Child outcome measures in the study of child care quality

Measuring social-emotional development in schoolchildren: A national-level analysis of ECLS-B cohort data

The present study examined the social-emotional development items assessed by kindergarten teachers in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort to determine the optimal factor structure underlying the items as well as the reliability and validity of the resulting factors. This study identified an empirically derived factor structure for teacher-reported social development, investigated whether there was evidence of bias in teacher assessments of social-emotional constructs, examined factor invariance across demographic characteristics (i.e., race and ethnicity, sex, and poverty status), and examined the external validity of the derived factors by determining the extent to which they were associated with well-established measures of early childhood competencies. Findings suggested a 4-factor solution was optimal, consisting of (a) Interpersonal Skills, (b) Externalizing Behavior, (c) Approaches to Learning, and (d) Perspective Taking. Findings offer suggestive evidence of teacher biases in assessments and some, although not conclusive, support for the invariance of social-emotional dimension across demographic characteristics. Results provide a useful next step toward documenting reliable and valid social-emotional measures for use in early childhood research and challenges users of national datasets to think critically about the use of "scales" without a priori attention to important psychometric properties.

Realization of Super-Large-Diameter Slurry Shield Passing through Settlement-Sensitive Area Based on Unreinforced Disturbance Control Technology

Due to the complex construction conditions of shield tunnels, ground disturbance is inevitable during the construction process, which leads to surface settlement and, in serious cases, damage to surrounding buildings (structures). Therefore, it is especially important to effectively control the constructive settlement of subway tunnels when crossing settlement-sensitive areas such as high-density shantytowns. Based on the project of Wuhan Metro Line 8 Phase I, the shield of Huangpu Road Station-Xujiapang Road Station interval crossing high-density shantytowns, we study the disturbance control technology of oversized diameter mud and water shield crossing unreinforced settlement-sensitive areas during the construction process. By optimizing the excavation parameters and evaluating the ground buildings, the excavation process can be monitored at the same time, and the water pressure, speed, and tool torque required during the excavation during the construction process can be finely adjusted; the control of tunneling process parameters can provide reference and basis for analyzing the construction control of large-diameter shield through old shantytowns.

Caregiver-infant and toddler interactions during diapering: Caregiver responsiveness and child well-being and involvement

The findings of this empirical research provide new information about the importance of caregiver interactions during care routines, specifically diaper changing, in supporting infant and toddler involvement and well-being. This correlational study involved observations of 144 separate diapering cycles by 31 caregivers with 74 infants and toddlers in 30 infant and toddler classrooms in a U.S. Midwest city. Based on these observations, caregiver responsiveness was found to be significantly related to both child involvement and child well-being. Another feature of caregivers' behavior, caregiver encouragement, was significantly associated with child well-being, but not child involvement. The study results suggest that caregivers' behaviors, specifically responsiveness and encouragement, during diapering are vital proximal processes in the moment-to-moment interactions between a caregiver and child. Thus, responsiveness and encouragement in care routines should be emphasized in infant care settings and be a focus for caregiver professional development, including pre- and in-service training. Although training related to diapering is often restricted to health concerns, the findings suggest that specific caregiver-child interactions during this care routine may support or hinder children's well-being and involvement in the moment. Caregiver responsiveness to children's cues in this context may enhance children's opportunities to practice involvement in bidirectional relationships and support children's well-being.

Spanish Validation of the PICCOLO (Parenting Interactions With Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes)

Background/Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO; Roggman et al., 2013a). This observational measure is composed of 29 items that assess the quality of four domains of parenting interactions that promote child development: affection, responsiveness, encouragement, and teaching. Methods: The sample included 203 mother-child dyads who had been video-recorded playing together. Fifty-six percent of the children were male, and 44% were female, aged from 10 to 47 months. Video-recorded observations were rated using PICCOLO items. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported that the instrument has four first-order factors corresponding to the hypothesized domains of parenting behaviors, and a second-order factor corresponding to a general factor of positive parenting. Construct validation evidence was compiled by examining the relationship between PICCOLO scores and child age. As expected, teaching domain and total PICCOLO scores were positively correlated with child age. The Spanish PICCOLO also demonstrated good inter-rater reliability (ranging from 0.69 to 0.84) and internal consistency reliability (ranging from 0.59 to 0.88) for the four domain scores and the total parenting score. Concurrent criterion-related validity was examined via correlations between parenting scores and child cognitive, language and motor skills outcomes, measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Conclusion: The Spanish version of the PICCOLO meets the criteria for a reliable and valid observational measurement of parenting interactions with children. The psychometric properties of the instrument make it appropriate for general research purposes, but also for program evaluation of Early Intervention and other parenting-support interventions. This measure, focused on parent strengths, could be used to facilitate family-centered practices in early intervention and other programs that have parenting as an outcome.

