treatment model underlying the curriculum.
Parent group lead facilitator: A Bachelor's degree or higher in education in a clinical or education field. Experience running support groups and working with high-risk families is preferred.
Parent group co-facilitator: At least two years of coursework or other relevant experience in a relevant field or with foster care populations. Experience running support groups and working with high-risk families is preferred.
Manual Information
There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.
Program Manual(s)
Manual details:
- KITS School Readiness Group Curriculum Manual
- KITS Parent Group Curriculum Manual
Manuals can be accessed by contacting the program contact listed at the bottom of the page.
Training Information
There is training available for this program.
Training Contact:
- Katherine Pears
katherinep@oslc.org
phone: (541) 485-2711
Training Type/Location:
Training is provided onsite
Number of days/hours:
5 days for 7 hours a day for playgroup staff, 4 days for 4 hours a day for caregiver group staff
Implementation Information
Pre-Implementation Materials
There are pre-implementation materials to measure organizational or provider readiness for Kids in Transition to School (KITS) as listed below:
A pre-implementation interview is conducted with potential sites to discuss resources needed, size of the implementation, and other details. Contact Deena Scheidt (deenas@oslc.org) for more information.
Formal Support for Implementation
There is formal support available for implementation of Kids in Transition to School (KITS) as listed below:
The KITS Program features ongoing coaching that lessens in intensity across the first implementations of the program. It is required. Coaches view videos of the implementations and meet with teams on a regular basis via teleconferencing to provide strengths-based feedback to the teams on their implementation of the program as well as to help tailor the program to the needs of individual children and families. Coaches also code videos for implementation fidelity. Technical assistance on logistics of implementation is also available for as long as needed.
Fidelity Measures
There are fidelity measures for Kids in Transition to School (KITS) as listed below:
Fidelity is measured through observation of videos of the implementation of school readiness and parent groups. Checklists are completed that cover both curricular elements and teaching and group facilitation processes used within the program. Training in the use of the measure is provided to KITS Program Supervisors.
Fidelity Measure Requirements:
Fidelity measures are required to be used as part of program implementation.
Implementation Guides or Manuals
There are implementation guides or manuals for Kids in Transition to School (KITS) as listed below:
The KITS Implementation Manual provides guidance on how to set up and maintain a KITS program including logistics such as recruitment of families, hiring and training staff, and supplies needed for the program. It also provides information on collaborating with agencies to find funding sources and sustainability issues.
Implementation Cost
There have been studies of the costs of implementing Kids in Transition to School (KITS) which are listed below:
Lynch, F. L., Dickerson, J. F., Pears, K. C., & Fisher, P. A. (2017). Cost effectiveness of a school readiness intervention for foster children. Children and Youth Services Review, 81, 63-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.07.011
Research on How to Implement the Program
Research has not been conducted on how to implement Kids in Transition to School (KITS).
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research
Child Welfare Outcome: Child/Family Well-Being
Pears, K. C., Kim, H. K., & Fisher, P. A. (2012). Effects of a school readiness intervention for children in foster care on oppositional and aggressive behaviors in kindergarten. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(12), 2361–2366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.08.015
Type of Study:
Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants:
192
Population:
- Age — KITS: Mean=5.26 years; FCC: Mean=5.25 years
- Race/Ethnicity — KITS: 55% European American, 30% Latino, 10% Mixed Race, 2% Native American, 2% Pacific Islander, and 1% African American; FCC: 51% European American, 31% Latino, and 18% Mixed Race
- Gender — KITS: 52% Male; FCC: 46% Male
- Status — Participants were children in foster care entering kindergarten in the fall.
Location/Institution: Not specified
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the Kids in Transition to School (KITS) program. Participants were randomly assigned to KITS or to a foster care comparison (FCC). Measures utilized include the Teacher Report Form, the Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale-Revised: Short version (CTRS:S) and the Child Behavior Checklist/4-16 (CBCL). Results indicate that controlling for gender, baseline levels of parent-reported oppositional and aggressive behaviors, and level of disruptiveness in the classroom, children who had received KITS had significantly lower levels of oppositional and aggressive behaviors in the classroom, as compared to the control group. Limitations include concerns about smaller proportions of some ethnic groups than would be predicted using national demographic patterns, the likelihood that the measure of classroom disruptiveness was reflecting the behavior of students other than the study child, and moderate sample size.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: Approximately 8 months.
