Professional Development Tools to Improve the Quality of Infant and Toddler Care

NCT03433872 | Unknown DMC

• 1 other identifier: 50192
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 475
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Mathematica Policy Research, funded by OPRE, ACF, DHHS, will conduct a field test of We Grow Together: The Q-CCIIT Professional Development System. These professional development (PD) tools and the interactive website featuring the materials were developed to promote high-quality caregiver-child interactions in non-parental care settings serving infants and toddlers. This field test aims to: (1) examine changes in caregiver practice that the investigators expect to be associated with use of the We Grow Together system, and (2) examine implementation of We Grow Together. As a secondary goal, the investigators will further evaluate the psychometrics of the Q-CCIIT observational measure of interaction quality. Collecting data from field test participants will occur from fall 2018 through spring 2019. First, the investigators plan to collect a background survey with caregivers and PD providers in fall 2018. Second, in fall 2018 and spring 2019 the investigators plan two rounds of classroom observations using the Q-CCIIT measure and classroom rosters. Third, the investigators plan to collect data on the use and implementation of We Grow Together through the interactive website from fall 2018 through spring 2019. Finally, the investigators plan to conduct a feedback survey with caregivers and PD providers in spring 2019.

Conditions

Early Childhood Professional Development

Keywords

Infant-toddler care; Early child development; Professional development

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (7)

• Quality of Caregiver Child Interaction with Infant and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT)

  Observational measure

  2-3 hours

• Beliefs about Infant-Toddler Development

  Study developed survey of knowledge and beliefs about child development

  Up to 3 months

• Beliefs about Infant-Toddler Caregiving

  Study developed survey of beliefs about quality care for infants and toddlers

  Up to 3 months

• Self-reported beliefs about PD

  Study developed survey of professional development

  Up to 3 months

• Use of website PD tools

  Website analytics (metadata)

  Up to 5 months

• Satisfaction with We Grow Together professional development system

  Study developed survey of professional development

  Up to 3 months

• Use of PD strategies

  Study developed survey of professional development

  Up to 3 months

Study Arms (1)

Caregivers

OTHER

"Caregiver" refers to teachers and child care providers in infant and toddler classrooms in center-based or FCC settings. All caregivers in the study will be assigned to the intervention. The PD providers supporting these caregivers will be trained in the We Grow Together: The Q-CCIIT Professional Development System.

Other: We Grow Together: The Q-CCIIT Professional Development System

Interventions

We Grow Together: The Q-CCIIT Professional Development System OTHER

We Grow Together is designed to strengthen high quality caregiver interactions with infants and toddlers. The starting point for the We Grow Together study is assessment of a caregiver's interactions with infants and toddlers in the caregiver's ECE setting, using the Q-CCIIT observational measure. Data from the Q CCIIT observations highlight areas for growth in the caregiver's practices and will inform a PD goal-setting process, with the help of a PD Provider. An array of We Grow Together materials targeting practices assessed by the Q-CCIIT measure and informed by professional development and behavior change research are organized into modules, and delivered on an interactive website. Over the course of a program year, each caregiver in the study will work with a PD provider who is trained in guiding caregivers through the use of We Grow Together materials.

Caregivers

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• To be eligible for the study caregivers and PD providers in center-based and FCC ECE settings must meet the following criteria:
• Operate within one of the selected geographical areas.
• Caregivers must have a current PD provider with whom the caregiver works one-on-one with at least once a month.
• Serve children between the ages of birth to 36 months.
• Written knowledge of English.
• Caregivers and PD providers must agree to participate in the We Grow Together professional development system for approximately 5 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.: lead
• Department of Health and Human Services: collaborator
• University of Oklahoma: collaborator
• Zero to Three: collaborator

Central Study Contacts

Louisa Tarullo, Ed.D.

CONTACT

(617) 588-6720; LTarullo@Mathematica-mpr.com

Shannon Monahan, Ph.D.

CONTACT

(609) 275-2207; SMonahan@mathematica-mpr.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: The goal of the field test is to evaluate use of the We Grow Together system by typical early childhood professionals working in a variety of care settings serving infants and toddlers. The field test will take place in 8 to 12 geographic areas across the country. This study will include only centers and FCC settings that already have local PD providers-the investigators will exclude ECE settings without established PD providers. The field test will include a purposive sample of 175 center-based classrooms (approximately half will be affiliated with Early Head Start \[EHS\], and half will be community-based child care programs). The field test sample will also include 125 FCCs, including those operating under EHS and in community-based settings.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 23, 2018
• First Posted: February 15, 2018
• Study Start: May 1, 2018
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2020
• Study Completion: December 30, 2020
• Last Updated: February 19, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-02