Massachusetts Early Care and Education and School Readiness Study

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Massachusetts Early Care and Education and School
Readiness Study

• Wendy Wagner Robeson, Ed.D.
• Joanne Roberts, Ph.D.
• Nancy Marshall, Ed.D.
• Wellesley College Center for Research on Women

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Research Questions

• What are the characteristics of the preschool
  classrooms that make a difference in school
  readiness outcomes for children?
• How does this vary by race, ethnicity, gender and
  income differences among children?
• What are the relative impacts of the quality of
  infant care and preschool care on childrens
  school readiness?
• How do the hours of early care and education
  relate to childrens school readiness outcomes?

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Sample

• Employs two samples
• 236 children followed since infancy (ACF grant
  90YE0048 Family Income, Infant Child Care and
  Child Development)
• 160 low-income children recruited during the
  preschool year before kindergarten

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Defining School Readiness

• Five domains
• Health and physical development
• Social and emotional development
• Approaches to learning
• Language development and communication
• Cognition and general knowledge

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Conceptual Framework Logic Model 1
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Overview of Approach Logic Model 2
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Links among Research Questions, Hypotheses, Data
Sources Variables
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Links among Research Questions, Hypotheses, Data
Sources Variables
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Links among Research Questions, Hypotheses, Data
Sources Variables
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Family Child Characteristics Variables
Measures


1 Data collected in the Preschool Year will be
collected on both Samples. Data collected at 12,
24 and 36 months applies only to the 236 children
followed since infancy (ACF grant 90YE0048
Family Income, Infant Child Care and Child
Development)
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Hours of Care Variables Infant Classroom
Variables Measures

1 Data collected in the Preschool Year will be
collected on both Samples. Data collected at 12,
24 and 36 months applies only to the 236 children
followed since infancy (ACF grant 90YE0048
Family Income, Infant Child Care and Child
Development)
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Preschool Classroom Variables Measures

1 Data collected in the Preschool Year will be
collected on both Samples. Data collected at 12,
24 and 36 months applies only to the 236 children
followed since infancy (ACF grant 90YE0048
Family Income, Infant Child Care and Child
Development)
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Child Outcome Variables Measures
Data collected in the Preschool Year will be
collected on both Samples. Data collected at 12,
24 and 36 months applies only to the 236 children
followed since infancy (ACF grant 90YE0048
Family Income, Infant Child Care and Child
Development)
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Significance

• The proposed study will yield findings
• Impact of varying hours of early care and
  education on childrens school readiness
• Specific factors in both infant and preschool
  classrooms that promote childrens school
  readiness.