DOI: 10.3886/icpsr39222
title: The Expanding Children's Early Learning (ExCEL) Quality Study: Improving Preschool and Early Care and Education (ECE) Instruction through Curricula, Coaching, and Training, United States, 2019-2021
title: Archival Version

description: The Expanding Children's Early Learning (ExCEL) Quality Study: Improving Preschool and Early Care and Education (ECE) Instruction through Curricula, Coaching, and Training was funded by Arnold Ventures and conducted by MDRC and its subcontractors, MEF Associates and RTI International. The study consisted of two phases: ExCEL Quality (EQ; 2019-2020) and ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC; 2020-2021). This collection contains analysis datasets with calculated measures at the child (DS2) and classroom (DS3) levels, a samples dataset for each phase (EQ = DS1, EQC = DS20), and raw data organized by study phase and data source.
<strong>ExCEL Quality</strong>
In the EQ study, the research team conducted an experimental study testing two interventions that consisted of curricular and professional development support and that targeted different dimensions of classroom quality, namely:

A whole-child intervention that targets structural and interactional aspects of classroom quality, using The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, 6th Edition
A domain-specific intervention with a specific scope and sequence that targets instructional aspects of classroom quality, using Connect4Learning, 1st Edition

ECE centers were selected across four U.S. localities in Head Start and community-based child care settings and were randomly assigned to one of three research conditions (Creative Curriculum, Connect4Learning, or preschool-as-usual). The project was originally designed to assess the impacts of each of the interventions on the content of instruction, teacher practices, classroom quality, and child outcomes, as well as to collect program implementation data. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in March of the 2019-2020 school year, adjustments were made to the guiding questions and research aims, data sources, and analysis.
<strong>ExCEL Quality Continuation</strong>
The EQC Study was a non-experimental study, aiming to understand ECE teachers' and administrators' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021 school year). The sample was a subset of the centers that participated in EQ in the 2019-2020 school year (n=26), plus five newly recruited centers. EQC provided stress management workshops and curricular support (Creative Curriculum or Connect4Learning) to participating centers regardless of their original research condition in EQ.
description: The aim of the ExCEL Quality (EQ) study phase was to build evidence about the effectiveness of child care curriculum interventions and about which particular quality dimensions may be most important to target to maximize improvements for child outcomes in early care and education (ECE) programming on a large scale.
The ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) study phase had three key aims:

