21st Century Community Learning Centers: Stakeholder perceptions of program benefits
A study of students', parents', and teachers' perceptions of Tennessee 21st Century Community Learning Center outcomes related to academic performance, social skills, behavior, and safety, based on survey responses from 2,248 students, 1,613 parents, and 2,263 teachers
Reports & Papers
21st Century Community Learning Centers: Stakeholder perceptions of program benefits: Executive summary
A summary of a study of students', parents', and teachers' perceptions of Tennessee 21st Century Community Learning Center outcomes related to academic performance, social skills, behavior, and safety, based on survey responses from 2,248 students, 1,613 parents, and 2,263 teachers
Executive Summary
ACF strengthened its oversight of Head Start eligibility in fiscal year 2011
An examination of changes to procedures for monitoring and overseeing eligibility determinations made by Head Start grantees, based on administrative data and on interviews with Head Start grantees and program administrators
Reports & Papers
Building the capacity of OST organizations through peer networking: Policy brief on the peer networking meetings of the Out-of-School Time Research Center (OSTRC) at the University of Pennsylvania
An examination of the operations and participant outcomes of peer networking meetings for out-of-school time program staff in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, based on meeting materials and interviews with meeting organizers
Reports & Papers
Chicago Longitudinal Study, 1986-1989 Resource Guide
This user guide provides a brief description of the Chicago Longitudinal Survey (CLS), including data collection methods, available variables, and sample information. To locate additional information on this study, please refer to the User Guide.
Other
Child Motivation, Shared Book Reading, and Vocabulary Development: A Growth Mixture Modeling Approach
Based on the sociocultural theory and the expectancy-value theory, this poster examined direct effects of shared book reading and child motivation on the vocabulary trajectories, and whether child motivation moderated the effect of shared book reading on the vocabulary trajectories. The growth mixture modeling was performed to address the research questions with a nationally representative sample of Head Start children.
Other
Colorado early childhood education
An overview of Colorado's full-day kindergarten program and of the Colorado Preschool Program, a publicly-funded program for at risk children
Fact Sheets & Briefs
Development and validation of a preschool teachers' attitudes and beliefs toward science teaching questionnaire
Little is known about preschool teachers' attitudes and beliefs toward science teaching, in part, because the field lacks valid and reliable measures of these teacher-related factors. To address this need, the current study developed and validated a rating scale (P-TABS) using a statewide sample of Head Start teachers (N = 507). A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. Generalizability and invariance of the final factor solution was examined across important subgroups of the standardization sample (i.e., teacher ethnicity, education level, and years of teaching experience). Three distinct factors were identified (Teacher Comfort, Child Benefit, and Challenges), with strong evidence for validity found for the first two factors. The P-TABS expands the availability of reliable and valid assessment tools for measuring preschool teachers' attitudes and beliefs toward science teaching and for examining how these teacher-related factors affect classroom practices and student outcomes. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Do preschool special education services make a difference in kindergarten reading and mathematics skills?: A propensity score weighting analysis
The purpose of this study was to examine the average treatment effect of preschool special education services on children's kindergarten academic skills. Using data from a nationally representative sample of United States children who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Birth Cohort, we examined the effectiveness of preschool special education services by comparing reading and math outcomes for children who received special education services at preschool-age to a propensity-score-weighted sample of children who did not receive these services. Results indicated that the receipt of these special education services had a statistically significant moderate negative effect on children's kindergarten skills in both reading (d=-0.21) and mathematics (d=-0.29). These findings have implications for the implementation and evaluation of services for young children experiencing developmental delays or disabilities. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Early childhood education: Pathways to better health
An examination of children's health outcomes in early childhood education programs and of program features associated with positive health outcomes
Other
Early Entrance to Kindergarten, student academic performance, and behaviors related to learning skills
An examination of the characteristics of the children in Montgomery County, Maryland, who enter kindergarten through Early Entrance to Kindergarten (EEK), which allows young children to enter kindergarten if they are within six weeks of the entrance age cut-off and demonstrate readiness for kindergarten, and a comparison of the kindergarten and second grade academic performance of EEK children, their slightly older kindergarten cohort peers, and their same-age peers who entered kindergarten a year later, based on child assessment data and report cards
Reports & Papers
Early Entrance to Kindergarten, student academic performance, and behaviors related to learning skills [Executive summary]
A summary of an examination of the characteristics of the children in Montgomery County, Maryland, who enter kindergarten through Early Entrance to Kindergarten (EEK), which allows young children to enter kindergarten if they are within six weeks of the entrance age cut-off and demonstrate readiness for kindergarten, and of a comparison of the kindergarten and second grade academic performance of EEK children, their slightly older kindergarten cohort peers, and their same-age peers who entered kindergarten a year later, based on child assessment data and report cards
