Families define quality Pre-Kindergarten programs more broadly than educators, researchers and policy makers

FPG Snapshot #36 I December 2006 Families Define Quality Pre-Kindergarten Programs More Broadly than Educators, Researchers and Policy Makers Education policy makers identify access to quality pre-kindergarten programs as a critical step in early childhood development. While most agree on access, definitions of quality vary widely. A new study by the National Center for Early Development & Learning (NCEDL) finds that families define quality in broader terms than educators, researchers and policymakers. The NCEDL study examined how parents of children in publicly funded pre- Kindergarten defined quality and selected programs. In addition to placing a high value on education, families identified three factors not usually included in educational research or professional discussions of program quality — comprehensive service provisions (e.g., meals), convenient location, and homeschool collaboration. Most families surveyed had only one pre-K program to select from. Those with more options were typically forced to base their decision on life circumstances rather than on perceived quality of care. Snapshots are summaries of research articles, books, and other publications by researchers at the FPG Child Development Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill. Permission is granted to reprint this article if you acknowledge FPG and the authors of the article on which this Snapshot is based. For more information, call the FPG Publications Office at 919-966-4221 or email <FPGpublications@unc.edu>. Visit us at <www.fpg.unc.edu>. Study Background Participants were randomly selected from fully or partially funded pre- K programs in Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and regions of California (Los Angeles and Central Valley) , and New York ( New York City to Albany). This study includes data collected from 937 parents soon after their children entered pre-K in the fall of 2001. Home interviews were conducted in five states. Parents in Kentucky completed a mailed questionnaire. The findings are based on a content analysis and descriptive statistical analyses of parental responses. Almost all of those surveyed were female — either biological mothers (92 percent) or maternal surrogates (4 percent). Parents’ responses were assigned to the following categories: • Positive structural attributes, • Safe clean attractive environment, • Adequate instructional resources, • Effective instructional methods, • Socially and academically competent teachers, • Discipline, • Positive classroom emotional climate, • Comprehensive service provision, • Convenient location, and • Home school partnership. THE UNIVERSITY 0/ NORTH CAROLINA at CHAPEL HILL