UP4WS Report

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Evaluating UP4WS: First 5 YolosChild Signature Program

2012-2013 Evaluation Report

August 2014


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table of contents

Introduction 1

Key Characteristics of Study Participants 6

Fostering Early Learning and Development 8

Classroom Quality 10

School Readiness 14

Recommendations 22

Next Steps 24

Appendix A: CLASS Scores by Quality Leveland Type of Care, 2012-13 25

Appendix B: ECERS Scores Quality Leveland Type of Care, 2012-13 26

Appendix C: Quality Criteria by Classroom,

2012-13 28


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Prepared by Harder+Company Community Research UP4WS Evaluation Report August 2014 1

Introduction

reschool is important. High quality preschool programs support development during a childs formative

years. Decades of research have led to widely accepted findings that such support confers meaningful

long-term benefits for the children who participate and for society at large. According to well-known

studies, some of these benefits include:

Better chance of high school graduation;1

Higher incomes in adulthood;2and

Strong return on taxpayer investment due to future public costs avoided.3

It is in this context that the Universal Preschool for West Sacramento program operates.

What is UP4WS?

Universal Preschool for West Sacramento (UP4WS), the

Child Signature Program for Yolo County, is a collaborative

partnership among the City of West Sacramento, Washington

Unified School District, First 5 Yolo, First 5 California, and

the Yolo County Office of Education. UP4WS aims to

provide high quality, accessible child care and preschool for

all children in West Sacramento so they develop the skills they

need to be successful in school.

UP4WS funds a number of child care and preschool programs, including home-based child care and licensed

child care centers. These programs serve infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children. A representative from

each funded program attends monthly meetings to discuss program successes, lessons learned, and strategies to

strengthen early childhood development programs in West Sacramento. To increase the quality of child care

and preschool programs in West Sacramento, UP4WS:

Offers free, half-day, high-quality preschool programs to eligible children in West Sacramento;

Links teachers to professional development opportunities;

Provides coaching and mentoring to teachers from a Masters level teacher;

Provides opportunities for parent involvement;

Serves high-need families, including those who are low-income and very low-income; and

Utilizes tools to assess child needs and measures program outcomes.

1The HighScope Perry Preschool Study. 2005. Lifetime Effects: The HighScope Perry Preschool Study through Age 40.

www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=2192Ibid.3Calman LJ and Tarr-Whelan L. 2005. Early Education for All: A Wise Investment. web.mit.edu/workplacecenter/docs/Full%20Report.pdf

P

UP4WS is a public-private

partnership created in 2003 through

a Universal Preschool Task Force

initiated by Mayor Cabaldon. UP4WS

has served over 3,500 children and

families in the past eight years.


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In fiscal year (FY) 2012-13, UP4WS funded 30 classes that include 502 slots in West Sacramento (Exhibit 1).4

Child care and preschool sites that received funding from UP4WS include State Preschool, Head Start/Early

Head Start, community-based child development centers,5family child care homes, and public/private child

care centers. The majority of slots funded by UP4WS were either State Preschool (n=264) or Head Start/Early

Head Start (n=108), both of which are programs for income-eligible families.

Exhibit 1.

Number of UP4WS-Funded Classes by Type, FY2012-13

Type of Care Infant/Toddler PreschoolTOTAL

Classes Slots

State Preschool -- 11 (264 slots) 11 264

Head Start/Early Head Start 2 (20 slots) 4 (88 slots) 6 108

Community Based Child

Development Centers2 (35 slots) 2 (15 slots) 4 50

Family child care homes -- 7 (44 slots) 7 44

Public/private child care centers -- 2 (36 slots) 2 36

TOTAL 4 26 30 502

Classrooms funded by UP4WS are designated as Quality Enhancement (QE) or Maintenance of Effort (MOE),

depending on particular quality criteria selected by First 5 California.

Quality Enhanced (QE)classrooms have all

quality markers in place (see text box to the

right) and provide both a Master Teacher

who coaches and mentors classroom

teachers and a Family Support Specialist who

links families to needed resources.

Maintenance of Effort (MOE) classrooms

have not yet hit all the quality markers,

typically falling short in one or two areas.

All MOE classrooms have an improvement

plan, which requires teachers not reaching

the highest level of education to enroll in

courses and professional development

throughout the year. Among the 30

classrooms funded by UP4WS in FY 2012-

13, a greater number (n=19) were designatedas MOE compared to QE (n=11). Exhibit 2

shows the breakdown of classes by quality

level.

4While UP4WS funded 30 classrooms in FY 2012-13, this evaluation focuses only on the 19 preschool classrooms.5Communicare and Yolo Crisis Nursery

UP4WS Preschool Quality Markers

Teacher education. Preschool

teachers have a BA in Early Childhood

Education (ECE) or related field;

infant/toddler teachers have an AA in

ECE or related field or at least 24 ECE

units with a BA or AA in other field.

Preschool Classroom Assessment

Scoring System (Pre-K CLASS).

Preschool classrooms receive a score of

5 or higher in Emotional Support, 4 or

higher in Classroom Organization, and

2.75 or higher in Instructional Support.