Pears, K. C., Fisher, P. A., Kim, H. K., Bruce, J., Healey, C. V., & Yoerger, K. (2013). Immediate effects of a school readiness intervention for children in foster care. Early Education and Development, 24(6), 771–791. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2013.736037
Type of Study:
Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants:
192
Population:
- Age — KITS: Mean=5.26 years; FCC: Mean=5.25 years
- Race/Ethnicity — KITS: 55% European American, 30% Latino, 10% Mixed Race, 2% Native American, 2% Pacific Islander, and 1% African American; FCC: 51% European American, 31% Latino, and 18% Mixed Race
- Gender — KITS: 52% Male; FCC: 46% Male
- Status — Participants were children in foster care and their caregivers.
Location/Institution: Not specified
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
This study used the same sample as Pears et al. (2012). The purpose of the study was to present the immediate effects on school readiness of the targeted, short-term intervention: Kids in Transition to School (KITS), designed to improve children’s early literacy, prosocial, and self-regulatory skills during the summer before kindergarten entry. Participants were randomly assigned to the KITS group or to the foster care comparison (FCC) group. Measures utilized include the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), the Concepts About Print Test, Preschool Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS ), the Child Behavior Checklist/4-18 (CBCL), the Child Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ), the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC), and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence–Third Edition (WPPSI-III). Results indicate that KITS had significant, positive effects on early literacy and self-regulatory skills. Limitations include the sample did not include many African American children, a group that makes up a substantial proportion of the foster care population nationwide; moderate sample size; and reliance on caregiver reports of prosocial skills rather than direct observation.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.
Pears, K. C., Kim, H. K., & Fisher, P. A. (2016). Decreasing risk factors for later alcohol use and antisocial behaviors in children in foster care by increasing early promotive factors. Children and Youth Services Review, 65, 156–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.04.005
Type of Study:
Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants:
192
Population:
- Age — KITS: Mean=9.39 years; FCC: Mean=9.43 years
- Race/Ethnicity — KITS: 55% European American, 30% Latino, 10% Mixed Race, 2% Native American, 2% Pacific Islander, and 1% African American; FCC: 51% European American, 31% Latino, and 18% Mixed Race
- Gender — KITS: 52% Male; FCC: 46% Male
- Status — Participants were children in foster care and their caregivers.
Location/Institution: Not specified
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Pears et al. (2012). The purpose of the study was to examine both the direct and indirect (through increases in self-competence) effects of a Kids in Transition to School (KITS) program intervention designed to promote school readiness in children in foster care on third grade indicators of risk for becoming involved in alcohol use and delinquency. Participants were randomly assigned to KITS or a foster care comparison (FCC) group. Measures utilized include the Child Behavior Checklist/4-18 (CBCL), the Monitoring the Future National Survey Questionnaire, the Service Utilization Interview, the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC), and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence–Third Edition (WPPSI-III). Results indicate that being in the KITS intervention prior to kindergarten entry was associated with having fewer positive attitudes towards alcohol use and less antisocial behavior in third grade, 4 years after children participated in the intervention. Limitations include concerns about generalizability due to the limited number of African Americans included in the study, moderate sample size, missing data, and possible participant report bias.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 4 years.
Bruce, J., Pears, K. C., McDermott, J. M., Fox, N. A., & Fisher, P. A. (2021). Effects of a school readiness intervention on electrophysiological indices of external response monitoring in children in foster care. Development and Psychopathology, 33(3), 832–842. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420000164
Type of Study:
Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants:
45
Population:
- Age — KITS: Mean=62.8 months; FCC: Mean=62.7 months
- Race/Ethnicity — KITS: 65% European American, 15% Latino, 8% Native American, 8% Multiracial, and 4% African American; FCC: 53% European American, 32% Latino, and 16% Multiracial
- Gender — KITS: 54% Male; FCC: 32% Male
- Status — Participants were children living in kinship or nonkinship foster care entering kindergarten in the fall.
Location/Institution: The Pacific Northwest
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used a subset of the same sample as Pears et al. (2012). The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of Kids in Transition to School (KITS), a school readiness intervention on external response monitoring in children in foster care. Participants were randomly assigned to the KITS program or a foster care comparison (FCC) group. Measures utilized include an electroencephalogram (EEG) taken during a computer-administered flanker task that collected behavioral and event-related potential data (ERP). Results indicate that while there were no significant group differences on the behavioral data, ERP data for the two groups of children significantly differed. Specifically, in contrast to the children who received services as usual, the children who received the KITS program displayed greater amplitude differences between positive and negative performance feedback over time for the N1, which reflects early attention processes, and feedback-related negativity, which reflects evaluation processes. In addition, although the two groups did not differ on amplitude between positive and negative performance feedback for these ERP components before the intervention, the children who received the KITS program displayed greater amplitude differences than the children who received services as usual after the intervention. Limitations include a small sample size, inability to test the impact of different maltreatment experiences and foster care experiences on the children’s electrophysiological indices of external response monitoring, and lack of follow up.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.
