Research Partners
Erikson Institute | Harvard University | Michigan State University | The Pennsylvania State University | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | University of Kansas | University of Washington | Utah State University
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Erikson Institute
Project Title:
Ounce Scale Validation Project
Principal Investigator:
Samuel J. Meisels
Project Director:
Kristy Beachy-Quick
Project Funding Years:
2004-2007
Contact Information:
Erikson Institute
420 N. Wabash, 6th Floor
Chicago, IL 60611-5627
Phone: (312) 893-7228, Fax: (312) 755-0133
Email: smeisels@erikson.edu; kbeachy-quick@erikson.edu
Project Abstract:
The Erikson Institute, working with the Ounce of Prevention Fund, the Childcare Network of Evanston and Infant Welfare Society of Evanston, the National Teachers Academy of the Chicago Public Schools, the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, and Erie Neighborhood House investigated the reliability and validity of the Ounce Scale – a functional assessment of young children’s development from birth through 42 months of age. The Ounce Scale is a performance assessment used in Early Head Start programs to monitor infant, toddler, and young preschoolers’ development and to guide individualized instruction. It is comprised of three elements: Observational Records, Family Albums, and Developmental Profiles and Standards. The Observational Records provide a structured format for organizing direct observations of children’s performance by teachers and caregivers. The Family Albums engage parents in documenting observations of their children’s development and provide parents with a range of activities to promote their children’s development. The Developmental Profiles and Standards allow staff to evaluate their observations of the children and determine whether the child is “Developing as Expected” or “Needs Development” in six areas of development, based on explicit performance standards.
The project utilized extensive multi-method strategies that combined both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The overall design of the project was that of a cross-sectional, concurrent validation. Ratings on the Developmental Profiles were compared to scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II, the Preschool Language Scale-4, and the Ages and Stages Social-Emotional Questionnaire for 30 children at each of eight age levels (N=240). The sensitivity and specificity of the scale were assessed. Internal reliability and external validity of the scale was determined using Rasch analyses and other Item Response Theory models. The utility of the scale for planning, instruction and facilitating understanding of individual children were evaluated by means of interviews with teachers and parents and through examination of comments in the Family Albums and Observational Records.
Sample:
N=240 children and families
Measures:
Child
Ounce Scale
Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition
Preschool Language Scale, Fourth Edition
Ages and Stages Social-Emotional Questionnaire (ASQ:SE)
Parent
Parent Interviews
Teacher/Caregiver Interviews
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Harvard University
Project Title:
Developing Methods for Tracking Bilingual Children's Early Language Development
Principal Investigator:
Barbara Alexander Pan
Project Funding Years:
2004-2007
Contact Information:
Harvard University
Harvard Graduate School of Education
320 Larsen Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 496-0313, Fax: (617) 495-5771
Email: lesauxno@gse.harvard.edu
Project Abstract:
Harvard University partnered with several Early Head Start (EHS)/Head Start programs in Boston and Lawrence, MA, to achieve two primary goals. First, project staff investigated the feasibility of combining parent and teacher reports of toddlers’ vocabulary over time, with the ultimate goal of developing accurate, efficient means for EHS/Head Start staff to assess and monitor the vocabulary development of toddlers, particularly those from Spanish-speaking homes. Second, researchers focused analysis on developing a deeper understanding of language development and attrition in toddlers and preschoolers who are acquiring more than one language. Participants included a sample of approximately 75 toddlers from Spanish-speaking homes and a peer sample of approximately 45 toddlers from English-speaking homes. Children and families entered the study at child age 2, 2½, or 3 years. Children were followed through their pre-kindergarten year of Head Start. Results informed development of an integrated system to identify appropriate reporter(s) and languages to be assessed, integrate reports from multiple reporters, and to display results over time.
