Pre-Kindergarten Follow-up Phase (2001-2004)
Catholic University of America | Harvard University | Iowa State University | Medical University of South Carolina | Michigan State University | New York University | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | University of California at Los Angeles | University of Colorado Health Sciences Center | University of Kansas | University of Missouri at Columbia | University of Pittsburgh | University of Washington School of Education | University of Washington School of Nursing | Utah State University
If you are the Head Start Grantee and would like to update the information on this page, please do so by sending an email to: hs-grantee-update@xtria.com.
Catholic University of America
Project Title:
A Longitudinal Study of Pathways to the Kindergarten Readiness of Early
Head Start Research Children With and Without Disabilities
Grantee:
United Cerebral Palsy Early Head Start
Project Funding Years:
2001-2004
Contact Information:
Shavaun Wall
Information: Catholic University of America
Department of Education
Washington, DC 20064
Phone: (202) 319-5805, Fax: (202) 319-5815
Email: walls@cua.edu
Project Abstract:
Catholic University of America (CUA) will investigate the pathways to kindergarten
readiness for young children from low income families, building upon the
results of the original Early Head Start (EHS) research study conducted
in partnership with the United Cerebral Palsy Early Head Start Program in
Alexandria, VA. The study will follow 147 military, US-born non-military,
and immigrant families from the EHS research period (ending when the focus
child turned three) through the preschool years, just prior to kindergarten
entry. Within the CUA sample, 20% of the families have children who were
referred by age three for special services for developmental delays and
disabilities. Specific objectives of this study are to investigate: (1)
how the EHS experience influences the options available to parents and the
choices made by parents with regard to childcare and supportive services
including special education during the preschool years, (2) how these choices
affect family and child well-being, (3) the extent to which parents are
aware of what is expected of students entering kindergarten, and (4) how
the EHS experience, and subsequent parental choices and preparation, impact
children's academic and social readiness. The research will examine various
facets of child development and parent mobilization in relation to academic
and social readiness. In particular, the CUA research will identify the
pathways to kindergarten readiness followed by subgroups in this sample.
Through this continuation study, researchers will be able to further identify
factors crucial to child and parent preparation for kindergarten.
Sample:
N=147 families
Measures:
Child
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) - III
Story and Print Concepts
Woodcock Johnson Tests of Individual Achievement, Letter-Word Recognition
and Applied Problems
Boehm 3-Preschool
Leiter International Performance Scale, Revised, Attention-Sustained Subscale
Leiter International Performance Scale, Revised, Examiner Rating Scale
Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
Revised Child Behavior Profile
Behaviors in Childcare: Observation Form and Codebook
Devereux Early Childhood Assessment
Parent
Parent Awareness and Preparation for Kindergarten Questionnaire
Resiliency Attitude Scale
Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME)
Family Functioning Style Scale
Tracking Interview
Pre-Kindergarten Parent Interview
Childcare Provider/Teacher
Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)
Arnett Scale of Caregiver Behavior
EHS Service Provider Exit Interview
EHS Program Assessments and Records
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Harvard University
Project Title:
Harvard Graduate School of Education - Early Educational Services Longitudinal
Research Partnership
Grantee:
Early Education Services
Project Funding Years:
2001-2004
Contact Information:
Catherine E. Snow
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Larsen Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 495-3563, Fax: (617) 495-5771
Email: catherine_snow@harvard.edu
Barbara Alexander Pan
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Larsen Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 495-3546, Fax: (617) 495-5771
Email: barbara_pan@harvard.edu
Catherine C. Ayoub
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Larsen Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 496-1183, Fax: (617) 495-3626
Email: catherine_ayoub@harvard.edu
Project Abstract:
The Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) is continuing a longitudinal
research project with the Early Education Services of Windham County, Vermont.
The sample includes 116 Early Head Start (EHS) children and community comparison
children who were enrolled in the original study before their first birthday
and studied through age 36 months. Researchers will follow these children
and families through preschool, just prior to kindergarten entry. This research
effort focuses on children's linguistic and socioemotional development from
a social interactionist and risk and resilience perspective, and emphasizes
the role of the family in preparing children for school success. The principle
focus of this study is to assess children's capacity to: (1) benefit from
early literacy instruction, predicted by factors such as vocabulary, knowledge
of letters, phonological awareness, understanding the purpose and function
of written language, and enthusiasm about learning to read; and (2) function
in an instructionally focused classroom setting, including attentional and
emotional expression and self-regulation, social relations with peers and
adults, and a socially competent mastery orientation to difficult tasks.
The following research questions will be addressed in this study: (1) How
do family members living in poverty in rural communities interact with their
preschool children, linguistically and socially? (2) How do characteristics
of linguistic and social interaction change over time from infancy to the
preschool years? (3) Are there changes over time related to children's rate
of growth and/or their readiness for kindergarten? (4) Do any impacts of
EHS on family interaction with infants and toddlers extend to the later
preschool period, and if so, what areas of language and social growth and
functioning are affected? and (5) How do later family characteristics and
preschool experiences modulate the impacts of EHS?
