A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of the Impact of "Building Blocks" in an Urban Public Prekindergarten Program and Associations Between Fidelity-to-Curriculum and Child Outcomes

A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of the Impact of Author: Christina Weiland
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 13

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Book Description
Using data from an urban public pre-k program, the authors add to and extend the emerging evidence base of the effects of public prekindergarten programs on child school readiness. They also use data collected in treatment classrooms to examine associations between teacher characteristics, fidelity-to-curricula, dosage and child outcomes. Their primary research questions are: (1) What is the causal impact of attending a prekindergarten program that implemented the "Building Blocks" mathematics curriculum at scale across an urban public school district on children's mathematics, language, literacy, executive function and emotional development?; (2) Within the treatment group, are teacher characteristics predictive of fidelity-to-curriculum and dosage?; and (3) Is higher "Building Blocks" fidelity-to-curricula and dosage associated with higher student outcomes, controlling for student- and teacher-level characteristics? Research took place in a large urban public school district in the Northeast. All prekindergarten programs were located in public elementary schools. The results add to the growing literature on the causal effects of large-scale state-funded prekindergarten programs. The authors find that a universal publicly funded prekindergarten program had positive impacts on child early numeracy, language, literacy, executive function, and emotional development. The authors' effect sizes are larger than those achieved in any RD prekindergarten study to date, which is particularly notable given that theirs is the only RD prekindergarten context in which there were uniform curricula in place. Due to the RD design of their study, they are unable to fit causal mediation models that would help them to definitively identify the causal mechanisms underlying their results. The path model they presented here using fidelity-to-curricula and dosage data on the treatment children in their treatment year found no significant associations between fidelity-to-curricula and dosage and child outcomes. Further analysis will allow them to better examine whether stronger effects in their study compared to previous prekindergarten RD studies thus could at least partially be a function of the chosen math and literacy curricula and the level of curriculum implementation in the district. (Contains 4 tables, 3 figures and 3 footnotes.).

A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of the Impact of "Building Blocks" in an Urban Public Prekindergarten Program and Associations Between Fidelity-to-Curriculum and Child Outcomes

A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of the Impact of Author: Christina Weiland
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 13

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Book Description
Using data from an urban public pre-k program, the authors add to and extend the emerging evidence base of the effects of public prekindergarten programs on child school readiness. They also use data collected in treatment classrooms to examine associations between teacher characteristics, fidelity-to-curricula, dosage and child outcomes. Their primary research questions are: (1) What is the causal impact of attending a prekindergarten program that implemented the "Building Blocks" mathematics curriculum at scale across an urban public school district on children's mathematics, language, literacy, executive function and emotional development?; (2) Within the treatment group, are teacher characteristics predictive of fidelity-to-curriculum and dosage?; and (3) Is higher "Building Blocks" fidelity-to-curricula and dosage associated with higher student outcomes, controlling for student- and teacher-level characteristics? Research took place in a large urban public school district in the Northeast. All prekindergarten programs were located in public elementary schools. The results add to the growing literature on the causal effects of large-scale state-funded prekindergarten programs. The authors find that a universal publicly funded prekindergarten program had positive impacts on child early numeracy, language, literacy, executive function, and emotional development. The authors' effect sizes are larger than those achieved in any RD prekindergarten study to date, which is particularly notable given that theirs is the only RD prekindergarten context in which there were uniform curricula in place. Due to the RD design of their study, they are unable to fit causal mediation models that would help them to definitively identify the causal mechanisms underlying their results. The path model they presented here using fidelity-to-curricula and dosage data on the treatment children in their treatment year found no significant associations between fidelity-to-curricula and dosage and child outcomes. Further analysis will allow them to better examine whether stronger effects in their study compared to previous prekindergarten RD studies thus could at least partially be a function of the chosen math and literacy curricula and the level of curriculum implementation in the district. (Contains 4 tables, 3 figures and 3 footnotes.).

