Level of structural quality and process quality in rural preschool classrooms

ABSTRACT

Preschool classrooms with varying levels of structural quality requirements across the state of West Virginia were investigated for differences in measured structural and process quality. Quality was measured using group size, child-to-teacher/staff ratio, teacher education, and the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R; Harms, T., Clifford, R. M., & Cryer, D. (2005). The early childhood environment rating scale-revised. New York, NY: Teachers College Press). Thirty-six classrooms with less structural quality requirements and 136 with more structural quality requirements were measured. There were significant differences between classroom type, with classrooms with more structural quality requirements having significantly higher teacher education levels and higher environmental rating scores on the ECERS-R subscales of Space and Furnishings, Activities, and Program Structure. Results support previous research that stricter structural state regulations are correlated with higher measured structural and process quality in preschool classrooms. Implications for preschool state quality standards are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Preschool
• environment
• structural quality
• process quality

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Suzanne C. Hartman is an Assistant Professor of Child Development and Family Studies at West Virginia University in the College of Education and Human Services. She earned a Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology from George Mason University in 2009. Her research interests include early child development, school readiness, childcare and pre-K programme quality, and early academic outcomes among at-risk populations.

Barbara G. Warash is a Professor of Child Development and Family Studies at West Virginia University in the College of Education and Human Services. She is also the Director of the Child Development Laboratory School at West Virginia University. She earned an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from West Virginia University in 1991. Her research interests include early childhood education and development, curriculum development, and children’s play.

Reagan Curtis is a Professor of Educational Psychology, Chair of the Department of Learning Sciences & Human Development, and Founding Director of the Program Evaluation and Research Center of the College of Education & Human Services at West Virginia University. He pursues a diverse research agenda in the development of mathematical and scientific knowledge across the lifespan, online delivery methods and pedagogical approaches to university instruction, and research methodology, programme evaluation, and data analysis for studies in developmental, educational, health sciences, and counselling contexts.

Jessica Day Hirst is a full-time private nanny for a family in Morgantown, West Virginia. She earned an M.A. in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Child Development and Family Studies from West Virginia University in 2013. Her research interests include childcare and pre-K programme quality, early childhood education, socio-emotional development in early childhood, and children’s play.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by a grant from the West Virginia DHHR/Bureau for Children and Families.