1,721,017 research outputs found
Bogota Measurements - Concurrent Validity Bayley-Short Tests
No full textThis dataset contains cross-sectional data collected on child development outcomes, child characteristics, and parental and home characteristics for a sample of 1,311 children ages 6-42 months of age living in a representative sample of low- and low-middle-income households in Bogota, Colombia. This is the sample used for the analysis in the paper “Concurrent Validity andFeasibility of Short Tests Currently Used to Measure Early Childhood Development in Large Scale Studies” by Marta Rubio-Codina, M Caridad Araujo, Orazio Attanasio, Pablo Muñoz and Sally Grantam-McGregor, forthcoming at PLOS ONE. The dataset and do files shared allow replication of the results in the paper. Please note that these data can only be used for non-commercial research purposes given the IDB data sharing standards and in order to comply with the commitment acquired by the researchers with study participants by means of the informed consent
Rapid Evaluations for Social Program Design and Improvement
Full text linkIn recent decades, the evaluation of social programs has focused on measuring their impact, prioritizing effects on outcome indicators and, more recently, on intermediate indicators. This document presents rapid evaluations as complementary methods to impact evaluations, useful for improving the design and implementation of social programs. Rapid evaluations can help increase the effectiveness of interventions in a cost-effective way, through more participatory, flexible, and user- and beneficiary-centered approaches. They make it possible to verify whether each stage of implementation is producing the expected effects and provide timely, actionable evidence. These evaluations range from descriptive analyses both qualitative and quantitative to experimental designs
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Measuring the Quality of Home-Visiting Services: A Review of the Literature
Full text linkThis document reviews the literature on the definition and measurement of quality of home visiting programs designed to promote early childhood development, with a particular focus on those interventions aimed at enhancing child cognitive, language, and socio-emotional outcomes. After summarizing the evidence on home visiting programs in the United States and internationally, we discuss the key elements that define a high quality home visit. Next, we describe a range of instruments designed to measure both structural and process elements of quality of home visits, instances in which they have been used, and the results of their administration
The High Cost of COVID-19 for Children: Strategies for Mitigating its Impact in Latin America and the Caribbean
No full textThe pandemic may have a devastating impact on childrens physical, mental, and socioemotional development, both in the short and the long run. These repercussions have received little attention because of the low rates of COVID-19 in this population. However, child mortality, morbidity, and poverty are projected to rise, resulting in major losses of human capital and deepening inequality. Lack of access to basic services (sanitation, health, education), disparities in parenting skills, limited internet connectivity, and unequal access to technology will further widen the socioeconomic gap in child development. Nonetheless, this crisis also offers a chance to transform early childhood services, making them more cost-effective, equitable, and resilient, as we see happening in various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. This paper compiles and lays out strategies for innovative new ways to provide services and mitigate the crisis impact on children
70 to 700 to 70,000: Lessons from the Jamaica Experiment
Full text linkThis document compares three versions of the same home visiting model, the well-known Jamaica model, which was gradually scaled-up from an efficacy trial (proof of concept) in Jamaica, to a pilot in Colombia, to an at-scale program in Peru. It first describes the design, implementation and impacts of these three programs. Then, it analyzes the threats to scalability in each of these experiences and discusses how they could have affected program outcomes, with a focus on three of the elements of the economic model of scaling in Al-Ubaydli, et al. (Forthcoming): appropriate statistical inference, properties of the population, and properties of the situation. The document reflects on the lessons learned to mitigate the threats to scalability and on how research and evaluation can be better aligned to facilitate and support the scaling-up process of early child development interventions. It points out those attributes that interventions must maintain to ensure effectiveness at scale. Similarly, political support is also identified as indispensable
Measuring Quality and Characterizing Cuna Mas Home Visits: Validation of the HOVRS-A+2 in Peru and of a Short Checklist for Use At-Scale
No full textAs home visiting programs continue to expand, it is crucial to develop cost-effective methods to monitor their quality that are feasible at-scale. This paper compares two instruments widely used among home visiting services in the US to a simpler checklist in the context of Peru’s Cuna Mas Program. The paper aims to document the structure, content and level of process quality of the Cuna Mas home visits. Its main contribution is to empirically identify a subset of twenty-seven items that focus on critical aspects of quality and that are feasible to collect on a routine-basis as part of program monitoring efforts
A Snapshot of Child Care Center Quality and Child Development in Mexico for Children Under Three: Methodology and Results
Full text linkFrom 2018 to 2020, we conducted a groundbreaking, nationwide study in Mexico to assess service quality at public child care centers for children under three. The assessment is representative at the national level of the main child care models. We gathered evidence from 245 centers, 426 classrooms, and 2,115 children attending the centers throughout the country, as well as from their households, in order to identify specific interventions to promote child development at the centers. In addition to investigating structural quality, the study focused on process quality (or quality of interactions), measured using the CLASS-Toddler (Classroom Assessment Scoring System). The study found that the structural quality of child care centers in Mexico is high, with safe physical spaces in good condition where children have access to generally age-appropriate play materials and activities. The centers have medium-to-low levels of process quality, especially in the Engaged Support for Learning area, which offers a unique opportunity to continue improving childrens experiences at the centers and promote their development. There are also significant challenges related to targeting vulnerable populations
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