Examining Classroom Quality and Academic and Behavioral Outcomes for Children With and Without Disabilities

• In Event: Policies and Practices Impacting Children

Abstract

Early childhood classroom quality is theorized to positively influence children’s development. Little research has investigated associations between quality, as measured by classroom observational assessments, and children’s development for those with disabilities or developmental delays (Aguiar et al., 2019). Using data from the 2014 Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) study, we investigate the association between classroom quality and academic and behavioral outcomes for children with and without disabilities or developmental delays. We conducted a series of OLS regressions, finding that higher classroom quality, specifically instructional support, were significantly associated with higher scores on the WJ-III for students with disabilities, but not with developmental delays. Quality was negatively associated with executive functioning for children with disabilities and developmental delays.

Authors

• Melissa Stoffers, University of Delaware
  Presenting Author

• Cara L Kelly, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author

• Anamarie Auger Whitaker, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author

• Tia Navelene Barnes, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author