Evaluating the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative Preschool for Three-Year-Olds

• In Event: The role of affirming high quality experiences on children's wellbeing and learning

Abstract

Understanding and closing the educational gaps that underserved populations experienced starting at very early stages of childhood--gaps which span across children and adolescents years of learning experiences and opportunities, milestones and achievements --are part of a critical task that capture the attention of researchers, practitioners and politicians. As part of this endeavor, there has been increasing interest on how to develop programs that focus on the specific needs of 3-year olds, and particular those who are part of underserved populations affected by poverty. The Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) (a non-profit organization) has actively been engaged in changing the reality of underserved children by implementing an intentional preschool service system aimed at providing, expanding, and sustaining the capacity of high quality early care and education programs in the vulnerable neighborhoods of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The aims of this study were to understand the quality of children’s experiences in ELNC’s 3-year olds classrooms and their growth and development over the course of three school years.

METHODS
This study consists of three years of follow-up starting at 3 years old (61 children after attrition) who attended ELNC in 2016-17 school year and following them into pre-school and kindergarten resulting in 4 waves of data: Fall and Spring (2016-17), and spring waves of 2018 and 2019. We followed seven classroom using standardized assessments in mathematics and literacy (WJ-III/ WMLS–R), early language (PPVT) and executive function (HTKS). Most children were African American or Hispanic; 61% female; and 30% were dual language learners (DLLs).

The main set of analyses were growth curve models estimated using a two-level (time nested in children) Bayesian multilevel model assuming fixed effects and random intercept only. The outcomes were longitudinal scores corresponding to the four assessments. Finally, two moderation effects were estimated between growth (time slope) and parental education and language spoken at home.

RESULTS
The moderation models findings showed that WJ-III applied math problems and executive function (HTKS) trajectories vary by language spoken at home and parental education. For both outcomes and initially, Spanish DLL children and children having parents with lower levels of education scored lower compared to their peers. However, by the end of kindergarten, we observed a major increase in these scores. Results indicates that Spanish DDL children and children with parents having lower levels of education had caught up with their peers in both math skills and executive function.

DISCUSSION
The results support research showing that exposure to high-quality early education starting even before preschool scaffolds young children’s development and learning skills and supports school readiness. In particular, while one year of preschool helped children — especially children from underserved populations— two years of preschool seemed to have consolidated the catch-up and eliminated the gap. This finding is consistent with children’s outcomes found in other similar high-quality early care and education programs in which children are able to have sustained preschool experiences over time (Heckman, 2011).

Authors

• Fernando Andrade Adaniya, HighScope Foundation
  Presenting Author

• Iheoma U. Iruka, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author