Environment Rating Scale (ERS).

Preschool and infant/toddler

classrooms receive an aggregate score of

5 or higher.


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Exhibit 2.

Number of UP4WS Classes by Quality Level6

6Represent quality levels at the beginning of the fiscal year.

QE MOE

State Preschool 1 10

Head Start/Early Head Start 6 0Community Based Child

Development Centers4 0

Family child care homes 0 7

Public/private child care centers 0 2

TOTAL 11 19


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The UP4WS Longitudinal Evaluation Study

The City of West Sacramento, in partnership with First 5 Yolo, sought assistance to evaluate the UP4WS

program with the goal of providing information to help improve teaching practices and child outcomes. In

June 2012, Harder+Company Community Research, a firm with technical expertise in evaluation and research,

as well as extensive knowledge of early childhood education and First 5 programs, was selected to conduct athree-year longitudinal evaluation study of the short-term and long-term benefits of UP4WS programs. This

report presents findings from the first two years of the longitudinal study.

The purpose of the study is to examine the social, emotional, and academic impacts of the UP4WS program

over time. Specifically, the study examines the benefits of participating in this program in order to help identify

promising practices for preparing young children for school. The findings from this evaluation are intended to

help early educators, policymakers, and local stakeholders better understand the effectiveness and impact of the

UP4WS program on childrens development and will also help identify factors that may be influential to a

childs success in school.

The following questions are guiding this evaluation:

Parent Engagement: How often do UP4WS parents engage in home-based learning activities with

their children? What types of activities, if any, have parents engaged in to bridge children into a

school setting?

Classroom Quality: What are the quality levels of UP4WS preschool classrooms? How do the

quality levels vary by child care type? How do they compare to other preschool classrooms?

Child Development: Do children attending UP4WS demonstrate improved school readiness

skills? How do UP4WS children compare to a group of children who did not attend UP4WS?

Evaluation Design

The longitudinal study (Exhibit 3) was designed to prospectively follow a group of preschool-age children who

participated in an UP4WS preschool program in 2012-13 (UP4WS Group). To examine changes over time,

data are collected from the UP4WS Group in each of three years: preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. In

addition, data from the UP4WS Group are compared to another group of children who did not attend an

UP4WS program (Comparison Group). The purpose of comparing the two groups is to shed light on changes

that may be due to the UP4WS services in particular. It is important to note that while the Comparison Group

did not attend an UP4WS program, they may have participated in another preschool program or may have

different demographic and socioeconomic characteristics than the UP4WS Group. The Comparison Group

for this longitudinal study was selected using UP4WS enrollment lists and providing these lists to the

Washington Unified School District to identify incoming kindergarten children in the school district database

as either having participated in UP4WS (UP4WS Group) or not (Comparison Group). The Comparison

Group for this study was introduced in the kindergarten year.


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Exhibit 3. UP4WS School Readiness Longitudinal Study Evaluation Design

UP4WSGroup (n=191)

ComparisonGroup (n=420)

Parent Survey Desired Results

DevelopmentalProfile

Early ChildhoodEnvironment RatingScale

ClassroomAssessment ScoringSystem

Teachers ChildReport KindergartenAssessment

Teachers ChildReport KindergartenAssessment

School Level Data Free/reduced price

meals Attendance Grade retention Individualized

Education Program(IEP)

English proficiency Report card/grades California English

LanguageDevelopment Test(CELDT)

2012/13

Preschool

2013/14

Kindergarten

2014/15

Grade 1


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UP4WS is reaching families in need.

Key Characteristics of Study Participants

Parents of children in the UP4WS Group were asked to complete a Parent Survey in spring 2013. This survey(available in English, Spanish, and Russian) gathered basic demographic information on their child, their

family and themselves, in addition to information about their involvement in their childs school readiness. A

total of 129 parents/primary caregivers in the UP4WS Group completed a Parent Survey. When available,

comparison data is included.

As shown in Exhibit 4, over half (54 percent) of UP4WS children are Hispanic/Latino. The next largest groups

are multi-racial (17 percent) and White (15 percent). When compared to the race/ethnicity of Washington

Unified kindergartners and Yolo County kindergarteners overall, UP4WS served a greater percentage of

Hispanic/Latino children, multi-racial children, and Pacific Islander children and fewer White and Asian

children.

Exhibit 4. Childs Race/Ethnicity (n=127)

UP4WS Group

(n=127)

Washington Unified

School District

Kindergarteners*

(n=658)

Yolo County

Kindergarteners*

(n=2,214)

Hispanic/Latino 54% 44% 49%

Multi-Racial 17% 4% 3%

White 15% 31% 33%

Asian 6% 16% 11%

Black/African American 4% 4% 2%

Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian 3% 1% 1%

Alaska/American Indian 1% 1% 1%

* Comparison data are from California Department of Education, 2012-13. Washington Unified School District n=658; Yolo

County n=2,214.

