Kathryn Tout

Temperament, social competence, and adrenocortical activity in preschoolers

The relations among temperament, social competence, and levels of a stress-sensitive hormone (salivary cortisol) were examined in two studies of preschoolers children (Study 1, N = 29; Study 2, N = 46). In both studies, we sampled cortisol daily for the initial weeks of school year (Group Formation period) and for several weeks later in the year (Familiar Group period). For each child, we examined two measures of cortisol activity (separately for each period) based on the distribution of cortisol levels across days: (a) median cortisol (50th percentile) and (b) cortisol reactivity (the difference between the 75th and 50th percentile). Median cortisol was modestly stable across periods, but cortisol reactivity was not. Children who showed high cortisol reactivity (75th minus 50th percentile > or = 0.10 micrograms/dl) during the Group Formation period but low-to-normal cortisol reactivity during the Familiar Group period were outgoing, competent, and well liked by their peers. In contrast, children who changed from low/normal to high cortisol reactivity and those who maintained high cortisol reactivity from the Group Formation to Familiar Group period were affectively negative and solitary. Children who showed high median cortisol during the Familiar Group period or over both periods scored lower on a measure of attentional and inhibitory control. Together, these results suggest that relations among temperament, social competence, and neuroendocrine reactivity reflect both individual and contextual differences.

Familiar and novel contexts yield different associations between cortisol and behavior among 2‐year‐old children

We examined 10:30 a.m. salivary cortisol levels in twenty-four 2-year-old children at home, and then at several points during transition into preschool: Week 1, Weeks 6-9, and the 1st week following a month-long holiday break. Cortisol levels did not increase when the children first started school as compared to either home or later school levels. Cortisol levels were correlated across similar, but not across dissimilar, psychosocial contexts. Home levels were correlated wit more shy, anxious, internalizing behavior while the response to starting school was correlated with more assertive, angry, and aggressive behavior. Behavior was assessed using parent temperament reports, teacher reports, and observational measures. We conclude that HPA activity as indexed by salivary cortisol measures is differentially associated with behavior in familiar and novel contexts. Consistent with our prior work, shy/anxious behavior is not significantly associated with elevations in cortisol when young children enter new social situations.

Hemispheric differences in brain activity related to the recognition of emotional expressions by 5‐year‐old children

Event‐related potentials were recorded while 5‐year‐olds (N= 44) watched slides of a woman posing happy, angry, and fearful expressions. In 1 session, children were instructed to press a button whenever they saw the happy face, and in another, they were instructed to respond to the fearful face. Four event‐related potential components (N170, P280, N400, and P700) differed in amplitude, latency, or both at right compared to left hemisphere recording sites, and hemispheric differences were present at both anterior (F3, F4) and posterior (T5, T6) recording sites. Hemispheric differences in the amplitude of the P700 were influenced by the task instructions: The P700 was larger at the right posterior than the left posterior recording site for nontarget, but not for target, faces. In contrast, hemispheric differences in the components preceding the P700 were not affected by task instructions. These results suggest that hemispheric differences in brain activity related to recognition of expressions are modulated...

Time for a change? Predictors of child care changes by low-income families

Instability in child care arrangements can negatively affect childrens development, especially in low-income families. However, few studies have examined what predicts changes over time in child care arrangements. This paper presents findings from a unique multiyear study tracking child care use in low-income families. We estimate rich quantitative models to analyze the relationships among child, household, and care provider characteristics and four different types of changes. We find turnover in child care arrangements to be common in this low-income population. Over a period of six months, half of the children changed primary provider. Child care changes were frequently related to job loss, changes in family composition, or the changing availability of caregivers. While concerns have been raised that short spells of child care subsidy receipt cause child care instability, we found that subsidy use was not associated with higher rates of change. In addition, we found that the lower a parents assessment of the childs experience in a particular arrangement in the prior time period, the higher the likelihood of changing providers by the next survey wave. These results indicate that low-income parents recognize quality factors and change arrangements to improve the quality of care.

The Problem of Measurement Error in Self-Reported Receipt of Child-Care Subsidies: Evidence from Two States

Researchers frequently rely on survey responses to determine whether families receive government assistance and to study the effects of government programs, but these responses are often inaccurate. This study investigates misreporting in the child-care subsidy program by comparing survey responses on child-care subsidy receipt with program administrative data in two states. While we find a lower rate of misreporting than is typical for other government assistance programs, overreporting of benefit receipt is surprisingly common and generates overestimates of program participation. Analyses further suggest that the frequency and systematic nature of misreporting bias estimates of the predictors of program receipt and the effects of the program. These findings illustrate the necessity of assessing the frequency of response errors and understanding their implications in generating valid research results on the effects of government programs.

Look to the Stars: Future Directions for the Evaluation of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems

In just over a decade, quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) have become a central feature of state early care and education systems. This article provides a commentary on work by Elicker and colleagues (Elicker, Ruprecht, Langill, Lewsader, Anderson, & Brizzi, 2013) in this special issue of Early Education and Development that describes a partnership between state QRIS administrators and university researchers that has supported design, implementation, and evaluation of Indiana’s QRIS. A QRIS is a multipronged strategy that establishes specific quality indicators for programs, rates programs on the degree to which they meet quality indicators using stars or other consumer-friendly symbols, disseminates ratings to parents, and provides supports and incentives for programs to improve their quality. Although emphases may vary, the ultimate goal of a QRIS is to serve as a hub in an early childhood system that can promote quality improvement, support parents’ selection of high-quality early care and education, and support optimal child development and school readiness (Mitchell, 2005; Tout, Zaslow, Halle, & Forry, 2009; Zellman & Perlman, 2008). More than half of U.S. states have a QRIS in place, and most other states are in the process of actively exploring, developing, or piloting a QRIS (Tout et al., 2010). Research and evaluation have informed existing QRIS in multiple ways. Indeed, the original impetus for QRIS development in pioneer states was based in part on evidence from large-scale child care studies in the 1990s indicating that the quality of child care is important for children’s development and that the overall quality of care available ranges from medium to low quality (Mitchell, 2005; Zellman & Perlman, 2008). The research base has also been used to guide the development and validation of quality standards and indicators for QRIS (e.g., Elicker, Langill, Ruprecht, & Kwon, 2007; Maxwell, 2008, 2009), to inform the selection of observational tools (Tout et al., 2009), and to inform technical assistance and quality improvement support strategies used with programs. To date, QRIS evaluations have been conducted in some states, but the focus, breadth, and timing of evaluations varies greatly. Early state studies examined whether quality ratings differentiated scores on other quality measures (Bryant, 2001; Norris, Dunn, & Eckert, 2003) and tracked quality improvements (Barnard, Smith, Fiene, & Swanson, 2006; Cheatam, Pope, & Myers, 2005; Norris et al., 2003; Zellman, Perlman, Le, & Setodji, 2008) and implementation (Pope, Denny, Homer, & Ricci, 2006). State-specific studies have also been conducted in coordination with a pilot QRIS or new statewide launch. These studies have expanded on earlier

Treatment Fidelity Challenges in a Five-State Consultation Study

Consultation is a promising approach to creating change in early childhood programs, from innovations in instructional strategies to the enhancement of global program quality. Studies of consultation effectiveness have been hampered by limited reports of implementation fidelity related to consultation procedures. This article describes the challenges of supporting and measuring implementation fidelity in a 5-state study in which community consultants followed a collaborative consultation model to enhance global quality in childcare programs. The authors consider the limitations of using a randomized experimental design to study the effectiveness of consultation and share lessons learned in their efforts to enhance treatment fidelity without compromising the basic tenets of the model or the rigorous design.