Research Partners - Curriculum Development, 2005-2008
Michigan State University | Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute| University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – FPG Child Development Institute | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – School of Nursing | Utah State UniversityIf you are the Head Start Grantee and would like to update the information on this page, please do so by sending an email to hs-grantee-update@xtria.com.
Michigan State University
Project Title:
Enhancing Social-Emotional Functioning in Infants and Toddlers Using a Relationship-Based Infant Mental Health Approach
Grantee:
Holly Brophy-Herb
Project Funding Years:
2006-2009
University Affiliation:
Michigan State University
Department of Family and Child Ecology
Project Abstract:
Michigan State University will operationalize an existing conceptual curriculum that was previously developed with a partner Early Head Start (EHS) program and is based on an infant mental health approach. Specifically, this study will develop a relationship-based curriculum with manualized curricular activities that target social-emotional development in infants and toddlers. Participants will include approximately 140 low-income families from two home-based EHS programs. Phase 1 of the study will focus on the development, implementation, and validation of the manualized curriculum. Using a quasi-experimental design, half of the home visitors at each site with implement the curriculum. Data collection methods will include focus groups, child assessment, parent and staff self-report, and observations. The expected outcome of this study will be the development of an evidence-based curriculum, manualized curriculum guidelines, training, implementation strategies, and a report on the theoretical basis for the curriculum.
Sample:
N=140 families
Measures:
Children
Infant Behavior Questionnaire-R: Effortful Control Items/Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire
Delay of Gratification Task (for toddlers 18 - 36 months)
Baby Stroop Task
Infant Toddler Social-Emotional Assessment (ITSEA)/ The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA)/ Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ: SE) (depending on age of child)
Early Coping Inventory: Reactivity Subscale
Attachment Q-Set
Internal State Words
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (for children 24-36 months)
Parent-Child Interaction
Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training (NCAST): Teaching Scale
Wordless Book Sharing Interaction
Parent/Family
Parenting Stress Index-Parenting Distress and Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction Subscales
Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale-Short Form
Conners Impulsivity Scale
Maternal Emotional Styles Questionnaire
Pearlin Mastery Scale- Subscale
Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire- Positive Items Subscale
Family Environment Scale: Family Conflict Subscale
Neighborhood Questionnaire
Mealtime Behaviors Questionnaire
Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment
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Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute
Project Title:
Windows of Opportunity Curriculum: Everyday Learning to Enhance Parenting Competencies and Child Development
Grantee:
Carol M. Trivette
Project Funding Years:
2005-2008
Affiliation:
Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute
Project Abstract:
Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute will partner with the Family Infant and Preschool Early Head Start (EHS) Program to develop, implement, and evaluate a home-based curriculum for EHS parents and their young children. The new curriculum, Windows of Opportunity, will focus on building the capacity of parents to use everyday learning opportunities as the basis for promoting their child’s cognitive and social-emotional development. Participants will include eight teachers trained to use the curriculum with 80 families from a local EHS program. A multiple baseline design will be used to assess the extent to which the teacher training influences teachers’ use of the targeted practices and to ascertain parents’ use of the targeted practices. It is expected that the development of the Windows of Opportunity curriculum will be a step toward meeting the need for a home-based curriculum that builds on parents capacity to provide learning opportunities that foster their child’s development as part of the everyday activities and routines.
Sample:
Early Head Start programs serving approximately 80 families
Measures:
Children
Developmental Observation Checklist
Child Development Inventory
Preschool Language Scale-3rd Edition (PLS-3)
Ages & Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE)
Parents
Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale
Activity Setting Observation Scale
Responsive Teaching
Instructional Practices Observational Scale
Literacy Practices Observation Checklist
Child Learning Observation Practices Checklist
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University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
Project Title:
Learning Through Relationships: A Social Communication and Pre-Literacy Curricular Approach in Early Head Start
Grantee:
Amanda Moreno
Project Funding Years:
2005-2008
University Affiliation:
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
Department of Pediatrics
Project Abstract:
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center will develop the Learning Through Relationships curriculum to promote language and pre-literacy skills, as well as broad areas of social-emotional functioning that are age-appropriate for infants and toddlers and that predict readiness for group-based learning and motivated engagement with print materials. 101 children will participate in the study, and half of the children will be exposed to the curriculum in year two, and all of the children will be exposed in year 3. Results of the study will include improvements in Child Development Professional (CDP) and child interactions, as well as improvements in family behavior and child interactions, and improvement in the physical environment of classrooms and homes.
