3-132 - Classroom composition in the early school years: Associations with children’s academic, social, and regulatory skills

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

This symposium capitalizes on large data sets to explore how classroom composition is associated with children’s academic and socioemotional skills in preschool and elementary school. Many facets of composition are explored in including inhibitory control skills, academic success, and pro-social behaviors.

Paper 1 investigates if classroom poverty and children’s cognitive skills predict skill growth in a diverse sample of preschool children. Initial results indicate that higher classroom poverty predicted lower growth in cognitive skills. Additionally, children in classrooms with lower levels of classroom cognitive skills demonstrated lower gains in cognitive skills. They were also more likely to be in a lower quality classroom.

Paper 2 extends the focus beyond academics to include classroom inhibitory control skills and its association with growth in these skills for low-income preschool children. Preliminary results indicate that (a) children varied in their skills, and (b) growth in inhibitory control varied between classrooms. Planned analyses include understanding change in skills related to classroom level inhibitory accounting for host of classroom and child characteristics.

Finally, paper 3 expands the age group to include elementary school children and explores change in prosocial and academic skills for students related to composition (prosocial and academic skills). Initial results identify a positive association between features of classroom composition and rates of change (e.g., higher classroom composition of prosocial behavior are associated with steeper average growth for individual children.)

These papers suggest promise that classroom composition influences children’s growth in academic, social, and behavioral skills in the early years of school.

Sub Unit

• School Readiness/Childcare

Chair

• Rebecca Madill, Child Trends

Discussant

• Stephanie Jones, Harvard University

Individual Presentations

• Classroom Composition Effects on Children and Teachers in Preschool Programs - Presenting Author: Rebekah Levine Coley, Boston College; Bryn Spielvogel, Boston College; Kyle DeMeo Cook, Boston College

• Development of preschool children’s regulatory skills: Do classmates’ regulatory skills matter? - Presenting Author: Bridget Ellen Hatfield, Oregon State University; Rebecca Madill, Child Trends; Stephanie Jones, Harvard University; Tamara Gail Halle, Child Trends; Bridget Hamre, UVA; Catherine Worrell, District of Columbia Public Schools, Early Childhood Education Division; Erika Blackburn, District of Columbia Public Schools, Early Childhood Education Division; Katina Kearney, District of Columbia Public Schools, Early Childhood Education Division

• Seasonal and Compositional Effects on Prosocial Behavior and Academic Skills: Individual and Setting-Level Development in Context - Presenting Author: Andres Molano, Universidad de los Andes; Stephanie Jones, Harvard University