Jessica K. Hardy , Jill Grifenhagen , Ragan H. McLeod , Katerina M. Marcoulides , Mary Louise Hemmeter
{"title":"Correlations between coaching quality and teacher change in social-emotional teaching practices","authors":"Jessica K. Hardy , Jill Grifenhagen , Ragan H. McLeod , Katerina M. Marcoulides , Mary Louise Hemmeter","doi":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2025.01.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2025.01.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coaching has become prevalent in early childhood educational settings and has been shown to support teachers’ use of evidence-based practices. However, coaching includes many practices, and it is not known which practices are necessary for affecting change. We developed a model of coaching quality, the Coaching Quality Framework, and a quantitative measure, the Coaching Quality Checklist (CQC). The model and measure were developed to operationalize quality as an aspect of implementation fidelity in coaching interventions. The CQC includes three subscales: Foundational, Supportive, and Change-Oriented. In this study, we used the CQC to code 168 coaching sessions from a randomized control trial of the Pyramid Model. Teacher outcomes were measured using the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT). We found that total CQC scores were significantly correlated with change in preschool teachers’ social-emotional teaching practices, as measured by their overall TPOT scores. The Change-Oriented subscale of the CQC was significantly correlated with growth in TPOT scores, while the other two CQC subscales were not. We also measured the extent to which fidelity to the coaching protocol was correlated with growth in TPOT scores and found it was significantly correlated with growth on two TPOT practices but not overall change in TPOT scores. However, CQC scores were significantly correlated with fidelity scores. We measured how CQC scores varied among coach-teacher dyads and found that 82 % of the variability was attributable to the coach rather than the teacher. The results of this study support the validity of the CQC, indicating it measures coaching behaviors important for supporting changes in social-emotional teaching practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48348,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Research Quarterly","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 183-192"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143035192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sara A. Schmitt , David J. Purpura , Robert J. Duncan , Lindsey Bryant , Tracy M. Zehner , Brianna L. Devlin , Elyssa A. Geer , Tanya A. Paes
{"title":"Testing block play as an effective mechanism for promoting early math, executive function, and spatial skills in preschoolers from low-income backgrounds","authors":"Sara A. Schmitt , David J. Purpura , Robert J. Duncan , Lindsey Bryant , Tracy M. Zehner , Brianna L. Devlin , Elyssa A. Geer , Tanya A. Paes","doi":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impacts of different types of block play (free play and semi-structured play) on children's math, executive function (EF), and spatial skills in a low-income sample. We hypothesized that children assigned to either of the block play conditions would demonstrate greater gains on math, EF, and spatial skills compared to children in a business-as-usual (BAU) condition. Further, we expected that children in the semi-structured condition would experience greater gains in math, EF, and spatial skills relative to children in the free play condition. Children from families with low incomes (<em>N</em> = 242; <em>M</em>age = 52.01) participated in a randomized controlled trial<strong>.</strong> Children completed twelve direct assessments of math, EF, and spatial skills at pre-test and post-test. Children were assigned to one of three conditions: free play (Free) with blocks, semi-structured block play (Semi), or business-as-usual (BAU) control. Intervention implementation occurred twice per week for 8 weeks. Preregistered analyses indicated that three intervention effects were statistically significant, two favoring the Free group over BAU: geometry skills (<em>b</em> = 0.37, <em>p</em> = .010) and behavioral regulation (<em>b</em> = 0.23, <em>p</em> = .017), and one favoring BAU over Free: math language (<em>b</em> = -0.18, <em>p</em> = .034). Despite only finding three significant effects, the overall pattern of results suggests positive effects of the block play interventions (i.e., effect sizes were positive for 10 of the 12 outcomes). Implications for practice and future research are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48348,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Research Quarterly","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 163-173"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142925274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pamela Joshi , Tamara Halle , Yoonsook Ha , Julia R. Henly , Milagros Nores , Neda Senehi
{"title":"Advancing research on equitable access to early care and education in the United States","authors":"Pamela Joshi , Tamara Halle , Yoonsook Ha , Julia R. Henly , Milagros Nores , Neda Senehi","doi":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.009","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48348,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Research Quarterly","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 145-150"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142925281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Youngjin Stephanie Hong , Julia R. Henly , David Alexander
{"title":"Reducing childcare subsidy instability through eligibility period extensions: Equity impacts of 12-month recertification requirements","authors":"Youngjin Stephanie Hong , Julia R. Henly , David Alexander","doi":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The 2014 reauthorization of the Child Care Development Block Grant Act required that states and territories set their program eligibility period to be at least 12 months in length. This was designed to address premature program disruptions related to difficulties with the recertification process. Subsidy instability can undermine the multidimensional goal of providing equitable access to childcare. Using Illinois’ longitudinal administrative payment records, this study examines whether a shift from a 6-month to a 12-month eligibility period contributes to lengthened periods on subsidy and whether this effect had particular benefits for home-based providers, especially license-exempt family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) caregivers. We find that median subsidy spell lengths were longer during a 12-month than a 6-month eligibility period. Cox proportional hazards models that account for observable differences before and after the policy change indicate that the policy change is associated with a lower risk of leaving the subsidy program even after 12-months on the program. We also find equity benefits to the change: families who use FFN caregivers benefited most from the extended eligibility period. Our finding suggests that a longer eligibility period established by the 2014 reauthorization increased subsidy duration and helped promote equity in sustained access to subsidies, with potential implications for fostering equitable access to childcare, family economic security, and children's healthy development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48348,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Research Quarterly","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 151-162"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142925279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maia C. Connors , Stacy B. Ehrlich Loewe , Amanda G. Stein , John Francis , Sarah Kabourek , John Q. Easton
