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