to understand the feasibility of providing virtual stress management workshops during the pandemic;
to understand the sustainability of teacher practices and activities based upon the different research conditions (i.e., curricula and professional development supports provided and received) from the prior year/pre-COVID-19); and
to describe how ECE administrators, teachers and their teaching practices fared at the start of and throughout the 2020-2021 school year amidst the pandemic.
description: <strong>ExCEL Quality (EQ)</strong>
The EQ study used a 3-group experimental design conducted across four U.S. localities in Head Start and community-based child care settings serving a mixture of 3- and 4-year-olds. Centers were randomly assigned to one of three research conditions: Creative Curriculum (CC), a whole-child intervention; Connect4Learning (C4L), a domain-specific intervention; and preschool-as-usual. Due to disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, implementation ended prior to the end of the 2019-2020 school year, and spring data collection was delayed to summer 2020, shifting from in-person to web surveys. This limited the child outcome measures that could be assessed, and classroom quality could not be assessed in follow-ups. Multiple types of data were collected, as described below. For study purposes, researchers asked centers to identify a lead teacher and an assistant teacher for each classroom.
<em>Classroom observations.</em> A subset of classrooms were observed by neutral observers blind to research condition in fall 2019. Prior to collecting data, observers attended a four-day training session and were certified on both tools via live observations. Classrooms were observed one day, for two hours in the morning during prime instructional time. Observers completed the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale - Revised (ECERS) and the Global Indicators of Quality (GIQ). Baseline data were collected between August 21 and October 24, 2019. Follow-up observations were scheduled for spring 2020 but were not conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
<em>Coaching logs.</em> Coaches in intervention group classrooms were instructed to complete a coach log for each classroom on their caseload every week. For weeks where no coaching session occurred, coaches completed a single item explaining why there was no session. Data collection began September 9, 2019 and was suspended after April 5, 2020 due to COVID-19. Coaches also completed a supplemental log between October 1 and October 22, 2019 with ratings scales on each teacher and assistant teacher on their caseload.
<em>Fidelity observations.</em> Select study staff were trained to conduct fidelity observations. The team targeted 7 classrooms for fidelity observations that had previously exhibited high quality implementation based on coach log observations, and randomly selected 38 additional classrooms for observation (n=45 classrooms). Fidelity data were collected using GIQ for both CC and C4L interventions and separate curriculum-specific tools. Data on CC classrooms were collected in-person at the classroom level between January 22 and February 21, 2020, while data on C4L classrooms were collected between January 28 and February 13, 2020.
<em>Teacher training attendance.</em> Lead and assistant teachers attended curriculum-specific trainings before and during EQ implementation in the 2019-2020 school year. March 2020 sessions were conducted virtually.
<em>Staff surveys.</em> All coaches, all lead and assistant teachers, and one center director/administrator per center completed web surveys during spring/summer 2020. The coach survey was fielded between April 2 to 9, 2020, the teacher survey between June 9 and August 28, 2020, and the administrator survey between June 29 and August 27, 2020.
<em>Parent information form and survey.</em> In fall 2019, parents and guardians provided demographic information on their child as part of study participation. In addition, a parent survey was fielded between June 23 and September 18, 2020.
<em>Teacher report.</em> All lead and assistant teachers completed a web survey between June 9 and August 31, 2020 providing information on literacy and core subject skills (pre- and post-pandemic) for up to 12 children in their classrooms whose parents had consented to study participation. Children were randomly selected if more than 12 children had parental consent.
<em>Direct child assessments.</em> Direct child assessments were completed between September 17 and November 12, 2019 using the Preschool Language Assessment Scale (PreLAS) and Preschool Language Scales-5 (PLS-5). All children with parental consent who spoke either English or Spanish and did not have a disability that would prevent them from completing the assessment were included. Follow-ups scheduled for spring 2020 did not occur.
<strong>ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC)</strong>
The EQC study used a non-experimental design, aiming to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on center administrators and teachers. The research team provided stress management training workshops and curricular supports (i.e., technical assistance on implementing CC or C4L curricula) to all participating centers. Multiple types of data were collected, as described below.
<em>Check-in surveys.</em> Check-in web surveys were fielded to center administrators and all lead and assistant teachers in fall 2020 and spring 2021. Respondents answered items concerning their daily work experiences on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for two consecutive weeks in each period (November 30 to December 14, 2020; April 12 to April 27, 2021). A subset of teachers did not receive surveys until May due to clerical error (May 17 to May 31, 2021).
<em>Staff surveys.</em> In fall 2020 and spring 2021, additional web surveys were fielded to one center director/administrator per center (November 12 to December 9, 2020; May 6 to 24, 2021) and all lead and assistant teachers (November 12 to December 18, 2020; May 6 to June 18, 2021).
<em>Workshop attendance.</em> Stress management workshops were held for administrators and lead and assistant teachers. Attendance data for administrator sessions are only available for fall 2020 and spring 2021 (not available for winter 2020). Data for teacher sessions are available for all workshops (October/November 2020, January 2021, March 2021, May 2021).
description: These variables can be used to link datasets in this collection:

