Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition Research Articles

Quality of the home, daycare and neighborhood environment and the cognitive development of economically disadvantaged children in early childhood: A mediation analysis

The objective of this study was to investigate how socioeconomic factors and the quality of ecological environments affect motor and cognitive development of economically disadvantaged children. This is a cross-sectional, predictive and correlational study using structural equation modeling to analyze data on 147 economic disadvantage children of 24–36 months attending public daycare. The Bayley-III Scales, the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory, the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition, a socioeconomic index and a specifically designed questionnaire on neighborhood quality were applied. The ecological environments did not affect motor development, but 25 % of variations in cognitive development were explained by socioeconomic differences and differences in the quality of the neighborhood, home and daycare. However, only the quality of the home and daycare had a direct impact, with the other factors affecting the outcome indirectly and to a lesser extent. In conclusion, this study investigated the association between the ecological contexts of economically disadvantaged children and their cognitive and motor development. The findings showed that the environmental context had effect on cognitive development. The home was the environment that exerted the most significant direct effect, followed by daycare and, indirectly and to a lesser extent, the neighborhood. Therefore, the coordination of public policies between health, education and social assistance sectors, aiming at the three ecological environments is important in order to promote the cognitive development of economically disadvantaged children.

Childcare Center Characteristics Moderate the Effects of a Physical Activity Intervention.

Center-based early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs are well-positioned to create positive impacts on the health and development of large numbers of young children by promoting physical activity using evidence-based programs. Studies testing physical activity programs for young children should examine the circumstances under which programs are most effective by assessing the role of contextual factors on program outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effects of baseline ECEC center characteristics on the relationship between the Study of Health and Activity in Preschool Environments (SHAPES) intervention and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). MVPA was assessed via accelerometry; center characteristics, practices, and social and physical environments were assessed by director interview and observation; and center quality was assessed using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition. Mixed-model analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) examined intervention effects on MVPA during the school day; interactions between baseline center variables and group assignment (intervention vs. control) tested for moderation. Two center instructional practices, two social environment characteristics, and one physical environment characteristic at baseline moderated the effects of SHAPES on MVPA outcomes. Assessing baseline practices and center characteristics may aid efforts to match centers with interventions likely to increase physical activity as well as suggest additional intervention strategies to test.

The Associations Between Environmental Characteristics of Early Childhood Education and Care Centers and 1-Year Change in Toddlers' Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior.

This study examined the associations between environmental characteristics of early childhood education and care (ECEC) centers and 1-year change in toddlers' physical activity and sedentary behavior while at the centers. Data from 292 toddlers from the GET-UP! study were analyzed. Environmental characteristics of ECEC centers were rated using the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-revised edition at baseline. Children's physical activity and sedentary behavior in the centers were assessed using activPAL devices, at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. Linear mixed models were performed to examine the associations between the environmental characteristics and change in the proportion of time spent in physical activity and sedentary behavior. Compared with baseline, children spent a higher proportion of time in sedentary behavior (sitting) but a lower proportion of time in standing and physical activity (stepping) while at ECEC centers, at 1-year follow-up. The environmental characteristics "interaction" (B = -1.39; P = .01) and "program structure" (B = -1.15; P = .04) were negatively associated with change in the proportion of time spent in physical activity. Better "interaction" and "program structure" may preclude children's physical activity from declining over time and may be considered important features to target in future interventions in ECEC centers aiming at promoting active lifestyles.

Validity of four measures of child care quality in a national sample of centers in Ecuador.

This paper assesses the psychometric properties of four child care quality instruments administered in 404 child care centers in Ecuador: the Classroom Assessment Scoring System for Toddlers, the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale–Revised Edition, the Child Care Infant/Toddler Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment, and the Missouri Infant/Toddler Responsive Caregiving Checklist. We examined their internal consistency, tested the underlying subscale structure by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), verified construct validity by testing associations with quality-related factors (e.g., child-caregiver ratio), and checked concurrent validity of the instruments’ total scores. We found high internal consistency of the instruments at the full scale level and moderate to high at the subscale/domain level. CFA showed high factor loadings, but goodness of fit statistics were low. Construct validity results varied from low to very low depending on the quality-related factor, and concurrent validity from low to very high depending on the instruments compared. This validity exercise provides useful information for policy-makers and researchers interested in using these instruments in the Ecuadorian context or elsewhere in the region. The findings will also inform future research and development of affordable and culturally-appropriate tools for monitoring process quality in child care centers in Latin American countries.