As shown in Exhibit 5, 69 percent of UP4WS parents reported speaking a language other than English with

their child (44 speak English andanother language and 25 percent speak mostly a language other than

English). Of those who reported speaking a language other than English, the majority (79 percent) spoke

Spanish. This is similar to data from the Washington Unified School District, where the majority of EnglishLanguage Learner kindergarteners spoke Spanish (61 percent, data not shown).7

7California Department of Education, 2012-13.


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Exhibit 5. Languages Spoken to Child at Home (n=126)

Over one quarter of UP4WS parents (28 percent) have not received a high school diploma. When comparing

UP4WS parents educational attainment to West Sacramento and Yolo County overall, UP4WS is serving a

higher percentage of parents with less than a high school education (28 percent compared to 19 percent inWest Sacramento and 15 percent in Yolo County).

Exhibit 6.

Parents Educational AttainmentUP4WS Group

(n=118)

West Sacramento*

(n=31,264)

Yolo County*

(n=119,945)

Less than high school 28% 19% 15%

High school diploma or GED 29% 25% 20%

More than high school 43% 56% 65%

* Comparison data are from 2012 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.

Exhibit 7 shows that one-third of

UP4WS parents indicated an annual household income

of $15,000 or less. Parallel to the educational

attainment data presented above, when comparing

UP4WS family household income to West Sacramento

and Yolo County overall, UP4WS is serving a higher

percentage of low-income families.

Exhibit 7.

Family Household IncomeUP4WS Group

(n=116)

West Sacramento*

n=11,548

Yolo County*

n=44,355$15,000 or less 33% 11% 5%

$15,000 to $30,000 41%35% 34%

$30,000 to $50,000 17%

$50,000 or more 9% 55% 61%

* Comparison data are from 2012 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.

83 percent of parents whose child

participated in an UP4WS preschool

program reported household annual

incomes that were at or below the

Federal Poverty Level.

English and other

language

44%

English only

31%

Mostly another

language

25%


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Parents report high levels of engagement in home-based and school-based

learning activities.

Fostering Early Learning and Development

Exhibit 8 shows data from the Parent Survey and the frequency with which UP4WS parents or other family

members engaged in specific activities with the child. For every activity listed, over two-thirds of respondents

indicated that they engaged in that activity with the child at least three times a week. The activities most

commonly done three or more times a week were talking about what happened in preschool (94 percent);

playing with toys or indoor games (90 percent); and practicing learning letters, words, or numbers (87

percent). With the exception of playing a game or sport together outside, UP4WS parents reported higher

levels of participation compared to a similar group of parents who participated in a First 5 San Joaquin funded

preschool program.8

Exhibit 8.

Family Engagement in Activities 3 or More Times in the Past WeekUP4WS

First 5 San

Joaquin

Talked about what happened in preschool (n=125) 94% --

Played with toys/indoor games (n=127) 90% 87%

Practiced learning letters, words, numbers (n=127) 87% 82%

Read stories/books (n=129) 77% 73%

Watched a childrens movie/TV program together (n=124) 75% 55%

Sang songs (n=127) 72% 63%

Played a game/sport together outside (n=125) 69% 87%

As shown in Exhibit 9, almost all respondents reported that, in the past year, they or someone else in the

household had met with the childs preschool teacher (97 percent) and had talked to the teacher about the

childs development or behavior (93 percent). Fewer respondents said they had attended a parent advisory or

council meeting (60 percent), attended a program or class event such as a play or a fair (51 percent), or helped

with preschool activities or trips (36 percent). Similar to the data above, in all but one area, UP4WS parents

reported higher levels of participation in school-based activities compared to a similar group parents who

participated in a First 5 San Joaquin funded preschool program.

8Data are from Year 1 of the First 5 San Joaquin School Readiness Evaluation Study (2008). Parents of children who participated in a First 5

funded preschool program were asked to complete a survey in the spring of their childs preschool year.


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Exhibit 9. Preschool Engagement Activities in Past Year

UP4WSFirst 5 San

Joaquin

Met child's preschool teacher (n=128) 97% 91%

Talked to teacher about child's development/behavior (n=126) 93% 84%

Attended parent advisory/council meeting (n=125) 60% 32%

Attended a program or class event (n=125) 51% 27%

Helped with preschool activities or trips (n=128) 36% 43%


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In general, UP4WS classrooms receive high quality rating scores.

Classroom Quality

This evaluation made use of the framework established by First 5 California to measure the quality levels ofpreschool programs. Quality standards are measured in three ways: MOE/QE designations (see Introduction),

the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), and the Environment Rating Scale (ERS). The CLASS

focuses on the quality of teacher-child interactions, while the ERS focuses on activities and materials in the

preschool classroom that provide for a safe and stimulating learning environment. Together, data from these

assessments can inform where programs may need additional resources in order to better support a high

quality learning environment.

Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) is an observation instrument that assesses the quality of

interactions among teachers and children across three domains: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization,and Instructional Support. According to the Pre-K CLASS Dimension Guide:9

Emotional Supportrefers to specific teaching behaviors that help children develop warm, supportive

relationships, experience enjoyment and excitement about learning, feel comfortable in the classroom,

and experience appropriate levels of autonomy or independence.

