Professional Development Tools to Improve the Quality of Infant and Toddler Care (Q-CCIIT PD)

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Early Childhood Professional Development
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: We Grow Together: The Q-CCIIT Professional Development System

Detailed Description

The We Grow Together intervention is designed to help caregivers understand how caregiver interactions with children support the children's development to strengthen high quality caregiver interactions with infants and toddlers. The starting point for the We Grow Together process is assessment of a caregiver's interactions with infants and toddlers in early childhood care and education (ECE) settings, using the Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions with Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) observational measure. Data from the Q CCIIT observations highlight areas for growth in the caregiver's practices and inform a PD goal-setting process, with the support of a PD Provider.

The investigators have developed an array of We Grow Together materials targeting principles and practices assessed by the Q-CCIIT measure, 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.

As part of the We Grow Together intervention, all PD providers will receive training in using We Grow Together to support caregivers' understanding and practices. PD providers' training will focus on understanding the caregiving principles, relationship skills, adult learning principles, and coaching strategies that facilitate use of We Grow Together and promote growth of caregivers' knowledge and skills. PD providers will also have access to a set of PD provider materials to support implementation of We Grow Together. These materials support the ongoing relationship-based PD between the PD Provider and caregiver.

The purpose of information collected under the current request is to examine the implementation and the outcomes associated with use of We Grow Together. The goals of the field test will be to: (1) implement We Grow Together for five months in a variety of settings, (2) collect information on the implementation of We Grow Together, and (3) collect information on care practices the investigators hypothesize are associated with use of We Grow Together. The investigators propose the following data collection activities, to be carried out in fall 2018 through spring 2019:

• An ECE setting eligibility screening will determine if a setting is eligible and if family child care (FCC) and center directors and individual personnel are willing to participate in the field test.
• A background survey, completed by all caregivers and PD providers
• Observations of caregiver interactions by the investigators using the Q-CCIIT measure, to assess the quality of care provided by participating caregivers.
• A classroom information roster, completed by caregivers at the time of the observation, about the composition and activities within care settings.
• Web-user pop-up questions for caregivers and PD providers, collected monthly at website login.
• A feedback survey, completed by caregivers and PD providers.
• A PD provider training survey.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 475
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Louisa Tarullo, Ed.D.; Phone Number: (617) 588-6720; Email: LTarullo@Mathematica-mpr.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Shannon Monahan, Ph.D.; Phone Number: (609) 275-2207; Email: SMonahan@mathematica-mpr.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

To be eligible for the study caregivers and PD providers in center-based and FCC ECE settings must meet the following criteria:

1. Operate within one of the selected geographical areas.
2. Caregivers must have a current PD provider with whom the caregiver works one-on-one with at least once a month.
3. Serve children between the ages of birth to 36 months.
4. Written knowledge of English.
5. Caregivers and PD providers must agree to participate in the We Grow Together professional development system for approximately 5 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Does not meet the inclusion criteria

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Other: Caregivers; "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; 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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
• Collaborators: University of Oklahoma; Department of Health and Human Services; Zero to Three

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Anticipated): May 1, 2018
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 30, 2020
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 30, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 23, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 8, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): February 15, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 19, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 14, 2018
• Last Verified: February 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Early child development; Professional development; Infant-toddler care
• Other Study ID Numbers: 50192

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No