Family and School Contexts as Predictors of Early Childhood Latino Development

描述(申请人提供)：测试一个融合了发展和文化概念的儿童早期发展模型，以考察家庭背景、学校背景以及两者的交集，以预测拉美裔儿童的学习和行为功能。理由：越来越清楚的是，如果不适当考虑拉美裔儿童所处的独特生态环境，就不能充分理解作为少数民族的拉丁裔儿童的发展。不幸的是，对拉丁裔儿童发展具有理论重要性的文化变量的实证研究一直有限。家庭和学校的背景因素可以说是幼儿发展的最接近的预测因素，而对学校家庭(即家庭和学校的交叉点)的研究对于阐明背景因素相互作用影响早期发展的方式具有巨大的潜力。目的：本研究针对墨西哥(MA)和多米尼加(DR)儿童，主要有三个目标：1)考察家庭和学校环境与儿童在正规学校第一年(即入学时)的行为问题和入学准备的关系；2)检查入学时儿童的家庭和学校环境作为未来发展能力的预测因素；3)研究家庭和学校环境作为发展能力的预测因素在学校中的互动方式的变化。文化家庭特征将作为学校背景和发展能力之间联系的调节者，以探索性方式进行审查。设计：这项理论指导和文化知识渊博的研究将通过对900个幼儿时期的MA和DR家庭的纵向研究来测试一个综合模式，这些家庭的孩子在30所大型城市公立小学开始他们作为幼儿园前和幼儿园学生的正式教育经历。这项研究将使用多信息者、多方法评估方法，检查儿童的家庭和学校环境与入学时和入学后(即3年)的行为问题和入学准备情况的关系。重要意义：拉丁裔经历的学业失败和行为问题的高发率已经得到了很好的记录。这项研究具有很大的潜力，可以增强我们对拉美裔儿童重要教育和心理健康结果的发展途径的理解。这项研究的结果将有助于为这一弱势群体未来的家庭和学校干预努力提供信息。与此同时，这项研究将探索拉美裔文化的优势，以确定可能减轻拉美裔儿童学习和行为问题风险的保护程序。 与公共健康相关：研究证明，拉美裔人学习失败和行为问题的发生率很高。考虑到与青少年和成年人的低教育水平和反社会行为相关的公共卫生成本和影响，需要进行研究，以了解拉丁裔儿童的学习和行为功能的发展轨迹。目前针对拉丁裔幼儿的建议具有很大潜力，可以解决关键的教育和心理健康问题，并为这一弱势群体今后的家庭和学校干预努力提供信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): To test a model of early childhood development that incorporates developmental and cultural concepts to examine the family context, the school context, and the intersection of the two as predictors of the academic and behavioral functioning of Latino children. Rationale: It has become increasingly clear that the development of Latino children, as an ethnic minority population, cannot be fully understood without proper consideration for the unique ecological contexts within which they function. Unfortunately, empirical studies of cultural variables of theoretical importance for Latino child development have been limited. Family and school contextual factors arguably represent the most proximal predictors of young children's development, and the study of families in schools (i.e., the intersection of family and school) has great potential to elucidate the ways in which contextual factors interact to influence early development. Aims: This study has three primary aims with Mexican (MA) and Dominican (DR) children: 1) To examine the family and school contexts of children in relation to behavior problems and school readiness during the first year of formal schooling (i.e., at school entry); 2) To examine the family and school contexts of children at school entry as predictors of later developmental competencies; 3) To examine change in how families interact in schools as predictors of developmental competencies. Cultural family characteristics will be examined, in an exploratory fashion, as moderators of the link between school contexts and developmental competencies. Design: This theoretically- guided and culturally-informed study will test an integrative model through a longitudinal study with 900 MA and DR families during early childhood, as children embark on their formal educational experience as Pre- Kindergarten and Kindergarten students in 30 large, urban public elementary schools. The study will use a multi-informant, multi-method assessment approach to examine the family and school contexts of children in relation to behavior problems and school readiness at school entry and over time (i.e., 3 years). Significance: The high prevalence of academic failure and behavior problems experienced by Latinos has been well documented. This study has great potential to enhance our understanding of the developmental pathways to important educational and mental health outcomes among Latino children. Findings from the study will serve to inform future family and school intervention efforts for this vulnerable population. At the same time, the study will explore strengths of the Latino culture to identify protective processes that may mitigate the risk of academic and behavior problems among Latino children. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Studies have documented the high prevalence of academic failure and behavior problems experienced by Latinos. Considering the public health cost and implications associated with low levels of educational attainment and antisocial behavior in adolescents and adults, research is needed to inform understanding of the developmental trajectories of Latino children's academic and behavioral functioning. The current proposal with young Latino children has great potential to address critical educational and mental health issues and to inform future family and school intervention efforts for this vulnerable population.