Contributions of Classroom Engagement and Exposure to Math Content on Preschoolers' Math Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Smith ◽  
Jason Downer
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Instructional Support ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Math Performance ◽  
Math Skills ◽  
Early Math Skills ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Potential Factors

Children's early math skills are one of the strongest predictors of later academic success, yet many preschools dedicate relatively minimal time to fostering math skill development. Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds tend to enter school with weaker math skills than peers and continue to lag behind more affluent peers throughout elementary and secondary school. The current study a) explored the amount of exposure to math content that children receive in preschool (both observed and teacher-reported), and b) examined children's engagement with tasks, the quantity of exposure to math content, and the quality of instructional support as potential factors that may contribute to changes in children's math performance across the preschool year. The sample consisted of 380 preschool children from primarily low-income families. Controlling for child characteristics (e.g., sex, age, race, SES) and classroom factors (e.g., teacher education, years of teaching experience), children's engagement with tasks emerged as a strong predictor of positive changes in math performance across the preschool year. Independently, neither exposure to math content nor instructional support significantly predicted changes in children's math performance. However, the pairing of high-quantity exposure to math content and high-quality instructional support was associated with significant positive changes in children's math performance across the preschool year.

scholarly journals Poverty in American Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-45
Author(s):  
Katharine Broton
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Housing Security ◽  
Point Reduction ◽  
Data Limitations ◽  
Low Income Families

A substantial share of college students experience housing insecurity and too many students leave higher education before earning a credential. Both of these experiences are more common among students from low-income families who often lack adequate resources. While prior conceptual and qualitative investigations suggest that housing insecurity is associated with poorer student outcomes, this relationship has not been tested due to quantitative data limitations. In this paper, I use data from a state-wide longitudinal study of students from low-income families to conduct the first empirical test of the relationship between housing insecurity early in college and later college achievement and attainment. Findings show that housing insecurity is a statistically significant predictor of academic success, net of background factors. Specifically, housing insecurity is associated with an 8 to 12 percentage-point reduction in the probability of later degree attainment or enrollment. In the short-term, housing insecurity is also associated with lower mean GPA, a lower probability of obtaining at least a 2.0 GPA, and a higher probability of enrolling part-time rather than full-time, indicating that housing insecurity affects students’ college academic experiences in multiple ways. Efforts to promote college attainment should be expanded to consider students’ housing security. There are likely several points in time and multiple ways that higher education institutions, nonprofit agencies, and policymakers can intervene to promote secure housing and college success.

Demonstrating Nutrient Cost Gradients: A Brooklyn Case Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 84 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 244-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Karp ◽  
Gary Wong ◽  
Marguerite Orsi
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
Food Selection ◽  
The United States ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Caloric Density ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Introduction: Foods dense in micronutrients are generally more expensive than those with higher energy content. These cost-differentials may put low-income families at risk of diminished micronutrient intake. Objectives: We sought to determine differences in the cost for iron, folate, and choline in foods available for purchase in a low-income community when assessed for energy content and serving size. Methods: Sixty-nine foods listed in the menu plans provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for low-income families were considered, in 10 domains. The cost and micronutrient content for-energy and per-serving of these foods were determined for the three micronutrients. Exact Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparisons of energy costs; Spearman rho tests for comparisons of micronutrient content. Ninety families were interviewed in a pediatric clinic to assess the impact of food cost on food selection. Results: Significant differences between domains were shown for energy density with both cost-for-energy (p < 0.001) and cost-per-serving (p < 0.05) comparisons. All three micronutrient contents were significantly correlated with cost-for-energy (p < 0.01). Both iron and choline contents were significantly correlated with cost-per-serving (p < 0.05). Of the 90 families, 38 (42 %) worried about food costs; 40 (44 %) had chosen foods of high caloric density in response to that fear, and 29 of 40 families experiencing both worry and making such food selection. Conclusion: Adjustments to USDA meal plans using cost-for-energy analysis showed differentials for both energy and micronutrients. These differentials were reduced using cost-per-serving analysis, but were not eliminated. A substantial proportion of low-income families are vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.

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