Tracking interviews will be conducted with families approximately 6 and 12 months before pre-kindergarten data collection. The pre-kindergarten data collection will involve examination of constructs within parent/family risk and resilience, parenting beliefs and practices, and parent-child communicative and emotional interaction as predictors of children's language/literacy and socioemotional outcomes. This data will allow researchers to examine within-individual growth over time and identify patterns of developmental trajectories, as well as identify measures that are the strongest predictors for particular outcomes.
Sample:
N=116 families
Measures:
Parent
Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Questionnaire
Parenting Stress Index (PSI) short form
Parent-Child Interaction
Transcribed videotaped interaction using the Child Language Data Exchange
System
Child
Transcripts of Spontaneous Speech Interactions with Parents
Story Retelling Exercise
Early Phonemic Awareness Profile Rhyme and Deletion Tasks
Writing Name Exercise (FACES battery)
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
Mean and Nice Parent-Child Interaction Scale Mean and Nice Peer Interaction
Scale
Coded Child Activity Level
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Iowa State University
Project Title:
Project HOME (Home Observation to Measure Effectiveness) Longitudinal Study
Grantee:
Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc. Early Head Start
Project Funding Years:
1996-2001
Contact Information:
Carla Peterson
Iowa State University
Department of Human Development and Family Studies
58 LeBaron
Ames, IA 50011-1030
Phone: (515) 294-4898, Fax: (515) 294-1765
Email: carlapet@iastate.edu
Project Abstract:
The primary purpose of this follow-up study was to examine the mediators and moderators of child outcomes related to school readiness. A secondary purpose was to identify how children’s early childhood experiences influence their development, which researchers believe is affected by an interplay of multiple risk and protective factors that change over time in a child’s life. This study was guided by the following research questions: (1) How do families’ risk and protective factors, and changes in those factors over time, influence children’s literacy development and school readiness? (2) How does the quality of children’s interactions with caregivers during their first three years predict their school readiness skills (particularly emergent literacy and language outcomes) during pre-kindergarten? (3) How does the quality of children’s early education and child care experience during the pre-kindergarten period influence children’s literacy development and readiness for school? (4) How do parents’ expectations for their children’s academic performance influence their children’s readiness for school? and (5) How does a family’s engagement in EHS affect their children’s literacy development and readiness for school during the pre-kindergarten period?
The current sample included 137 children and families who participated in the original study. Tracking interviews were conducted when children were 42 months old, and continued approximately every six months until the spring before the children enter kindergarten. At this point, the pre-kindergarten assessment protocol was instituted. Data were gathered via parent interviews, child assessments, and teacher/childcare provider questionnaires. Children and families were assessed on various levels-family demographics and structure, parent and child characteristics, family needs and services, the ecology of home and school environments, and children’s interactions with parents, teachers, and caregivers-and will be examined in relation to the emergent literacy and language development of the children. Researchers plan to utilize the original data and new follow-up data in conjunction with data from the EHS Research and Evaluation Project. Researchers expect that a better understanding of risk and protective factors in young children’s environments will lead to a more useful understanding of how low-income children from high poverty, high-risk environments enter school ready to learn.
Sample:
n=137 families
Measures:
Child
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT
Test of Language Development- 3 (TOLD-3) Phonemic Analysis Subscale
Woodcock-Johnson Psych-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R)
Story and Print Concepts
Minnesota Picture Naming Indicator of Communication Growth
Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
Achenbach Teacher Report Form (TRF)
Leiter International Performance Scale
Parent
Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
Parent Interview
Stony Brook Family Reading Survey
Video-taped Interaction Tasks
FACES Parent-Child Activities
Family/Community
Family Profile II-Update
Tracking Interview
Dunst Family Support Scale
Stressful Life Events Scale
Community Violence Questionnaire (CVQ)
Preschool and Child Care Environments
Early Childhood Environments Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R)
Family Day Care Rating Scales (FDCRS)
Arnett Scale of Caregiver Behavior
Teacher/Child Care Provider Interviews
Student- Teacher Relationship Scale
Child Assessment of Childcare (CACC)
Home Environment
HOME – Preschool Scale
Medical University of South Carolina
Project Title:
Longitudinal Follow-Up of Sumter Early Head Start Children and Families
Grantee:
Sumter School District 17 Early Head Start
Project Funding Years:
2001-2004
Contact Information:
Richard A. Faldowski (PI)
Medical University of South Carolina
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
67 President Street - IOP 4S
P.O. Box 250861
Charleston, SC 29425
Phone: (843) 876-1247, Fax: (843) 792-6889
Email: faldowra@musc.edu
Gui-Young Hong (co-PI)
Medical University of South Carolina
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
67 President Street - IOP 4S
P.O. Box 250861
Charleston, SC 29425
Phone: (843) 876-1247, Fax: (843) 792-6889
Email: honggy@musc.edu
Project Abstract:
The Medical University of South Carolina, in partnership with the Sumter
School District 17 Early Head Start (EHS) Program, will conduct this follow-up
study to assess the long-term effects of EHS services received within a
school-based program for adolescent/young mothers and their infants. The
broad objective of the project is to continue the longitudinal tracking
and assessment of former Early Head Start children and families through
the summer prior to the children's entry to kindergarten. The Sumter School
District 17 Early Head Start Program is a school-based Early Head Start
program focused on the special needs of adolescent and young mothers. In
addition to core Early Head Start Services, Therapeutic Child Care and (a
research demonstration of) Intensive Home-Based Services were provided to
young mothers whose infants were at especially high risk of adverse developmental
outcomes.
