Instructional Practices in the Midwest Child-Parent Center Pre-K–3 Program and Student Learning

• In Event: Program Evaluation in Schools: Looking Across the Early Childhood Continuum

Abstract

It is well documented that early education and prevention programs can enhance school success and reduce later costs of remediation and treatment (Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014; O’Connell, Boat, & Warner, 2009). Despite the accumulated evidence, however, the impacts of early childhood programs vary substantially in magnitude, consistency, and duration. Differences in program quality, teaching practices, timing and duration, and levels of school and family support are contributing factors (Camilli et al., 2010; Reynolds & Temple, 2008).

The Child-Parent Center Preschool to 3rd Grade Program (CPC-P3) is a multi-level collaborative school reform model designed to improve school achievement and parental involvement. By increasing the dosage, coordination, and comprehensiveness of services, the program is expected to enhance the transition to school and promote more enduring effects on well-being in multiple domains. Supported by an Investing in Innovation Grant from the U. S. Department of Education, CPC-P3 provides comprehensive education and family support services to children and parents in Illinois and Minnesota school districts (HCRC, 2012, 2016).
This study addresses the following questions, (a) Is the CPC-P3 program implemented with fidelity?, (b) What is the instructional quality of P-3 classrooms and does this differ by CPC-P3?, and (c) Are variations in classroom quality and instructional practices associated with learning gains in K to 3rd grade?
The Midwest CPC expansion includes a cohort of over 4,000 children from 43 schools who participated in CPC-P3 beginning in preschool. Children in 25 CPC schools across 4 districts (n = 2,545) were matched to those in control schools on propensity scores and followed over time. Explanatory and outcome data from a variety of sources have been collected from 2012 to 2017.
Fidelity. Based on site visits and observations, we assessed each school’s fidelity of implementation in meeting requirements. The scale for each element and overall ranged from 1 (few met) to 5 (almost all). The overall average rating of implementation fidelity for years 1 to 4 across the six program elements was 3.9 or moderately high. The highest was collaborative leadership and effective learning experiences (e.g., class size). Across the six elements, 75 percent of sites met the moderate-to-high standard.
Instruction and learning gains. The Classroom Activity Report (CAR) was developed to monitor the extent to which CPC sites maintained a balance of teacher-directed and child-initiated activities (65/35). The number of hours devoted to child-initiated instructional activities was significantly higher in CPC schools in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. Schools achieving this instructional balance showed large gains in student learning from preschool to first grade, especially in CPCs. Table 2 shows that CPC schools had higher levels of task orientation over time on the Classroom Learning Activities Checklist (CLAC), an observational tool of instructional quality. Scores were significantly associated with learning gains in PreK and K.
These findings show that CPC participation is associated with improvements in P-3 instructional quality, and these changes are associated with learning gains. Further analyses will examine the extent to which sustained gains are due to instructional practices and children’s classroom experiences.

Authors

• Arthur J. Reynolds, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• Allyson Joelle Candee, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities