Examining the Factor Structure of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System Toddler (CLASS-T) in Early Head Start and Subsidized Child Care Classrooms

ABSTRACT

Research Findings: The Classroom Assessment Scoring System Toddler (CLASS-T) is one of the most commonly used measures to assess the quality of teacher-child interactions in toddler classrooms. Despite widespread use of the CLASS-T, few studies have examined the factor structure of the CLASS-T for use in Early Head Start (EHS) and subsidized child care programs serving children from low-income, ethnically and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The purpose of the present study was (a) to examine the factor structure of the CLASS-T in a sample of 106 classrooms comprised of ethnically and linguistically diverse toddlers attending EHS and subsidized child care programs; and (b) to examine the invariance of the factor structure across classrooms in which teachers spoke predominantly English or Spanish in the classroom. Findings supported the two-factor structure of the CLASS-T, which included the Emotional and Behavioral Support and Engaged Support for Learning domains. Additionally, findings provide preliminary support for the use of the two-factor structure of the CLASS-T in linguistically diverse classrooms. Practice or Policy: Overall, research findings provide evidence for the use of the CLASS-T to measure quality within toddler classrooms that serve ethnically and linguistically diverse toddlers. Future directions and implications for both policy and practice are discussed.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Grant number 90YE0197. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, the Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.