{"title":"Closer to home: A study of equity-focused pre-k access and enrollment policies in Chicago","authors":"Maia C. Connors , Stacy B. Ehrlich Loewe , Amanda G. Stein , John Francis , Sarah Kabourek , John Q. Easton","doi":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ample research points to school-based, full-day pre-k as an important mechanism for supporting children's development and laying a foundation for academic success in elementary school. Yet the children who are most likely to benefit from these experiences have historically had the least access. In collaboration with Chicago policymakers, this study investigates whether and for whom patterns of early elementary school academic outcomes were associated with a set of policy changes that were intended to increase access to, and enrollment in, school-based full-day pre-k for “high-priority” student groups. Results suggest patterns of stronger second grade math scores, reading scores, and academic grades among students eligible to enroll in pre-k after the policy changes were implemented, compared to students eligible for pre-k in the pre-policy period. These associations were strongest within “high-priority” student groups, including Black students and those living in the lowest-income neighborhoods. Using a descriptive structural equation modeling approach to test the theory of action underlying this suite of policy changes, we found evidence that the primary policy components were successfully implemented such that high-priority student groups lived closer to full-day school-based pre-k options post-policy, which in turn was related to their increased enrollment in full-day school-based pre-k, higher kindergarten entry skills, and ultimately better second grade academic outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48348,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Research Quarterly","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 135-144"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142889255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Examining duration of family enrollment in subsidized child care after policy change: Disaggregated outcomes for diverse populations in New Mexico","authors":"Andrew L. Breidenbach, Hailey Heinz","doi":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Child care subsidies are most beneficial when families receive them for a sustained period, facilitating affordable access to care. As a plurality-Hispanic border state with substantial tribal populations, New Mexico contributes unique insights into how the nationwide move to 12-month recertification periods for child care subsidies affected family enrollment duration for these populations. We hypothesized that for our sample, average care duration would increase modestly for families after full implementation of 12-month recertification, but that these increases would be uneven across subgroups by race/ethnicity, income, and whether they are working or in school. Using 42 months of administrative data (January 2015-June 2018), we used survival time regression modeling to examine whether families enrolled after the 12-month policy implementation had longer durations in subsidized care, controlling for confounding family-level and contextual factors. Results show that families who entered subsidized care after New Mexico’s 12-month recertification policy went into effect were on average more likely to reach longer enrollment spells. Median subsidized spell length increased by 83 %, from 6 months prior to policy implementation up to 11 months afterwards. Sub-group analyses revealed that enrollment duration increased across groups, but Native Americans gained significantly less from the policy. Enrollment spells for student parents improved but remained markedly shorter than those of employed parents. Although the policy extended families’ usage of the subsidy system in the aggregate, further research is needed to better contextualize and understand the complex factors that may differentially affect families’ ability to remain enrolled in the program.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48348,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Research Quarterly","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 123-134"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142874172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rose Lapolice Thériault, Annie Bernier, Audrey-Ann Deneault
{"title":"Maternal and paternal parenting stress: Direct and interactive associations with child externalizing and internalizing behavior problems","authors":"Rose Lapolice Thériault, Annie Bernier, Audrey-Ann Deneault","doi":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examined the direct and interactive effects of mothers’ and fathers’ parenting stress in the prediction of child externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. Mothers and fathers (predominantly White and generally college-educated) of 157 children reported on their respective parenting stress when children were 18 months old. Both parents also reported on child behavior problems when children were 4 years old. Parent-reported infant temperamental difficultness at 15 months of age as well as child sex and family socioeconomic status were controlled for in the models. Path analyses suggested that both paternal and maternal parenting stress uniquely predicted child externalizing behaviors. A significant interaction between both parents’ parenting stress was also found, such that higher paternal parenting stress predicted more child externalizing behaviors at low and average levels of maternal stress, but not at high levels. Only maternal stress predicted higher levels of internalizing problems. The results of this longitudinal study suggest that paternal parenting stress may be of salient importance in the development of child externalizing behavior problems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48348,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Research Quarterly","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 114-122"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142874086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Child care tradeoffs among Massachusetts mothers","authors":"Sarah Ann Savage , Wendy Wagner Robeson","doi":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the U.S., licensed child care is funded