•A randomized study examined age 3 effects of a high-quality early education program.•Treatment children had better language, math, and behavior skills than controls.•There were no treatment effects ...for parent-child interactions.•For English-language and math skills, dual language learners benefitted more.•Regardless of treatment group, children attending centers did better than others.
The effectiveness of Educare, a center-based early education program, in improving child outcomes at age 3 was evaluated in a randomized clinical trial. Educare programs serve children from birth to age 5 and are designed to reduce the achievement gap between children from low-income families and their more advantaged peers. This study began following 239 children from low-income families who were randomly assigned as infants (<19 months) to Educare or a business-as-usual control group. At age 3, assessments of the skills of 202 children remaining in the study revealed significant differences in favor of children in the treatment group on auditory language skills, early math skills, and parent-reported problem behaviors. Effect sizes were in the modest range, although not as strong as the previously reported age 2 findings. No effects were found for observations of parent-child interactions, observer-rated child behaviors, or parent-rated social competence. For English-language skills, children who were dual language learners (DLLs) benefitted more from treatment than non-DLLs. Analyses of outcomes by child care type, regardless of treatment group assignment, showed that children in Educare had better language, math, and behavioral scores than children in less formal care, whereas children in other center-based care only had higher language scores than children in less formal care. Differences in outcomes between Educare and other center-based care were not significant.
The cognitive and socioemotional development of 733 children was examined longitudinally from ages 4 to 8 years as a function of the quality of their preschool experiences in community child-care ...centers, after adjusting for family selection factors related to child-care quality and development. These results provide evidence that child-care quality has a modest long-term effect on children's patterns of cognitive and socioemotional development at least through kindergarten, and in some cases, through second grade. Differential effects on children's development were found for two aspects of child-care quality. Observed classroom practices were related to children's language and academic skills, whereas the closeness of the teacher-child relationship was related to both cognitive and social skills, with the strongest effects for the latter. Moderating influences of family characteristics were observed for some outcomes, indicating stronger positive effects of child-care quality for children from more at-risk backgrounds. These findings contribute further evidence of the long-term influences of the quality of child-care environments on children's cognitive and social skills through the elementary school years and are consistent with a bioecological model of development that considers the multiple environmental contexts that the child experiences.
•This study examined links between high-quality early education exposure and outcomes.•Earlier entry and more time in care were related to better receptive language skills.•Age of entry and time in ...care were linked equivocally to social–behavioral skills.•The positive links between exposure and outcomes were strongest for DLL children.
Research on early education and care (EEC) dosage, defined as the amount or timing of either current or cumulative participation in EEC programming, generally suggests that more time in high-quality EEC programs is beneficial for children's developmental outcomes. Many of the studies on time in high quality EEC programs are with black and white children and less is known about the effects of dosage with dual language learner (DLL) children. This study used data from an implementation evaluation of Educare – a high-quality early education program serving children from birth to 5 – to examine the extent to which age of entry and time in care relate to language and social–emotional skills for DLL and English-only (EO) children from low-income families. Participants were 5037 children who were enrolled in one of 12 Educare schools as infants, toddlers, or preschoolers between 2003 and 2013 and were followed for their duration in Educare. Longitudinal assessments of children's receptive language and social–emotional skills were analyzed with hierarchical linear modeling, controlling for demographic characteristics and classroom quality. Both age of entry and duration were positively associated with receptive language outcomes, with stronger effect sizes for DLL than EO children. DLL children who entered early consistently scored well across the assessment ages, and late enterers made significant gains during their 1 or 2 years of EEC but lagged considerably behind early entering DLL children when they left for kindergarten. Spanish-speaking DLLs did not lose their proficiency in Spanish as they learned English. Teacher ratings of children's social–emotional skills were lower if children entered at a younger age, but still within normal ranges, and the ratings improved with longer attendance. Results suggest that renewed focus is needed on ensuring that children at-risk for poor school outcomes have access to high-quality EEC early in life and for sustained periods of time to reduce later achievement gaps.
Background A large national technical assistance (TA) centre in the US provides TA to Head Start regions to help strengthen their use of implementation science frameworks. In administration of TA to ...regions, the centre has used a 'co-creation' model. Aims and objectives This paper describes the co-creative TA approach, including level of dosage (frequency and duration) provided, and interim outcomes achieved. Methods The descriptive paper relies on secondary data analyses of information gathered in the course of delivering the technical assistance. The information gathered included observations of events, surveys, and listening sessions with TA participants. Findings Analyses revealed that the TA providers were successful in the provision of co-created TA and that interim outcomes of trust, mutual accountability, and some integration of implementation science concepts into ongoing regional work were achieved. Discussion and conclusions The TA providers succeeded in delivering TA that was perceived by both observers and participants as involving participants and being tailored to their settings and needs. Limitations include a small sample that was selected based on interest and readiness for engaging in TA and descriptive analyses that did not allow for claims of causality. The promising co-creation approach deserves additional exploration and may provide guidance to others designing technical assistance.
•Even in a highly resourced early childhood program, staff turnover was 30% annually.•Survival analysis allowed for quantifying the timing of turnover.•Predictors of staying were a positive work ...environment and teaching infants/toddlers.•Teaching staff with more years of education were more likely to leave.•Some predictors of staying were different for teachers compared to assistants/aides.