Classroom Organization describes specific teaching behaviors that help children develop skills to

regulate their own behavior, get the most learning out of each day, and maintain interest in learning

activities.

Instructional Support refers to specific teaching behaviors that support childrens cognitive

development and language growth.

Certified CLASS observers rate the classroom interactions on a scale from 1 (low) to 7 (high). To be eligible for

First 5 California Child Signature Program (CSP) funding, classrooms must meet specific domain score

standards:

A score of 2.75 for Instructional Support;

A score of 3 for Classroom Organization; and

A score of 5 for Emotional Support.

9Teachstone Training, LLC. 2011. Pre-K CLASS Dimensions Guide.


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In FY 2012-13, all 19 UP4WS-funded preschool classrooms were assessed using the CLASS 12 were MOE

and 7 were QE.10 On average, the UP4WS preschool classrooms exceeded the CSP quality standards, with

average scores of 6.2 on Emotional Support, 5.9 on Classroom Organization, and 3.8 on Instructional Support

(Exhibit 10, purple bars). In addition, UP4WS scored higher across all three domains compared to Educare11

preschools (light purple bars) and a national Head Start sample12(grey bars).

Exhibit 10.

Average CLASS Scores by Domain

Although, UP4WS preschool classrooms average CLASS scores exceeded First 5 California CSP domain score

standards, five of the 19 UP4WS preschool classrooms assessed were not meeting the Instructional Support

standard (a score of 2.75 or higher). Of the five classrooms that were not meeting the Instructional Support

standard, three were QE classrooms (two Head Start classrooms and one State preschool classroom) and two

were MOE classrooms (both of which are state preschool classrooms).13

10Infant/toddler and family child care preschool programs were not assessed in FY 2012-13 as the Pre-K CLASS was developed for use in

preschool classrooms. The Infant Toddler CLASS was not available in FY 2012-13.11 UNC FPG Child Development Institute. Educare Implementation Study Findings. August 2012.

http://eln.fpg.unc.edu/sites/eln.fpg.unc.edu/files/FPG-Demonstrating-Results-August-2012-Final.pdf. Educare Schools provide high-quality

instruction serving at-risk children from birth to five years old. Educare Schools are full-day and full-year. The average annual cost of the

Educare model is $20,000 per child.12A National Overview of Grantee CLASSTM Scores in 2013. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/data/class-reports/class-data-2013.html13Please see Appendix A for a list of CLASS scores by classroom and quality level.

6.0

5.6

2.7

6.1

5.5

3.4

6.2

5.9

3.8

Emotional Support

Classroom Organization

Instructional Support

UP4WS (n=19)

Educare (n=64)

Head Start (n=359)

Quality

standards
http://eln.fpg.unc.edu/sites/eln.fpg.unc.edu/files/FPG-Demonstrating-Results-August-2012-Final.pdfhttp://eln.fpg.unc.edu/sites/eln.fpg.unc.edu/files/FPG-Demonstrating-Results-August-2012-Final.pdfhttp://eln.fpg.unc.edu/sites/eln.fpg.unc.edu/files/FPG-Demonstrating-Results-August-2012-Final.pdf


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ECERS-R

The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) is a reliable and valid observational

assessment tool that measures the quality of thephysical classroom environment. The ECERS-R scale was

designed specifically to measure the quality of licensed child care centers serving children ages two and a half

through five years. It consists of 43 items in seven subscales Space and Furnishings, Personal Care Routines,Language-Reasoning, Activities, Interaction, Program Structure, and Parents and Staff. Each item is scored

with a scale ranging from one to seven with one being inadequate, five being good, and seven being

excellent. Research supports that an overall score of five or better suggests a level of program quality that has

better outcomes for children.

Exhibit 11 presents the overall average ECERS-R score and the average scores for each of the seven subscales

for the 18 UP4WS preschool classrooms that were assessed.14 Overall, scores demonstrated that UP4WS

classrooms are meeting the quality standards for the physical classroom environment (overall score of five or

above).

Exhibit 11.

Average ECERS-R scores for UP4WS Preschool Classrooms (n=18)

Similar to the CLASS data presented above, UP4WS preschool classrooms average ECERS-R overall scores

exceeded quality standards; however, of the 18 classrooms scored, two UP4WS preschool classrooms did not

receive an ECERS-R overall score of five or better. Of the two classrooms that did not meet the standards, both

were QE, Head Start classrooms.15

14 The Yolo Crisis Nursery Preschool Program was assessed using the FCCERS. Data was not included in this section of the report. Overall

FCCERS score was 5.2.15Please see Appendix B for a list of ECERS scores by classroom and quality level.

6

6.7

6.5

6

5.3

5.9

5.5

6.3

ECERS-R Overall Score

Subscale 7 Parents and Staff

Subscale 6 Program Structure

Subscale 5 - Interaction

Subscale 4 - Activities

Subscale 3 Language Reasoning

Subscale 2 Personal Care Routines

Subscale 1 Space and FurnishingsQuality

standards


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Summary of Quality Criteria

To understand the extent to which UP4WS preschool classrooms are meeting quality standards, data were

summarized across five quality measures:

Designated as a QE classroom;Received a score of 2.75 or higher on the CLASS Instructional Support;

Received a score of 3 or higher on the CLASS Classroom Organization;

Received a score of 5 or higher on the CLASS Emotional Support; and

Received an overall ECERS score of five or higher.

