Massachusetts Early Care and Education and School Readiness Study, 2001-2008 (ICPSR 33968)

Version Date: Apr 5, 2013

Cite this study |

Principal Investigator(s):
Nancy Marshall, Wellesley College. Wellesley Centers for Women; Joanne Roberts, Wellesley College. Wellesley Centers for Women; Wendy Wagner Robeson, Wellesley College. Wellesley Centers for Women

https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR33968.v1

Version V1

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Alternate Title

Family Income, Infant Child Care and Child Development Study

Summary

Young children are spending increasingly greater hours in early care and education. While research has clearly documented the importance of the quality of these experiences (National Research Council, 2000), more research is needed in several key areas.

This study is an assessment of the impact of varying hours of early care and education on children's school readiness, and the specific factors in both infant and preschool classrooms that promote school readiness, using two samples: one group of 242 children attending child care centers that have been followed since infancy (Family Income, Infant Child Care, and Child Development Study); and another group of 130 children attending child care centers primarily serving low-income families.

A developmental-ecological conceptual framework was employed, which considered the influence of ecological contexts on children's developmental trajectories. The following school readiness outcomes were assessed:

  1. language development and communication
  2. cognition and general knowledge, including early math
  3. social and emotional development
  4. approaches to learning
  5. health and physical development

Additional information is available on the Massachusetts Early Care and Education and School Readiness Study Web site.

Citation

Marshall, Nancy, Roberts, Joanne, and Wagner Robeson, Wendy. Massachusetts Early Care and Education and School Readiness Study, 2001-2008. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2013-04-05. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR33968.v1

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Funding

United States Department of Health and Human Services. Administration for Children and Families. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (90YE0079), United States Department of Health and Human Services. Administration for Children and Families. Office of Child Care (90YE0048), Harold Benenson Memorial Research Fund

Subject Terms

Geographic Coverage

Smallest Geographic Unit

state

Distributor(s)

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
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Time Period(s)

2001-09-30 -- 2008-09-29

Date of Collection

2001-10-01 -- 2008-09-29
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Study Purpose

The study informs policy and program choices regarding standards for infant and preschool early care and education, the education and training of early care and education professionals, hours of care for young children, and the processes that improve school readiness among young children at risk.

Study Design

This study was conducted in two waves. This dataset includes data on 130 children from the low-income sample, referred to as the first wave in this data collection. In this wave, data was collected from children's parents, children, and teachers at the pre-kindergarten age time point. This dataset includes data on only those children who completed a full assessment and whose parent and teacher surveys were received.

This dataset also includes data for 242 children that have been followed since infancy, referred to as the second wave in this data collection. These children participated in the Family Income, Infant Child Care, and Child Development Study in infancy, and were then recruited to participate in this study. For the second wave children, data was collected at 12 months, 24 months, and pre-kindergarten. Data was collected from children's parents and the children themselves. At pre-kindergarten, data was also collected from children's teachers. This dataset also includes infancy data for children who were not mailed surveys at the 48 months/pre-kindergarten age time point (220 families and 223 children).

Sample

The first wave of 170 infants attending child care centers servicing primarily low-income families were recruited as part of a randomly-selected sample of centers in the Massachusetts Cost and Quality Study. 41 centers were represented and observed. 163 children from this sample underwent the complete child assessment. 170 questionnaires were mailed.

The second wave of 242 infants attended center-based infant child care. 88 centers were represented and observed, and were part of a randomly-selected sample of centers in the Massachusetts Cost and Quality Study. Children were observed within the same classroom (clustered sample design). Out of this sample, 186 children were eligible to have their child care centers recruited as well. 228 questionnaires were mailed. Children living outside of New England, not interested in participating, and receiving a diagnosis (bipolar disorder, autism) were excluded from receiving surveys at pre-kindergarten age.

Average age of children at time of the first child/family survey was 54.7 weeks.

Time Method

Longitudinal, Longitudinal: Cohort / Event-based

Universe

Infant and preschool age children living in Massachusetts, their families, and their child care centers.

Unit(s) of Observation

individual, child care center

Data Source

Massachusetts Cost and Quality Study - The children in this study were part of randomly-selected samples of child care centers obtained from the Massachusetts Cost and Quality Study. For more information, please see the following Web site.

Family Income, Infant Child Care, and Child Development Study - The second wave of children in this data collection had been followed since infancy. Their data at the 12 month and 24 month time points was obtained from the Family Income, Infant Child Care, and Child Development Study. For more information, please see the following Web site.

Data Type(s)

Mode of Data Collection

Response Rates

For the first wave low-income sample, 136 parent surveys and 138 parent Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) packets were returned, out of a possible 170. In addition, 170 packets and SRRS packets from children's teachers were returned.

Children in the second wave from the Family Income, Infant Child Care and Child Development Study had an attrition rate of 3.6 percent. Out of a total of 228, 220 48-month parent packets were returned. 223 children remain in the study. Out of a possible 186 child assessments (children who were eligible to have their child care centers recruited), 179 assessments were completed. 162 teacher questionnaire and Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) packets were returned. Out of 223 eligible parents, 213 parents surveys and 212 SSRS packets were returned.

Presence of Common Scales

Child and Family:

  • ASQ-SE for 12 months and 24 months
  • MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (CDI): Words and Gestures and Toddlers
  • CES-D
  • Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) for parents and teacher
  • Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA)
  • Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)
  • Bracken Basic Concepts Scale
  • Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT)
  • Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities
  • Phonological Awareness and Literacy Screening (PALS)

Infant Care Quality:

  • Arnett Caregiver Interaction scale
  • Howes and Stewart Teacher Involvement Scale
  • Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS), including the Listening, Talking, and Interaction subsets
  • Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)
  • StimQ Cognitive Home Environment
  • Supports for Early Literacy Assessment (SELA)
  • Ratio snapshots

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Original Release Date

2013-03-28

Version History

2018-02-15 The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented. The previous citation was:
  • Marshall, Nancy, Joanne Roberts, and Wendy Wagner Robeson. Massachusetts Early Care and Education and School Readiness Study, 2001-2008. ICPSR33968-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2013-03-28. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR33968.v1

2013-04-05 The variable labels for the variables making up the Language Outcome, Home Environment, and Social Skills (SSRS) scales were updated.

2013-03-28 ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:

  • Performed consistency checks.
  • Standardized missing values.
  • Created online analysis version with question text.
  • Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
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Notes

  • The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.

CFDA logo

This study is maintained and distributed by the Child and Family Data Archive (CFData). CFData hosts datasets about young children, their families and communities, and the programs that serve them. CFData is supported by Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), an office of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.