UMD Theses and Dissertations

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A Case Study of the Implementation of a Head Start Program Into A Public School System
(2017) Hall, Kelly Murray; MCLaughlin, Margaret J.; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
ABSTRACT Title of dissertation: A CASE STUDY OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A HEAD START PROGRAM INTO A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM Kelly Murray Hall, Doctor of Education, 2017 Dissertation directed by: Dr. Margaret J. McLaughlin College of Education Head Start is a federally funded program that has been in existence since 1965. Recently there have been changes to the federal program as a part of reform efforts. The reform efforts include a competitive grant process and a strong desire for established organizations to become grantees in the hope of improving educational outcomes for young children from impoverished backgrounds. The challenges of program and new initiative implementation in school systems have been studied for many years. Much has been written about implementing change in schools and school systems, using federal funds in particular, and the impact of those changes on existing school structures. More recent approaches to implementation of reforms have looked to implementation science as the model. Dean Fixsen and his colleagues at the National Implementation Research Network have identified common elements in successful implementation that apply to any human service. The purpose of this study was to examine the technical and social factors of the implementation process for the federally funded $11 million Head Start grant in a school system. Fixsen’s implementation framework and qualitative case study methodology were used. The following question guided my case study: To what extent does the implementation of the Head Start program in the school system reflect the Fixsen model and to what extent has it been influenced by each of the Fixsen drivers: organization, competency, and leadership? The data for the study were obtained through a review of the original grant application and annual reapplication documents, analysis of a series of Health and Human Services program monitoring reviews, and interviews with Head Start teachers. The data were organized using the Fixsen implementation framework for comparison and analysis. This school system’s implementation followed the Fixsen model. There was evidence of all of the phases and drivers in its implementation. The successes the school system experienced can be attributed to the thoughtful consideration to components identified in the phases and drivers. The challenges the school system faced also can be directly linked to deficits or oversights with the drivers as well as inadequate time and attention to detail throughout the various phases.
Fathers of children in public preschool programs [electronic resource]: a study of school involvement and satisfaction
(2012) Noggle, Amy Kappel; Lieber, Joan; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
In this quantitative study, I examined the involvement levels of fathers of children attending public preschool programs using the Family Involvement Questionnaire; I also examined fathers' satisfaction with school contact and involvement experiences using the Parent Satisfaction with Educational Experiences scale. Additionally, I investigated public preschool programs' efforts to involve fathers in school using modified versions of the family involvement and parent satisfaction measures. The final purpose of this study was to determine which demographic and child characteristics, if any, influence father involvement levels in school. Fifty-two biological fathers rated their own involvement in activities at their children's schools, and they rated their own satisfaction with school contact and involvement experiences. Two public preschool administrators answered questions about what types of involvement opportunities are offered to fathers. Participating fathers' children were enrolled in one of the three following public preschool programs: Head Start, Prekindergarten (PreK), or Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE). Fathers of children with disabilities, as well as fathers of children without disabilities, were included in this study. As predicted, fathers of children in Head Start volunteered at school more frequently than fathers of children in PreK or ECSE programs. However, contrary to the original hypothesis, fathers of children with disabilities were more involved in school activities compared to fathers of children without disabilities. Fathers of children with disabilities were equally satisfied with school contact and involvement compared to fathers of children without disabilities with the exception of one item on the satisfaction measure; fathers of children with disabilities were more satisfied with their contact with other parents outside of school. Examination of the predictive value of fathers' income levels, child's gender, child's disability status, schools' efforts to involve fathers, and satisfaction on fathers' involvement levels resulted in only one significant finding. Lower income predicted higher levels of volunteerism in school. Correlational analyses revealed a number of significant positive relationships between items on the involvement and satisfaction measures. However, more research is necessary to establish causal relationships between satisfaction and involvement. Additionally, researchers, teachers and policy makers need to carefully examine the ways in which fathers are currently involved in public preschool programs and make programmatic changes, as necessary. Finally, low-income fathers of children with disabilities face more adversity than either low-income fathers or fathers of children with disabilities; thus, it is very possible that they need to be supported differently. More research is needed to find out what these fathers need to support their children and to remain involved in their children's lives.
