CLASS Pre-K Research Articles

Examining the child observation in preschool and teacher observation in preschool in community-based child care centers

Previous research indicates that the Child Observation in Preschool (COP) and Teacher Observation in Preschool (TOP), a companion set of observational tools used to assess the quality of preschool classrooms, capture important aspects of the preschool environment that are associated with children's growth (Farran et al., 2017; Nesbitt et al., 2015; Spivak & Farran, 2016). This study is the first to assess the convergent and predictive validity of these tools in community-based child care centers and compare the tools to the Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K (CLASS Pre-K), a widely used classroom observation tool. We collected COP-TOP and CLASS Pre-K data in 138 classrooms in Georgia as part of a validation study of Georgia's Quality Rated and Improvement System. We also collected child assessment data from 583 preschool-aged children in those same classrooms. Over half of the COP-TOP classroom processes were moderately correlated with at least one of the three CLASS Pre-K domains. COP-TOP classroom processes related to time spent in transition, time spent engaging in sequential activities, involvement in learning activities, and opportunities for math learning were associated with children's math skills, preliteracy skills, and socioemotional development at the end of the year, after controlling for their scores at the start of the year and demographic characteristics. All three CLASS Pre-K domains were significantly associated with children's socioemotional development. We discuss the implications of these results for assessing quality in early care and education programs.

The Quality of Teacher-child Interactions and Teachers’ Occupational well-being in Finnish Kindergartens: A Person-centered Approach

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The aim of the present study was to identify profiles of kindergarten teachers based on the observed quality of interactions with the children in their classrooms and to explore possible differences between the profiles in terms of teachers’ occupational well-being and teacher and classroom characteristics. Participants were 54 Finnish kindergarten teachers whose interactions with children were observed with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS Pre-K). The teachers also completed a questionnaire about their occupational well-being. Four interaction profiles were identified: Highest Quality, Moderate Quality, Lower Quality with Limited Negativity, and Lower Quality with Moderate Negativity. Differences between the profiles were found in teachers’ teaching-related stress, general stress, and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the profiles differed, albeit marginally significantly, in terms of teachers’ emotional exhaustion. Overall, teachers in the Moderate Quality profile reported the most favorable occupational well-being, whereas teachers in the Highest Quality and the two lower quality profiles reported challenges to their occupational well-being. The profiles did not differ in terms of teacher and classroom characteristics. Practice or Policy: Results suggest that teachers’ professional development opportunities should focus on both improving the quality of classroom interactions and enhancing teachers’ occupational well-being by reducing their stress.

Professional vision of early childhood teachers: relations to knowledge, work experience and teacher child-interaction

ABSTRACT Teachers’ professional vision is the ability to notice and interpret classroom interactions and may be considered an aspect of a teacher’s competence. Despite research on school teachers, little is known about this competence in early childhood teachers. In this study, the relation between early childhood teachers’ professional vision and their professional knowledge, work experience and quality of teacher–child interaction is investigated. In order to evoke professional vision, four video sequences of typical situations in daycare settings were presented. Professional vision was captured by the thinking aloud technique and rating-items, behavior was assessed by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS Pre-K). Furthermore, a knowledge test assessing professional knowledge was applied. Professional vision was related to knowledge, work experience and quality of interactional behavior. The relations partially depend on the assessment method for professional vision. Results are discussed with regard to previous findings and implications for the methodology for assessing professional vision and for further research.

Profiles of teacher\u2013child interaction quality in groups of 3-year-old children in Quebec and France

Theory and studies support that educational quality may differ according to socio-political context even in states with similar cultures. Based on a secondary analysis of data, this study aims at identifying latent profiles of adult–child interaction quality in groups of three-year-old children in Quebec’s (Canada) early childhood centers and France’s kindergarten classrooms using the CLASS Pre-K. This study also aims to explore existing associations between identified profiles, socio-political contexts, and structural characteristics (staff qualifications, ages, group size). Latent profile analyses showed four interaction quality profiles, namely a high-quality profile (HQ), a medium–high-quality profile (MHQ), a medium quality profile (MQ), and a medium–low-quality profile (MLQ). The scores of the three CLASS Pre-K domains associated with identified profiles show a higher average interaction quality in Quebec compared with France, suggesting a more favorable sociocultural context for interaction quality in Quebec. As for characteristics of structural quality, analyses suggest that the group size variable is significantly associated with scores of interaction quality, with the HQ and the MHQ profiles showing a significantly lower group size than the MQ and MLQ profiles. Age is also significantly associated with profiles, exhibiting a general trend of younger participants found in higher quality profiles. Courses of action to enhance French policies are discussed.