Environmental characteristics of early childhood education and care, daily movement behaviours and adiposity in toddlers: A multilevel mediation analysis from the GET UP! Study

Study objectiveThis study aimed to examine the direct effects of environmental characteristics of early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres on adiposity, and the indirect effects through daily movement behaviours (physical activity, sedentary time and naps). Methods274 children (average age 19.73 ± 4.15 months) from 27 ECEC centres participated in this study. Environmental characteristics of ECEC centres were rated using the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-revised edition (ITERS-R). Daily movement behaviours were assessed using 24-h accelerometry. Body mass index z-scores were used to indicate adiposity. ResultsThere were no significant direct effects or indirect effects of environmental characteristics on toddlers’ adiposity through daily movement behaviours. However, the environmental characteristics of “personal care routine” (B=0.72, p = 0.041) and “activity” (B = 0.87, p < 0.050) were positively associated with the percentage of time these toddlers spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). “Listening and talking” was also positively associated withnap(s) durations (B = 4.08 p = 0.001). ConclusionThe relationships between environmental characteristics of ECEC centres and adiposity in toddlers, as well as, the mediating roles of daily movement behaviours still need confirmation by future longitudinal and experimental studies with long follow-up periods. At the same time, a broader spectrum of environmental characteristics of these settings needs to be examined with toddlers’ adiposity in future studies; other potential mediators may also need to be taken into considerations.

Quality in Norwegian childcare for toddlers using ITERS-R

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to explore the quality of toddler childcare in Norway using the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition (ITERS-R; [Harms, Thelma, Debby Cryer, and Richard M. Clifford. 2006. Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scales Revised Edition. New York: Teachers College Press.]), drawing on a sample of 206 toddler groups. Possible associations between quality (as assessed using ITERS-R) and selected structural features in toddler classrooms were investigated. Those features are as follows: ownership, the presence of qualified teachers, the staff-to-child ratio and group organization. According to the results, Norwegian toddler care scored at the minimal level of quality. The presence of qualified teachers, high staff-to-child ratios and small and stable groups all seemed to have positively impacted quality. Detailed analyses revealed that Norwegian toddler classrooms did not fulfil the ITERS-R requirements for hygiene, safety and access to play materials. Because of the good reputation Norwegian childcare enjoys, these results were unexpected and suggest the need to enhance the quality of Norwegian toddler care.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT: COMPARISON BETWEEN CHILDREN WHO ATTEND OR DO NOT ATTEND PUBLIC DAYCARE CENTRES

Objective : To avaluate and compare the development of children attending public nursery school from their peers who remain only in the home environment. Methods : We performed an observational, cross-sectional study with 167 children aged between 11 and 57 months from Alto Vale do Jequitinhonha, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The subjects were divided into two groups (nursery and hom areas:e), homogeneous in age, gender, socioeconomic status, and maternal education. The development areas: personal-social, language, and fine and gross motor were evaluated through the Denver II test and the quality of environment of the five public nursery school ‘ through the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition (ITERS-R). We used the chi-square statistical test for comparison between groups. Results : There were no significant statistical differences between groups for the overall test result for Denver II, nor for the different areas of the test. The environments presented daycare quality between ‘inadequate’ and ‘minimal’. Thus, there was no difference between attending a low quality daycare or just staying in the home for child development. Conclusion : No difference was observed when comparing the development areas: personal-social, language, and gross and fine motor of child who attend public nursery school and their peers who remained only in the home environment. The daycare environments analysed showed quality considered ‘inadequate’, which may have influenced the results as the literature has pointed out the need for a quality childcare environment to positively influence child development.

Chinese Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (trial) (CECERS): A validity study

The Chinese Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (trial) (CECERS) is a new instrument for measuring early childhood program quality in the Chinese socio-cultural contexts, based on substantial adaptation from the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition (ECERS-R). This paper describes the development and validation process of CECERS. Empirical data were collected from a stratified random sample 178 classrooms, from which a random sample of 1012 children was measured for child development outcomes. Guided by the framework of broad conceptualization of validity and validation as advocated by Messick (1989), evidence in a variety of forms is presented and discussed, including content validity considerations (e.g., measuring socially and culturally relevant domains), measurement reliability considerations (e.g., internal consistency reliability, inter-rater reliability), and measurement validity considerations (concurrent validity, criterion-related validity, internal structure based on exploratory factor analysis). The empirical findings for CECERS compare very favorably with the validation outcomes of ECERS-R. The body of evidence accumulated in the validation process supports the use and interpretation of CECERS scores as quality indicators of early childhood education program in the Chinese social and cultural contexts. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.

