Instructional Quality and Child Outcomes in Diverse Preschool Classrooms

• In Event: Classroom Observation Across Grade Levels and Settings

Abstract

This study examined associations between observed classroom quality and children’s expressive vocabulary and executive functioning in an ethnically and linguistically diverse sample of 4-year-olds who attended universal preschool programs in LA County. We observed a representative sample of classrooms using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; Pianta et al. 2008) and assessed children’s expressive vocabulary and executive functioning. Multilevel modeling was conducted to account for nesting structure of the data (children nested within classrooms). Findings provide evidence supporting quality thresholds in relation to child outcomes. The associations between quality as measured by the CLASS and child outcomes were stronger in the higher quality classrooms than in the lower quality classrooms. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Authors

• Yange Xue, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc

• Sally Atkins-Burnett, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.