new england cost & quality studies nancy l. marshall, wendy wagner robeson, joanne roberts,...

New England Cost & Quality Studies

Nancy L. Marshall, Wendy Wagner Robeson, Joanne Roberts, Cindy Creps & Nancy R.

BursteinWith Frederic B. Glantz, Betsy Squibb, Julie Dennehy, Sue

Y. Wang, Nancy Keefe & Steve Barnett

Wellesley Centers for Women, Abt Associates Inc., Muskie Institute of the University of Southern Maine, and

University of Maine, Farmington

Funding Sources: ACF Child Care Bureau, Massachusetts Dept. Education, Maine Office of Child Care and Head

Start

Findings• The proportion of programs that provided ECE that

meet accepted standards in the field varied by sector, consistent with variations in teacher/provider qualifications and in ratios and group sizes in each sector. Teacher/provider education is a consistent predictor of the quality of ECE provided in each setting. In most settings, low-income children were less likely to receive the quality of ECE necessary to ensure that they are ready for formal schooling.

• Higher quality ECE cost more than lower quality ECE in all settings. Labor was the single largest cost in all settings. The findings on the relations among labor, quality and costs support the importance of efforts to raise the education levels of teachers and providers, while improving working conditions and maintaining ratios and group sizes.

MethodsState & Sector

Sample Size Quality Measures Cost Measures

MA Preschool Centers 90 ECERS, Arnett,

Teacher I nterviews

Director I nterviews, Center-level costs

Maine Preschool Centers

90 ECERS, Arnett,

Teacher I nterviews

Director I nterviews, Center-level costs

MA Public School Preschools

95 ECERS, Arnett,

Teacher I nterviews

State data

MA Toddler Centers 100 I TERS, Arnett,

Teacher I nterviews

Director I nterviews, Classroom-level costs

MA Infant Centers 100 I TERS, Arnett,

Teacher I nterviews

Director I nterviews, Classroom-level costs

MA FCCH 200 FCDRS, Arnett Provider I nterviews Maine FCCH 90 FCDRS, Arnett Provider I nterviews

Total Quality ScoresPercent of Programs Meeting the Good Benchmark

70

45

2925

31 30 30

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Total Score

MA Public School Prek MA Preschool Centers ME Preschool CentersMA Infants MA Toddlers MA FCCHME FCCH

Safety & Health ScalesPercent of Programs Meeting the Good Benchmark

62

5459

54

35

2227

15

33

16

31

4

31

12

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Furnishings Personal Care

MA Public School Prek MA Preschool Centers ME Preschool Centers

MA Infants MA Toddlers MA FCCH

ME FCCH

Stimulation ScalesPercent of Programs Meeting the Good Benchmark

74

303

5

24

41

21

33

19

43

22

40

36

41

27

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Language Activities

MA Public School Prek MA Preschool Centers ME Preschool CentersMA Infants MA Toddlers MA FCCHME FCCH

Interpersonal InteractionsPercent of Programs Meeting the Good Benchmark

87

72

5459

47 48 47

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Interactions

MA Public School Prek MA Preschool Centers ME Preschool CentersMA Infants MA Toddlers MA FCCHME FCCH

Observed Ratios, Group Size and Teacher Education, by State and

Sector

Preschool Centers

FCCH

MA Public Preschool[1] MA ME

MA Infants

MA Toddler

s

MA ME

Program length: hours/week

14Full-day[2]

Full-day

Full-day Full-day 52 50

Observed Ratios 7:1 7:1 6:1 3:1 4:1 5:1 6:1

Observed Group Size

12 12 10 5 8 5 6

Teacher Education: % Teachers/

Providers with BA or more[3]

100% 33% 33%[4] 13% 17% 21% 15%[1] Most public school preschool classrooms were part-day and part-year. All other programs were year-round.[2] Defined as 30 hours or more a week. Most centers were open more than 30 hours/week.[3] Includes graduate coursework and advanced degrees[4] 33% of Head/Lead Teachers, and 18% of Teachers, held a BA or more

Factors Associated with Qualityby State and Sector

State & Sector Ratios Group size

Education and/or training Other factors

MA Preschool Centers

X X More hours f rom

teachers, rather than assistant teachers

Maine Preschool Centers

X X

MA Public School Preschools

X X X NAEYC accredited

MA Toddler Centers

X X NAEYC accredited

MA Infant Centers X X More experienced teachers; NAEYC

accredited

MA FCCH X Providers’ belief s about children’s

learning Maine FCCH X

ReportsMarshall, NL, CL Creps, NR Burstein, J Roberts, FB Glantz & WW Robeson. 2004. The Cost

and Quality of Full-Day Year-round Early Care and Education in Massachusetts: Infant and Toddler Classrooms. Wellesley Centers for Women and Abt Associates Inc.

Marshall, NL, CL Creps, NR Burstein, J Roberts, J Dennehy, B Squibb, WW Robeson, SY Wang & J Schimmenti. 2004. The Cost and Quality of Family Child Care Homes in Maine. Wellesley Centers for Women, University of Maine, Farmington, and Abt Associates Inc.

Marshall, NL, CL Creps, NR Burstein, J Roberts, J Dennehy, WW Robeson, & FB Glantz. 2004. The Cost and Quality of Full Day, Year-round Early Care and Education in Maine: Preschool Classrooms. Wellesley Centers for Women, Muskie Institute of the University of Southern Maine, and Abt Associates Inc.

Marshall, NL, CL Creps, NR Burstein, KE Cahill, WW Robeson, SY Wang, J Schimmenti, & FB Glantz. 2003. Family Child Care Today: A Report of the Findings of the Massachusetts Cost/Quality Study: Family Child Care Homes. Wellesley Centers for Women and Abt Associates, Inc.

Marshall, NL, CL Creps, NR Burstein, FB Glantz, WW Robeson, S Barnett, J Schimmenti, & N Keefe. 2002. Early Care and Education in Massachusetts Public School Preschool Classrooms. Wellesley Centers for Women and Abt Associates Inc.

Marshall, NL, CL Creps, NR Burstein, FB Glantz, WW Robeson, S Barnett. 2001. The Cost and Quality of Full Day, Year-round Early Care and Education in Massachusetts: Preschool Classrooms. Wellesley Centers for Women and Abt Associates Inc.