Project on Human Development in Chicago
Neighborhoods
The Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN)
was a large-scale, interdisciplinary study of how families, schools,
and neighborhoods affect child and adolescent development. It was
designed to advance the understanding of the developmental pathways of
both positive and negative human social behaviors. In particular, the
project examined the causes and pathways of juvenile delinquency,
adult crime, substance abuse, and violence. At the same time, the
project provided a detailed look at the environments in which these
social behaviors took place by collecting substantial amounts of data
about urban Chicago, including its people, institutions, and
resources.
Longitudinal Cohort Study
One component of the PHDCN was the Longitudinal Cohort Study, which
was a series of coordinated longitudinal studies that followed over
6,000 randomly selected children, adolescents, and young adults, and
their primary caregivers over time to examine the changing
circumstances of their lives, as well as the personal characteristics,
that might lead them toward or away from a variety of antisocial
behaviors. The age cohorts include birth (0), 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18
years. Numerous measures were administered to respondents to gauge
various aspects of human development, including individual
differences, as well as family, peer, and school influences.
Wide Range Achievement Test
The data in this collection are from Wave 1 of the Longitudinal
Cohort Study, which was administered between 1994 and 1997. The data
files contain information from the Wide Range Achievement Test
protocol. The Wide Range Achievement Test was designed to measure
reading recognition, spelling, and arithmetic computation.
Project on Human Development in Chicago
Neighborhoods
The city of Chicago was selected as the research site for the PHDCN
because of its extensive racial, ethnic, and social-class diversity.
The project collapsed 847 census tracts in the city of Chicago into
343 neighborhood clusters (NCs) based upon seven groupings of
racial/ethnic composition and three levels of socioeconomic status.
The NCs were designed to be ecologically meaningful. They were
composed of geographically contiguous census tracts and geographic
boundaries, and knowledge of Chicago's neighborhoods were considered in
the definition of the NCs. Each NC was comprised of approximately
8,000 people.
Longitudinal Cohort Study
For the Longitudinal Cohort Study, a stratified probability sample
of 80 neighborhoods was selected. The 80 NCs were sampled from the 21
strata (seven racial/ethnic groups by three socioeconomic levels) with
the goal of representing the 21 cells as equally as possible to
eliminate the confounding between racial/ethnic mix and socioeconomic
status. Once the 80 NCs were chosen, then block groups were selected
at random within each of the sample neighborhoods. A complete listing
of dwelling units was collected for all sampled block groups.
Pregnant women, children, and young adults in seven age cohorts
(birth, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 years) were identified through
in-person screening of approximately 40,000 dwelling units within the
80 NCs. The screening response rate was 80 percent. Children within
six months of the birthday that qualified them for the sample were
selected for inclusion in the Longitudinal Cohort Study. A total of
8,347 participants were identified through the screening. Of the
eligible study participants, 6,228 were interviewed.
For all cohorts except 0 and 18, primary caregivers as well as the
child were interviewed. The primary caregiver was the person found to
spend the most time taking care of the child. Separate research
assistants administered the primary caregiver interviews and the child
interviews. The primary method of data collection was face-to-face
interviewing, although participants who refused to complete the
personal interview were administered a phone interview. Interviews
were conducted in Spanish, English, and Polish. In Wave 1 the complete
protocol was translated into Spanish and Polish. An interpreter was
hired for participants who spoke a language other than English,
Spanish, or Polish. Depending on the age and wave of data collection,
participants were paid between $5 and $20 per interview. Other
incentives, such as free passes to museums, the aquarium, and monthly
drawing prizes were also included.
Interview protocols included a wide range of questions. For
example, some questions assessed impulse control and sensation-seeking
traits, cognitive and language development, leisure activities,
delinquency and substance abuse, friends' activities, and
self-perception, attitudes, and values. Caregivers were also
interviewed about family structure, parent characteristics,
parent-child relationships, parent discipline styles, family mental
health, and family history of criminal behavior and drug use.
Wide Range Achievement Test
The purpose of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT3) was to
measure the codes that are needed to learn the basic skills of
reading, spelling and arithmetic. Scores can be used to compare the
achievement levels of one person to another from kindergarten age
through to adulthood. When used in conjunction with a test measuring
general intelligence, which has the same standard deviation units as
the WRAT3, it can be a valuable tool in the determination of learning
ability or learning disability. The WRAT3 was intentionally designed
to eliminate the effects of comprehension. When dealing with areas of
learning disabilities, especially reading, it is essential to
determine whether the problem is due to an inability to learn the
codes that are necessary to acquire the skill or whether the problem
is due to an inability to derive meaning from the codes. Since the
WRAT3 scores are free from the contaminating effects of comprehension,
it is possible to compare WRAT3 standard scores with comprehension
standard scores from other tests such as Wechsler scales. One can then
determine precisely where the individual is having difficulty and can
prescribe those remedial or educational programs that will target
treatment for the specific defect. The WRAT3 allows the administrator
to differentiate between students who lack the coding skills to learn
the mechanics of reading from those who may be good readers but whose
problem is an inability to comprehend or to get meaning. Another
valuable use of the WRAT3 is the informal assessment of the kinds of
errors the individual makes on the three subtests. This is done
primarily through observing and recording the mistakes and determining
what types of error patterns emerge. This information can then be used
in planning the instructional needs of the individual. The grade level
ratings on the WRAT3 subtests can be used to give a general indication
of the instructional level of the individual.
Stratified probability sample.
Children, adolescents, young adults, and their primary
caregivers, living in the city of Chicago in 1994.
individuals
survey data
The data files contain data regarding the WRAT 3
raw reading score, as well as a scaled reading score.
The overall response rate for Wave 1 of the
Longitudinal Cohort Study was 75 percent or 6,228 participants. The
response rates by cohort were:
- 76.2 percent (1,269) for Cohort 0
- 76.6 percent (1,003) for Cohort 3
- 75.0 percent (980) for Cohort 6
- 75.9 percent (828) for Cohort 9
- 74.3 percent (820) for Cohort 12
- 71.6 percent (696) for Cohort 15
- 70.3 percent (632) for Cohort 18
Wide Range Achievement Test scaled reading score