Sample:
Core Sample: N=75 toddlers from Spanish-speaking homes
Peer Sample: N=45 toddlers from English-speaking homes
Measures:
Parent
Parent Interview
The MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory: Words and Phrases
Inventario del Desarrollo de Habilidades Comunicativas-Palabras y Enunciados
Child
Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery-Revised (WLPB-R) - Picture Vocabulary and Memory for Sentences Subtests
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III)
Test de Vocabulario en Imagenes Peabody (TVIP)
Parent-Child Interactions
Spontaneous Speech Samples
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Michigan State University
Project Title:
Culturally Sensitive Measurement of Toddler-Parent Mealtime Behaviors
Principal Investigator:
Mildred A. Horodynski
Project Funding Years:
2004-2007
Contact Information:
Michigan State University
College of Nursing
416 West Fee Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: (517) 335-6744, Fax: (517) 355-8536
Email: millie.horodynski@ht.msu.edu
Project Abstract:
Michigan State University, working with eight Early Head Start (EHS) programs, developed a measure for assessing toddler-parent mealtime feeding behaviors. This measure can be used to (1) identify key issues in mealtime feeding behaviors that may inform appropriate intervention strategies and (2) evaluate family and EHS program progress in the area of toddler-parent mealtime feeding behaviors and toddler nutrition. Participants included African American mother-toddler dyads (N = 200) and Caucasian mother-toddler dyads (N = 200) enrolled in EHS. The study was conducted in three phases. Phase one consisted of focus group sessions with low-income, African American families with toddlers, with the goal of tailoring existing instruments developed for Caucasian EHS families with toddlers. Phase two employed survey methods to collect responses to survey items generated in the focus group sessions, with the goal of testing the psychometric properties of the measure within the two target populations and testing the validity of the self report measure. In Phase three, EHS staff were trained to use the measurement instruments. The expected outcome of this study was an observational measure that directly assesses parent-toddler mealtime feeding behavior as well as a companion self-report mealtime behavior measure that is culturally appropriate for use with both African American and Caucasian EHS families with toddlers.
Sample:
N=200 African American mother-toddler dyads
N=200 Caucasian mother-toddler dyads
Measures:
Parent
Toddler and Parent Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire (TPMBQ)
Toddler-Parent Mealtime Observation
Feeding Self-Efficacy Questionnaire
Social Support Instrument
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The Pennsylvania State University
Project Title:
Development of Early Arithmetic, Reading, and Learning Indicators for Head Start Populations
Principal Investigator:
James C. DiPerna
Project Funding Years:
2004-2007
Contact Information:
The Pennsylvania State University
105 Cedar Building
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: (814) 863-2405, Fax: (814) 865-7066
Email: jdiperna@psu.edu
Project Abstract:
The Pennsylvania State University partnered with the Lebanon County Head Start Program to develop a set of progress-monitoring measures to assess key early literacy and mathematics skills for 3-and-4-year old children enrolled in Head Start. The project carefully developed skill probes in the early literacy domain (including alphabet recitation, letter identification, letter-sound correspondence, and phonemic awareness) and in the early mathematics domain (including number recitation, number identification, counting, and subitizing). Participants included approximately 200 Head Start children per year. The measures developed for this study can help ensure that children are developing key literacy and mathematics skills and can provide data regarding when a child is at risk of later academic difficulty and would benefit from change in instruction.
Sample:
N=200 Head Start children per year
Measures:
Child
Early Literacy Probes
Early Mathematics Probes
Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities and Achievement
Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised
Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)
Test of Early Mathematics Ability, Third Edition (TEMA-3)
Teacher
Teacher Ratings of Early Academic Skills and Behavior
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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Project Title:
The Family Map: An Integrated Assessment of the Parenting Environment in Early Childhood
Principal Investigator:
Leanne Whiteside-Mansell
Project Funding Years:
2004-2007
Contact Information:
Arkansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities
Partners for Inclusive Communities
2001 Pershing Circle, Suite 300
North Little Rock, AR 72114
Phone: (501) 682-9933, Fax: (501) 682-9901
Email: WhitesideMansellLeanne@uams.edu
Project Abstract:
The University of Arkansas partnered with two area Head Start centers to create a comprehensive, user-friendly measure to assess various aspects of the family and home environment. The new measure, The Family Map, provides comprehensive information on parenting practices, household conditions, and parental characteristics that are associated with child well being. The Family Map was developed and validated on European American, African American, and Latino families. The scoring system provides a map to the areas of concern and strength for each family. Data from this project examines key issues regarding relations between the family environment and children's well being, with emphasis on examining cultural differences.
Measures:
Preliminary Version of the Family Map
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University of Kansas
Project Title:
Partnership to Develop Meaningful Outcome Measures for Early Head Start Children and Families
Principal Investigator:
Judith J. Carta
Dale Walker
Kathleen Baggett
Project Funding Years:
2004-2007
Contact Information:
Judith J. Carta
University of Kansas
Juniper Gardens Children's Project
650 Minnesota Ave. 2nd Floor
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: (913) 321-3143, Fax: (913) 371-8522
Email: Carta@ku.edu
Dale Walker
University of Kansas
Juniper Gardens Children's Project
650 Minnesota Ave. 2nd Floor
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: (913) 321-3143, Fax: (913) 371-8522
Email: Walkerd@ku.edu
Kathleen Baggett
University of Kansas
Juniper Gardens Children's Project
650 Minnesota Ave. 2nd Floor
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: (913) 321-3143, Fax: (913) 371-8522
Email: kbaggett@ku.edu
Project Abstract:
The Juniper Gardens Children's Project at the University of Kansas partnered with two Early Head Start (EHS) programs to develop and validate two measures: one for monitoring children’s growth in communication and one for monitoring change in parent’s responsiveness toward children. Participants included 175 EHS children and families who were involved in longitudinal studies examining the concurrent and predictive validity of the proposed progress-monitoring measures. Following the development of these measures, project staff developed and tested an infrastructure for helping sites become self-sufficient in using data from the new measures to make program decisions at the program and individual child and family levels. Finally, project staff developed a website that provides support for training EHS staff on the measures and for using the data to make individual and program level intervention decisions. This project resulted in were two new measures that have been carefully developed within the EHS context, and that have been examined for their validity and reliability., The assessments are related conceptually and empirically to children's readiness for preschool, and have demonstrated utility when implemented by EHS program staff.
