Search

Transition to adulthood is a multi-faceted, complex process that affects all areas of an adolescent's internal and external world. Prior methodologies to assess the medical facet of this transformative time have focused on objective, quantitative analysis of transition practices to facilitate a productive transfer to an adult care provider, without considering the more nuanced context. Transition Design (TD) is an under-utilized, novel methodology that can holistically investigate transition to adulthood by generating insight into the current framework for transition both within and outside of the medical field, and by conceptualizing possible interventions for a more sustainable and equitable future -- all from the perspective of constituent groups who have expertise and a vested interest in transition. Participants within four such constituent groups (young adults, young adult caregivers, healthcare providers, and social services providers) completed a day-long workshop consisting of the six-activity sequence of TD, including 1) Mapping the Problem, 2) Mapping Constituent Relations, 3) Mapping the Evolution of the Problem, 4) Co-Creating Long-Term Future Visions, 5) Designing for the Transition, and 6) Designing Systems Interventions. TD is a promising approach for evaluating complex problems such as the transition to adulthood that thrive on the engagement of specific constituent groups. This methodology allows these groups to engage with and subsequently help solve wicked problems using their own experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing a developmental-ecological framework, the purpose of this study was to understand the unique impact of multiple maternal risks across time on ethnically diverse, low-income, preschool children's cognitive skills, pro-social behaviors, and behavior problems. Additionally, this study sought to understand the variability of maternal risks within a low-income population. Data from the national impact evaluation of the Comprehensive Child Development Program (CCDP) was used (N = 3,852). Variable-centered analyses demonstrated that maternal education accounted for the most variance in children's cognitive outcomes, whereas chronicity of maternal depression accounted for the most variance in children's pro-social and problem behaviors. Person-centered analyses revealed eight distinct profiles of maternal risks, demonstrating the heterogeneity of this low-income population. Further, these profiles related differentially to children's preschool skills, indicating that different combinations of maternal risks were associated with varying outcomes for young children. Implications of study findings for early childhood practice, policy, and future research are discussed. (Contains 7 tables, 1 figure and 4 footnotes.)

The study investigated a scale developed to measure parents' satisfaction with experiences of various aspects of their child's early education program. The Parent Satisfaction with Educational Experiences (PSEE) scale was co-constructed with parents and teachers in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade programs in a large urban school district. Demographic and PSEE data were collected from a representative sample of 648 parents. Factor analyses yielded three dimensions of parent satisfaction with teacher contact experiences, classroom contact experiences, and school contact experiences. Multivariate analyses showed that parents with children in Head Start or kindergarten were more satisfied in all three dimensions than were parents of children in child care or first grade. Married parents were more satisfied with their teacher contact than were single parents and parents who were not employed full-time were more satisfied with their contact across all three dimensions than were parents who were employed full-time. Implications for fostering parent involvement were discussed.

The validity generalization of the Preschool Learning Behavior Scale (PLBS; McDermott, Green, Francis, & Stott, 2000) dimensions was assessed for low-income, urban, preschool children. A three-factor structure was found: Competence Motivation, Attention/Persistence, and Attitude Toward Learning. This structure was congruent with the PLBS structure derived from the national standardization sample. Multi-method, multi-source concurrent validity analyses further substantiated the PLBS dimensions for use with this population. Measures of interactive peer play behaviors at home and at school, dimensions of classroom self-regulation, and assessments of receptive and expressive vocabulary provided convergent validity for the PLBS dimensions, while measures of disruptive and disconnected peer play behaviors at home and at school provided divergent validity.

Relations between multiple dimensions of family involvement in early childhood education and classroom outcomes were examined. Participants included 144 urban, Head Start children. Parental report of family involvement was gathered in late fall using a multidimensional assessment. Relations between family involvement dimensions and end of the year outcomes of approaches to learning, conduct problems, and receptive vocabulary were investigated. Results revealed that Home-Based family involvement emerges as the strongest predictor of child outcomes. This dimension associated significantly with children's motivation to learn, attention, task persistence, receptive vocabulary skills, and low conduct problems. The School-Based Involvement dimension was significantly related to low conduct problems in the classroom when combined with the influence of Home-Based Involvement. The School-Based Involvement and Home-School Conferencing dimensions did not predict later child outcomes when considered simultaneously with Home-Based Involvement.

Family engagement conferences are a commonly utilized strategy in child welfare to empower families to make decisions for the safety and well-being of their own children. However, there is mixed evidence about their effectiveness, in large part due to the lack of detail about what is actually occurring in those conferences. Using data from a Title IV-E waiver, the present study utilized a principles-focused evaluation approach to explore how well a set of different family engagement models employed across six county child welfare systems adhered to a common set of principles. Findings suggest that the specific name or branding of a family engagement model – and their model-specific practices, such as private family time – matters less than the general components of practice and fidelity with which they are carried out. Further, this study provides evidence for the ability to conduct an evaluation of similar – but not identical – conferencing models across multiple sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]