Perceptions of Family-Centered Practice in Head Start Classrooms as a Function of Classroom Composition

• In Event: Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

A family-centered approach to education aims to support and strengthen the family’s capacity to enhance and promote child development. Although Head Start Performance Standards emphasize parent and family engagement, programs still struggle to involve ethnically diverse parents in meaningful ways. Teachers’ understanding of the family context and meaningful engagement of family members in a child’s learning and school experience are associated with not only better parent-teacher relationships, but also greater children's school readiness. Therefore, family-centered practices (FCPs) are critical to promoting children’s success. The aim of this study was to examine whether and how Head Start teachers’ professional characteristics and the classrooms’ racial/ethnic composition are associated with teachers’ use of and parents’ perceptions of FCPs in order to continually support children’s development in early care and education setting. More specifically, we were interested in exploring the differential effects of classroom composition and teachers’ self-reported practices, on parents’ perceptions of practice.

In order to examine perceptions of FCPs, we utilized parent (N = 801) and teacher (N = 772) survey data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2014-2015. Information from the Family-Provider/Teacher Relationship Questionnaire was utilized to examine the extent to which teacher and classroom characteristics influence teachers’ use of FCPs and parents perceptions. Although ICCs were not significant, hierarchical linear models (HLM) were used to account for nested data. To address the study aims, three, two-level HLMs were constructed in a stepwise manner. For the first model, we included four sets of predictors (teacher years of experience, education, dual-language training, and self-report FCPs) to estimate parents’ perceptions of FCPs. In addition to teacher characteristics, the second model included racial/ethnic composition of classrooms and represents the proportion of children from ethnically diverse backgrounds (African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian American, and multiracial students). The third model explored the differential effects of classroom composition and teachers’ self-reported practices on parents’ perceptions of FCPs.

We found that parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of FCPs are not explained by teachers’ backgrounds and training, but do systematically vary as a function of classroom racial/ethnic composition. These results indicate that aspects of teachers’ professional background are not significantly associated with increased perceptions of engagement in FCPs. Instead, the context of the classroom is significantly associated with parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of FCPs. When classrooms contain a greater proportion of ethnically diverse children, parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of FCPs declines compared to classrooms with lower percentages of ethnically diverse children.

Findings indicate that training and experience do not explain the degree to which teachers engage in FCPs, either by teacher or parent report. Instead, the greatest determinant of higher ratings of FCPs was the homogeneity of the students. Early childhood settings will only continue to become more diverse, suggesting the need for improved training to promote parent-teacher relationships and cross-cultural competence. Pre- and in-service training and supports should focus on how to form authentic partnerships with the ever-changing population of families.

Authors

• Luz Torres, University of Illinois at Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Kate Zinsser, University of Illinois at Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author