Assessing Quality in Classrooms that Blend State Pre-Kindergarten and Head Start Funding: The Case of Michigan

ABSTRACT Research Findings: In recent years, several initiatives have been put into place both federally and state-wide to expand access to high-quality early education programs. At the center of these efforts are the tools that measure program or classroom quality. The present study compares the psychometrics of two such tools used in Michigan, the Preschool Program Quality Assessment (PQA) used by state-funded preschools, and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, Pre-K (CLASS) required for Head Start, to inform state-level policies that prevent excessive assessment stipulations for blended programs. Pairs of PQA and CLASS scores were obtained from 389 classrooms. Alphas were reliable to very reliable for both instruments. For Preschool PQA, the alpha ranged from 0.71 (Curriculum planning and assessment) to 0.88 (Adult-child interactions). For CLASS Pre-K, alpha ranged from .74 (Emotional Support) to .91 (Instructional Support). The overall Preschool PQA scores and the Instructional Support domain of CLASS Pre-K were the most highly correlated; however correlations were moderate (r(389) = .29, p < .001). Practice or Policy: This study provides policy implications for redesigning and broadening states’ definitions of “quality” early care and learning programs, reexamining early learning standards, and streamlining efforts while maximizing children’s high-quality early experiences.

Does variation in early childhood education matter more for dual language learners’ than for monolingual children’s language development?

Can early childhood education (ECE) support the societal language development of children from linguistically diverse backgrounds? This study examined how existing variation in classroom interaction quality (CLASS Pre-K), classroom composition (percentages of children from low-income backgrounds and dual language learners [DLLs]), and duration of attending German ECE were related to language trajectories from 30 to 73 months of age (n = 519 children in 154 classrooms). DLL status served as a focal moderator and parental education was considered as an additional moderator. Age-based growth models revealed interactions between DLL status and ECE characteristics. There were numerous intercept effects that endured over the age span studied. Interaction quality (emotional support) and classroom composition (percentage of DLLs) were related only to DLLs’ German language growth. Parental education did not moderate ECE effects. Hence, the observed range of variation in German ECE may matter for DLLs’ societal language development but may be of less relevance for monolingual children.

Behind the numbers. A mixed-methods study of the CLASS tool application in Italy

The increasing globalization of tools used to assess ECEC quality requires reflection on their cultural coherence and ecological validity when applied in cultural contexts other than those of origin, as well as on the meaning of inconsistencies at the psychometric level that sometimes emerge - inconsistencies that quantitative methods alone often struggle to explain adequately. This paper proposes an integrated framework that combines the statistical analysis of quality assessment tools with a qualitative exploration of the meanings and interpretations that accompany their use in other cultures. This mixed-methods study, analyzing the implications of the CLASS Pre-K tool application in Italian preschools, offers a broader reflection on the importance and the need to adopt a critical, culturally-sensitive approach when using assessment tools outside their cultural cradle.

Teacher-child interactions in early childhood education and its effects on social and language development

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the relationship between teacher-child interaction quality and children’s social-emotional and language development. Also considered was the level/status of classroom quality in preschool setting. Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K (CLASS Pre-K), the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA-P2), and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-IV) were used to collect data from 177 children and 55 teachers in preschool centres of Arba Minch town, Ethiopia. Emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support were not significantly correlated with children’s social-emotional and language development. An average level of classroom quality was observed in emotional support domain while classroom organization and instructional support were each rated at the low end. The findings reveal a need for Ethiopian preschool teachers to improve the quality of classroom organization and instructional support in order to promote children’s optimal development. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

The persistence of reading and math proficiency: the benefits of Alabama\u2019s pre-kindergarten program endure in elementary and middle school

