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West Virginia's Universal Preschool Program: The Relationship between Child Characteristics and Early Learning Scale (ELS) Growth

Wolfe, Amy D.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1399626124

Abstract Details

2014, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Curriculum and Instruction (Education).
West Virginia provides universal access to publicly funded preschool for all 4-year olds in the state. This approach contrasts with the approach many states and the federal government take to offering preschool, which is to provide targeted programs, focused on traditionally at-risk populations. Support for moving toward universal access has grown to include the White House, where it has been touted as a priority in recent State of the Union Addresses. This research explores West Virginia's existing program to understand the experience of the students enrolled in the 2012-2013 school year using extant data. West Virginia's Universal Preschool program uses Early Learning Scale (ELS) to assess student growth during the preschool year, the results of which are collected in a statewide database. The West Virginia State Department of Education also collects data on student and classroom demographics. This study uses hierarchical linear modeling to analyze the relationship of student characteristics and baseline and growth scores on ELS. Additional descriptive analysis of site characteristics is also provided to provide a profile of the classrooms of the 2012-2013 preschool class. This study documents a gap in ELS scores at baseline between low SES and non-low SES students and between boys and girls. No gap was apparent between white and non-white students in the analysis. Students in West Virginia's Universal Preschool program show growth through the preschool year on ELS; however, growth rates of low-SES and male children are not great enough to close the gaps that exist when the students are initially assessed. This dissertation recommends that more research needs to be done to understand how classroom, student, and socio-geographic characteristics interact to influence student baseline and growth scores on ELS in West Virginia.
Eugene Geist, A (Committee Chair)
Gordon Brooks, P (Committee Member)
James Salzman (Committee Member)
Jerry Johnson, D (Committee Member)
160 p.
Early Childhood Education; Education; Education Policy
universal preschool; preschool; West Virginia; public preschool; achievement gap; socioeconomic status; SES; race; gender; quality; growth

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Wolfe, A. D. (2014). West Virginia's Universal Preschool Program: The Relationship between Child Characteristics and Early Learning Scale (ELS) Growth [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1399626124

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Wolfe, Amy. West Virginia's Universal Preschool Program: The Relationship between Child Characteristics and Early Learning Scale (ELS) Growth . 2014. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1399626124.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Wolfe, Amy. "West Virginia's Universal Preschool Program: The Relationship between Child Characteristics and Early Learning Scale (ELS) Growth ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1399626124

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1399626124
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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.