Sample:
N=101 children
Measures:
Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory-Modified
Language and Literacy Promoting Q-Sort
Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation-Literacy Environment Checklist-Modified
Preschool Language Scales-4th Edition
Competence Scale of the Infant-Toddler Social: Emotional Assessment
Mullen Scales of Early Learning: Fine Motor Scale- selected items
Woodcock-Johnson-III: Letter Word Identification
Home Observation for the Measurement of Environment
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – FPG Child Development Institute
Project Title:
Enhancing and Evaluating Partners for a Healthy Baby Home Visiting Curricula for Early Head Start
Grantee:
Donna Bryant and Noreen Yazejian
Project Funding Years:
2005-2008
University Affiliation:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
FPG Child Development Institute
Project Abstract:
University of North Carolina will partner with North Carolina Early Head Start (EHS) programs to evaluate a widely used combined curriculum derived from the Partners for a Healthy Baby and Learningames curricula. Specifically, the project will focus on encouraging involvement of the EHS partners, gathering data for the final development of the 19-36 month components of the curriculum, ensuring high-quality implementation, and designing and conducting an evaluation of the combined curricula. Participants will include 5 home visitors and 60 Early Head Start families each year. The evaluation design will be cross-sectional with a longitudinal follow-up and a pre/post-test design will be used to measure changes in family functioning and child outcomes over time. The expected outcome of this study is the dissemination of critical information to programs searching for appropriate and effective materials for home visitors.
Sample:
N=60 Families (each year of the study)
N=5 Home Visitors
Measures:
Parent
Infant-Toddler Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale
Being a Parent
Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory
Children
Bayley Scales of Infant-Toddler Development-Second Edition
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – School of Nursing
Project Title:
"Alumbrando el camino/Bright Moments:" A Curriculum for Staff Working with EHS Parents with Depressive Symptoms
Grantee:
Linda S. Beeber
Project Funding Years:
2006-2008
University Affiliation:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
School of Nursing
Project Abstract:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will develop and test a curriculum to assist staff with interventions and support for English-speaking and Spanish-speaking only parents with depressive symptoms in the course of regular Early Head Start (EHS) programs. Participants will include 100 EHS families. Implementation, fidelity and staff, parent and child outcomes will be documented. Parenting and parent-toddler interactions will be assessed 9 months and 12 months post-program participation. Results of the project will include the enhancement of EHS staff's ability to work with parents with depressive symptoms through promotion of parents' positive interactions with their children. It is hoped that through strengthening EHS services with depressed parents and families , more positive child social and emotional outcomes will result, thus allowing a vulnerable population of infants and toddlers to benefit from EHS child enrichment resources.
Sample:
N=100 families
Measures:
Early Head Start Staff
Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Scale
Reaction Narratives
Videotaped Staff-Parent Interactions
General Self-Efficacy Scale
Social Emotional Competence Form
Parent
Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scales
Parent-Child Observation
Sensitivity Rating (Spiker & Crawley)
Parenting Stress Inventory
Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social/Emotional, Parent Concern subscale
Parental Report of EHS Involvement
General Self-Efficacy Scale
Family Baseline Questionnaire
Psychological Acculturation Scale
Rand General Health Questionnaire-Short Form
Children
Parent-Child Observation
Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social/Emotional
Child Health Questionnaire
Child Behavior Checklist, Aggression subscale
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Utah State University
Project Title:
Storytelling for Home Enrichment of Language and Literacy Skills (SHELLS)
Grantee:
Lisa K. Boyce
Project Funding Years:
2005-2008
University Affiliation:
Utah State University
Early Intervention Research Institute
Project Abstract:
Utah State University will develop a curriculum to promote children’s language and literacy skills through shared conversations, creation of meaningful literacy materials that are culturally appropriate, and encouragement of language and literacy support. The new curriculum, Storytelling for Home Enrichment of Language and Literacy Skills (SHELLS), will focus on the needs of Migrant and English Language Learners (ELL) families. Participants will include 100 children and their families selected from one of four Centro de la Familia (CDLF) Migrant Head Start centers in rural Utah. The participants will be randomly assigned to the treatment group receiving the SHELLS curriculum or the control group. Assessments will occur at the beginning and end of the school year including maternal interview, child assessments, and videotaped narratives and book reading interactions. The expected outcome of this study is the development of a meaningful and easy to implement curriculum that will be appropriate for Migrant and ELL Head Start families.
Sample:
N=100 children
Measures:
Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (Language/Literacy subscale)
Parent
The Woodcock-Munoz Language Survey
Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanic- Adults
Family Reading Survey
Children
Preschool Language Scale, 4th Edition (Spanish Edition)
Language Sample Checklist
Story and Print Concepts Task