Preschool programs provide opportunities to improve early childhood educational outcomes as well as long-term outcomes, such as improved educational attainment, improved socioeconomic status, and improved health in adulthood. However, recent studies of long-term impacts have shown equivocal results, with some educational gains occurring immediately following participation in preschool that diminish or “fadeout” over time. The purpose of this study was to use multivariable linear regression and school fixed effects to determine the impact of Alabama’s First Class Pre-K (FCPK) program on reading and math proficiency. In an effort to test for fadeout, a second multivariable linear regression was used with an additional interaction term of FCPK receipt with time since receipt, to assess for changes in the impact of FCPK as children progress from 3rd grade to 7th grade. Results indicate that children who received FCPK were statistically significantly more likely to be proficient in both math and reading compared to students who did not receive FCPK. Further, there was no statistical evidence of fadeout of the benefits of FCPK through the 7th grade, indicating the persistence of the benefits of FCPK into middle school.

Family Literacy Activities and Their Interplay with Family and Preschool Language Environments: Links to Gains in Dual Language Learners’ German Vocabulary

ABSTRACT Research Findings : Are family literacy activities linked to gains in preschool-aged dual language learners’ (DLLs’) societal language vocabulary? To understand connections between literacy activities and vocabulary, we separately considered literacy activities in the respective heritage language and in the societal language, German, and accounted for heterogeneity in DLLs’ family and preschool language environment. DLLs (n = 115) were administered the German PPVT-4 twice (at 40 and 51 months). Literacy activities as well as other family language environment variables were reported by mothers. Classroom language stimulation was observed with the CLASS Pre-K language modeling scale. Two different models of change revealed that family literacy activities in the heritage language predicted gains in German vocabulary for children with low levels of classroom language stimulation (albeit at the p =.10-level in one set of models). There was no evidence that literacy activities in German were positively connected to gains in German vocabulary. Practice or Policy : This study suggests that family literacy activities in the heritage language may have the potential to support societal language vocabulary. More research is needed to understand under what circumstances family literacy activities in the societal language are supportive of DLLs’ societal language vocabulary.

Evidence regarding the domains of the CLASS PreK in Head Start classrooms

The standard scoring of the CLASS PreK produces three domain scores that are widely used in research, practice and policy. Despite these domains being based on developmental theory and research, limited empirical evidence exists for the three-domain structure as operationalized in the CLASS PreK. Using the 2009 and 2014 Head Start Family and Child Experiences Surveys (FACES), we estimated a series of exploratory and confirmatory bifactor and traditional factor analyses to produce evidence regarding this structure and possible alternatives in nationally representative samples of Head Start classrooms. Replicating and extending the small set of prior factor analytic studies, we found alternative factor structures fit equally well or better than the standard structure in both FACES 2009 and 2014 as well as problems with estimation and fit of a bifactor structure of general and specific factors proposed by the CLASS PreK developers. Across all domain structures, associations with children’s academic and social-emotional gains during the Head Start year were uniformly small and generally non-significant. Our findings encourage future refinements of the CLASS PreK and continued development of new measures to better operationalize its conceptually-motivated domains.

Linking Quantity and Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care to Children’s Socio-Emotional Adjustment: A German Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACTThis study examined how quantity and quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) are related to the socio-emotional adjustment of children born in Germany (30–48 months old, N = 395). Previous research focused on a small set of ECEC features, used broad measures, and yielded inconclusive results. We assessed ECEC quantity (age at entry, hours per week), process quality (CLASS Pre-K), structural quality (child-teacher ratio), and classroom composition (percentage of immigrant children). Controlling for child, family, and teacher characteristics, we tested main and interaction effects in regression analyses. Research Findings: More hours per week predicted lower adjustment only on specific indicators (hyperactivity, conduct problems) and only in classrooms with a high percentage of immigrant children or a high child-teacher ratio. In addition, a higher child-teacher ratio predicted more conduct problems, but only for children who entered ECEC at a very young age. Process quality did not predict adjustment. Practice or policy: In sum, this implies that German ECEC does not pose a major risk for children’s socio-emotional adjustment, as only certain aspects of quantity and structural quality are linked to very specific socio-emotional outcomes under very specific circumstances.