Executive Summary
The effect of a classroom-based intensive robotics and programming workshop on sequencing ability in early childhood
This paper examines the impact of programming robots on sequencing ability during a 1-week intensive robotics workshop at an early childhood STEM magnet school in the Harlem area of New York City. Children participated in computer programming activities using a developmentally appropriate tangible programming language CHERP, specifically designed to program a robot's behaviors. The study assessed 27 participants' sequencing skills before and after the programming and robotics curricular intervention using a picture-story sequencing task and compared those skills to a control group. Pre-test and post-test scores were compared using a paired sample t test. The group of children who participated in the 1-week robotics and programming workshop experienced significant increases in post-test compared to pre-test sequencing scores. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Effects of a multifocused prevention program on preschool children's competencies and behavior problems
This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of a multifocused (child-, teacher- and parent-focused) prevention program for Romanian preschoolers, targeting social-emotional competence development, as well as reduction of behavior problems. Fourteen classrooms were randomly assigned to the intervention and control conditions. Subsequent hierarchical linear analyses indicated that intervention-group children performed better on experimental tasks measuring emotion knowledge and social problem-solving strategies, and received higher assessments by their teachers and parents on measures of social-emotional competencies and externalizing problems. These results indicate that a prevention program combining intervention strategies for both high- and low-risk children is effective across a wide range of adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. Moreover, a short four-session parent group training employed to attract parent participation elicited an acceptable overall attendance rate (54%), indicating the sustainability of parent intervention in the context of community-based interventions. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Evaluating effects of full-day Head Start model on academic performance at the end of grade 1
A study of the relationship of participation in full-day Head Start in Montgomery County, Maryland, to first grade reading and math performance, based on a comparison of assessment data from children who participated in full-day Head Start, part-day Head Start, part-day public prekindergarten, or children who did not attend a publicly-funded early childhood program
Reports & Papers
Evaluating effects of full-day Head Start model on academic performance at the end of grade 1 [Executive summary]
A summary of a study of the relationship of participation in full-day Head Start in Montgomery County, Maryland, to first grade reading and math performance, based on a comparison of assessment data from children who participated in full-day Head Start, part-day Head Start, part-day public prekindergarten, or children who did not attend a publicly-funded early childhood program
Executive Summary
Evaluation of The Electric Company Summer Learning Program: Highlights of the findings
A summary of a study of the implementation of The Electric Company Summer Learning Program, a transmedia curriculum for summer programs with a focus on math and literacy skills, and of the relationship of participation in the program to teaching outcomes and to children's math and literacy outcomes, based on surveys from and interviews with 152 6- to 8-year-old children and 16 teachers at 12 summer programs
Fact Sheets & Briefs
Exploring a methodology with young children: Reflections on using the Mosaic and Ecocultural approaches
This paper critically reflects on the appropriateness of the methodological framework adopted in an exploratory study of young children's experiences of participation in their early childhood centre and home environments. The Mosaic and Ecocultural approaches informed the study's methodological framework as these approaches were seen to be complementary and child-friendly. While some of the data collection tools were not as successful in the current study as they have been reported in previous research, there was support for the usefulness of the Mosaic approach as an effective, adaptable and child-focused research methodology. Further, the Ecocultural approach was found to provide an appropriate and meaningful way of talking with young children about their daily routines and everyday home life. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Formative evaluation of full-day Head Start prekindergarten program in Montgomery County Public Schools
An evaluation of full-day Head Start in Montgomery County, Maryland, that examines participant characteristics, the implementation of instructional, family, and health program components, and stakeholder experiences, based on interviews with school district staff, classroom observations, stakeholder surveys, and administrative data
Reports & Papers
Formative evaluation of full-day Head Start prekindergarten program in Montgomery County Public Schools [Executive summary]
A summary of an evaluation of full-day Head Start in Montgomery County, Maryland, that examines participant characteristics, the implementation of instructional, family, and health program components, and stakeholder experiences, based on interviews with school district staff, classroom observations, stakeholder surveys, and administrative data
Executive Summary
Head Start Impact Study (HSIS), 2002-2006 Resource Guide
This resource guide provides a brief overview of the Head Start Impact Study (HSIS), 2002-2006 and specific instructions for obtaining the restricted-use HSIS datasets. HSIS users should refer to the User Guide, which provides greater detail on the topics discussed.