As shown in Exhibit 12, the majority of UP4WS preschool classrooms met four of the five quality measures

(n=13) with only three classrooms meeting each of the five quality measures.16

Exhibit 12. Number of UP4WS-Funded Preschool Classrooms Meeting Quality Measures (n=19)Met all 5

measures

Met 4 of the 5

measures

Met 3 of the 5

measures

Number of UP4WS preschool classrooms 3 13 3

16See Exhibit C for more detail.


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Children made large developmental gains after participating in an UP4WS

preschool program.

School Readiness

Data on children who participated in an UP4WS program were collected by preschool teachers and

kindergarten teachers using two instruments. The first set of data reported comes from the DRDP-R

(preschool), followed by data from the Teachers Child Report (TCR) (kindergarten). Both instruments rely on

teacher-observed and self-reported data and were designed to assess childrens school readiness skills in a

variety of developmental domains. DRDP-R data were collected by preschool teachers in fall 2012 and spring

2013, while TCR data was collected in the fall of 2013 once the child reached kindergarten.

Desired Results Developmental Profile-Revised (DRDP-R)

The DRDP-R was completed on 259 children ages 3-5 who participated in an UP4WS preschool program in

2012-13. Through the DRDP-R, teachers rate the development of each student on a continuum ranging fromNot Yet, Exploring, Developing, Building, and Integrating. Children in the UP4WS Group made large gains

from pre to post in each area of the DRDP-R (Exhibit 13). Children made the greatest gains in the Language &

Literacy Development and Self & Social Development domains.

While large developmental gains were seen from fall to spring, nearly half of children had not yet reached the

level of Buildingor Integrating across all items in the Mathematical Development and Language & Literacy

Development domains by spring (48 percent and 42 percent, respectively). Although this data includes three,

four, and five year olds (i.e., children who will be getting another year of preschool andchildren who will be

going to kindergarten in the fall), the findings serve as an opportunity to learn more about the school readiness

needs of children in West Sacramento and to plan resources to guide continuous program improvement.

Exhibit 13.

Percent of UP4WS Children Buildingor Integratingall items by DRDP-R Domain

(n=259)

*Measures were only assessed for preschool Dual Language Learners who are learning to speak English

(n=131 fall 2012; n=132 in spring 2013).

77%

75%

60%

58%

55%

48%

42%

23%

30%

10%

21%

6%

7%

3%

Health

Physical Development

Cognitive Development

English Language Development*

Self & Social Development

Mathematical Development

Language & Literacy Development

Pre

Post


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.

Exhibit 14 compares spring DRDP-R scores between

native English speakers and English Language Learners.

With the exception of Physical Development, English

Language Learners had lower pre-DRDP-R scores

compared to Native English speakers; however, from pre to post, English Language Learners exhibited greaterchange in the areas of Health and Mathematical Development.

Exhibit 14. Percent of UP4WS Children Buildingor Integratingall items, by DRDP-R Domain and

English Language Learner Status

Pre PostPercentage Point

Change

Health

Native English Speakers (n=121) 33% 84% 51%

English Language Learners (n=128) 14% 70% 56%

Physical Development



Cognitive Development



Self & Social Development



Mathematical Development



Language & Literacy Development



Half of children who participated in an

UP4WS preschool program were

English Language Learners.


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UP4WS Children Were Just as Ready for Kindergarten as the Comparison Group

Despite Greater Poverty and Limited English Proficiency

Kindergarten Teachers Child Report (TCR)

Preschool age children who participated in an UP4WS preschool program (UP4WS Group) in 2012-13 were

followed longitudinally into kindergarten. Kindergarten teachers completed the Teachers Child Report (TCR)

in the fall of 2013 on 183 children in the UP4WS Group (96 percent response rate). Where applicable,

comparisons are made to a group of children who did not attend an UP4WS preschool program (Comparison

Group; n=420, representing a 97 percent response rate). Note that while the Comparison Group did not attend

an UP4WS preschool program, they may have attended another program prior to kindergarten.

The TCR asks questions within four sections:

1. Emerging Cognitive Skills17measures motor and physical skills, literacy skills, and cognitive skills;

2. Social and Emotional Skills18assesses a childs social and emotional behaviors in the classroom;

3.

Preschool Learning Behaviorexamines a childs approaches to learning; and4. Kindergarten Transitionasks one question about a childs ease of adjustment during the first weeks

of kindergarten.