Quality Interactions in Early Childhood Education and Care Center Outdoor Environments

Quality interactions are crucial for children’s learning and development. Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centers have the opportunity to support children’s learning and development, yet the quality of interactions and influences on the quality of interactions in outdoor environments is not known. Research findings: this study assessed the quality of educator interactions in outdoor environments using the CLASS Pre-K assessment tool. 11 ECEC centres participated in the study, which included 110 educators and 490 children. 87 observations were collected to measure the CLASS Pre-K domains (1-lowest to 7-highest). Mean domain scores were 6.02 (emotional support), 5.23 (Classroom Organization) and 4.46 (Instructional Support). Regression analyses show free routines had significant relationships with Teacher Sensitivity (p = 0.03) and Instructional Learning Formats (p = 0.03), and increased amounts of time spent outside had the most significant relationships with Teacher Sensitivity (p = 0.001) and Behavior Management (p = 0.001). Practice or Policy: The major recommendations that would serve to improve the quality of interactions in outdoor environments include providing a free routine and increasing the amount of time spent in outdoor environments. As these recommendations are modifiable practices, they are potentially the easiest to alter and therefore, with minimal change, could enhance the quality of interactions between educators and children.

Factor Analysis of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System Replicates the Three Domain Structure and Reveals no Support for the Bifactor Model in German Preschools.

The quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) is important for children’s development. One instrument that was developed to assess an aspect of ECEC quality is the Classroom Assessment Scoring System for pre-kindergarten children (CLASS Pre-K). We examined the factorial validity of the instrument using data from 177 German preschool classrooms. The three-factor teaching through interaction model (Hamre et al., 2013) was contrasted to a one-factor, a two-factor, and a bifactor model as proposed by Hamre et al. (2014). Our results indicated that the three-factor structure with the domains of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support fit the data best. The fit of the teaching through interaction model was satisfying after adding a cross-loading of the dimension language modeling on emotional support, and two correlated residuals. Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity are provided. In terms of factor structure and pattern score comparisons, the results were similar to previous United States and German studies. The discussion concerns the justifiability of the factor model revisions and draws directions for further research. We concluded that our study offers further evidence of the applicability of the CLASS Pre-K for the assessment of teacher–child interaction quality in the German context.

Expressive Morphological Skills of Dual Language Learning and Monolingual German Children: Exploring Links to Duration of Preschool Attendance, Classroom Quality, and Classroom Composition.

A growing body of research has been documenting environmental factors that support preschoolers’ vocabulary skills. However, less is known about how environmental factors are related to morphological skills of dual language learners (DLLs) and single language learners (SLLs). We examined connections with preschool experiences by investigating the effects of duration of preschool attendance, classroom quality, and classroom composition variables (percentage of DLLs and percentage of children from families with a low socio-economic status) on preschoolers’ expressive morphological skills. Several multilevel regression models were estimated using cross-sectional data from 835 children (n = 255 DLLs) aged 30–47 months. These children were nested in 169 preschool classrooms in Germany. As a control task, we also investigated children’s phonological processing abilities, for which we found, as expected, no differences between DLLs and SLLs. Our main finding was that DLL children scored lower in expressive morphological skills than their German monolingual peers, but this difference was considerably smaller in classrooms that scored high in instructive teacher–child interactions (measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System for pre-kindergarten children; CLASS Pre-K). Taken together, these results support the notion that supportive teacher–child instructive interactions have a positive impact on the development of DLLs’ morphological skills.

Factor structure and validity of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Third Edition (ECERS-3)

The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Third Edition (ECERS-3) is the latest version of one of the most widely used observational tools for assessing the quality of classrooms serving preschool-aged children. This study was the first assessment of its factor structure and validity, an important step given its widespread use. An ECERS-3 observation was conducted in 1063 preschool classrooms in three states. In a subset of those classrooms (n = 119), Classroom Assessment Scoring System – Pre-K (CLASS Pre-K) and child assessment data were also collected. Analyses of the ECERS-3 suggested that a single factor does not adequately capture item variability. Of the solutions tested, the four-factor (Learning Opportunities, Gross Motor, Teacher Interactions, and Math Activities) provided the best combination of statistical support and theoretical utility. In general, the ECERS-3 Total Score and the four factors were moderately correlated with the three domains of the CLASS Pre-K. ECERS-3 Total Score, Learning Opportunities, and Teacher Interactions were positively related to growth in executive function, as were all three domains of the CLASS Pre-K. However, all significant associations were small, and most tested associations between ECERS-3 scores and children’s growth, and between CLASS Pre-K and children’s growth, were not significant. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for measuring preschool quality.