Because of the potential for adverse social competence outcomes faced by the children of mothers with mental health disorders or substance abuse involvement, the present project will track the child care services received by the families between the time they leave the Early Head Start program through the children's pre-kindergarten summer, and comprehensively evaluate child care quality and mother and child outcomes during the pre-kindergarten summer. Of particular emphasis for the South Carolina site will be maternal mental health functioning at a time when parental availability becomes crucial to a child's transition into school, and the assessment of the child's social competence from multiple perspectives. The primary question to be addressed by this study is "How are the promises of Early Head Start, when combined with post-EHS child and family experiences, mapped into critically-important school readiness outcomes?" Additional mediators of pre-kindergarten outcomes will be explored, including history of childcare arrangements, major life events, and quality of extant childcare arrangements.
Sample:
N=152 families (73 former EHS program families, 79 former community-comparison
families)
Measures:
Mother
Brief Symptom Index (BSI)
Parenting Stress Index (PSI)
Pearlin and Schooler Mastery Scale
Stressful Life Events Scale
Child
Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS)-Parent version
Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS)-Teacher version
Michigan State University
Project Title:
Pathways Project II: Research into Directions for Family Health
Grantee:
Region II Community Action Agency
Project Funding Years:
2001-2004
Contact Information:
Rachel F. Schiffman
Michigan State University
College of Nursing
A230 Life Sciences Building
East Lansing, MI 48824-1317
Phone: (517) 353-5072, Fax: (517) 353-9553
Email: Rachel.schiffman@ht.msu.edu
Project Abstract:
The Pathways Project is a collaborative research effort between Michigan
State University and the Community Action Agency Early Head Start (EHS)
program. The current research effort continues and extends the original
Pathways Project, aimed at testing the Family Health Model. This model explores
the types of services and support available to families, and how parent-child
interactions affect family health, the child, and the parent. In addition,
this model integrates an innovative focus on parent and child nutrition
as a component of family health. The main objective of the current project
is to test the long-term impact of the EHS program on family health and
child and parent development, while exploring the intervening experiences
of the child. This research will assess: (1) how characteristics defining
family health change over time, (2) the impact of participation in EHS on
family health and child and parent outcomes, and (3) the impact of experiences
during the preschool years on child outcomes.
Data from the original Pathways Project will be used to refine and test intermediate components of the Family Health Model. One hundred seventy seven families enrolled in the original Pathways Project will be followed until the children are ready to enter kindergarten. Researchers will collect data on the child's preschool experiences; parent-child interaction; family's use of services; child outcomes such as vocabulary, math skills and attention; and parent outcomes such as employment and education. Additionally, nutritional data on the family will be obtained and parent's attitudes, knowledge, and confidence in feeding their young children assessed. To measure individual change throughout this project, growth curve and latent growth curve methods of analysis will be used. In addition, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), or trend analysis, will be used to interpret group trends of the longitudinal research findings.
Sample:
N=177 families
Measures:
Child
Pre-Kindergarten Child Assessment
Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised
Woodcock Johnson Tests of Individual Achievement, Letter-Word Recognition
and Applied Problems
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)
Story Print Concepts
Family
Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ)
Family Crisis Oriented Personal Scale (F-COPES)
McMaster Family Assessment Device-general functioning scale (FAD)
Parent
NEAT Attitude, Knowledge, and Confidence Scale
Psychological Empowerment Scale (PES)
Home Environment
Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME)
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New York University
Project Title:
Pathways from the Educational Alliance's Early Head Start Program to Kindergarten
Readiness
Grantee:
The Educational Alliance, Inc.
Project Funding Years:
2001-2004
Contact Information:
Catherine Tamis-LeMonda
New York University
Applied Psychology
239 Greene Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 998-5399
Email: catherine.tamis-lemonda@nyu.edu
Mark Spellman
New York University
One Washington Square North
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 998-5968, Fax: (212) 995-4588
Email: mes4@nyu.edu
Project Abstract:
This research project continues a collaboration between New York University
and the Educational Alliance Early Head Start (EHS) program. The objective
of this project is to assess the factors that mediate and moderate the effects
of participation in EHS on kindergarten readiness. The sample includes a
cohort of EHS children and a group of community comparison children who
were enrolled in the original EHS project before their first birthday and
studied through age 36 months. Researchers will follow children through
the preschool period, just prior to kindergarten entry, and assess children's
development in the following domains as it relates to kindergarten readiness:
cognitive, social, empathy, prosocial values, moral reasoning, emotional
well being, and awareness of the perspective of others. Research will also
focus on how the parent-child relationship impacts the development of these
multiple domains. The main research questions include: (1) Does participation
in EHS increase kindergarten readiness? (2) What factors strengthen or attenuate
EHS's effects on kindergarten readiness? and (3) Through which pathways
does EHS affect kindergarten readiness?