Validity of four measures of child care quality in a national sample of centers in Ecuador

This paper assesses the psychometric properties of four child care quality instruments administered in 404 child care centers in Ecuador: the Classroom Assessment Scoring System for Toddlers, the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale–Revised Edition, the Child Care Infant/Toddler Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment, and the Missouri Infant/Toddler Responsive Caregiving Checklist. We examined their internal consistency, tested the underlying subscale structure by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), verified construct validity by testing associations with quality-related factors (e.g., child-caregiver ratio), and checked concurrent validity of the instruments’ total scores. We found high internal consistency of the instruments at the full scale level and moderate to high at the subscale/domain level. CFA showed high factor loadings, but goodness of fit statistics were low. Construct validity results varied from low to very low depending on the quality-related factor, and concurrent validity from low to very high depending on the instruments compared. This validity exercise provides useful information for policy-makers and researchers interested in using these instruments in the Ecuadorian context or elsewhere in the region. The findings will also inform future research and development of affordable and culturally-appropriate tools for monitoring process quality in child care centers in Latin American countries.

Examining the Psychometric Properties of Maximally Efficient Items From the Social Skills Improvement System–Teacher Rating Scale

The current study examined the psychometric properties of a set of maximally efficient items (SMIs) from the Social Skills Improvement System–Teacher Rating Scale (SSIS-TRS). Sixty-three teachers rated 302 second through sixth graders on these SMIs, and several concurrent validity measures were administered. Results provided initial support for the validity of scores from the SMIs. Implications for practice and psychological research are discussed.

Child-Staff Ratios in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings and Child Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Child-staff ratios are a key quality indicator in early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs. Better ratios are believed to improve child outcomes by increasing opportunities for individual interactions and educational instruction from staff. The purpose of this systematic review, and where possible, meta-analysis, was to evaluate the association between child-staff ratios in preschool ECEC programs and children’s outcomes. Searches of Medline, PsycINFO, ERIC, websites of large datasets and reference sections of all retrieved articles were conducted up to July 3, 2015. Cross-sectional or longitudinal studies that evaluated the relationship between child-staff ratios in ECEC classrooms serving preschool aged children and child outcomes were independently identified by two reviewers. Data were independently extracted from included studies by two raters and differences between raters were resolved by consensus. Searches revealed 29 eligible studies (31 samples). Child-staff ratios ranged from 5 to 14.5 preschool-aged children per adult with a mean of 8.65. All 29 studies were included in the systematic review. However, the only meta-analysis that could be conducted was based on three studies that explored associations between ratios and children’s receptive language. Results of this meta-analysis were not significant. Results of the qualitative systematic review revealed few significant relationships between child-staff ratios and child outcomes construed broadly. Thus, the available literature reveal few, if any, relationships between child-staff ratios in preschool ECEC programs and children’s developmental outcomes. Substantial heterogeneity in the assessment of ratios, outcomes measured, and statistics used to capture associations limited quantitative synthesis. Other methodological limitations of the research integrated in this synthesis are discussed.

Does Child Care Quality Mediate Associations Between Type of Care and Development?

Studies document that, on average, children cared for in centers, as compared to homes, have higher cognitive test scores but worse socioemotional and health outcomes. The authors assessed whether the quality of care received explains these associations. They considered multiple domains of child development-cognitive, socioemotional, and health-and examined whether mediation is greater when quality measures are better aligned with outcome domains. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort, they found that children in centers have better cognitive skills and behavioral regulation than children in homes, but worse social competence and generally equivalent health (N = 1,550). They found little evidence that quality of child care, as measured by standard instruments (e.g., the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised), accounts for associations between type of care and child developmental outcomes.

Kurz- und langfristige Effekte außerfamiliärer Kleinkindbetreuung auf die kognitive und sprachliche Entwicklung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Betreuungsqualität

Dieser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über den aktuellen Forschungsstand bezüglich kurz- und langfristiger Effekte außerfamiliärer Kleinkindbetreuung auf die kognitive und sprachliche Entwicklung. Im Einzelnen wird auf die Einflüsse der Variablen Betreuungstyp, -quantität und -qualität eingegangen. Da sich die Qualität als besonders bedeutsam erwies, wird dieser Aspekt detaillierter betrachtet. Vor allem eine hohe Prozessqualität, also ein entwicklungsangemessener und bedürfnisorientierter Interaktionsablauf zwischen Kind und Betreuungsperson, scheint sich positiv auf die zentralen Entwicklungsbereiche auszuwirken. In einem zusammenfassenden Fazit werden Implikationen dargestellt, die sich aus den Studienergebnissen für die Gestaltung, Konzeption und Evaluation von Betreuungseinrichtungen für Kinder unter 3 Jahren ergeben.

Preschool center quality and school readiness: quality effects and variation by demographic and child characteristics

This article examines associations between observed quality in preschool center classrooms for approximately 6,250 three- to five-year-olds and their school readiness skills at kindergarten entry. Secondary analyses were conducted using data from four large-scale studies to estimate the effects of preschool center quality and interactions between quality and demographic characteristics and child entry skills and behaviors. Findings were summarized across studies using meta-analytic methods. Results indicate small, but statistically significant associations for preschool center quality main effects on language and mathematics outcomes with little evidence of moderation by demographic characteristics or child entry skills and behaviors. Preschool center quality was not reliably related to socioemotional outcomes. The authors discuss possible explanations for the small effect sizes and lack of differential effects.