UP4WS children, on average, represent a higher need population than the Comparison Group. They are more

likely to come from a family with limited English proficiency and/or qualify for free or reduced lunch. This

finding is reflective of the UP4WS recruitment strategy/eligibility requirements the majority of students

participating in UP4WS come from state-funded preschools and Head Start settings. Exhibit 15 shows that

over half (52 percent) of UP4WS children come from families with limited English proficiency compared to 33

percent in the Comparison Group. Additionally, there is a significantly higher proportion of children among

the UP4WS group that qualify for free or reduced priced lunchesover three-quarters (77 percent) of UP4WS

children qualify compared to 44 percent in the Comparison Group.19

Exhibit 15. Percent of Children among UP4WS and Comparison Group with Socioeconomic

CharacteristicsUP4WS

(n=191)

Comparison Group

(n=407)

Limited English proficiency 52% 33%

Qualify for free or reduced priced lunch 77% 44%

Despite these significant differences, findings presented below show that with the exception of emergent

literacy (an area in which UP4WS children scored significantly betterthan a subset of the Comparison Group;see Exhibit 1820), UP4WS children were just as ready for kindergarten as their peers in the comparison group.

17Child Accomplishments on the TCR.18Classroom Conduct on the TCR.19p


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TCR School Readiness Assessment Areas

The following section presents data from each item on the TCR, comparing UP4WS children to the

Comparison Group.

Emerging Cognitive Skills

As shown in Exhibit 16, the majority of children in the UP4WS Group demonstrated high competency in

motor and physical skills, with percentages similar to the Comparison Group.

Exhibit 16. Teachers Child Report: Motor and Physical Skills

Percent who reported yes

Motor/Physical Skills ItemsUP4WS

(n=182-183)

Comparison

Group

(n=404-406)

Does not trip, stumble or fall easily1 95% 90%

Does not stutter or stammer2 89% 92%

Can button his/her clothes 87% 87%

When speaking, is understandable to a stranger 82% 84%

Holds a pencil properly 81% 86%

1 Item on the TCR asks if child trips, stumbles, or falls easily. The percentage presented here represents those who answered no.

2 Item on the TCR asks if child stutters or stammers. The percentage presented here represents those who answered no.

Five key cognitive skills that teachers observed and assessed on the TCR comprise emergent literacy skills. As

shown in Exhibit 17 about three quarters or more of the children in the UP4WS Group were able to do three of

the five skills, and closer to half were able to recognize the letters of the alphabet or count to twenty. Again,

results were similar in the Comparison Group.

Exhibit 17. Teachers Child Report: Emergent Literacy Skills

Percent who reported yes

Emerging Literacy ItemsUP4WS

(n=181-183)

Comparison

Group

(n=403-406)

Can write his/her own first name 86% 86%

Can identify the colors red, yellow, blue, and green by name* 79% 80%

Writes/draws rather than scribbles 74% 77%

Can recognize most or all letters of the alphabet 56% 55%

Can count to twenty 46% 52%

*Answer choices for this item were: All of them, Some of them, or None of them. The percentage presented here

represents those who answered All of them.


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As described earlier, the evaluation also conducted an analysis across all TCR results of a subset of the

Comparison Group that more closely matches the UP4WS Group. Data show that across all TCR areas,

Emergent Literacy was the only one in which there was a statistically significant finding children in the

UP4WS group had significantly higher mean scores (p


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Social and Emotional Skills

The Classroom Conduct section of the TCR examined childrens social and emotional development in the

classroom with a specific focus on problem behavior. Children were observed by teachers in three main areas:

aggressive behavior, hyperactive behavior, and withdrawn behavior. Four items pertained to aggressive behavior

as shown in Exhibit 20. On all four items, less than ten percent of children in either the UP4WS Group or theComparison Group were reported to exhibit the behavior often.

Exhibit 20. Teachers Child Report: Aggressive BehaviorPercent who reported very true

or often true

Aggressive Behavior ItemsUP4WS

(n=180-182)

Comparison

Group

(n=402-406)

Disrupts ongoing activities 8% 7%

Disobeys rules or requests 7% 6%

Hits or fights with others 7% 4%

Has temper tantrums or hot temper 4% 2%

Exhibit 21 presents three items that measured childrens hyperactive behavior. In the UP4WS group, over ten

percent of the children were assessed as having difficulty concentrating and sitting still.

Exhibit 21. Teachers Child Report: Hyperactive BehaviorPercent who reported very true

or often true

Hyperactive Behavior Items

UP4WS

(n=182-183)

Comparison

Group(n=402-405)

Cant concentrate, cant pay attention for long 13% 10%

Is very restless, fidgets all the time, cant sit still 12% 8%

Is nervous, high-strung, or tense 4% 3%

Teachers measured withdrawn behaviorusing seven items on the TCR (Exhibit 22). Very few children were

assessed by their kindergarten teacher as worrying about things or seeming unhappy. A slightly greater

percentage were assessed as acting too young for their age (seven percent), lacking confidence (eight percent),

or hard to understand when speaking (nine percent). Comparison Group results, once again, were very

similar.