An Investigation of the Characteristics and School Readiness of Children with Disabilities who Attend Head Start Programs
(2010) Smith, Amy Falk; McLaughlin, Margaret J; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics and school readiness of children with disabilities who attend Head Start programs, as well as the characteristics of the programs they attend and the school districts in which they receive special education. In addition, a second purpose was to determine whether there are differences in these characteristics of children who attend Head Start programs and those who attend other early childhood education programs. I used data from the Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study, a study of a nationally representative sample of preschool children with disabilities. I used a subsample of the data to compare the characteristics and school readiness of children with disabilities who attended Head Start to those who attended other early childhood education programs using chi-squares, analysis of variance, and ordinary least squares regression analyses. The results suggest that there is no difference in the school readiness of children with disabilities who attended Head Start and those who attend programs in elementary schools. However, in comparison to children who attended other programs, children with developmental delays who attended Head Start had more advanced receptive language skills and those with other disabilities had less advanced pre-reading skills. Additionally, the results of this study show that there is some variation in the characteristics of children with disabilities who attend Head Start and those who attend other programs. Children who attended Head Start were more likely to be Black or Hispanic and from low socioeconomic families. They were also less likely to have disabilities other than speech impairments or developmental delays and, on average, received fewer special education services. Finally, children who attended Head Start were more likely to be from rural school districts and districts with higher rates of poverty. These findings indicate that children with disabilities who attend Head Start programs face additional risk factors that are associated with poor school readiness and emphasize the need to ensure that the programs provide services that are adequate to meet the needs of the diverse population they serve and to prepare those children for the onset of formal schooling.
The Maternal Role in Promoting Emotional Competence: Predicting Head Start Mothers' Expressiveness, Perceived Role, and Receptivity to Support
(2010) Edwards, Nicole Megan; Lieber, Joan A.; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Guided by Bioecological Systems Theory and Schema Theory, I investigated mothers' perceptions regarding the emotional development of their preschool children. Researchers acknowledge mothers' contributing role in influencing children's behavioral displays of emotion, but there is a dearth in the literature on mothers' emotion-related behaviors, beliefs, and needs. In my quantitative study, I collected self-report data from a mid-Atlantic, low-income, urban sample of Head Start mothers (n = 114) and assessed which child, mother, and/or community-based factors may predict the probability of mothers being high in negative expressiveness, low in positive expressiveness, not strongly supportive of the literature in their perceived role in emotional development, and not highly receptive to parent-focused support. I pretested my devised Perceived Role and Receptivity to Support measure and conducted interviewer-administered interviews (using my devised measure, the Parenting Stress Scale, the Early Childhood Behavior Problem Screening Scale, and the Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire). Results supported only a few instances of group uniformity, with mostly group variability in Head Start mothers' emotion-related behaviors, beliefs and needs. Further, logistic regression analyses suggested: (1) mothers are likely to be high in negative expressiveness when raising a preschooler with a combination of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, high in parenting stress, and obtaining at least an Associate's degree; (2) mothers are predicted to be less positive in expressiveness when raising a preschooler with a delay, not having had any child in the family receive specialized services, raising only one child, dropping out of high school, and not having received advice from Head Start staff; (3) mothers are predicted to be less supportive of the purported role of mothers in the literature when raising only one child and not having received behavior advice from Head Start staff; (4) mothers are predicted to be lower in receptiveness to parent-focused support when raising a preschooler with no perceived behavior concerns, anticipating maladaptive behaviors to improve with age, raising only one child, dropping out of high school, and having had fewer outreach efforts in the past. I discuss implications for research and practice, including how results may inform early screening and parenting intervention initiatives.
The Protective Role of Home Learning Activities in the Development of Head Start Children's School Readiness Skills: A Longitudinal Analysis of Learning Growth Rates from Preschool Through First Grade
(2008-11-17) See, Heather M.; Klein, Elisa L.; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Children's early learning experiences in the home have a significant impact on their readiness for school and future academic success. However, children in poverty often lack a high-quality home learning environment, and consequently, are more likely than their economically advantaged peers to be at risk for failure in school. In this study, data were analyzed from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey of 1997 (FACES), a national longitudinal study of children and families participating in the federal Head Start program. A latent growth model estimated children's growth trajectories in vocabulary, numeracy, and writing skills from Head Start through first grade, and the influence of engagement in home learning activities on children's skills. On average, children demonstrated skills that scored significantly below national norms. By first grade, children caught up on basic numeracy skills; however, they persisted to demonstrate significantly weaker vocabulary skills and slightly weaker writing skills. Risk factors, such as low income-to-needs, low parent education, a non-English home language, and multiple children age five and under in the home, were associated with weaker skills. Children who entered Head Start with the weakest skills grew at a faster rate than children with stronger skills, thus demonstrating the greatest gains over time. Moreover, families engaged in various home learning activities with their children during Head Start. A factor analysis produced three activity factors: Academic Stimulation, Community Enrichment, and Family Entertainment. Academic Stimulation was associated with stronger vocabulary, numeracy, and writing skills, while Community Enrichment was not associated with child outcomes, and Family Entertainment was negatively associated with numeracy and writing skills. Engagement in activities varied by child and family characteristics. Families with low income-to-needs engaged in significantly fewer activities across all three factors. This study advances our knowledge of the significant influence of family income-to-needs on children's early learning experiences and their development of fundamental cognitive readiness skills. The results further substantiate the need for family intervention programs designed to improve the quality of low-income children's home learning environments. Additionally, the findings illustrate the utility of latent growth modeling in estimating children's school readiness trajectories.
