1. And the children in the apple tree Further poetic findings from the Union County Longitudinal Study 2007-2013 2006-2013

2.  Quality care and a smooth transition to Kindergarten have been identified as important in retaining the benefits of early education.  What we have seen in Union County is a demonstration that early education and support for a child’s transition to public schooling are related to “on- grade-level” proficiency in literacy at third grade and beyond.

3. Theoretical Model Early Childhood Education Experience Family Support Community Support Individual Advantages and Challenges School Success

4.  The results from analysis of previous cohorts of children have shown extended benefits from participation in quality ECE for all children regardless of SES.  This finding has now been replicated in other studies within the state with students from similar family and educational experiences.

5. Study Timeline Cohort I:647 Kindergarten Students 2006-07 Cohort II: 334 Kindergarten Students 2007-08 Cohort III:394 Kindergarten Students 2008-09 Cohort IV: 341 Kindergarten Students 2009-10

6. Study Timeline No new cohort added 2010-11 Cohort V: 228 4- Year Olds 2011-12 Cohort V follow- up in Kindergarten 2012-13

7. Aggregated Analysis  Data for 1371 students (1250 were resident in Union Co. as 4-yr. olds)  Cohort 1= 647/446  Cohort 2= 337/234  Cohort 3= 394/273  Follow-up response at 3 rd Grade of 69.51% (953/1371)

8. ECE Program Distribution Cohorts I-III FrequencyPercent No Care36629.3 Faith Based18414.7 Headstart 58 4.6 More at Four/Title 1 28122.5 Private 21417.1 Unknown 13911.1 repeated kindergarten 8.6 Total 1250 100.0

9. Percent Attending ECE as 4-Year-Olds

10. Gender Cohorts I-III

11. Ethnicity Cohorts I-III

12. 12 % At or Above Grade Level Effects of ECE Participation On Reading Level Through 3 rd Grade for Aggregated Cohorts I thru III N=953 Chi square= 4.54, d.f.=1, Sig.=.033

13. 13 % At or Above Grade Level Effects of ECE Participation On Math Level Through 3 rd Grade for Aggregated Cohorts I thru III N= 784 Chi square= 0.84, d.f.=1, Sig.=.771

14. 14 % At or Above Grade Level Effects of ECE Participation on Mathematics Level Through 3 rd Grade for Aggregated Cohorts I thru III N=784 Chi square=.009, d.f.=1, Sig.=.510

15. Ethnicity and On-Grade Level Performance at Grade 3 N= 784 Math, 953 Reading

16. ECE On-Grade Level Effect for Reading by Ethnicity- All N= 953, Chi Square= 95.53, d.f.= 3, sig.=.000

17. ECE On-Grade Level Effect for Math by Ethnicity- All N= 784, Chi Square= 80.82, d.f.= 3, sig.=.000

18. ECE On-Grade Level Effect for Math by Ethnicity- Title 1 Schools N= 953, Chi Square=, d.f.= 3, sig.=.000

19. ECE On-Grade Level Effect for Reading by Ethnicity- Title 1 Schools N= 718, Chi Square=, d.f.= 3, sig.=.000

20. Across Cohort Performance

21. Percent Attending ECE as 4-Year-Olds

22. Effect of Ease of Social Transition on Math Performance at End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level in Math N= 918 Chi Square = 13.91, d.f. = 2, Sig.=.001

23. Effect of Ease of School Routine Transition on Reading Performance at End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level in Rdg N= 927 Chi Square = 13.05, d.f. = 2, Sig.=.001

24. Effect of Ease of Literacy Transition on Reading Performance at End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level in Rdg N= 921 Chi Square = 52.78, d.f. = 2, Sig.=.000

25. Effect of Ease of Overall Child Transition on Reading Performance at End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level in Rdg N= 920 Chi Square = 23.82, d.f. = 2, Sig.=.000

26. Effect of Ease of Parent Transition on Reading Performance at End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level in Rdg N= 933 Chi Square = 2.69, d.f. = 2, Sig.=.260

27. Effect of Ease of Social Transition on Math Performance at End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level in Math N= 760 Chi Square = 19.46, d.f. = 2, Sig.=.000

28. Effect of Ease of School Routine Transition on Math Performance at End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level in Math N= 767 Chi Square = 15.41, d.f. = 2, Sig.=.000