Tracking interviews will be completed at 6-month intervals, beginning 6 months after the 3-year assessment, until a spring or summer assessment prior to kindergarten entry. At this time, a comprehensive assessment will be administered to capture the quality of the child's primary childcare placement. Data collected from the continuation project will be merged with the data collected during the original EHS study and used to test a conceptual model of predictors, moderators, and mediators of kindergarten readiness.
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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Project Title:
Early Head Start Research Project, Pre-K
Grantee:
Child Development, Inc. Northwest Tennessee Head Start/Early Head Start/Migrant Head Start
Project Funding Years:
2001-2005
Contact Information:
Mark E. Swanson, M.D., M.P.H.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
2001 Pershing Circle, Suite 300
North Little Rock, AR 72114
Phone: (50(1) 682-9900, Fax: (50(1) 682-9901
Email: swansonmarke@uams.edu
Project Abstract:
This research project continues a collaboration between the University of
Arkansas and Child Development, Inc. (CDI) Early Head Start and begins a
new collaboration with the Northwest Tennessee Early Head Start (EHS) program,
building on hypotheses and data collected during the first phase of this
project. The objective of this continuation project is to assess the impact
of the EHS program on child and mother outcomes. The sample includes 322
EHS children and community comparison children who were enrolled in the
original project before their first birthday and studied through 36 months.
Researchers will follow children through preschool, just prior to kindergarten
entry. Research questions will be directed at intervention impact and the
mediation and moderation of previously identified constructs, including
characteristics of the child's mother and other caregivers (resiliency,
social skills, involvement with the child, and attitudes toward the child).
Research will focus on how maternal involvement in the EHS program impacts
parenting attitudes, efficacy, and potential for child abuse, as well as
other factors expected to mediate and/or moderate longer-term child and
mother outcomes, including quality of life and nutritional behavior. Impact
of the EHS program on child health, physical development, and interpersonal
relationships will also be studied. Data analysis will focus on: (1) the
impact of the intervention; (2) subsets of participants that may have benefited
more or less from the intervention; and (3) an examination of the intervention
factors that mediate or moderate child and parent outcomes.
Sample:
N=322 children
Measures:
Child
Height and Weight
Head Circumference
Children's Eating Behavior Inventory
MacArthur Story Stem
TV Exposure Survey
Infant Feeding Survey
Children's Eating Behavior Inventory
Family
Quality of Life
Conflict Tactics Scale
Parent
Adolescent-Adult Parenting Inventory
Teti's Maternal Efficacy Scale
Mother/Grandmother Involvement with Child
Daily and Parenting Hassles
Resiliency Attitude Scale
Adult Attachment Scale
Substance Abuse Questions
Scale of Intergenerational Relationships Quality
Parenting Expectations
Parent Opinion Survey (PIC)
Simpson
Maternal Food Frequency
Maternal Activities
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University of California at Los Angeles
Project Title:
The Children First Program - Prekindergarten Follow-up Phase
Grantee:
Children First Early Head Start
Project Funding Years:
2001-2005
Contact Information:
Carollee Howes
University of California at Los Angeles
Department of Education
Box 951521
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521
Phone: 310) 825-8336, Fax: (310) 206-6293
Email: howes@gseis.ucla.edu
Project Abstract:
This longitudinal research project is an extension of a collaborative research
effort between UCLA and the Children First program of the Venice Family
Clinic, an Early Head Start (EHS) program in Venice, California that serves
Latino immigrant families through the EHS Home Visitation Model. The primary
objective of this research study is to examine mediating and moderating
pathways towards children’s social competence in the context of community
childcare settings. A second objective of this study is to examine the long-term
efficacy of EHS for a sample of low-income, Latino families who are primarily
immigrant, Spanish speaking, and living in an urban community characterized
by high levels of violence and wide disparities of wealth.
The sample includes 103 EHS children and families from the original EHS study, combined with a new comparison group of 86 children and families. Observational data, interview data, and data from questionnaires and assessment tools will be collected at several points throughout the study, beginning when the children are 36 months old until they enter kindergarten. The measures used will be from the common research battery protocol proposed for the national EHS study and supplemented with the MacArthur Story Stem Battery and the Attachment Q-Set.
Through the continuation of this local research study, the researchers expect to find that the success of EHS depends on the program’s ability to support and enhance strong, caring, continuous relationships. Specifically, researchers hypothesize that the EHS children in the sample who experience and maintain positive, trusting relationships with adult caregivers as infants and toddlers will be able to construct positive relationships with adults and peers and be better able to self regulate in preschool. Additionally, they expect that the EHS children who experience at least one secure attachment relationship with their mother or childcare provider as infants and toddlers will have more positive relationships with adults and peers and be better able to self-regulate than children with two insecure attachment relationships. The final hypothesis is that EHS children who are better able to regulate their emotions and behavior as preschoolers will also be more liked by their pre-kindergarten teachers and be more socially skilled in their interactions with peers in childcare.
