Select Findings from the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study 2017: Cultural Items and Language Use Checklist

Publication Date: February 18, 2020
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Cover of "Select Findings from the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study 2017 Cultural Items and Language Use Checklist."

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Introduction

Research Questions

  1. How many books were read and songs were sung in different languages?
  2. What languages did lead teachers use in the classroom?
  3. What cultural items were present and/or used?

Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs provide child development, family support, and family engagement services to young children and their migrant and seasonal farmworker families. Migrant or seasonal farmworker families are those engaged in year-round or seasonal agricultural labor who may have changed their residence in the preceding two-year period. MSHS programs offer voluntary services to children from birth until they reach the age of mandatory school attendance.

The MSHS Study 2017 provides a national picture of MSHS programs, centers, families, and children. The study was designed through extensive engagement and input from the MSHS community to better understand: (1) characteristics of MSHS programs, centers, staff, families, and children; (2) services that MSHS provides; (3) instructional practices in MSHS classrooms; and (4) MSHS supports for child, parent, and family well-being.

MSHS children and families have diverse cultural and language backgrounds. MSHS programs use inclusive cultural practices that help build trust, pride, and confidence that may support healthy development and well-being. The Cultural Items and Language Use Checklist (“CILU Checklist”) is an observation measure designed to better understand children’s language and cultural experiences while in MSHS programs.

This brief highlights selected MSHS Study 2017 findings based on data collected using the CILU Checklist during classroom observations. The MSHS Study 2017 was conducted by Abt Associates and its partners – The Catholic University of America and Westat – under contract to the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Purpose

The purpose of this brief is threefold: (1) to explain what information the CILU Checklist was designed to capture; (2) to provide information about how the CILU Checklist can be used by MSHS programs; and (3) to report detailed information about how language and cultural items are used in MSHS programs, based on findings from the CILU Checklist collected as part of the MSHS Study 2017.

Key Findings and Highlights

The brief presents information about how language and cultural items are used in MSHS programs. Specifically, the brief includes information about:

  • the number and languages of books that MSHS staff read to children;
  • the number that MSHS staff sang to children in different languages;
  • the languages used by MSHS lead teachers for instruction in whole class settings; and,
  • the type of cultural items that were present and/or used in MSHS classrooms.

Methods

To develop the CILU Checklist, the MSHS Study team adapted the 2015 American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey Study Cultural Items and Practices Questions to the MSHS cultural and linguistic context. For example, the CILU Checklist includes Spanish and English, but also indigenous Mexican languages and Haitian Creole. Cultural items were also adapted to reflect Hispanic culture and agricultural work.

The CILU Checklist was completed during a 2-3 hour visit to MSHS classrooms. The brief presents results separately according to the predominant age group of the classrooms: infants/younger toddler classrooms, older toddler classrooms, and preschooler classrooms. The MSHS Study 2017 included 122 classrooms that were located within 50 centers of different sizes and from different geographic regions. Of the 122 classrooms, 42 classrooms served predominantly infants and younger toddlers (0-23 months), 39 classrooms served predominantly older toddlers (24-35 months), and 41 classrooms served predominantly preschoolers (36 months and older).

Because the study team collected information on only a sample of centers, classrooms, teachers, assistant teachers, families, and children, analyses used a statistical procedure called weighting. This procedure adjusts the data so that the findings can be interpreted as being representative of the MSHS population in 2017.

Citation

Bumgarner, E., Caswell, L., Layzer, C., & Barrueco, S. (2019). Select Findings from the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study 2017: Cultural Items and Language Use (CILU) Checklist. OPRE Report #2020-18, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Glossary

Migrant farmworker families:
Those engaged in agricultural labor and have changed their residence from one geographic location to another in the preceding two-year period.
Seasonal farmworker families:
Those engaged primarily in seasonal agricultural labor and have not changed their residence to another geographic location in the preceding two-year period.