Child care quality and children's cortisol in Basque Country and the Netherlands

A cross-country comparison of children's cortisol levels at child care was performed in relation to their cortisol levels at home and the quality and quantity of child care they received. Participants were toddlers visiting child care centers in Spanish Basque Country ( N = 60) and the Netherlands ( N = 25) with substantial variation in structural child care quality (group sizes, childcaregiver ratios). Salivary cortisol was measured at mid-morning and mid-afternoon, both at child care and at home. Children's actual experiences in child care (global quality), as measured with the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised edition (ECERS-R), did not differ significantly across the two countries. Overall, children did not produce more cortisol at child care than at home. Results suggest that factors other than structural quality and quantity of care are responsible for cortisol diurnal changes. Global quality matters in explaining cortisol diurnal change in children visiting child care centers.

How Measurement Characteristics Can Affect ECERS-R Scores and Program Funding

This project involved examining the most widely used instrument designed to evaluate the quality of early learning environments, the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition (ECERS-R). There are many aspects related to the way that the ECERS-R is used in practice that can vary from one observation to the next. The method in which the ECERS-R is scored, the time point of the year in which the ECERS-R observations are conducted, the length of an observation period, and the start time of an observation are dependent entirely by the observer. However, there is little research on the susceptibility of the resulting scores to the influence of such measurement methods. Although the instrument developers can't possibly regulate exactly how the ECERS-R is used, it is important to know what the implications of these alternatives are. Using secondary data from over 250 classrooms, this article demonstrates how the effects of these measurement attributes can have important considerations for the policy realm, particularly when ECERS-R scores are tied to program funding considerations.

Examining the psychometric properties of the Infant–Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition in a high-stakes context

Abstract The psychometric properties of the Infant–Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition (ITERS-R) were examined using 153 classrooms from child-care centers where resources were tied to center performance. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that the scale measures one global aspect of quality. To decrease redundancy, subsets of items were selected randomly and by experts who rated items according to ease of administration and importance to quality. The shorter subsets demonstrated good discriminant validity, adequate to good psychometric properties, and high associations to the full ITERS-R score. They also demonstrated similar associations to staff education and staff-to-child ratio, as the full instrument. The best assessment of quality was demonstrated by the shortened subset that included items that assess both structural and process features of quality. Multilevel-analyses indicated that classrooms from the same providers score more similarly on ITERS-R than classrooms from other providers. The implications for using the ITERS-R in high-stakes contexts are discussed.

The Early ON School Readiness Project: A Preliminary Report

The Early ON School Readiness Project is an emerging community-based model aimed at promoting the school readiness of 3- to 5-year-old children in a metropolitan area with a predominantly Latino (Mexican-American) population. Using an ecological approach, the multi-component program seeks to enhance school readiness opportunities for children at various levels. Key program components aim to improve community awareness, parent education, professional development for child care teachers, quality of child care environments, and transition to school. The model evolved through a community partnership initiated by the local government, involving nonprofit agencies and a university partnership. Child care environmental quality was measured by administration of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition (ECERS-R; Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 1998). To measure children's progress, the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Third Edition (DIAL-3; Mardell-Czudnowski & Goldenberg, 1998) was administered in the fall and spring of two consecutive school years. A sample of children was screened to gain insight regarding the developmental status of children in the project compared to a matched sample of children not involved in the project. Preliminary findings show the progress of children in key developmental areas during the initial and second year of program implementation in selected child care centers. In the baseline year, standard scores of children at the comparison sites were unchanged from fall to spring in all of the developmental areas measured by the DIAL-3; scores at the intervention sites, however, were higher at a statistically significant level for two subtests and the composite score. During the second year, all subtest scores and the composite scores were higher at the intervention sites in the spring as compared to the fall. Although additional research is needed, preliminary results suggest the emerging model shows promise for increasing children's developmental skills and abilities associated with school readiness.

Influences of preschool policies and practices on children's physical activity.

The objective of this study was to determine if moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of 3-5 year old preschool children varied with differences in policies/practices, and overall quality of preschools. A total of 266 children (47% males, 60% African American) from 9 preschools were observed for 1 hour on 3 different days. PA of children was observed twice per minute and scored as 1-5, with 1 for stationary/motionless and 5 for fast movement. Summary MVPA was calculated over the 3 days as percent of times observed at levels of 4 or 5, and percent of time at levels 1 or 2 as sedentary activity. A structured interview about PA policies was conducted with an administrator at each preschool and overall quality of the preschool was assessed using Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition (ECERS-R). Preschools were divided into groups according to whether a specific policy/practice that would be logically hypothesized to promote PA was in place at the school. MVPA differences between groups of children was assessed using mixed ANOVA controlling for preschool. When preschools offered more field trips, and more college educated teachers, the children participated in more MVPA. Children who attended preschools with lower quality spent more time in sedentary activity. In conclusion, children in preschools which may have more resources and better quality appear to show both more sedentary behavior and more MVPA.