RAF_LOCALITY_ID
RAF_PROGRAM_ID
RAF_CENTER_ID
RAF_CLASSROOM_ID
RAF_TEACHER_ID
RAF_ADMIN_ID
RAF_CHILD_ID

<strong>Coach logs.</strong> Items included information about the coaching session itself (what methods used, who attended, topics discussed, length of time); which curriculum activities were observed, with details for each type; choice of unit, theme, or focal question; and implementation quality.
<strong>Fidelity observations.</strong> Items were organized by curricular components (e.g., large group, choice-time, small group, read aloud). Items related to adherence and implementation quality were asked for each component.
<strong>Coach survey.</strong> Items asked about coach's background, coach competencies and style, teaching and learning beliefs, coaching experiences, program implementation, knowledge of teaching practices, demographics, and professional experience.
<strong>Teacher, administrator, and parent surveys (ExCEL Quality).</strong> Items asked to all participants were about health and wellbeing, social support, income and receipt of public assistance, food insecurity, financial hardship, classroom experiences pre-COVID, curriculum use, and demographics. Teachers were asked about the impacts of COVID-19 on teaching. Administrators were asked about center operations, teachers and staff, children and families, and communication. Parents were asked about their child's early learning skills, child's social skills, child's behavior, child's health and wellbeing, engagement with center, and family routines.
<strong>Administrator and teacher surveys (ExCEL Quality Continuation).</strong> Items common to both administrator and teachers were about professional development supports; work environment; health and wellbeing; demographics; and education and professional experience Administrators were asked about center operations; funding; challenges; and the effects of COVID-19 on students, families, and staff. Items asked to teachers were about the teacher's classroom and the impact of COVID-19 on teaching.
<strong>Check-in surveys.</strong> Administrators were asked about items about staffing issues, enrollment issues, COVID-19 related issues, supports, and mood. Teachers were asked about classroom activities, curriculum, mood and wellbeing, and center director and coworker support.
description: Presence of Common Scales: 
Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)
Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale Revised (ECERS-R)
Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)
Stage of Change Scale
Readiness to Implement Social Emotional Learning (RISE), adapted
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D)
Behavior Problems Index (BPI)
Positive Behavior Scale (PBS)
National Outcome Measure of Healthy and Ready to Learn (NOM HRTL)
Academic Rating Scales (ARS)
Preschool Language Assessment Scale (PreLAS)
description: For ExCEL Quality (EQ), centers were randomly assigned within block groupings, which were defined by locality and auspice. 53 centers were sampled (20 Head Start, 26 child care centers, and 7 Head Start community partners). Within the centers, 145 classrooms were sampled (67 Head Start, 56 child care center, and 22 Head Start community partners). 1,955 focal children were included in the study. Some centers are nested within programs (e.g., Head Start grantees, child care umbrella agencies). Classrooms and teachers are nested within centers. Children are nested in classrooms.
For ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC), 26 centers that previously participated in EQ and 5 new centers were recruited (16 Head Start, 13 child care centers, 2 Head Start community partners). 71 lead teachers and 56 assistant teachers were included in the sample.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Sample
DS2: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Child Impact Measures
DS3: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Classroom Impact Measures
DS4: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Administrator Survey
DS5: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Coach Log
DS6: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Coach Log Supplemental
DS7: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Coach Survey
DS8: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)
DS9: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Fall Global Indicators of Quality (GIQ)
DS10: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Fidelity Connect4Learning (C4L)
DS11: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Fidelity Creative Curriculum
DS12: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Fidelity Global Indicators of Quality (GIQ)
DS13: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Parent Survey
DS14: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Parent Information Form
DS15: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Preschool Language Scales - 5 (PLS-5)
DS16: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Preschool Language Assessment Scale (PreLAS)
DS17: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Teacher Report
DS18: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Teacher Survey
DS19: ExCEL Quality (EQ) Teacher Training Attendance
DS20: ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) Sample
DS21: ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) Admin Check In Survey (Fall)
DS22: ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) Admin Check In Survey (Spring)
DS23: ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) Admin Survey (Fall)
DS24: ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) Admin Survey (Spring)
DS25: ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) Admin Workshop Attendance
DS26: ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) Teacher Check In Survey (Fall)
DS27: ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) Teacher Check In Survey (Spring)
DS28: ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) Teacher Survey (Fall)
DS29: ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) Teacher Survey (Spring)
DS30: ExCEL Quality Continuation (EQC) Teacher Workshop Attendance
description: Children aged three and four in early care and education settings, parents, teachers, center administrators, and coaches in the United States.
description: computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI); coded on-site observation; cognitive assessment test; paper and pencil interview (PAPI); web-based surveyFor more information on the Expanding Children's Early Learning (ExCEL) Quality Study, please visit the ExCEL project website.