The Impact of an Urban Universal Public Prekindergarten Program on Children's Early Numeracy, Language, Literacy, and Executive Function Outcomes

The Impact of an Urban Universal Public Prekindergarten Program on Children's Early Numeracy, Language, Literacy, and Executive Function Outcomes PDF Author: Christina Weiland
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 16

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Book Description
The authors add to and extend the emerging evidence base of the effects of public preschool programs on child school readiness. Using a quasi-experimental, Regression Discontinuity (RD) design, they estimate the impacts of a universal preschool program on children's early numeracy, language, literacy, and executive function skills, both for the overall population and for several subgroups. While they find impacts similar to those reported in other public prekindergarten RD studies, they make a unique contribution to the literature, as theirs is the first causal study of a universal prekindergarten program in which a uniform curricula was in place across the district and in which they have information about the type of care experienced by control children during the treatment year. At Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, they will also present results from robustness checks new to this literature, including sensitivity of results to differential time to join and attrit from the intervention. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.).

Engaging Young Children in Mathematics

Engaging Young Children in Mathematics PDF Author: Douglas H. Clements
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0805842101
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 474

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Book Description
Engaging Young Children in Mathematics: Standards for Early Childhood Mathematics Education brings together the combined wisdom of a diverse group of experts involved with early childhood mathematics. The book originates from the landmark 2000 Conference on Standards for Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten Mathematics Education, attended by representatives from almost every state developing standards for young children's mathematics; federal government officials; mathematicians; mathematics educators; researchers from mathematics education, early childhood education, and psychology; curriculum developers; teachers; policymakers; and professionals from organizations such as the National Conference of Teachers of Mathematics and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The main goal of the Conference was to work collectively to help those responsible for framing and implementing early childhood mathematics standards. Although it has its roots in the Conference, the expanded scope of the standards and recommendations covered in this book includes the full range of kindergarten to grade 2. The volume is organized into two main parts and an online appendix (http://www.gse.buffalo.edu/org/conference/). Part One, Major Themes and Recommendations, offers a framework for thinking about pre-kindergarten - grade 2 mathematics education and specific recommendations. Part Two, Elaboration of Major Themes and Recommendations, provides substantive detail regarding young students' understandings of mathematical ideas. Each Part includes five parallel subsections: "Standards in Early Childhood Education"; "Math Standards and Guidelines"; "Curriculum, Learning, Teaching, and Assessment"; "Professional Development"; and "Toward the Future: Implementation and Policy." As a whole the book: * presents comprehensive summaries of research that provide specific guidelines for standards, curriculum, and teaching; * takes the recent reports and recommendations for early childhood mathematics education to the next level; * integrates practical details and research throughout; and * provides a succinct, but thorough review of research on the topics, sequences, and learning trajectories that children can and should learn at each of their first years of life, with specific developmental guidelines that suggest appropriate content for each topic for each year from 2-year-olds to 7-year-olds. This is an indispensable volume for mathematics educators, researchers, curriculum developers, teachers and policymakers, including those who create standards, scope and sequences, and curricula for young children and professional teacher development materials, and students in mathematics education, early childhood trainers, teacher educators, and faculty in mathematics education.

Early Childhood Assessment

Early Childhood Assessment PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309314429
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 501

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Book Description
The assessment of young children's development and learning has recently taken on new importance. Private and government organizations are developing programs to enhance the school readiness of all young children, especially children from economically disadvantaged homes and communities and children with special needs. Well-planned and effective assessment can inform teaching and program improvement, and contribute to better outcomes for children. This book affirms that assessments can make crucial contributions to the improvement of children's well-being, but only if they are well designed, implemented effectively, developed in the context of systematic planning, and are interpreted and used appropriately. Otherwise, assessment of children and programs can have negative consequences for both. The value of assessments therefore requires fundamental attention to their purpose and the design of the larger systems in which they are used. Early Childhood Assessment addresses these issues by identifying the important outcomes for children from birth to age 5 and the quality and purposes of different techniques and instruments for developmental assessments.

Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States

Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States PDF Author: National Bureau of Economic Research
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 9780226533568
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
Few United States government programs are as controversial as those designed to aid the poor. From tax credits to medical assistance, aid to needy families is surrounded by debate—on what benefits should be offered, what forms they should take, and how they should be administered. The past few decades, in fact, have seen this debate lead to broad transformations of aid programs themselves, with Aid to Families with Dependent Children replaced by Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, the Earned Income Tax Credit growing from a minor program to one of the most important for low-income families, and Medicaid greatly expanding its eligibility. This volume provides a remarkable overview of how such programs actually work, offering an impressive wealth of information on the nation's nine largest "means-tested" programs—that is, those in which some test of income forms the basis for participation. For each program, contributors describe origins and goals, summarize policy histories and current rules, and discuss the recipient's characteristics as well as the different types of benefits they receive. Each chapter then provides an overview of scholarly research on each program, bringing together the results of the field's most rigorous statistical examinations. The result is a fascinating portrayal of the evolution and current state of means-tested programs, one that charts a number of shifts in emphasis—the decline of cash assistance, for instance, and the increasing emphasis on work. This exemplary portrait of the nation's safety net will be an invaluable reference for anyone interested in American social policy.

Tools of the Mind

Tools of the Mind PDF Author: Elena Bodrova
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040005438
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
Now in its third edition, this classic text remains the seminal resource for in-depth information about major concepts and principles of the cultural-historical theory developed by Lev Vygotsky, his students, and colleagues, as well as three generations of neo-Vygotskian scholars in Russia and the West. Featuring two new chapters on brain development and scaffolding in the zone of proximal development, as well as additional content on technology, dual language learners, and students with disabilities, this new edition provides the latest research evidence supporting the basics of the cultural-historical approach alongside Vygotskian-based practical implications. With concrete explanations and strategies on how to scaffold young children’s learning and development, this book is essential reading for students of early childhood theory and development.

Learning from Summer

Learning from Summer PDF Author: Catherine H. Augustine
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780833096609
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
RAND researchers assess voluntary, district-led summer learning programs for low-income, urban elementary students. This third report in a series examines student outcomes after one and two summers of programming.

Impact Evaluation in Practice, Second Edition

Impact Evaluation in Practice, Second Edition PDF Author: Paul J. Gertler
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464807809
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 444

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Book Description
The second edition of the Impact Evaluation in Practice handbook is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to impact evaluation for policy makers and development practitioners. First published in 2011, it has been used widely across the development and academic communities. The book incorporates real-world examples to present practical guidelines for designing and implementing impact evaluations. Readers will gain an understanding of impact evaluations and the best ways to use them to design evidence-based policies and programs. The updated version covers the newest techniques for evaluating programs and includes state-of-the-art implementation advice, as well as an expanded set of examples and case studies that draw on recent development challenges. It also includes new material on research ethics and partnerships to conduct impact evaluation. The handbook is divided into four sections: Part One discusses what to evaluate and why; Part Two presents the main impact evaluation methods; Part Three addresses how to manage impact evaluations; Part Four reviews impact evaluation sampling and data collection. Case studies illustrate different applications of impact evaluations. The book links to complementary instructional material available online, including an applied case as well as questions and answers. The updated second edition will be a valuable resource for the international development community, universities, and policy makers looking to build better evidence around what works in development.