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Exhibit 22. Teachers Child Report: Withdrawn BehaviorPercent who reported very true

or often true

Withdrawn Behavior ItemsUP4WS

(n=182-183)

Comparison

Group

(n=404-405)

Worries about things for a long time 1% 2%

Often seems unhappy, sad, or depressed 2% 2%

Keeps to him/herself, tends to withdraw 2% 4%

Often seems sleepy or tired 3% 1%

Acts too young for age 7% 7%

Lacks confidence in learning new things or trying new activities 8% 5%

Hard to understand what he/she is saying 9% 7%

Preschool Learning Behavior

The TCR also measures Preschool Learning Behavior by asking teachers to consider childrens approaches to

learning, such as attention, persistence and frustration tolerance (Exhibit 23). In general, there were positive

observations made by the teachers on the children in both the UP4WS Group and the Comparison Group.

Exhibit 23. Teachers Child Report: Preschool Learning Behavior (n=182-183)Percent who reported very true

or often true

Preschool Learning Behavior Items

UP4WS

(n=182-183)

Comparison

Group(n=402-406)

Cooperates in group activities 65% 70%

Sticks to an activity for as long as can be expected for a child this age 65% 65%

Pays attention to what you say 54% 58%

Is distracted too easily by what is going on in the room or seeks

distraction18% 12%

Acts without taking sufficient time to look at the problem or work out a

solution10% 10%

Cannot settle into an activity 8% 6%

Adopts a dont care attitude to success or failure 7% 5%

Shows little determination to complete an activity 7% 4%

Tries hard but concentration soon fades and performance deteriorates 6% 3%


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Recommendations

Continue efforts to serve high-need children in West Sacramento. As evident from data

collected through this study, UP4WS is providing services and supports to high-need children and

families in West Sacramento. These efforts are supported by research that suggests that anachievement gap in education exits. Namely, students from a variety of racial, ethnic, and economic

backgrounds have different levels of academic performance. Therefore, UP4WS should continue its

outreach efforts to provide valuable services to the citys highest need families.

Review and monitor child assessment data to inform professional development needs.While large developmental gains were seen on the DRDP, less than half of children had not yet

reached the level of school readiness in the Mathematical Development and Language & Literacy

Development domains. These findings serve as an opportunity for staff and teachers to learn more

about the developmental needs of children in West Sacramento and to plan resources to guide

continuous program improvement.

Increase opportunities for parents to be involved in their childs learning. Children whose

parents are involved in their childs education are more likely to succeed in school. Data from the

Parent Survey shows that while nearly all respondents reported that they had met with the childs

preschool teacher and had talked to the teacher about the childs development or behavior, fewer

respondents had attended a parent advisory or council meeting, attended a program or class event

such as a play or a fair, or helped with preschool activities or trips. To continue to increase parent

engagement, UP4WS should offer a range of opportunities, including those that are culturally and

linguistically appropriate for families receiving services from UP4WS.

Provide resources to continue to increase the number of classrooms who meet the Quality

Enhancement criteria. Classrooms funded by UP4WS are designated as Quality Enhancement

(QE) or Maintenance of Effort (MOE) depending on their quality level. To continue to provide high

quality care for all children in West Sacramento, UP4WS should continue to focus efforts on

increasing the number of classrooms designated as Quality Enhancement. Additionally, since family

child care is generally the most affordable child care option in West Sacramento; UP4WS may

consider focusing their efforts on working with these care providers. Strategies may include

identifying outreach activities to increase engagement among family child care providers, discussing

professional development needs, identifying coaching and technical assistance strategies, and working

with other First 5 counties who have successfully supported family child care providers in advancing

to a QE level.

Continue efforts to share evaluation findings. As described above, sharing this data with local childcare providers (and preschool teachers) can increase capacity in the areas of improving the early care and

education environments, improving parent involvement, and improving the overall quality of early care

and education. Additionally data sharing can, over time, improve the overall quality of early care data

such as the DRDP, CLASS, and ERS. Improved data quality can more accurately identify the strengths and

areas of opportunity of early care and education sites. Finally, data sharing can also increase awareness of

the importance of universal early education opportunities among policy makers and funders. Therefore,

UP4WS may consider developing strategies and allocating resources for sharing evaluation findings. This


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may include developing classroom level reports (for both preschool and kindergarten classrooms),

presenting findings to funders and policy makers, and outreaching to participants (e.g. teachers, school

staff, and parents).


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Next Steps

As illustrated in the longitudinal evaluation study design (see Exhibit 3), children in the UP4WS Group (and

Comparison Group) will be in first grade in the fall of 2014 (Cohort 1). We will also be introducing a new

Group (Cohort 2) which will include children who attended an UP4WS preschool program in FY 13-14 whoare entering kindergarten in fall 2014. Described below are the next steps for the longitudinal evaluation.

Cohort 1

Work with Washington Unified staff to gather school level data (e.g. attendance, report cards,

free/reduced price meal participation) from the UP4WS Group and Comparison Group.

Cohort 2

Identify children who participated in an UP4WS preschool program in FY 13-14;

Develop and administer a brief Parent Survey to be completed by all parents of children entering aWashington Unified kindergarten in fall 2014; and

Collaborate with Washington Unified school staff to administer the Teachers Child Report and

Parent Survey to all children in kindergarten in fall 2014.

Data collected from each cohort will be analyzed in order to study changes that have occurred over time and

also to consider whether early childhood experiences have an effect on school readiness. Additionally,

demographic differences within and between groups will be explored in reference to child outcomes and

program participation.