29. Effect of Ease of Literacy Transition on Math Performance at End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level in Math N= 765 Chi Square = 63.81, d.f. = 2, Sig.=.000

30. Effect of Ease of Overall Child Transition on Math Performance at End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level in Math N= 763 Chi Square = 38.85, d.f. = 2, Sig.=.000

31. Effect of Ease of Parent Transition on Math Performance at End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level in Math N= 770 Chi Square = 5.05, d.f. = 2, Sig.=.080

32. Effect of Family Participation in Kindergarten Transition on Reading at the End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level N= 914, chi square = 13.372, d.f.= 2, sig.=.001

33. Effect of Family Participation in Kindergarten Transition on Math at the End of 3 rd Grade (aggregated) % on Grade Level N= 752, chi square = 18.943, d.f.= 2, sig.=.000

34. Transition and Reading Success  Higher levels of family involvement in transition activities  “Smooth transitions” in social, school routine, and academic skills  Support in transition from the ECE program.

35. Effect of ECE Help in Kindergarten Transition on Reading at End of 3 rd Grade (Cohorts I-III)) % on Grade Level N= 779, Chi Square = 20.528, d.f.= 1, Sig.=.000

36. Effect of ECE Help in Kindergarten Transition on Mathematics at End of 3 rd Grade (Cohorts I-III)) % on Grade Level N= 655, Chi Square = 10.426, d.f.= 1, Sig.=.001

37. Trends in Center Star Ratings and Faculty/Staff Education in Union County 2006-2012

38. Improvements Over Time 2006-2012  Increased average education levels of lead teachers and other staff in child care centers  Increased average star-ratings of child care facilities between 2006 and 2010  Increased average kindergarten readiness screening scores for children attending ECE [Cohorts I-IV]  Increased average scores on end of year K-2 assessments for children attending ECE [Cohorts I-IV] 38

39. Poster Sessions From research to action: Policy Implications Methods and Comparisons: Winston- Salem/Forsyth County Schools, The Enduring Impact of PreK

40. Cohort V  228 four-year olds recruited during 2011-12.  Objective to link early development history and a more complete history of ECE to subsequent school transition and achievement.  Of those that responded, over half said that they had heard of the Alliance for Children and 42% said that they or their child had participated in Alliance supported activities.

41. Cohort 5 Ethnicity  Hispanic students make up almost half of the sample. N=204

42. Gender  There are more boys than girls in the sample.

43. Age Distribution

44. Family Income showed a bi-modal distribution with 20% of responding “Don’t Know”

45. Over half the sample have attended or graduated from college level programs.

46. ECE About a 30% of 2-3 yr. olds in the cohort were in center or family care while over 90% were enrolled in care as 4 yr. olds. The modal number of hours attending ECE per week at age 4 was 30-32 hrs.

47. Ages and Stages Assessment

48. ASQ and Transition LiteracySchool Routine ASQ Fine Motor.348 p=.021.313 p=.039 ASQ Personal/Social.455 p=.002.467 p=.001 Analysis conducted thus far has shown a significant correlations between ASQ score fine motor and personal/social skills with both literacy and school routine transition in kindergarten. The strength of these correlations are moderately strong.

49. ASQ and Transition Parent Readiness Rating Overall Transition.419 p=.046 Literacy Skills.484 p=.019 School Routine.462 p=.027 Parents’ ratings of their child’s readiness for kindergarten was significantly correlated with overall ease of transition and in literacy skills and school routine.

50. Kindergarten Teacher Survey Reported ECE Participation in Transition N=49

51. Kindergarten Teacher Survey Kindergarten Transition Activities

52. Kindergarten Teacher Survey Reported Family Participation in Kindergarten

53. Social Adjustment

54. Developing Reading and Writing Skills

55. School Routine

56. Overall Transition

57. Family Participation is Linked to Smooth Transition to Kindergarten and Kindergarten Class Performance in a Variety of Skills  There are significant correlations between the level of teacher reported and family reported participation in transition and teacher reported ease of transition to kindergarten.  Teacher and family reported kindergarten transition scores are also highly correlated teacher reported class performance in literacy, numeracy, self-help, and social skills.

58. Questions?

59. Thanks! Bruce Yelton BYC Consulting 704-266-2340 praxisresearchinc@gmail.com Deb Stranges Melanie Richardson Alliance for Children 704-226-1407 dstranges@theallianceforchildren.org mrichardson@theallianceforchildren.org