This study of a large sample of classroom teaching staff at 23 early childhood schools across the U.S. serving children birth to age 5 used survival analysis to investigate both the timing of staff turnover and the characteristics associated with turnover. The data were collected from over 2,000 teachers, assistant teachers and aides between 2007 and 2019. Survival analysis allowed for investigation of both the timing of staff turnover and the time-varying and time-invariant characteristics associated with turnover. Over time, staff who were more positive about their work environment, had more years of teaching experience, taught in infant-toddler classrooms, or identified as Black were more likely to stay, whereas staff who had more years of education were more likely to leave. The probability of leaving was greatest in the first 2 to 3 years of employment. Some predictors of retention differed between lead teachers and assistants/aides, for example, the risk of leaving was greater for teachers with depressive symptoms but not for assistants/aides. While the results point to some areas where school leaders can effect practice changes to improve retention, the findings point to multiple areas where systemic and policy changes may be needed to reduce turnover.
Research Findings: This article summarizes current peer-reviewed research and conceptualizations of collaboration and presents a new conceptual model. Authors found that the existing peer-reviewed ...literature does not adequately reflect emerging understandings of the nature of early childhood collaborations or the contributions such collaborations make to outcomes. The paper fills a gap in the literature by presenting a broader conceptualization of collaboration in which stakeholders work together and use data to achieve common goals through engaging in shared activities. Authors provide examples of how collaborations take place within a network of early care and education programs. Practice or Policy: Practitioners can use information presented in this to support collaborations at different levels of an early childhood system. More research needs to be conducted to identify and measure collaborative activities and outcomes across levels of collaboration to align with a broader definition of collaboration.
ECERS Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale is widely used in the United States and internationally to assess the overall quality of preschool and kindergarten classrooms and to provide a ...framework for continuous quality improvement. This new book in the ERS® Family presents best practices to help coaches build trusting relationships with teachers, program directors, and administrators that will improve classroom environments and teaching practices. By using ECERS-3 and ECERS-R as a coaching tool, Holly Seplocha shows coaches and teachers how to work together to implement what is best for children. Each ECERS subscale chapter offers suggestions for quick and easy solutions, as well as strategies for classroom change that generally take more time for teachers to understand and incorporate into daily practice. This resource also includes guidance and activities for facilitating group meetings, professional learning communities, and staff workshops. "Coaching with ECERS" will help refine classroom practices and environments so that scores will rise, not just for the day, but for every day. Book features: (1) Outlines the nuts and bolts of coaching with ECERS in a way that has meaning and impacts classroom practice; (2) Provides an overview of adult learning and coaching strategies, incorporating techniques for coaching novice and experienced teachers, as well as administrators; (3) Examines the diversity of roles, from peer coaching to coaching from the inside or outside of the program, to administrators and supervisors who coach within their role; (4) Presents the case for building onsite program capacity for coaches who target their efforts with administrators; and (5) Offers hands-on advice, strategies, and tools including "ECERS Tips" and "No, No, Never, Nevers," as well as helpful resources to support coaches and administrators. Foreword by Debby Cryer, Richard M. Clifford, Thelma Harms, and Noreen Yazejian.
Building on extensive feedback from the field as well as vigorous new research on how best to support infant and toddler development and learning, the authors have revised and updated the widely used ..."Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale." ITERS-3 is the next-generation assessment tool for use in center-based child care programs for infants and toddlers up to 36 months of age. ITERS-3 focuses on the full range of needs of infants and toddlers and provides a framework for improving program quality. Further, the scale assesses both environmental provisions and teacher-child interactions that affect the broad developmental milestones of infants and toddlers, including: language, cognitive, social-emotional and physical development, as well as concern for health and safety. ITERS-3 is appropriate for state- and district-wide QRIS and continuous quality improvement, program evaluation by directors and supervisors, teacher self-evaluation, monitoring by agency staff, and teacher training programs. The established reliability and validity of the scale make it particularly useful for research and program evaluation. While the approach to assessing quality and the scoring process remain the same for the new ITERS-3, users will find the following improvements informed by extensive use of the ITERS in the field and by the most recent research: (1) Enhanced focus on interactions and the role of the teacher; (2) Six new language and literacy Items; (3) A new Item on beginning math experiences; (4) Expanded age range to include children from birth to 36 months; (5) A new approach to scoring based solely on observation of ongoing classroom activity (3-hour time sample); (6) The elimination of the parents/staff subscale and teacher interviews, freeing up time for observing more actual classroom practice; (7) Improved indicator scaling, providing more precise and useful scores for use in professional development and self-improvement; and (8) Reduced emphasis on the number of materials, along with greater emphasis on how materials are used to encourage learning. Suitable for use in inclusive and culturally diverse programs, ITERS-3 subscales evaluate: (1) Space and Furnishings; (2) Personal Care Routines; (3) Language and Books; (4) Activities; (5) Interaction; and (6) Program Structure.
Studies have shown that adversity in childhood has harmful effects on well-being across the lifespan. This study examined the prevalence of children's cumulative experiences of adversity, based on ...parent report, in a national sample of low-income children (N=3,208) enrolled in a high quality early childhood education (ece) program. It explored the association between family adversity that occurred within the year prior to the parents' interview and the child's well-being measured after the interview. Well-being was based on language, school readiness, and social emotional outcomes. Almost half of all families reported experiencing at least one adversity. Family adversity was associated with worse school readiness and health outcomes. Adversity had mixed associations with socialemotional outcomes and no association with language outcomes. This study also explored time enrolled in ece (dosage) as a protective or promotive factor in relation to adversity. Time in program had a positive relationship to most child outcomes and could be interpreted as a promotive factor within the context of adversity for all outcomes except behavioral concerns.
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