through a mostly private market, constraining the supply of accessible high-quality care. Child care providers are limited in their ability to offer high-quality early child care that is easily accessible by parents across the economic spectrum. In a mostly private market, there is variation in options for early child care at the community- and provider-levels. Combine this with variable parental needs and preferences and it is easy to see how alignment is not always achievable (Weber, 2011). Constraints on the child care supply make fixing one or more aspects of child care possible only at the detriment of another. This is referred to as the child care trilemma (Morgan, 1986). This results in unequal and inequitable access to care across income levels. Lower-income families in particular face constraints in securing care that is strong on multiple care dimensions of affordability, quality, and availability when, where, and for whom they need it. We know that some parents confront forced choices or tradeoffs among aspects of care. This study aimed to understand the tradeoffs parents make in selecting the best care arrangements for their family. Between October 2019 and January 2020, we interviewed 67 mothers in Massachusetts whose child(ren) had not yet started kindergarten. We worked to understand the ways in which tradeoffs occurred and the implications of those tradeoffs by asking about mothers’ initial preferences and needs when first considering child care options relative to the choices they made. We found that 1) tradeoffs occurred along the multiple dimensions of care, 2) mothers used strategies to mitigate the consequences of tradeoffs, 3) tradeoffs varied in level of severity, 4) the more accessible the care, the less severe the tradeoff; and 5) tradeoffs varied in meaningful ways. These findings underscore the utility in applying a tradeoffs lens to assessing child care policy and practice in furtherance of equitable solutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48348,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Research Quarterly","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 104-113"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142823265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julia S. Feldman , Yudong Zhang , Elizabeth B. Miller , Pamela A. Morris-Perez , Julia A. Gajewski-Nemes , Caitlin F. Canfield , Alan L. Mendelsohn , Daniel S. Shaw
{"title":"Parenting styles from infancy to toddlerhood in Black/African American and Latina mothers with low incomes","authors":"Julia S. Feldman , Yudong Zhang , Elizabeth B. Miller , Pamela A. Morris-Perez , Julia A. Gajewski-Nemes , Caitlin F. Canfield , Alan L. Mendelsohn , Daniel S. Shaw","doi":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parenting in very early childhood (0-2 years) provides important context for children's socioemotional development. The present study aims to address limitations of extant parenting literature, namely the reliance on white, middle-class samples and use of variable-centered approaches that often mask the rich heterogeneity of parenting styles. Using data from an efficacy trial of a tiered parenting program to promote school readiness, the current study examined parenting styles across three waves when children were 6, 18, and 24 months with a sample of Black/African American and Latina mothers with low incomes using person-oriented, latent class analysis. Based on multiple fit indices and interpretability, a three-class model was found to best fit the data. Two of the three parenting classes were identified for both Black/African American and Latina groups across all three ages: one was characterized by high levels of sensitivity, positive regard, and language quality/quantity (High Support and Warmth) and the other was characterized by moderate levels of these indicators (Moderate/Low, Moderate, and Moderate/High Support and Warmth). The third class varied the most between groups and over time. For Black/African American mothers, the third class was characterized most notably by the level of directiveness (ranging from High at 6 months, Moderate at 18 months, and Low at 24 months). For Latina mothers, this class was characterized by varying levels of directiveness and stimulation that were High at 6 months and Moderate at 18 and 24 months. Within most classes, mean levels of parenting behaviors varied by age. Findings emphasize the importance of considering age, culture, and time when assessing maternal parenting from infancy to toddlerhood.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48348,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Research Quarterly","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 81-91"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142823261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Is authorized capacity a good measure of child care providers’ current capacity? New evidence from Virginia","authors":"Katherine Miller-Bains, Stephen Yu, Daphna Bassok","doi":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research has found demand for child care in the United States outpaces supply. However, the most widely available proxy for child care supply—authorized capacity—likely overestimates care availability in many studies. Authorized capacity represents the maximum children a provider can legally serve based on safety regulations and physical characteristics of the site. However, the slots available across sites can be constrained by factors not captured by authorized capacity, including the combination of ages currently enrolled and staffing at a site. If the gap between authorized capacity and “current capacity” is large, we stand to underestimate needed investments to improve access. This study quantifies the gap between providers’ current capacity as reported in a fall 2022 survey and authorized capacity per administrative records. Using data from 1,968 home- and center-based providers in Virginia, we find three key limitations of authorized capacity as a proxy of supply. First, providers’ current capacity was 74 % of their authorized capacity on average. Authorized capacity would overestimate child care availability by >30,000 slots across the providers in our sample. Second, center-based providers that accepted child care subsidies and those in neighborhoods with a greater concentration of poverty or people of color had significantly larger discrepancies between their current and authorized capacity. Finally, we find centers that reported challenges hiring and retaining staff had larger gaps between their current and authorized capacity compared to providers that did not report staffing challenges. These findings suggest the need for measures that more accurately and dynamically capture the number of children a provider can serve to better describe and address access inequities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48348,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Research Quarterly","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 92-103"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142823110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}