Effects of differential access to screening and identification on language outcomes for preschoolers in Migrant and Seasonal Head Start

• In Event: Examining proximal and distal factors that promote kindergarten readiness among preschool children in the United States

Abstract

Children of migrant and seasonal farm workers (MSFW) in the U.S have been identified as one of the nation’s most vulnerable populations (Duarte & Rafanello, 2001), due to significant poverty, mobility and rurality. MSFW children are particularly at-risk for poor reading outcomes in elementary school (Jackson et al., 2014) due in part to the economic, social, and health disparities experienced by their families. Low rates of identification and service provision for MSFW preschoolers with developmental language disorders (DLD) may exacerbate this risk.

Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) Programs are designed to accommodate and meet the unique needs of MSFW families and children, but have been understudied in the general Head Start literature. Experimental evidence from Head Start has shown large effects for preschool dual language learners (DLL’s) and for preschoolers with poor receptive vocabulary, a potential signifier of DLD (Bitler et al., 2017), but these effects has not yet been investigated in Head Start settings specifically designed for migrant children (MSHS). Furthermore, the intersection of children’s DLL status and potential DLD is poorly understood and may present challenges to assessment, especially for speech language pathologists (SLP’s) and early childhood educators (ECE’s) unfamiliar with culturally and linguistically diverse populations (Bedore & Peña, 2008; Peña & Bedore, 2009; Hoff & Core, 2013; Paradis, 2016). MSHS programs are designed to be responsive to the needs of DLL children and their families, and are more often staffed by teachers and coordinators that are also bilingual and of Latinx origin (Caswell et al., 2017). However, due to program rurality, educational requirements for staff, and requirements for bilingual ECE’s, MSHS programs may struggle to recruit and retain program staff that are experienced in working with children with disabilities (Caswell et al., 2017).

The proposed study will compare the rates of overall preschool special education identification between MSHS and non-MSHS programs by propensity score-matching programs and estimating an ATE and ATT of a program’s status as MSHS on special education identification. Additionally, this study will examine if these impacts vary after controlling for the following covariates 1) program rurality, 2) program enrollment size and 3) Program demographic characteristics, including family and staff characteristics. Initial descriptive statistics of child-level data from the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study will also be explored. Implications for the school readiness skills of MSHS children at risk for delays in early language and literacy will be discussed.

Author

• Sarah Pedonti, Western Carolina University
  Presenting Author