Parenting Matters

Parenting Matters PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309388570
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 525

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Book Description
Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects

The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects PDF Author: Duke University. Center for Child and Family Policy
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 104

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Book Description
The question of how the U.S. will develop a citizenry with the skills necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century has attracted the attention of legislators, scientists, and educators. Answering this question leads inevitably to its roots: how well are we preparing young children to enter kindergarten ready to learn? Educators in k-12 school systems are faced with wide disparities in skill levels of entering kindergarteners, which means that all too many children are already far behind many of their peers. Findings in developmental science point toward the importance of early-life experiences in shaping brain development and suggest that if we knew how to provide these experiences in our early education programs, we could have a lifelong impact on children's success. The quality and reliability of early experiences and environments are the building blocks of early brain architecture. Parents and trained adult caregivers who are in tune with a child provide the "serve and return" stimuli through conversation, interactive play, guided exploration, and orderly progression that serve as the raw materials of early child development. Unfortunately, in many neighborhoods, violence, lack of services, and the stresses of poverty combine to make it difficult for a family to provide optimal stimulation and stability during a child's early years. The result is that a disproportionate number of children from low income families lack optimal environments and stimulating experiences and thus enter kindergarten already behind their peers in intellectual and social-emotional development. In recent years, families across the entire income spectrum have experienced increasing stress due to such challenges as making financial ends meet, working multiple jobs, and/or raising a child as a single parent. The good news, according to numerous studies, is that children attending publicly-funded pre-kindergarten programs are better prepared for kindergarten than similar children who have not attended pre-k. While some studies have shown that the advantages persist well into elementary school, two reports have led some policymakers to question whether pre-k can provide the persistent effects that undergird an ambitious agenda for pre-kindergarten programs. Previous studies have found positive impacts on children's skills at the end of the pre-k year but not later in elementary school. These findings have caused policymakers and educators to turn to the scientific community for clarification about the likely impacts of pre-k programs and identification of those factors that might distinguish effective early learning programs. Although the early years are not the only time when a child's development can be influenced, evidence suggests that the year before kindergarten is an opportune period. In order to understand how to use the new phenomenon of pre-k to boost early learning and to provide a stronger base over time for skill acquisition, a Pre-Kindergarten Task Force of interdisciplinary scientists reviewed the evidence on the impact of state-funded pre-kindergarten programs and set out to bring science to bear on the current state of knowledge and it's implications for the path forward. The report begins with a description of the pre kindergarten landscape in America today. Another group took in all available information, reached consensus on the six major conclusions that form the basis for this report. A consensus statement summarizes the findings. Subsequent topical chapters commissioned and authored by individual scholars offer insights to assist policymakers in reaching decisions. They provide fodder for future scholarly inquiry, and are provided here. Following an overview and introduction, the following are included: (1) The Current Landscape for Public Pre-Kindergarten Programs (Ajay Chaudry and A. Rupa Datta); and (2) A Consensus Statement: Puzzling It Out. The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects (Deborah A. Phillips, Mark W. Lipsey, Kenneth A. Dodge, Ron Haskins, Daphna Bassok, Margaret R. Burchinal, Greg J. Duncan, Mark Dynarski, Katherine A. Magnuson and Christina Weiland). "Issues and Challenges" presents: (3) Do Some Groups of Children Benefit More Than Others from Pre-Kindergarten Programs? (Helen F. Ladd); (4) Do Pre-Kindergarten Curricula Matter? (Jade Marcus Jenkins and Greg J. Duncan); (5) Characteristics of Pre-Kindergarten Programs That Drive Positive Outcomes (Dale C. Farran); (6) Universal vs. Targeted Pre-Kindergarten: Reflections for Policymakers (William Gormley); (7) The Costs and Benefits of Scaled-Up Pre-Kindergarten Programs (Lynn A. Karoly); (8) Challenges to Scaling Up Effective Pre-Kindergarten Programs (W. Steven Barnett); (9) The Promise of Preschool Education: Challenges for Policy and Governance (Ajay Chaudry); (10) Financing Early Childhood Programs (Ron Haskins); (11) Reframing Early Childhood Education: A Means to Public Understanding and Support (Craig T. Ramey and Sharon Landesman Ramey); and (12) Bibliography of Studies on the Effects of State- and District-Funded Pre-Kindergarten Programs for the Consensus Statement. A list of contributors is also provided. (Additional funding for this report was provided by SAS Institute.).