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Appendix A: CLASS Scores by Quality Level and

Type of Care, 2012-13

Classroom NameQuality

Level

Type of

Care

EmotionalSupport

Average

ClassroomOrganization

Average

InstructionalSupport

Average

Reyes Full Day State Preschool QE State 5.68 5.22 2.22

Gonzales AM State Preschool MOE State 6.43 6.20 3.63

Gonzales PM State Preschool MOE State 6.43 6.20 3.63

Sedilko AM State Preschool MOE State 6.25 6.33 3.78

Sedilko PM State Preschool MOE State 6.25 6.33 3.78

Cheng AM State Preschool MOE State 5.23 5.22 2.67

Cheng PM State Preschool MOE State 5.23 5.22 2.67

Ladd AM State Preschool MOE State 6.00 6.00 3.45

Ladd PM State Preschool MOE State 6.00 6.00 3.45

Morales AM State Preschool MOE State 5.42 5.78 3.55

Morales PM State Preschool MOE State 5.42 5.78 3.55

Learning Ladder Blue Room MOE Public/private 6.63 6.17 5.33

Learning Ladder Green Room MOE Public/private 6.56 5.86 4.97

Communicare Infant/Toddler QECommunity Based Child

Development Ctrs6.48 6.53 4.63

Communicare Preschool QECommunity Based Child


Yolo Crisis Nursery Infant/Toddler QECommunity Based Child


Yolo Crisis Nursery Preschool QECommunity Based Child


Alyce Norman Head Start QE Head Start 6.50 6.11 2.67

Westfield Head Start QE Head Start 6.58 5.78 2.11

West Capitol Head Start AM QE Head Start 6.33 4.90 2.77

West Capitol Head Start PM QE Head Start 6.83 6.33 3.57

CLASS Domains

UP4WS

QE Classrooms

(n=7)

UP4WS

MOE Classrooms

(n=12)

Emotional Support 6.45 5.98

Classroom Organization 5.92 5.92

Instructional Support 3.37 3.71


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Appendix B: ECERS Scores Quality Level and

Type of Care, 2012-13

Classroom Name QualityLevel

Type of Care Average Score

Reyes Full Day State Preschool QE State 6.2

Gonzales AM State Preschool MOE State 6.5

Gonzales PM State Preschool MOE State 6.5

Sedilko AM State Preschool MOE State 6.3

Sedilko PM State Preschool MOE State 6.3

Cheng AM State Preschool MOE State 6.1

Cheng PM State Preschool MOE State 6.1Ladd AM State Preschool MOE State 6.2

Ladd PM State Preschool MOE State 6.2

Morales AM State Preschool MOE State 5.9

Morales PM State Preschool MOE State 5.9

Learning Ladder Blue Room MOE Public/private 7.0

Learning Ladder Green Room MOE Public/private 7.0

Communicare Preschool QECommunity Based Child

Development Centers6.2

Alyce Norman Head Start QE Head Start 4.7

Westfield Head Start QE Head Start 5.2

West Capitol Head Start AM QE Head Start 4.9

West Capitol Head Start PM QE Head Start 5.1


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ECERS-R and SubscalesAverage Scores

(n=18)

QE Scores

(n=6)

MOE Scores

(n=12)

Subscale 1 Space and Furnishings 6.3 5.46 6.75

Subscale 2 Personal Care Routines 5.5 4.31 6.07

Subscale 3 Language Reasoning 5.9 4.96 6.42

Subscale 4 - Activities 5.3 5.36 5.29

Subscale 5 - Interaction 6.0 5.43 6.20

Subscale 6 Program Structure 6.5 5.55 6.89

Subscale 7 Parents and Staff 6.7 6.67 6.67

ECERS-R Overall Score 6.0 5.40 6.33


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Appendix C: Quality Criteria by Classroom,

2012-13

Classroom/Site

Is

classroom

QE?

Didclassroom

meet CLASS

Emotional

Support

quality

criteria?

Didclassroom

meet CLASS

Classroom

Organization

quality

criteria?

Didclassroom

meet CLASS

Instructional

Support

quality

criteria?

Didclassroom

meet

overall

ERS

quality

criteria?23

Alyce Norman Head Start X X X

Cheng AM State Preschool X X X

Cheng PM State Preschool X X X

Communicare Preschool X X X X X

Learning Ladder Blue Room X X X X

Learning Ladder Green Room X X X X

Gonzales AM State Preschool X X X X

Gonzales PM State Preschool X X X X

Ladd AM State Preschool X X X X

Ladd PM State Preschool X X X X

Morales AM State Preschool X X X X

Morales PM State Preschool X X X X

Reyes Full Day State Preschool X X X X

Sedilko AM State Preschool X X X X

Sedilko PM State Preschool X X X X

West Capitol Head Start AM X X X X

West Capitol Head Start PM X X X X X

Westfield Head Start X X X X

Yolo Crisis Nursery Preschool X X X X X

23With the exception of Yolo Crisis Nursery, all other ERS scores were ECERS.

Documents

UP4WS Report