Heterogeneity Among Culturally Diverse Students: School-Readiness Gains During Head Start

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Early Childhood Outcomes

Abstract

Various child and family characteristics intersect in complex ways, leading to variation in children’s developmental strengths and needs. Studies lumping children together on the basis of a single indicator might underestimate within-group variability resulted in the intersection of multiple background characteristics. The present study identified cultural diversity typologies and examined variation in school readiness gains by typology. Combining five indicators, latent class analysis extracted the following typologies: a) non-White children in English-speaking native families , b) non-White children in English-speaking immigrant families, c) non-White children in multilingual native families, and d) non-White children in language-minority immigrant families. Findings from multilevel models indicated that gains in receptive language and social skills varied by typology. These findings highlight heterogeneity of culturally diverse children.

Authors

• Yujin Lee, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• kyungmin kim, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Monica Yudron, Harvard University

• Anne Douglass, University of Massachusetts - Boston