Sample:
N=189 families (103 program and 86 comparison families)
Measures:
Child
Bayley Behavioral Ratings (36 months)
Child behavioral Checkilst (36 months)
Pre-Kindergarten Child Assessment
Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised
Woodcock Johnson Tests of Individual Achievement (Letter-Word Recognition
and Applied Problems)
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)
Story Print Concepts task
Howes Peer Play Scale
FACES teacher report
Parent-Child interaction
Emotional Availability of child and mother
Mother-Child Relationship
Attachment Q-Set (AQS)
MacArthur Story Stems Battery (MSSB)
Teacher-Child Relationships
Attachment Q-Set (AQS)
MacArthur Story Stems Battery (MSSB)
Pianta Student-teacher relationship
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University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Project Title:
Early Head Start: Pre-Kindergarten Follow Up
Grantee:
Clayton/Mile High Family Futures Project
Family Star Early Head Start
Project Funding Years:
2001-2005
Contact Information:
Robert N. Emde
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine
4200 East 9th Avenue, Box C268-69
Denver, CO 80262
Phone: (303) 315-7114, Fax: (303) 315-6606
Email: bob.emde@uchsc.edu
Project Abstract:
This research project continues a collaboration between the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Family Start Early Head Start (EHS) Program, and the Clayton/Mile High EHS program. The objective of this project is to assess socio-emotional competence in a cohort of “first wave” EHS children and a group of community comparison children who were enrolled in the original project before their first birthday and studied through age 36 months. Researchers will follow children through preschool, just prior to kindergarten entry. Research questions include the following: (1) Do intervention children show enhanced development in their positive representations of parental and other figures, ability to organize emotionally-meaningful representations of others in narratives, and ability to construct and communicate resolutions to dilemmas, regulated aggression, and empathic resolutions? (2) Do intervention children show enhanced emotion regulation, capacity for attention and exploration, and sociability with others? (3) Do maternal resources moderate EHS program effects? (4) Does the child’s level of engagement in previous EHS programs mediate the impact of the program? (5) To what extent does emotional availability of caregivers, caregiver attitudes, and caregiver involvement in programs associate with child development outcomes? and (6) What is the influence of degree of engagement in EHS, subsequent Head Start attendance, and use of other preschool services on child socio-emotional outcomes? Measures will include telephone tracking interviews, observations of child and parent-child interactions, and pre-kindergarten child assessments.
Sample:
Of the original families who were randomized (N=309), N=280 were retained for this study.
Measures:
Child
Pre-Kindergarten Child Assessment
Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised
Woodcock Johnson Tests of Individual Achievement, Letter-Word Recognition and Applied Problems
Story Print Concepts Task
MacArthur Story Stem Battery (MSSB)
Assessments of Service Engagement
National Child Care Observation
Questionnaire on Partnerships Between Parents and Teachers
Parental interview
Parent-Child Interactions
Videotape Codings
University of Kansas
Project Title:
Early Head Start Research Partnership Project
Grantee:
Project EAGLE Early Head Start
Project Funding Years:
2001-2004
Contact Information:
Judith J. Carta
Juniper Gardens Children's Project
650 Minnesota, 2nd Floor
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: (913) 321-3143, Fax: (913) 371-8522
Email: carta@ukans.edu
Jane Atwater
University of Kansas
Juniper Gardens Children's Project
650 Minnesota, 2nd Floor
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: (913) 321-3143, Fax: (913) 371-8522
Email: janea@ukans.edu
Jean Ann Summers
University of Kansas
Juniper Gardens Children's Project
650 Minnesota, 2nd Floor
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: (913) 321-3143, Fax: (913) 371-8522
Email: jsummers@ukans.udu
Project Abstract:
This project is a continuation of a collaborative research effort between
the Juniper Garden's Children Project and Project EAGLE, an Early Head Start
(EHS) program in Kansas City, KS. The primary purpose of this follow-up
study is to examine the mediators and moderators of child outcomes related
to school readiness. A secondary purpose is to identify how children's early
childhood experiences influence their development, which researchers believe
is affected by an interplay of multiple risk and protective factors that
change over time in a child's life. This study is guided by the following
research questions: (1) How do families' risk and protective factors, and
changes in those factors over time, influence children's literacy development
and school readiness? (2) How does the quality of children's interactions
with caregivers during their first three years predict their school readiness
skills (particularly emergent literacy and language outcomes) during pre-kindergarten?
(3) How does the quality of children's early education and child care experience
during the pre-kindergarten period influence children's literacy development
and readiness for school? (4) How do parents' expectations for their children's
academic performance influence their children's readiness for school? and
(5) How does families' engagement in EHS affect their children's literacy
development and readiness for school during the pre-kindergarten period?
The current sample includes 179 children and families who participated in the original study. Tracking interviews will be conducted when children are 42 months old, and continue every six months until the spring before the children enter kindergarten. At this point, the pre-kindergarten assessment protocol will be instituted. Data will be gathered during parent interviews, child assessments, and teacher/childcare provider questionnaires. Children and families will be assessed on various levels-family demographics and structure, parent and child characteristics, family needs and services, the ecology of home and school environments, and children's interactions with parents, teachers, and caregivers-and will be examined in relation to the emergent literacy and language development of the children. Researchers plan to utilize the original data and new follow-up data in conjunction with data from the national EHS impact evaluation. Researchers expect that a better understanding of risk and protective factors in young children's environments will lead to a more useful understanding of how low-income children from high-poverty, high-risk environments enter school ready to learn.
Sample:
N=179 families (91 program families and 88 comparison families)
Measures:
Child
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - III (PPVT)
Test of Language Development - 3 (TOLD-3) Phonemic Analysis Subscale
Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery - Revised (WJ-R)
Story and Print Concepts
Minnesota Picture Naming Indicator of Communication Growth
Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
Achenbach Teacher Report Form (TRF)
Leiter International Performance Scale
Parent
Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
Parent Interview
Stony Brook Family Reading Survey
Video-taped Interaction Tasks
FACES Parent-Child Activities
Family/Community
Family Profile II - Update
Tracking Interview
Dunst Family Support Scale
Stressful Life Events Scale
Community Violence Questionnaire (CVQ)
Preschool and Child Care Environments
Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale - Revised (ECERS-R)
Family Day Care Rating Scale (FDCRS)
Arnett Scale of Caregiver Behavior
Teacher/Child Care Provider Interviews
Student-Teacher Relationship Scale
Home Environment
HOME - Preschool Scale
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University of Missouri at Columbia
Project Title:
Extensive Evaluation of Early Head Start Families Participating in KCMC
Early Head Start Program and Comparison Families
Grantee:
KCMC Early Head Start
Project Funding Years:
2001-2004
Contact Information:
Kathy Thornburg
University of Missouri at Columbia
Department of Human Development and Family Studies
409 Gentry Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
Phone: (573) 882-9998, Fax: (573) 884-5550
Email: ThornburgK@missouri.edu
Project Abstract:
This research project continues collaboration between the University of
Missouri and the Kansas City Early Head Start (EHS) program in Kansas City,
Missouri. The sample includes a cohort of "first wave" EHS children
and a group of community comparison children who were enrolled in the original
EHS project before their first birthday and studied through age 36 months.
Researchers will follow children through preschool, just prior to kindergarten
entry to explore factors that mediate and/or moderate the impact of a variety
of stressors and services on child and family functioning. Researchers will
assess children's cognitive, social, and behavioral outcomes, including
kindergarten readiness. Researchers will also explore maternal levels of
depression, parenting stress, and maternal self-mastery and self-sufficiency.
An in-depth case study component will explore the strengths and challenges
of inner-city families. The case studies will allow researchers to examine
how the following factors influence the nature of the transition-outcome
relationship: (1) social support; (2) a "hardy," determined and
optimistic cognitive appraisal system; (3) racial identity development;
and (4) human service networks, including EHS. Continuing from previous
research efforts, this study will focus on the ways in which life transitions
and resulting stress affect outcomes for inner-city families containing
young, African American, single mothers in poverty. A unique contribution
of this study is its focus on positive outcomes for at-risk populations.
Sample:
N=193 families
Measures:
Child Care Environment
Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)
Arnett Scale of Caregiver Behavior
Child School Readiness
Leiter-R International Performance Test Sustained Attention Task
Woodcock Johnson Applied Problems, Letter-Word Identification, and Story
and Print Concepts
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III)
Speech and Symbolic Play Sample
Teacher's Child Report Form (FACES)
Howes Behaviors in Childcare Scale
Parent
Ringwald's Conflict Situations Scale
Type, Frequency, and Stressfulness of Change (instrument will be developed)
Black Racial Identity Attitude Scale (RIAS-B), short form
Ethnographic/Qualitative Data
Semi-Structured Interviews (case-studies) with a Sample of 9 Parents
Questions regarding stability and change, child care, kindergarten readiness,
racial identity, maternal self-sufficiency, residential mobility, exposure
to violence, maternal mental health and well-being
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University of Pittsburgh
Project Title:
Early Head Start Longitudinal Research Project
Grantee:
Family Foundations Early Head Start
Project Funding Years:
2001-2005
Contact Information:
Carol L. McAllister
University of Pittsburgh
Graduate School of Public Health
220 Parran Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Phone: (412) 624-7778, Fax: (412) 624-5510
Email: allister@pitt.edu
Beth L. Green
NPC Research, Inc.
