Early Childhood Development

“Evaluating Early Childhood Assessments: A Differential Analysis.” Samuel J. Meisels and Sally Atkins-Burnett, in Blackwell Handbook of Early Childhood Development, 2006. Assessment is fundamentally a positive process that holds the potential for enhancing teaching and improving learning. This chapter provides an analytical discussion of the field by adhering to The National Education Goals Panel typology that categorizes four uses or roles for assessment in the preschool years: (1) identification, (2) instructional improvement, (3) program evaluation, and (4) accountability. The chapter also describes a number of achievable challenges: identifying children at risk for developmental delay or school failure; obtaining evaluative information from classroom settings that can be used to inform instruction and improve learning; and designing evaluations that reflect the wide range of influences that affect child growth and development.

“Head Start: What Do We Know About Its Effectiveness? What Do We Need to Know?” John M. Love, Louisa Banks Tarullo, Helen Raikes, and Rachel Chazan-Cohen, in Blackwell Handbook of Early Childhood Development, 2006. Head Start has been the setting and source of a great deal of research over the four decades since its inception. The authors summarize previous reviews of Head Start research and examine more recent outcome and impact studies that have not been systematically summarized. The authors conclude that Head Start research has come far since the last major synthesis in the mid-1980s. There continues to be clear evidence that the program provides immediate benefits for the children it enrolls and long-term gains persist into elementary school, although evidence for the latter is weaker. The authors also talk about the next steps for Head Start research.

Latino Parents' Interactions with Their Children

“Parental Interactions with Latino Infants: Variation by Country of Origin and English Proficiency.” Natasha J. Cabrera, Jacqueline D. Shannon, Jerry West, and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Child Development, September/October 2006. In 2001, Latino children represented 18 percent of the U.S. population 18 years of age and younger, with this percentage expected to rise during this century. This study examined variation in mother-infant interactions, father engagement, and infant cognition as a function of country of origin, socioeconomic status, and English language proficiency in a national sample of Latino infants born in the United States and living with both biological parents. Differences between Mexican-American infants, who had lower mother-infant interactions and less father physical play than did the other Latino infants, were associated with differences in acculturation (both parents’ English proficiency). Indicators of acculturation and paternal reports of happiness with partner were associated with paternal engagement. Indicators of acculturation were also related to mother-infant interactions. Infant cognitive scores were associated with maternal interaction but not father engagement, and maternal but not paternal mental health.

Medicaid Buy-In and Health Coverage

“How Does the Medicaid Buy-In Program Relate to Other Federal Efforts to Improve Access to Health Coverage for Adults with Disabilities?” Sarah R. Davis and Henry T. Ireys, October 2006. The Medicaid Buy-In program is a key component of the federal effort to make it easier for people with disabilities to work without losing health benefits. This issue brief, the second in a series on workers with disabilities, explains how the Medicaid Buy-In program fits into other federal efforts to enhance employment opportunities for adults with disabilities by expanding access to health insurance.

What Works Clearinghouse

A new web page highlights our education experts’ involvement with the What Works Clearinghouse, an organization dedicated to providing scientific evidence of effective education interventions. Mathematica staff serve as principal investigators for the areas of dropout prevention and beginning reading. You can find the latest reports in these areas on this page.