Poster #52 - Initial Validation of the HERS-Early Childhood Consultation-Classroom (HERS-ECC-C) 

• In Event: Poster Session 14

Abstract

Classroom quality is linked to the educational, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children (Bulotsky-Shearer et al., 2020; Hamre et al., 2014) and is commonly a target of teacher professional development programs. Yet, the few measures that exist to assess the quality of the classroom environment are cumbersome or require copious amounts of training to implement, and are often designed for research rather than formative assessment and monitoring of intervention implementation. This study validated a newly developed easy-to-use observational instrument, Health Environment Rating Scale-Early Childhood Consultation-Classroom version (HERS-ECC-C), to measure the quality of the classroom environment within early care and education centers participating in a mental health consultation program. 

Participants included 340 early childhood teachers across 138 centers in diverse areas of the southeastern United States from two cohorts in the fall of 2018 and 2019. The majority of teachers identified as Hispanic (75.2%), reported they spoke Spanish (65.0%) or English (30.3%), and ranged in age from 19 to 75 years old (M = 43.1, SD = 12.1). Eighty-three percent of participating teachers obtained a high school degree/GED, technical training, or greater. Classroom quality was assessed using 28 items from the HERS-ECC-C, where items are rated on a 1 to 7 Likert-scale, with 7 indicating the highest level of quality. The instruments’ authors proposed a six-factor structure, and the current study used an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to determine the most parsimonious model. After determining the most parsimonious factor structure and item-factor loadings, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model was specified. 

The correlated-factors model with a three-factor structure had the most adequate fit, (𝑋2(347) = 934.06, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.82, RMSEA = 0.07, 90% CI [0.065, 0.076]). While these findings did not support the initial six-factor structure, the three emerging factors capture critical aspects of a high-quality classroom environment and demonstrated good reliability: (1) Supportive Practices, Positive Socioemotional Practices, and Classroom Management (α = 0.88), (2) Health and Family Communication (α = 0.79), and (3) Individualizing to Children's Needs (α = 0.80). See Table 1 for full factor loadings.

Criterion-related and predictive validity of the three HERS-ECC-C subscales was examined using correlational and regression analyses with CLASS scores, an established measure of classroom environment quality (Pianta et al., 2008). The HERS-ECC-C Supportive Practices and Health and Family Communication subscales were significantly associated with all three CLASS domains. The HERS-ECC-C Individualizing to Children’s Needs subscale was significantly associated with the CLASS Instructional support domain. See Table 2 for regression results.

Results suggest that the HERS-ECC-C could be a valid measure of classroom environment quality in a diverse area of the southeastern United States and is best modeled as a three-dimensional construct with separate, but correlated factors. However, more work needs to be done to explore the sensitivity of the scales to detect change over time and intervention effects. Initial findings will inform further iterative development and refinement of the HERS-ECC-C to measure classroom environment quality for programs engaged in mental health consultation professional development interventions.

Authors

• Jenna Nicole Futterer, University of Miami
  Presenting Author

• Casey Mullins, University of Miami

• Rebecca J. Bulotsky Shearer, University of Miami

• Parisa Varanloo, University of Miami

• Ruby Natale, University of Miami