Other
Head Start State Collaboration Office needs assessment: 2009 update
An overview of the characteristics of low income families and Head Start programs in Arizona, as well as of recent early childhood policy and funding developments
Reports & Papers
How do you make a bear look like a butterfly?: Exploring the Metropolitan Opera's production of Mozart's Magic flute with a group of preschool children
In this research paper we discuss a music program in an early learning centre and present an example of practice that involved children engaging with a picture book of The magic flute. The children researched the opera by watching a film, had conversations about the music and story, drew pictures and dramatised the story during spontaneous play. Relationships between familiar events (the literary exploration of a book) with unfamiliar experiences (watching an opera as a serial) gave the children's activities depth. These relationships are discussed to explore how children used their competence in language and literature to frame their understandings of the story of The magic flute and music of the opera and to anticipate and enjoy the weekly serial. We conclude by relating our discussion to "intentional teaching" as a practice and the Early Years Learning Framework. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Impact of an Early Reading First program on the language and literacy achievement of children from diverse language backgrounds
This study used an age-cutoff regression discontinuity design to examine the impact of a well-resourced Early Reading First prekindergarten program designed to foster the language and literacy development of 4-year-old children from low-income homes. A special challenge for the application of the language-rich curriculum and professional development package implemented in this study was the presence of a large proportion of ELL children in essentially English-speaking classrooms. We, therefore, sought to determine whether the program was effective for improving English language and literacy outcomes for English-language learners as well as native English speakers. There were large and significant differences between treatment and control groups on literacy outcomes for all students. On the literacy tasks, ELL students in the treatment groups performed nearly as well or better than non-ELL students at the beginning of kindergarten, and reached national norms on standardized tests. There were also significant program impacts on some language outcomes for all students. ELL students who received the intervention significantly outperformed ELL students in the control groups on English receptive and expressive vocabulary. On the more complex oral comprehension skills, preschool did not have a significant impact for ELL students. Intervention effects on receptive vocabulary and oral comprehension for native speakers were found only for the third cohort and were not found for expressive vocabulary. These results provide evidence that, given material supports, coaching, professional development, and the use of a language and literacy-focused curriculum, prekindergarten classrooms can enable low-SES children from diverse language backgrounds to enter kindergarten with literacy skills at or near national norms and can significantly impact some language skills. While non-native speakers of English continued to score lower on language measures than their native-speaking peers, results show that 1 year of preschool can put all children on a positive trajectory for long-term success in school.
Reports & Papers
Impact of full-day Head Start prekindergarten class model on student academic performance, cognitive skills, and learning behaviors by the end of grade 2
A study of the relationship of participation in full-day Head Start in Montgomery County, Maryland, to second grade school and academic performance, based on a comparison of assessment data and report cards from children who participated in full-day Head Start, part-day Head Start, part-day public prekindergarten, or children who did not attend a publicly-funded early childhood program
Reports & Papers