An assessment of the validity of the ECERS-R with implications for measures of child care quality and relations to child development

The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) is widely used to associate child care quality with child development, but its validity for this purpose is not well established. We examined the validity of the ECERS-R using the multidimensional Rasch partial credit model (PCM), factor analyses, and regression analyses with data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort. The PCM identified rating category disordering, indicating previously unrecognized problems with the scale's response process validity. Factor analyses identified neither a single factor nor the ECERS-R six subscales, replicating prior research regarding the scale's structural validity. Criterion validity results were mixed, with small effect sizes for regressions predicting child outcomes and moderate effect sizes for regressions predicting teacher-reported quality. Our results lend empirical support to recent critiques of the ECERS-R, and we discuss implications for its future use and for the development of future measures.

Associations among child care, family, and behavior outcomes in a nation-wide sample of preschool-aged children

Canadian data based on maternal reports for a nationally representative sample of 4,521 4—5-year-olds were used to examine associations among child care, family factors, and behaviors in preschool-aged children. Linear regressions testing for direct and moderated associations indicated that regulated home-based care was associated with less physical aggression and less prosocial behavior while high process quality in home-based care was associated with greater prosocial behavior. Among children in home-based settings, being in at least one additional current child care arrangement was linked with greater physical aggression, and low child care stability was linked to greater hyperactivity-inattention, internalizing behavior, and prosocial behaviors. For family factors, parenting behaviors and maternal depression were associated with greater behavioral problems while low household income was linked with greater hyperactivity-inattention among children in home-based care. There was a significant interaction between process quality and household income for physical aggression and internalizing behavior and between structure quality and parenting consistency for prosocial behavior for children in home-based care. Results suggest that child care matters for preschool behavioral outcomes, even after controlling for socio-demographic factors. High quality care appears particularly important for children in home-based care from low-income families so issues around child care quality and regulation should be considered. Findings also underscore the importance of family factors on young children’s behaviors and show that child care and family influences work together to impact child outcomes.

Stress parental, soutien social, comportements de l’enfant et fréquentation des services de garde

Cette étude examine les taux de problèmes de comportement internalisés et externalisés des enfants et des indices de stress parental et du réseau de soutien social rapportés par les parents d’un échantillon d’enfants et de familles en fonction du type de service de garde fréquenté par les enfants. Elle vise aussi à identifier si les mêmes variables diffèrent en fonction de l’utilisation de divers types de services de garde et de la présence de divers facteurs de risques psychosociaux (0, 1, 2, 3) dans la famille, et ce, tout en contrôlant les effets reliés à l’âge et la santé des enfants ainsi qu’au pays d’origine et à l’âge de la mère. À cette fin, nous utilisons les données de trois cueillettes de données transversales de l’évaluation de l’initiative 1,2,3GO!. L’échantillon comporte 1245 enfants et familles provenant de 10 territoires de la grande région de Montréal. Les enfants sont âgés de 20 à 42 mois. Nous mesurons les comportements des enfants à l’aide du Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). Nous utilisons aussi la version abrégée du Parenting Stress Index pour mesurer le stress parental et la taille du réseau de soutien social (Barrera). Les parents répondent à un questionnaire sur le type de garde utilisé pour leur enfant. Les résultats indiquent que la fréquentation d’un service de garde est associée à moins de problèmes de comportements internalisés chez les enfants ainsi qu’à un plus grand réseau de soutien social chez les parents. Il n’y a pas de différences significatives pour ce qui est des scores de comportements externalisés chez les enfants et de l’indice de stress parental chez leurs parents. Ce sont les enfants et leurs parents qui utilisent des services structurés (CPE, garderies et services de garde en milieu familial) qui obtiennent les meilleurs scores relativement aux comportements internalisés des enfants et à la taille du réseau de soutien social des parents. Nos résultats soulignent également que les enfants qui ne fréquentent aucun service de garde présentent des taux supérieurs de comportements internalisés problématiques et externalisés limites à ce qu’on retrouve dans la population en général. Il en est de même pour les parents qui ne recourent à aucun service de garde, c’est-à-dire qu’ils présentent des taux plus élevés de stress parental et plus faibles de soutien social que la population en général. La discussion fait le lien entre les résultats de cette étude et d’autres résultats obtenus récemment. La conclusion propose de poursuivre l’accroissement du réseau afin de mieux répondre aux besoins des familles vulnérables.

Connecting child care quality to child outcomes: drawing policy lessons from nonexperimental data

Effective early childhood intervention and child care policies should be based on an understanding of the effects of child care quality and type on child well-being. This article describes methods for securing unbiased estimates of these effects from nonexperimental data. It focuses on longitudinal studies like the one developed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Early Child Care Research Network. This article first describes bias problems that arise in analyses of nonexperimental data and then explains strategies for controlling for biases arising from parental selection of child care. Next, it comments on attrition in longitudinal studies and outlines some strategies for addressing possible attrition bias. Finally, it discusses the need to translate "effect sizes" derived from these studies into the kinds of cost and benefit information needed by policy makers.