DOI: 10.3886/icpsr35219.v1
title: Oklahoma School Readiness Reach-by-Risk, 2014
title: Version 1

description: The <em>Oklahoma School Readiness Reach-by-Risk</em> study builds on the development of the Oklahoma School Readiness Risk Index (SRRI) in 2011 by including data on the scope of early childhood programs in each of the state's 77 counties. This research project seeks to analyze the prevalence of particular socio-demographic indicators of school readiness, as well as promote informed policy funding decisions related to early childhood education. The purpose of this study is to highlight counties where the risk for starting school unprepared to learn is high, yet opportunities for quality early childhood programs and services are low. Within this study the researchers focused on prekindergarten students (with Hispanic background) who displayed signs of being unprepared to learn by examining two social constructs: risk and reach (identified by early childhood programs). <em>Risk</em> measures were assessed through a risk index comprised of 11 socioeconomic and demographic indicators found by empirical research to increase a child's risk of being unprepared for school. The <em>Reach</em> measures were created by gathering data from early education programs, the state's universal prekindergarten program, early childhood home visitation programs, and child care services. Early childhood program reach was determined by analyzing the county-level service density of early childhood education and home visitation programs in addition to several aspects of child care services, such as provider quality ratings and enrollment of children with child care subsidies in quality facilities.
description: The purpose of the Oklahoma School Readiness Reach-by-Risk Report 2014, is to provide policy makers and other early childhood stakeholders with current data on factors that place children at risk of being unprepared for school and on the reach of services and programs that promote school readiness for each of the state's 77 counties.
description: For each indicator, data at the state and county levels were collected from multiple secondary sources and reported as proportions of relevant populations (e.g., percent of live births to mothers with low levels of education). Data were statistically analyzed using multivariate techniques to create components, or "sets" of factors that most closely correlated with each other and that significantly explained school readiness, with third-grade reading proficiency used as a proxy of readiness. Reach was assessed by requesting data for early education programs, such as Head Start (HS), Early Head Start (EHS) and the state's universal prekindergarten program; early childhood home visitation programs, such as SoonerStart, the state's IDEA Part C - Early Intervention program; and child care services.
description: Part one is devoted to the Risk indicator which measures 11 variables. These variables contain data about child care, early education and child social services at the county-level. The variables largely measure county percentages of enrollment rates, service totals, and quality of care ratings within several of these programs. Part two contains Reach indicator which is comprised of 18 variables. These variables were assessed by requesting data for early education programs, such as Head Start (HS), Early Head Start (EHS) and the state's universal prekindergarten program; early childhood home visitation programs, such as Sooner-Start, the state's IDEA Part C Early Intervention Program; and child care services. Reach data are compared to overall risk for poor school readiness for each county, which highlights counties with the greatest need for early childhood education and child care services relative to risk.
description: Datasets: DS0: Study-Level Files DS1: Risk-Indicator Data DS2: Reach-Indicator Data
description: County-level data from Oklahoma on children who are under the age of six. Smallest Geographic Unit: Oklahoma counties