Diverse Trajectories: Variability and Disparities in Social-Emotional Development Among Head Start Children

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Social-Emotional Learning in Early Childhood Education (Table 7)

Abstract

This study aims to deepen our understanding of the diverse social-emotional development among Head Start children, focusing on patterns of variability and disparities of developmental patterns over time. Using latent transition analysis (LTA), we initially identified four distinct social-emotional profiles (i.e., Adaptive, Average, Moderate Risk, and High Risk) at two time points (fall 2014 and spring 2015, respectively) based on data from the 2014 Family and Childhood Experiences Survey (FACES). Subsequently, we examined the stability and change within these profiles, revealing demographic disparities in transition patterns over time. These findings provide critical information into the social-emotional development of Head Start children over time, providing guidance to researchers and practitioners on effectively addressing the social-emotional needs of children.

Authors

• Chin-Chih Chen, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Yaoying Xu, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Yuyan Xia, University of Kentucky

• Fa Zhang, Open University of China