Utilizing the desired results developmental profile as a measure of school readiness: evaluating factor structure and predictors of school readiness^†

† Research was conducted at the University of California, Davis.

ABSTRACT

A disconnect exists between definitions of school readiness used in research and early childhood education (ECE). While researchers often discuss school readiness as a single, multidimensional construct, the majority of studies operationalize it using multiple measures rather than as one outcome. In comparison, in ECE settings a single measurement tool including multiple dimensions is used. The current study attempted to bridge this gap by examining the factor structure of the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP), a measure of school readiness used in Head Start. We considered often-cited predictors of school readiness (parenting, effortful control) to replicate previous research findings. Analyses indicated a single factor was most appropriate for the DRDP. Measures of parenting and children’s effortful control were significant predictors of DRDP scores. Findings from the current study suggest an existing single factor, ECE-based measure of school readiness, such as the DRDP, can also be used as a research tool.

KEYWORDS:

• School readiness
• parenting
• effortful control
• preschool

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Larissa Leavens, Christine Davidson, and Brenda Campos, Meghan Marshall, and staff at the SETA Head Start of Sacramento for their assistance in data collection, and to the families who participated in this research study. Portions of this study were submitted to the University of California, Davis Graduate Studies in partial completion of requirements towards a Master of Science degree awarded to the first author.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Carolyn Sutter is a Doctoral Candidate in Human Development at the University of California, Davis, whose research interests focus on social factors and interactions related to the development of health behaviours from early childhood through adolescence.

Lenna L. Ontai is an Associate Specialist in Cooperative Extension at the University of California, Davis. Her work focuses on parenting and parent–child relationships as they pertain to child health and development.

Adrienne Nishina is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Ecology at the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on child and adolescent peer relationships, ethnic minority populations, and the impact of diversity as a context for development.

Katherine J. Conger is a Professor in the Department of Human Ecology at the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on the longitudinal assessment of economic hardship, family relationship processes, and individual and family responses to economic stress, with a special emphasis on the study of sibling relationship dynamics as risk and protective factors for health and well-being during adolescence and adulthood.

Mical K. Shilts is a Professor at California State University, Sacramento teaching nutrition education and community nutrition courses in the Family and Consumer Sciences Department. Her research interests concentrate on the development and evaluation of obesity prevention interventions applying ‘guided’ goal setting targeting low-income, ethnically diverse audiences and the design and validation of dietary assessment tools for low-literate audiences.

Marilyn S. Townsend is an Extension Nutrition Specialist in the Nutrition Department, UC Davis. She has extensive experience in programme evaluation, intervention development and assessment tool validation. Serving as a consultant with numerous federal/state agency professionals and university researchers, she is considered an expert on the development of valid tools for risk assessment and programme evaluation.

ORCID

Carolyn Sutter http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8448-2251

Notes

† Research was conducted at the University of California, Davis.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this study was provided through a USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Grant #2010-85215-20658 awarded to Drs Townsend, Ontai, and Shilts.