5200 SW Macadam Avenue, Suite 420
Portland, OR 97201
Phone: (503) 243-2436, Fax: (503) 243-2454
Email: green@npcresearch.com
Project Abstract:
This research project continues a collaboration between the University of
Pittsburgh and the Family Foundations Early Head Start (EHS) program. The
objective of this project is to continue a longitudinal study of school
readiness, focusing on understanding the mechanisms that support school
readiness among a primarily African American, low-income sample. The sample
includes a group of EHS children and community comparison children who were
enrolled in the original study before their first birthday and studied through
age 36 months. Researchers will follow the children through preschool, just
prior to kindergarten entry.
For this study, the definition of school readiness includes both parent and child readiness for the child's entry into school. In particular, researchers will focus on how participation and active engagement in EHS, combined with other program experiences, contributes to changes in psychosocial and contextual influences of school readiness for both parents and children. Researchers will examine: (1) parents' and early childhood professionals' understanding of school readiness; (2) the influence of psychosocial and contextual factors on parents' and on children's school readiness; and (3) the influence of early childhood programs on children's school readiness and school readiness predictors.
Researchers will utilize a mixed methods design, including both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data will be collected via: (1) parent pre-kindergarten, open-ended interviews; (2) parent focus group interviews concerning family understandings of school readiness; and (3) ethnographic research conducted in an integrated case study format. Quantitative data will be collected from: (1) parent tracking interviews;(2) parent pre-kindergarten interviews; (3) child pre-kindergarten assessments; and (4) day care or preschool provider assessments.
Sample:
N=190 families (97 program families, 93 comparison families)
Measures:
Parent
Tracking Interviews
Parent Interview
Personal Assessment of Parent Empowerment Scale (PAPES)
Parent-School Interaction Questionnaire Adaptation
Parent as Teacher Inventory
Semi-Structured Qualitative Interview
Focus Groups
Integrated Ethnographic Case Studies
Parent-Child Relationship
Videotaped Free Play Codings
HOME Emotional Responsivity Subscale
Child
Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire
Child School Readiness Measures
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III)
Woodcock Johnson Applied Problems Test
Woodcock Johnson Letter-Word Identification Test
Story Print Concepts Assessment
Sustained Attention Task
Child Behavior Ratings
Leiter-R Sociability Ratings
Behaviors in Childcare Measure
Family
Arizona Social Support Interview
Annual Income and Involvement with Government Agencies
Semi-Structured Qualitative Interview
Integrated Ethnographic Case Studies
Program Participation
Frequency of Support Services
Level of Program Participation
Parental Involvement in Program Activities
Semi-Structured Qualitative Interview
Integrated Ethnographic Case Studies
Preschool/Childcare
Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)/Family Day Care Rating
Scale (FDCRS)
Teacher Information Questionnaire
Teacher Questionnaire about Child Behavior
Arnett Scale of Caregiver Behavior
Center Director Questionnaire
HOWES snapshot
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University of Washington School of Education
Project Title:
A Longitudinal Research Partnership to Investigate the Impact of Early Head
Start on Latino children and Families in Central Washington
Grantee:
Washington State Migrant Council Early Head Start
Project Funding Years
2001-2005
Contact Information:
Joseph J. Stowitschek
University of Washington, College of Education
4725 30th Avenue, NE
Box 357925
Seattle, WA 98105-4021
Phone: (206) 543-4011 or (206) 543-3815
Email: stowi@u.washington.edu
Project Abstract:
This research project, conducted in partnership with The University of Washington’s Center for the Study and Teaching of At-Risk Students (C-STARS) and the Washington State Migrant Council (WSMC), continues longitudinal research on 160 low-income Latino children and their families participating in Early Head Start (EHS). The focus of this study is tracking and investigating children’s preschool and childcare experiences beyond 36 months of age. Specific objectives include: (1) investigating children’s growth trajectories and participation in preschool or childcare focusing on developmental nuances; (2) extending “nested study” aims regarding childrens’ disabilities, language and social growth and development, as well as cultural influences on family growth and community involvement; (3) determining the extent to which children’s cognitive, linguistic, and social growth is reflected in indices of school readiness; and (4) investigating key elements of the WSMC-EHS and C-STARS partnership, including involvement in longitudinal research and consortium activities as well as continuous program improvement activities. This investigation utilizes various measures, including tracking interviews, parent interviews, staff interviews, child assessments, and child videotaping protocols. The overall goals for this project are to determine what mediates or moderates positive child and family development in community and childcare settings, and to assess how earlier experiences in EHS have influenced child and family development.
Sample:
n=160 families (83 program, 77 comparison)
Measures:
Child
School Readiness Child Assessment
Story Print Concepts Task
Key Pre Literacy Indicators Assessment
Child and Family Videotaped Observation
Social Interaction/Engagement Protocol
Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)
Parent
Early Head Start Longitudinal Tracking Interview
Parent Interview
Parent Interview Supplement
Preschool/Childcare Setting
Childcare Observations
Staff Interviews
University of Washington School of Nursing
Project Title:
Attachment in Early Head Start Process and Outcome
Grantee:
Families First Early Head Start
Project Funding Years:
2001-2004
Contact Information:
Susan J. Spieker
University of Washington
Box 357920
Seattle, WA 98195-7920
Phone: (206) 543-8453, Fax: (206) 685-3349
Email: spieker@u.washington.edu
Project Abstract:
This research continues a partnership between the University of Washington
and Families First Early Head Start (EHS) to conduct longitudinal research
on attachment and child outcomes. Researchers will follow families who were
participants in the original EHS study at two time points: 1 year and 6
months prior to child entry into kindergarten. The primary focus will be
on the role of attachment relationships in children's readiness for school.
