Family income, parent education, and perceived constraints as predictors of observed program quality and parent rated program quality

Observed child care quality and parent perceptions of child care quality received by children in poor (below Federal Poverty Line, FPL), low-income (between FPL and 200% of FPL), and non-low-income families were examined. Observations were completed in 359 center- and home-based child care programs in four Midwestern states and surveys were received from 1313 parents whose children were enrolled in these programs. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that programs with higher proportions of low-income families tend to have lower observed quality than programs with a higher proportion of non-low-income families. Programs with more educated parents tended to have better observed quality, however, more educated parents tended to have lower perceptions of quality.     

Conscientiousness explains the link between childhood neglect and cigarette smoking in adults from a low-income,urban area–the differential effects of sex

Cigarette smoking represents the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the US and understanding its risk factors remains a critical public health endeavor. Low-income individuals and individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment are at heightened risk for cigarette smoking, yet the underlying factors between this association are understudied. Conscientiousness is one construct with potential explanatory relevance to both smoking and childhood neglect. The current investigation examined the association between childhood physical and emotional neglect with smoking (i.e., self-reported cigarette smoking and breath carbon monoxide levels) via conscientiousness. The sample was comprised of 115 adults (M_age = 50.46, SD_age = 5.86; 76.4% Black) recruited from a community center serving low-income and homeless individuals. Mediation analyses showed the indirect effect of childhood emotional neglect on cigarette smoking through conscientiousness; for physical neglect, this relationship was only present among males. The current study provides preliminary evidence that conscientiousness may be a particularly important vulnerability factor when examining the association between childhood neglect and smoking.     

Arts enrichment and preschool emotions for low-income children at risk

No studies to date examine the impact of arts-integrated preschool programming on the emotional functioning of low-income children at risk for school problems. The present study examines observed emotion expression and teacher-rated emotion regulation for low-income children attending Settlement Music School's Kaleidoscope Preschool Arts Enrichment Program. At a level of p < .001, results indicate the following. First, within Kaleidoscope, children showed greater observed positive emotions such as interest, happiness, and pride, in music, dance, and visual arts classes, as compared to traditional early learning classes. Second, children at Kaleidoscope showed greater observed positive emotions than peers attending a comparison preschool that did not include full integration of the arts. Third, across the school year, children at Kaleidoscope showed greater growth in teacher-rated levels of positive and negative emotion regulation. The implication is that arts enrichment may promote social–emotional readiness to learn for low-income children at risk for school problems.     

Preschool behavior problems in classroom learning situations and literacy outcomes in kindergarten and first grade

Relations between classroom behavior problems early in the preschool year and elementary school literacy and language outcomes were examined for an entire cohort of four-year-old Head Start children (N = 2682). A cross-classified random effects model was used that controlled for the variance in literacy outcomes attributed to: (a) child-level demographics (age, gender, ethnicity), and end of the preschool year cognitive skills; (b) Head Start, kindergarten and first grade classrooms; and (c) kindergarten and first grade schools. Preschool behavior problems were assessed across structured learning situations, and during peer and teacher interactions at the beginning of Head Start. Preschool behavior problems in structured learning situations differentially predicted lower literacy outcomes across all time points. Findings extend previous research and underscore the importance of early identification of problem behavior using developmentally and ecologically valid tools within early childhood classrooms intentionally designed to foster literacy skills.     

Three strands of explanations on root causes of civil war in low-income and weak states in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for education

This paper is a theoretical exploration of the relationship between schooling and the root causes of contemporary conflicts in low-income and weak states in sub-Saharan Africa. It does so by exploring three predominant theoretical strands on contemporary intrastate conflict and their implications to education: (1) the ‘grievance’ explanation; (2) an alternative economic explanation, focusing on the idea of the ‘opportunity cost of rebellion’; and (3) a political explanation that shows the role of the ruling elites and the state. The article suggests some theoretical and conceptual insights on examining the ways in which education fuels into the root causes of conflict in low-income and weak states.