Sample:
N=175 children and families
Measures:
Child
Early Communication Indicator (ECI)
Indicator of Parent-Child Interaction (IPCI)
Preschool Language Scale
Ages & Stages Questionnaire
Preschool Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing
Preschool Oral Language and Early Literacy Indicators
Brief Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment-Parent Version (BITSEA)
Child Behavior Checklist
Referral for Intervention Services
Parent
Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory 2 (AAPI-2)
Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME)
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University of Washington
Project Title:
Incorporating an Attachment Q-Set into Parent-Child Relationship Assessment and Support in Early Head Start
Principal Investigator:
Susan Spieker
Project Funding Years:
2004-2007
Contact Information:
University of Washington
Box 357920
Seattle, WA 98195-7920
Phone: (206) 543-8453, Fax: (206) 685-3349
Email: spieker@u.washington.edu
Project Abstract:
The University of Washington-Puget Sound Educational Service District Early Head Start (EHS) Program Partnership assessed the reliability, validity, and utility of the Toddler Attachment Sort-45 (TAS45) for measuring parent-child attachment relationships for low-income children. Project staff trained staff and supervisors at the EHS program to use and incorporate the TAS45 into periodic assessments of child development and parent-child interactions. Further, the project planned to develop a dissemination package promoting the use of the TAS45 to assess and support parent-child attachment relationships. Participants included children in home-based and center-based EHS programs. Project results contribute to the body of knowledge about the adaptation of research-based tools into best practices of an EHS program.
Sample:
N=115 children from a home-based program
N=150 children from a center-based program
Measures:
Child
Toddler Attachment Set 45 (TAS45)
The Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scale (CSBS)
The Preschool Language Scale Fourth Edition (PLS-4) English Edition
Parent
The Brief Infant-Toddler Social & Emotional Assessment-Revised (BITSEA)
Parent-Child
Reciprocity rated from videotapes of free play.
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Utah State University
Project Title:
PICCOLO: Parent Interactions with Children-Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes
Principal Investigator:
Lori Roggman
Project Funding Years:
2004-2007
Contact Information:
Utah State University
Department of Family Consumer & Human Development
2905 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-2905
Phone: (435) 797-1545, Fax: (435) 797-3845
Email: falori@cc.usu.edu
Project Abstract:
Utah State University partnered with area Early Head Start programs to develop a measurement tool for observing, tracking, and supporting parent-child interactions that lead to positive child outcomes from infancy to age three. The primary objectives for the study are to: (1) develop a valid, reliable measure of early parent-child interaction, (2) assess the usefulness of the measure for Early Head Start staff who will observe parenting interactions, and (3) develop supporting materials in English and Spanish. To develop the initial version of this measure, parent-child interactive behaviors were defined in easily observable terms, tested by observers viewing an archive of over 1,500 videotapes of parent-child interaction, and analyzed in relation to previously measured global dimensions of parent-child interactions, children’s attachment security, and children’s developmental outcomes. A revised version of the measure was tested on a new sample of 200 families, with 600 new observations. The proposed measure expands Head Start’s tools for tracking program effectiveness and progress towardsimproving parent-child interactions.
Sample:
N=1,300 archived videotapes of parent-child interaction
N=200 new families
Archived Measures:
Child
Bayley Scales of Infant Development Mental Development Index (MDI)
Bayley Scales of Infant Development Behavior Rating Scale (BRS)
Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP)
Developing Skills Checklist (DSC)
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III)
Story and Print Concepts
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement – Applied Problems, Letter Word, and Picture Vocabulary Subscales
Sustained Attention/Staying on Task Subscale of the Leiter-Revised Sustained Attention Task
Mother
Attachment Q-sort
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
MacArthur Communicative Developmental Inventory (CDI)
Social Skills Rating System (SSRS)