Pears, K. C., Tiberio, S. S., & Kim, H. K. (2022). Reducing suicidal ideation in preadolescents with a history of foster care by promoting school readiness in early childhood. Child Maltreatment. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10775595221115209
Type of Study:
Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants:
192
Population:
- Age — 9–11 years
- Race/Ethnicity — KITS: 65% European American, 15% Latino, 8% Native American, 8% Multiracial, and 4% African American; FCC: 53% European American, 32% Latino, and 16% Multiracial
- Gender — KITS: 52% Male; FCC: 46% Male
- Status — Participants were children living in kinship or nonkinship foster care entering kindergarten in the fall.
Location/Institution: The Pacific Northwest
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Pears et al. (2012). The purpose of the study was to examine the main and mediated long-term effects of the Kids in Transition to School (KITS) program to increase school readiness in children in foster care at age 5 years on suicidal ideation (SI) 4–6 years after the intervention ended, when the children were ages 9–11 years. Participants were randomly assigned to KITS or to a foster care comparison (FCC). Measures utilized include the Children’s Depression Inventory, the 6-item Global Self-Worth Scale of the Self-Perception Profile for Children, and the Child Behavior Checklist. Results indicate that children who received KITS were less likely to report SI, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. KITS program reduced SI indirectly through its positive effect on children’s self-esteem at age 9 years. Limitations include sample size was relatively small, especially compared to some larger population-based studies of SI; low base rate and sample size also precluded exploring moderation by child biological sex, race, or ethnicity; and educational outcomes were not reported.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: Varies (4–6 years).
The following studies were not included in rating KITS on the Scientific Rating Scale...
Pears, K. C., Fisher, P. A., & Bronz, K. D. (2007). An intervention to promote social emotional school readiness in foster children: Preliminary outcomes from a pilot study. School Psychology Review, 36(4), 665–673. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.2007.12087925
The purpose of the study was to present results from a preliminary evaluation of a program designed to improve school readiness in foster children. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group [now called Kids in Transition to School (KITS)] or the foster care services as usual comparison group. Measures utilized include the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Teacher Report Form, and Emotion Regulation Checklist. Results indicate that the intervention group had increased foster-parent rated social competence and better ratings on measures of self-regulation. Limitations include small sample size, and length of follow-up. Note: Due to differences between the intervention examined in this pilot study and the current KITS intervention, the results of this study was not considered during the rating process.
Pears, K. C., Kim, H. K., Healey, C. V., Yoerger, K., & Fisher, P. A. (2015). Improving child self-regulation and parenting in families of pre-kindergarten children with developmental disabilities and behavioral difficulties. Prevention Science, 16(2), 222–232. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-014-0482-2
The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the Kids in Transition to School (KITS) intervention on children’s self-regulation skills as well as parenting and parental involvement in school. Participants were randomly assigned to either the KITS intervention or to the services-as-usual (SAU) group. Measures utilized include the Child Behavior Checklist, Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC), and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Preschool Parent Report (BRIEF-P). Results indicate that the intervention had positive effects on children’s self-regulation in kindergarten as measured by teacher and observer reports. Additionally, the intervention significantly reduced ineffective parenting prior to school entry, which in turn affected parental involvement. Limitations include sample represented children who had behavioral difficulties and developmental disabilities and results may not be generalizable to other children, or the entire population of children with developmental disabilities; reliance on self-reported measures; and low rates of parent participation. Note: As children in foster care were excluded from this study, the results of this study were not considered during the rating process for the Educational Interventions for Children and Adolescents in Child Welfare topic area.
Additional References
Pears, K. C., Fisher, P. A., Heywood, C. V., & Bronz, K. D. (2007). Promoting school readiness in foster children. In O. N. Saracho & B. Spodek (Eds.), Contemporary Perspectives on Social Learning in Early Childhood Education (pp. 173-198). Information Age Publishing.
Contact Information
- Katherine Pears, PhD
- Agency/Affiliation: Oregon Social Learning Center
- Website: kidsintransitiontoschool.org
- Email: katherinep@oslc.org
- Phone: (541) 485-2711
- Fax: (541) 485-7087
Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed by CEBC: October 2022
Date Program Content Last Reviewed by Program Staff: January 2023
Date Program Originally Loaded onto CEBC: April 2012
