IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/tpr/edfpol/v9y2014i2p116-164.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Do Standard Measures of Preschool Quality Used in Statewide Policy Predict School Readiness?

Author

Listed:
  • Terri J. Sabol

    (Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University)

  • Robert C. Pianta

    (Curry School of Education, University of Virginia)

Abstract

In the majority of states using Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) to improve children's school readiness, the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) is a core assessment of preschool program quality and is central to QRIS metrics and incentive structures. The present study utilizes nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort to examine relations between the ECERS-R and children's academic, language, and socioemotional functioning at age five years. After using a rich set of controls, we found little evidence that the ECERS-R related to children's development. Further, higher levels of quality failed to improve growth in academic, language, or socioemotional skills and behaviors for children with more exposure to sociodemographic risk. Implications of these findings are discussed with regard to recent policy initiatives and strengthening the measurement of quality in early childhood education settings. © 2014 Association for Education Finance and Policy

Suggested Citation

  • Terri J. Sabol & Robert C. Pianta, 2014. "Do Standard Measures of Preschool Quality Used in Statewide Policy Predict School Readiness?," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 9(2), pages 116-164, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:edfpol:v:9:y:2014:i:2:p:116-164
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/EDFP_a_00127
    Download Restriction: Access to PDF is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kathryn Tout & Rebecca Starr & Margaret Soli & Shannon Moodie & Gretchen Kirby & Kimberly Boller, "undated". "Compendium of Quality Rating Systems and Evaluations," Mathematica Policy Research Reports e3e1472c256f4bd49f20ac5b3, Mathematica Policy Research.
    2. Shadish, William R. & Clark, M. H. & Steiner, Peter M., 2008. "Can Nonrandomized Experiments Yield Accurate Answers? A Randomized Experiment Comparing Random and Nonrandom Assignments," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 103(484), pages 1334-1344.
    3. John M. Love & Ellen E. Kisker & Christine Ross & Helen Raikes & Jill Constantine & Kimberly Boller & Jeanne Brooks-Gunn & Rachel Chazan-Cohen & Louisa Banks Tarullo & Christy Brady-Smith & Allison Si, "undated". "The Effectiveness of Early Head Start for 3-Year-Old Children and Their Parents: Lessons for Policy and Programs," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 10736b794ab64be890ae75757, Mathematica Policy Research.
    4. Thomas D. Cook & William R. Shadish & Vivian C. Wong, 2008. "Three conditions under which experiments and observational studies produce comparable causal estimates: New findings from within-study comparisons," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(4), pages 724-750.
    5. repec:mpr:mprres:6618 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Markowitz, Anna J. & Bassok, Daphna & Player, Daniel, 2020. "Simplifying quality rating systems in early childhood education," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    2. Ashley Brunsek & Michal Perlman & Olesya Falenchuk & Evelyn McMullen & Brooke Fletcher & Prakesh S Shah, 2017. "The relationship between the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale and its revised form and child outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(6), pages 1-29, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jordan H. Rickles & Michael Seltzer, 2014. "A Two-Stage Propensity Score Matching Strategy for Treatment Effect Estimation in a Multisite Observational Study," Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, , vol. 39(6), pages 612-636, December.
    2. Fortson, Kenneth & Gleason, Philip & Kopa, Emma & Verbitsky-Savitz, Natalya, 2015. "Horseshoes, hand grenades, and treatment effects? Reassessing whether nonexperimental estimators are biased," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 100-113.
    3. Katherine Baicker & Theodore Svoronos, 2019. "Testing the Validity of the Single Interrupted Time Series Design," CID Working Papers 364, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    4. Andrew P. Jaciw, 2016. "Applications of a Within-Study Comparison Approach for Evaluating Bias in Generalized Causal Inferences From Comparison Groups Studies," Evaluation Review, , vol. 40(3), pages 241-276, June.