Process quality in Portuguese preschool classrooms serving children at-risk of poverty and social exclusion and children with disabilities

This study investigates process quality and structural features of classrooms serving children at-risk of poverty and social exclusion and children with disabilities in Portugal. We examine (a) whether the three-domain structure of a widely used standard observational tool, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; Pianta, LaParo, & Hamre, 2008) describes adequately teacher–child interactions in those classrooms and (b) associations between CLASS domains and structural features, including teacher education and group size. The study was conducted in 178 preschool classrooms. Data included classroom observations using the CLASS Pre-K and teacher reports on structural features. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three domains of teacher–child interactions. In addition, the CLASS domains described teacher–child interactions equally well across classrooms serving children with disabilities and children at-risk of poverty and social exclusion. Finally, we found modest associations between structural features and CLASS organizational and instructional support, suggesting a complex interplay among structural features in predicting levels of teacher–child interactions.

New Insights Regarding the Reliability and Validity of the Class Pre-K, a Measure Being Used in High-Stakes Policy Monitoring of Early Childhood Classroom

New Insights Regarding the Reliability and Validity of the Class Pre-K, a Measure Being Used in High-Stakes Policy Monitoring of Early Childhood Classroom

Development of pre-academic skills and motivation in kindergarten: a subgroup analysis between classroom quality profiles

The present study extends research on classroom quality profiles by examining the differences between profiles with respect to children’s development in pre-academic skills and motivation across the kindergarten year. Teacher–child interactions were observed in 49 Finnish kindergarten classrooms using the CLASS Pre-K instrument. Based on prior identification of latent profiles of classroom quality, subgroup analyses on children’s data were carried out on three profiles representing high Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation and intermediate Instructional Support (Profile 1), higher-intermediate Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation and lower-intermediate Instructional Support (Profile 2), and intermediate Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation and low Instructional Support (Profile 3). Children’s (n = 504) pre-reading and pre-math skills were tested at the beginning and end of the kindergarten year, and their task behaviours were rated by the testers in assessment situations. The children’s vocabulary, number knowledge and interest in reading and math were measured at the end of the kindergarten year. The results indicated a significant increase in children’s number sequence skills and a significant decrease in avoidance and helplessness across the kindergarten year in Profile 1 compared to children in Profile 2. In contrast, a significant increase was found in helplessness and social dependence for children in Profile 3 compared to the other two profiles. Moreover, the children in Profile 2 showed a significant decrease in anxiety compared to those in Profile 3, whereas the children in Profile 3 showed less interest in reading than the children in the other profiles and had lower vocabulary scores than the children in the Profile 2 at the end of the kindergarten year. The results provide a new understanding about the effects of different classroom quality profiles on child outcomes, particularly in regard to motivation.

A typical morning in preschool: Observations of teacher–child interactions in German preschools

The study examined the applicability and generalizability of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K (CLASS Pre-K; Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008) and the associated conceptual Teaching through Interaction framework to understand classroom processes in the German early education system. Three broad domains describe effective teacher–child interactions: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support. In the present study, we observed teacher–child interactions in 63 classrooms drawn from 26 different preschools using the CLASS Pre-K. Consistent with research from the United States, CLASS Pre-K scores demonstrated that the quality of teacher–child interactions varied widely. Data indicated that the levels of Emotional Support and Classroom Organization were moderate. In contrast, the level of Instructional Support was rather low and even decreased over the course of the morning. Furthermore, Emotional Support was found to decrease over the day in classrooms with a higher child–teacher ratio. Results have important implications for policy and practice with regard to the quality of care and education in German preschools.