In particular, this research will focus on answering the following questions:
(1) How does participation in EHS and Head Start, in combination with alternative
early childhood services, influence the developmental trajectories and school
readiness of children entering kindergarten? (2) Does a child's attachment
history moderate the effects of Head Start or other early childhood services
on children's developmental trajectories and school readiness of children
entering kindergarten? (3) Does a child's attachment history predict the
quality of relationship he or she develops with a preschool teacher? and
(4) Does a child's attachment history influence his or her representations
of relationships and resolutions of common dilemmas?
Parents will complete a tracking interview in the fall of their child's pre-kindergarten year to provide updated information on the family and the child's attendance at preschool, childcare, or Head Start. In the spring, the parent will again be contacted to arrange a home visit. Data collected during the home visit includes a parent interview and the Home Observation of the Environment (HOME). In addition, children will complete the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III, Woodcock-Johnson, Story Print Concepts, the MacArthur Story Stem Battery, and the Sustained Attention Subscale of the Leiter-International Performance Test. The examiner will also complete the Leiter-R Examiner Rating Scales on the child's behavior during testing. Finally, parents and children will be videotaped in two activities and a brief interview will be conducted with the child's teacher.
Sample:
N=179 families
Measures:
Family
Home Observation Assessment of the Environment (HOME)
Parent-Child Interaction Task
Child
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III)
Performance Records, Form A
Woodcock Johnson Tests of Individual Achievement, Letter-Word Recognition
and Applied Problems
Story Print Concepts
Leiter International Performance Test Sustained Attention Subscale
Leiter-R Examiner Rating Scales
Parent Rating of Child Behavior
Teacher Rating of Child Behavior
MacArthur Story Stem Battery (MSSB)
Parent
Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), short form
Child Care
Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)
Arnett Scale of Caregiver Behavior
Behavior in Child Care: Early Head Start Follow-up Observation and Codebook
Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS)
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Utah State University
Project Title:
Early Head Start to Pre-Kindergarten: Longitudinal Research
Grantee:
Bear River Early Head Start
Project Funding Years:
2001-2004
Contact Information:
Lori A. Roggman
Utah State University
Department of Family and Human Development
UMC 2905, Family Life Building, FL 214
Logan, UT 84322-2905
Phone: (435) 797-1545, Fax: (435) 797-3845
Email: FaLori@cc.usu.edu
Project Abstract:
This research effort extends a prior collaboration between Utah State University
and Bear River Early Head Start (EHS) that examined the immediate outcomes
of EHS for low-income children and their families. This long-term follow-up
study will assess participants from the original study at the time just
before the children are entering school. The five main objectives of this
study include: (1) investigating the long-term outcomes of EHS on children's
social competence, including a positive parent-child relationship and positive
child social behavior; (2) investigating the long-term outcomes of EHS on
children's school readiness, including vocabulary, pre-reading skills, mathematic
concepts, and learning attitudes; (3) examining whether the link from immediate
to long-term child outcomes is mediated by outcomes of EHS in parent functioning;
(4) exploring how long-term child and parent outcomes are moderated by intervening
experiences with preschool/childcare and family stress; and (5) exploring
how long-term child and parent outcomes are moderated by variations in program
services. This research will utilize multi-method, multi-measure strategies
to evaluate the long-term outcomes of EHS. In addition to a set of cross-site
procedures and measures used by all EHS research sites, researchers will
collect data during home visits, conduct parent interviews, video tape parent-child
interactions, and assess children's school readiness using standardized
tests. All data for the current study will be collected in the spring and
summer before each child enters kindergarten. Additional data will be collected
from fathers and observations of fathers with their children.
Sample:
N=200 families (102 program families, 98 comparison families)
Measures:
Child
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised (CPRS-R)
Conners' Teacher Rating Scale-Revised (CTRS-R)
Teacher Checklist of Peer Relations (TCPR)
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)
Woodcock Johnson Tests of Individual Achievement, Letter-Word Recognition
and Applied Problems
Parent
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
Pearlin Mastery
Relationship Attitudes Questionnaire
(F-COPES)
Parenting Practices Questionnaire (PPQ)
Family Stress
Parenting Stress Index, short form (PSI-S)
Family Environment Scale (FES) Conflict items
Parent-Child Interaction
Video Coding of Parent-Child Relationship Quality
Head Start, Preschool, or Child Care Environment
Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)
Arnett Scale of Provider Sensitivity
Howes Interactive Behaviors Rating Scale