    5. Onur Altindag & Theodore J. Joyce & Julie A. Reeder, 2019. "Can Nonexperimental Methods Provide Unbiased Estimates of a Breastfeeding Intervention? A Within-Study Comparison of Peer Counseling in Oregon," Evaluation Review, , vol. 43(3-4), pages 152-188, June.
    6. Katherine Baicker & Theodore Svoronos, 2019. "Testing the Validity of the Single Interrupted Time Series Design," NBER Working Papers 26080, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Hoang, Anh Tuan & Sandro Nižetić, & Olcer, Aykut I. & Ong, Hwai Chyuan & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Chong, Cheng Tung & Thomas, Sabu & Bandh, Suhaib A. & Nguyen, Xuan Phuong, 2021. "Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the global energy system and the shift progress to renewable energy: Opportunities, challenges, and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    8. Ben Weidmann & Luke Miratrix, 2021. "Lurking Inferential Monsters? Quantifying Selection Bias In Evaluations Of School Programs," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(3), pages 964-986, June.
    9. Cousineau, Martin & Verter, Vedat & Murphy, Susan A. & Pineau, Joelle, 2023. "Estimating causal effects with optimization-based methods: A review and empirical comparison," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 304(2), pages 367-380.
    10. Peter M. Steiner, 2011. "Propensity Score Methods for Causal Inference: On the Relative Importance of Covariate Selection, Reliable Measurement, and Choice of Propensity Score Technique," Working Papers 09, AlmaLaurea Inter-University Consortium.
    11. David M. Rindskopf & William R. Shadish & M. H. Clark, 2018. "Using Bayesian Correspondence Criteria to Compare Results From a Randomized Experiment and a Quasi-Experiment Allowing Self-Selection," Evaluation Review, , vol. 42(2), pages 248-280, April.
    12. Martin Cousineau & Vedat Verter & Susan A. Murphy & Joelle Pineau, 2022. "Estimating causal effects with optimization-based methods: A review and empirical comparison," Papers 2203.00097, arXiv.org.
    13. Vivian C. Wong & Peter M. Steiner & Kylie L. Anglin, 2018. "What Can Be Learned From Empirical Evaluations of Nonexperimental Methods?," Evaluation Review, , vol. 42(2), pages 147-175, April.
    14. Andrew P. Jaciw, 2016. "Assessing the Accuracy of Generalized Inferences From Comparison Group Studies Using a Within-Study Comparison Approach," Evaluation Review, , vol. 40(3), pages 199-240, June.
    15. Samari, Goleen & Catalano, Ralph & Alcalá, Héctor E. & Gemmill, Alison, 2020. "The Muslim Ban and preterm birth: Analysis of U.S. vital statistics data from 2009 to 2018," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    16. Kimberly Boller & Kathy Buek & Andrew Burwick & Minki Chatterji & Diane Paulsell & Samia Amin & Evan Borkum & Larissa Campuzano & Jessica Jacobson, "undated". "Evaluation of UNICEF's Early Childhood Development Programme with Focus on Government of Netherlands Funding (2008-2010) Tanzania Country Case Study Report," Mathematica Policy Research Reports f34b44bfc51f450a8f1b4aa0b, Mathematica Policy Research.
    17. David Wittenburg & Kenneth Fortson & David Stapleton & Noelle Denny-Brown & Rosalind Keith & David R. Mann & Heinrich Hock & Heather Gordon, "undated". "Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: Design Report," Mathematica Policy Research Reports a7bdd8ca145748bd892b3438d, Mathematica Policy Research.
    18. Deribe Assefa Aga & N. Noorderhaven & B. Vallejo, 2018. "Project beneficiary participation and behavioural intentions promoting project sustainability: The mediating role of psychological ownership," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(5), pages 527-546, September.
    19. Deborah Peikes & Grace Anglin & Erin Fries Taylor & Stacy Dale & Ann O'Malley & Arkadipta Ghosh & Kaylyn Swankoski & Lara Converse & Rosalind Keith & Mariel Finucane & Jesse Crosson & Anne Mutti & Tho, "undated". "Evaluation of the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative: Third Annual Report," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 70714de1cb3d4620a5957f68d, Mathematica Policy Research.
    20. Ron Zimmer & Brian Gill & Jonathon Attridge & Kaitlin Obenauf, 2014. "Charter School Authorizers and Student Achievement," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 9(1), pages 59-85, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Quality Rating and Improvement Systems; QRIS; Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised; ECERS-R; child development; school readiness;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:tpr:edfpol:v:9:y:2014:i:2:p:116-164. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Kelly McDougall (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://direct.mit.edu/journals .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.