DOI: 10.3886/icpsr37348.v2
title: Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study, United States, 2017-2018
title: Version 2

description: In 2015, the Administration for Children and Families funded a new study - the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study (MSHS Study) - to focus on MSHS programs and the families they serve. The MSHS Study was designed to closely match the characteristics of the whole population of MSHS programs, centers, families, and children across the United States (a "nationally representative study"). Since the last nationally representative study of MSHS was conducted almost 20 years ago, this study provided an update on MSHS programs and centers, as well as the migrant and seasonal farmworker families they serve. The MSHS Study included data from <strong>programs and centers</strong> (collected from surveys of program and center directors), <strong>classrooms</strong> (collected through classroom observations and from surveys of teachers and assistant teachers), <strong>families</strong> (collected from interviews with parents), and <strong>children</strong> (collected from direct assessments, assessor ratings, and parent and teacher ratings of children). Although the study gathered a range of program, practice, and family information, a central theme of the data collection focused on language practice and the language skills and abilities of the children served. The study examined the following research questions: What are the characteristics of MSHS programs, centers, staff, families, and children? What services does MSHS provide, and what are the instructional practices and general classroom quality of MSHS classrooms? What are the associations between MSHS characteristics and child/family well-being? The MSHS Study methodology, sample, and measures were all developed (or selected) in collaboration with MSHS stakeholders and experts in MSHS programs and early childhood research. The study was conducted by Abt Associates and its partners - the Catholic University of America and Westat - under contract to the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This collection is organized into 18 data parts: 4 files with data from MSHS <strong>staff surveys</strong>, including surveys with program directors (DS2), center directors (DS4), teachers (DS7), and assistant teachers (DS8). All staff surveys collected information on the respondent's background and experience and then focused on questions relevant to each respondent. For example, the Program Director Survey collected information on issues such as enrollment, program policies, and approaches to hiring, communication, and supervision. The Center Director Survey focused on characteristics of the center, such as staffing, enrollment, family engagement, and instructional practices. The Teacher and Assistant Teacher Surveys gathered information on topics at the classroom level, such as classroom composition and language(s) of instruction, and also included the 12-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. 1 file with data from <strong>classroom observations</strong> (DS6), including items from the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) Pre-K, Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation-Dual Language Learners (ELLCO-DLL), and the MSHS Cultural Items and Language Use (CILU) Checklist. 5 <strong>direct child assessments</strong>, including height and weight measurements (DS10), the Leiter-3 Examiner Rating Scale (DS11), the Preschool Language Scales Fifth Edition (PLS-5) - English (DS12), the PLS-5 - Bilingual (DS13), and the Woodcock Muñoz Language Survey (DS14). 1 file with data from the <strong>Ages and Stages Questionnaire</strong> (DS15) completed by teachers for infants and young children to assess children's nonverbal and verbal communication skills. 1 file for <strong>Teacher Report of Child</strong> (DS16), including data from children's language dominance and proficiency, questions about delays and disabilities, the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI-English)/Inventario del Desarrollo de Habilidades Comunicativas (IDHC-Spanish), Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS)-Birth Cohort questions on counting in English and Spanish, and ECLS-Kindergarten Approaches to Learning. 1 file for <strong>Parent Report of Child</strong> (DS17), including data from the MacArthur-Bates CDI-English/IDHC-Spanish, Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment, and the ECLS-B Socioemotional Scale. 1 file with data from the <strong>Parent Interview</strong> (DS18) that focused on characteristics of the household and focal child. The interview also included items from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory. 4 <strong>survey control files</strong>, which include the disposition code for each sampled program (DS1), center (DS3), classroom (DS5), and child/parent (DS9), as well as the base sampling weights and some additional sample information. Various demographic information, such as age, sex, marital status, race, and ethnicity, is also included in the data.
description: The study team designed the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) Study to address 3 broad categories of research questions: (1) program, center, family, and child characteristics; (2) MSHS services, instructional practices, and quality; and (3) associations between MSHS characteristics and child/family well-being. The study's research questions for these categories included: <strong>Characteristics of MSHS Programs, Centers, Families, and Children</strong> What are the operational characteristics of MSHS programs and centers (e.g., location, program timing, outreach, staffing and leadership, salaries and benefits, community partnerships, communication across centers and programs)? What are the characteristics of families participating in MSHS (e.g., demographics, agricultural livelihoods and mobility, social and economic challenges, cultural and linguistic features)? How do the migrant families and seasonal families differ? What are the characteristics of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers enrolled in MSHS (e.g., demographics, health, languages)? What foundational skills for school success do MSHS children possess (with a special focus on language, emergent literacy, and socioemotional skills)? <strong>MSHS Services, Instructional Practices, and Quality</strong> What services are MSHS programs and centers providing to support children's development and family well-being and engagement? What are the service needs and preferences of MSHS families, and potential barriers to their accessing services? What are the instructional practices and general quality of MSHS classrooms? What instructional and assessment practices and policies are used to support children's language development, including bilingual language development? <strong>Associations Between MSHS Characteristics and Child/Family Well-Being</strong> How do families' service needs vary based on family characteristics (e.g., cultural, social, economic, and migration-related experiences)? How are MSHS services and resources related to family, staff, program, and community characteristics? How are family characteristics related to children's foundational skills for school success?