Teacher-child relationships: Examining the relations among children's risk, relationships, and externalizing behaviors in Head Start
(2008-04-29) Vick, Jessica Erin; Jones Harden, Brenda; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Early externalizing behaviors can have significant and persistent impacts on young children's developmental trajectories (Campbell, 1994; 1995; Moffitt, 1993). High-quality teacher-child relationships have the potential to protect children living in high-risk family environments from developing externalizing behaviors. Using Bronfenbrenner's bioecological framework, the current study explored the impact of family risks and teacher-child relationship quality on children's externalizing behaviors. Specifically, the goals of the study were to: (a) investigate the associations between family risk factors and children's externalizing behaviors, (b) examine the associations between teacher-child relationship quality and children's externalizing behaviors, (c) examine whether teacher-child relationship quality moderates the impact of family risk on children's externalizing behaviors, and (d) investigate the associations among teacher, student, and classroom characteristics and teacher-child relationship quality. Data were gathered from 100 Head Start children, their parents, and their teachers. Controlling for children's age and gender, results revealed that two family risk factors, parent-child dysfunctional interaction and family cohesion, significantly predicted child noncompliance. All of the teacher-child relationship quality variables including conflict, cohesion, dependency, and positive interactions significantly predicted children's externalizing behaviors, with conflict being the strongest and most consistent predictor. Finally, analyses on the interactions between the family risk and teacher-child relationship quality variables revealed that teacher-child conflict moderated the impact of family cohesion on child noncompliance. This finding suggested that low teacher-child conflict protects children from the impact of low family cohesion on child noncompliance, and high teacher-child conflict intensifies the impact of low family cohesion on child noncompliance. Overall, the results from this study suggest that teacher-child relationship quality may serve as both a risk and protective factor in the development of young children's externalizing behaviors. The findings presented have important implications for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers in understanding how to strengthen teacher-child relationships as a means to promote Head Start children's competence in the behavioral domain.
Pathways between exposure to violence, maternal depression, family structury [i.e. structure] and child outcomes through parenting: A multi-group analysis
(2007-07-27) Westbrook, T'Pring R.; Jones-Harden, Brenda`; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Arguably one of the greatest influences on a child's development is the parenting he or she experiences. With that perspective, family stress theory posits that children in low-income families are affected by poverty-related stressors through their effect on their parents. The present study used family stress theory as a framework to study the impact of proximal (i.e., family structure, maternal depression) and distal (i.e., community violence) risk factors, or stressors, on parenting characteristics which were in turn hypothesized to impact child social-emotional functioning. Data from the FACES 2000 study of children enrolled in Head Start and their families were used to conduct the analyses. The sample consisted of 1417 African American, Latino, and White mothers of preschool children. The present study hypothesized that exposure to violence, family structure, maternal depression, and parenting styles measured at time 1 would affect child social-emotional functioning at time 2. Moreover, it was hypothesized that a SEM model wherein violence exposure, family structure, and maternal depression's influenced parenting characteristics, which then impacted the child outcome, would fit the data. Finally, it was hypothesized that these findings would be consistent across African American, Latino, and White subgroups. The data revealed that the study variables were significant predictors of the child outcome. Although few of the key variables significantly contributed to the regression models or had significant pathways in the SEM models, the cumulative effect of the variables resulted in significant models that accounted for 21-37% of the outcome. The multi-group analysis revealed that despite differences in the amount of variance explained, the causal pathways were consistent for the groups analyzed. Findings support theories such as the family stress model that suggest that poverty related stressors negatively impact children's development by first negatively impacting parenting behaviors. This pattern of influence was consistent across race/ethnicities. It may not be practical to expect practitioners to address the myriad of potential risks factors encountered by low-income families, but parents can be equipped with mental health services, parent education, and other such assistance to help them maintain positive parenting practices in the face of life's challenges.
An Evaluation of Best Families, a Parenting Education Intervention Program for Head Start Families: The Effects on Child-rearing Style, Affirming Communication, and Children's Behavior
(2005-12-16) Sang-Blodgett, Janet; Robertson-Tchabo, Elizabeth A.; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: AN EVALUATION OF BEST FAMILIES, A PARENTING EDUCATION INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR HEAD START FAMILIES: THE EFFECTS ON CHILD-REARING STYLE, AFFIRMING COMMUNICATION, AND CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR. Janet Sang-Blodgett, Ph.D., 2005 Dissertation Directed By: Chair: E.A. Robertson-Tchabo, Ph.D.EDHD The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of parents' participation in the Best Families program on the parents' child rearing style, parent-child communication, and parents' and teachers' ratings of the children's behavior. The Best Families program was a four-week, parenting education program designed specifically for economically disadvantaged parents of 4 - 5 year old children enrolled in early childhood assistance programs in a mid-Atlantic state. Thirty parent volunteers whose children attended a Head Start summer session at one of three Head Start centers participated in the study. Two of the parent participants were fathers, and 28 were mothers. Nineteen of the parents were African American, eight were Hispanic Americans, and three were Caucasian. Nineteen of the participants were parents of boys, and eleven of the participants were parents of girls. The Best Families program included four components: social problem solving, verbalizing emotions, parent-child communication, and utilization of social support. The program was delivered once a week for four consecutive weeks. Participants were directed to apply the skills that had been addressed during the following week and to discuss with the group the relative success of the strategies. Personal interviews were conducted prior to the intervention program and immediately after participation in the parenting education program. A participant's child-rearing style and social problem solving was measured by the Child Rearing Style Interview (Shure, 1998). All but one of the 30 participants moved up the child rearing style continuum in the direction of a social problem solving style. Parent-child communication was measured by the Problem Solving Communication Index (McCubbin, McCubbin, and Thompson, 1988). There was a statistically significant increase in the frequency of affirming communication. Children's behavior was measured by parent and teacher ratings using the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983). There was a statistically significant reduction in the frequency of externalizing behaviors of both boys and girls as rated both by parents' and by teachers' ratings. The children exhibited fewer aggressive and impulsive behaviors and generally were more compliant.
Social Skills and Behavior Problems of African American Head Start Preschoolers: Role of Parenting, Informal Social Support and Children's Exposure to Family Conflict and Community Violence
(2004-06-15) Oravecz, Linda Marie; Koblinsky, Sally A; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
In recent decades, urban African American families have faced an increasing number of environmental and familial stressors, including exposure to family conflict and community violence. African American children are disproportionately likely to encounter such violence, especially at the community level, because they are more likely to reside in poor families within the inner-city than children from other racial/ethnic groups. While many children who experience such stressors display harmful effects, many others exhibit socially competent behavior. Both family and community level variables may help to protect children from the negative effects of violence, such as the presence of nurturant, consistent parenting and the availability of social support from family and friends. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that might increase the resilience of African American preschoolers in urban neighborhoods by examining the role of two potential protective factors, positive parenting and informal social support, and two potential risk factors, direct exposure to family conflict and community violence, in predicting the children's social skills and behavior problems. Study participants were 223 African American mothers and other female caregivers who had a three- to five-year old preschool child enrolled in a Head Start center in the Washington DC area. Descriptive statistics were computed for maternal, familial, and child measures, and a correlation matrix examined the relationships between all variables. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the relative strength of the independent variables (parenting, social support, family conflict, community violence) in predicting preschoolers' social skills, internalizing behavior problems (e.g., fear, anxiety), and externalizing behavior problems (e.g., anger, aggression). The regression analyses revealed that positive parenting significantly predicted greater child self-control and cooperation, and fewer internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Greater informal social support significantly predicted higher levels of children's self-control, cooperation, responsibility, and assertion. Community violence exposure was a significant predictor of greater internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and greater family conflict predicted internalizing problems. Implications of the findings for fostering resilience among young African American children in urban communities are discussed.
Literate Behaviors in African American Head Start Families: A Multiple Literacies Perspective
(2004-04-30) Daniels, Janese Kerr; Jones-Harden, Brenda; Human Development
Low literacy and illiteracy have been documented among low-income African American children. The problems associated with low literacy and illiteracy often extend into adulthood, with potentially devastating consequences. Low-income African American caregivers are frequently portrayed as devoid of any interest in their children's literacy development and achievement. Additionally, it has been suggested that these caregivers provide homes that are literacy impoverished, often without any literacy activities (e.g. shared book reading, visits to the library) occurring on a routine basis. Qualitative researchers have documented specific literacy practices in which low-income families engage. Frequently, these literacy practices are a function of the context in which the family is currently embedded. Although a qualitative literature exists regarding these literacy practices, its utility is limited due to small sample sizes and lack of quantitative documentation on their contribution to children's language and literacy development. This study attempted to bridge the gap between the qualitative and quantitative literatures. Fifty-one low-income African American mother-child dyads participated in this exploratory family literacy study. The contribution of multiple literacy practices, both traditional and non-traditional, was examined in relation to child language and literacy outcomes. It was found that most low-income African American families engaged in multiple literacy practices. Analyses revealed that although the quality of the home literacy environment contributed to children's language and literacy development, child receptive language explained most of the variance in children's preschool literacy development. Recommended areas for future research directions included standardization of an instrument to capture literacy practices that have been highlighted in both the qualitative and quantitative literatures. Additional recommendations for practitioners included providing parent training that encouraged families to use non-traditional literacy practices to help facilitate their children's literacy development.

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