description: The conceptual framework for the MSHS Study was initially developed for the "MSHS Design Report". The study team incorporated many of the Report's recommendations in designing the current study. In particular, they relied on input from the MSHS community on measure development, approaches to recruitment and data collection, and sampling. Specifically, A Community Consultant Group made up of program directors collaborated with the study team to discuss recruitment plans for data collection, and to promote the MSHS Study in their programs and centers and with their MSHS families. To engage MSHS programs and centers, the study team distributed bilingual newsletters to update programs and centers on study activities. They also released a video that programs and centers could use with their staff to let them know about the study's objectives and background. During the study planning phase, the study team attended the National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association Conference, where they presented on the study to program and center directors and parents in attendance and held informal discussions with program leadership. Throughout the study itself, the team worked closely with federal MSHS staff, who provided input and guidance.
description: Weights should be used to analyze data from the MSHS Study to produce estimates that represent the MSHS population. Using analysis weights is essential for reducing potential bias from differential probabilities of selection and nonresponse. The study team included different types of weights that account for the complex sampling design of the MSHS Study. First, they included <strong>base sampling weights</strong> that account for the sampling probability at each stage. Base sampling weights should not be used for analysis, because they do not adjust for the non-response of sampled units. However, these weights are included so that users can understand the sampling approach in the MSHS Study. Second, the study team included <strong>analysis weights</strong>, which adjust the base sampling weights for the non-response of sampled units. Analysis weights must be used in all analyses of data from the MSHS Study to adjust for unequal sampling probabilities and for non-response. Details on the calculation of the weights are provided in Appendix E of the MSHS Study User's Guide.
description: Response Rates: <strong>Program Director Survey</strong> Unweighted Response Rate = 88.9 percent <strong>Center Director Survey</strong> Unweighted Response Rate = 79.8 percent Weighted Response Rate = 79.6 percent <strong>Direct Assessments of Children</strong> Unweighted Response Rate = 81.5 percent Weighted Response Rate = 86.5 percent <strong>Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition</strong> Unweighted Response Rate = 85.7 percent Weighted Response Rate = 91.0 percent <strong>Teacher Report of Child</strong> Unweighted Response Rate = 85.3 percent Weighted Response Rate = 89.8 percent <strong>Parent Report of Child</strong> Unweighted Response Rate = 77.2 percent Weighted Response Rate = 82.0 percent <strong>Classroom Observation</strong> Unweighted Response Rate = 100.0 percent Weighted Response Rate = 100.0 percent <strong>Teacher Survey</strong> Unweighted Response Rate = 97.5 percent Weighted Response Rate = 98.3 percent <strong>Assistant Teacher Survey</strong> Unweighted Response Rate = 89.3 percent Weighted Response Rate = 92.9 percent <strong>Parent Interview</strong> Unweighted Response Rate = 83.1 percent Weighted Response Rate = 88.4 percent
description: Presence of Common Scales: In addition to measures developed by the study team that are available for download, the following scales were used: Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3) Communication Subscale Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) Leiter, Third Edition (Leiter-3), Examiner Rating Scales: Cognitive/Social and Emotional/Regulation MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory / Inventario del Desarrollo de Habilidades Comunicativas (CDI / IDHC) Short Forms Preschool Language Scales, Fifth Edition (PLS-5) or PLS-5 Spanish, Auditory Comprehension Socioemotional Scale from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey - Revised Normative Update: Letter-Word Identification (English) and Identificación de letras y palabras (English/Spanish)
description: The MSHS Study provides information about MSHS children and their families, classrooms, centers, and programs. There are two samples for the study. The first sample includes the programs and centers whose directors were sent a survey. All program directors providing center-based services received a survey, as well as a random selection of 252 center directors operated by those programs across five geographic regions covering the 48 contiguous U.S. states (East, Midwest, Northwest, Southeast, and California/Southwest). The study team worked to ensure that centers of different sizes were represented within each region and each program. The second sample includes those centers that the study team visited to collect information from classrooms, teachers, assistant teachers, families, and children. This sample is a nationally representative sample that was selected in 4 stages: MSHS programs that provide center-based services were selected across geographic regions centers were then selected from that pool of programs classrooms were then selected from that group of centers and finally, children (and their families) were selected from those classrooms
description: Datasets: DS0: Study-Level Files DS1: Program Director Survey Control File DS2: Program Director Survey DS3: Center Director Survey Control File DS4: Center Director Survey DS5: Classroom Survey Control File DS6: Classroom Observations DS7: Teacher Survey DS8: Assistant Teacher Survey DS9: Child Survey Control File DS10: Height and Weight Measurement DS11: Leiter - Third Edition (Leiter-3) Examiner Rating Scales DS12: Preschool Language Scales, Fifth Edition (PLS-5), Auditory Comprehension Subscale - English DS13: Preschool Language Scales, Fifth Edition (PLS-5), Auditory Comprehension Subscale - Bilingual (Spanish-English) DS14: Woodcock Muñoz Language Survey - Revised/Normative Update - Letter-Word Identification (English) and Identificación de letras y palabras (Spanish) Scales DS15: ASQ-3 (Infants/Young Toddlers) DS16: Teacher Report of Child DS17: Parent Report of Child DS18: Parent Interview
description: All Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs (grantees and delegate agencies that operated as independent administrative organizations) in the 48 contiguous U.S. states providing center-based services to children and families. The universe was comprised of 36 MSHS programs and 402 MSHS centers.
description: coded on-site observation; face-to-face interview; mail questionnaire; on-site questionnaireThe Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study research staff includes: <strong>Project Director:</strong> Linda Caswell <strong>Deputy Project Director:</strong> Erin Bumgarner <strong>Director of Analysis:</strong> Anne Wolf