This report presents the findings from an outcome evaluation of the Parent Mentoring Project in Manukau initiated in 2007. It is submitted by Auckland UniServices Limited on behalf of the researchers, Dr. Deborah Widdowson and Assoc. Prof. Robyn Dixon, at the Centre for Child and Family Research, the University of Auckland.
Purpose
The outcome evaluation of the Parent Mentoring Project in Manukau commenced in 2007 to address the following evaluation questions:
- What evidence is there of how student achievement, attitudes to learning and other short and medium term outcomes have been affected by the Parent Mentoring Project in the first three years that the students are at school?
- How do the parent mentoring children’s achievement results and other short and medium term outcomes compare to those of children who have received significant other early childhood education (ECE) experience and to those who have received insignificant or no other ECE experience?
- What are the key characteristics of the project in the schools and in the ‘Parent Mentoring Playgroups’ that make it successful in terms of learning outcomes for students and effective involvement of parents?
Methodology
Quantitative measures:
Student achievement was measured at age 5 years and 6 years using the following instruments:
- Four literacy assessments from the Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement (Clay, 1993):
- Concepts About Print (CAP);
- Letter Identification (LID);
- Word Test;
- Running Records (Reading Level);
- Numeracy Project Assessment (NumPA)
Student achievement was measured at age 7 years on:
- Supplementary Tests of Achievement in Reading Year 3 (STAR)
- Global Strategy Stage (GloSS) assessment
Students’ attitudes to learning were measured at age 5, 6 and 7 years using a five-point Likert scale consisting of 9 statements (see Appendix1).
Students’ transitions to school were measured upon school entry using a four-point Likert scale comprised of 12 statements completed by classroom teachers.
Early childhood experience information, demographic data and maternal education levels were obtained using a survey completed by parents at the time a child entered school.
Qualitative measures:
Interviews were conducted with:
- Community Liaison Workers/Playgroup Leaders at each Parent Mentoring Playgroup;
- School Principals and/or Deputy Principals
- Classroom teachers
Focus groups were conducted with:
- Parents of children who attended a Parent Mentoring Playgroup.
Observational data:
- An observation was conducted at each of the 9 Parent Mentoring Playgroups
Key Results
Quantitative findings showed that there were no significant differences on any of the measures of academic achievement between the three groups of students, Parent Mentoring Playgroup children, children who had experienced Other Formal ECE and children who had experienced No Formal ECE, at age 5 years on entry to school indicating that all students were achieving at similar levels at school entry no matter the type or lack of early childhood education they had experienced. Differences were found, however, at age 6, with Parent Mentoring Playgroup (PMP) children achieving higher scores on all literacy measures compared to children who experienced Other Formal ECE and those who experienced No Formal ECE.
Specifically, at Time 1, analyses conducted found no differences between students at age 5 years. At Time 2, differences were found between ECE groups: At age 6, students who had attended Parent Mentoring Playgroups achieved higher scores on all four literacy measures compared to students who experienced Other Formal ECE, and to students who had experienced No Formal early childhood education. These differences were significant on CAP, Reading Level and LID between PMP students and students with Other Formal ECE, and on CAP, Reading Level, Word and LID between PMP students and students who had No Formal ECE. No significant differences were found on achievement scores between students who had Other Formal ECE and those who had No Formal ECE. The differences were educationally significant (i.e., effect size above 0.4) between the PMP children and No Formal ECE group on CAP, Reading Level, LID and Word, and approached educational significance between the PMP and Other Formal ECE group on LID and CAP.
Findings at Time 3 (age 7 years)
Comparisons of mean scores for each group at Time 3 on the literacy measure, STAR, found that students in the group that had attended a Parent Mentoring Playgroup obtained a higher mean score than either the students who had experienced Other Formal ECE or the students who had experienced No Formal ECE. However, these differences were not significant. Comparisons of mean reading level for each group at Time 3 showed that children in the PM Playgroup cohort obtained a higher mean reading level score than either of the other two groups, although none of the differences were significant. Analysis of numeracy assessment data found no differences between any of the groups.
Key characteristics of the project contributing to successful outcomes for students and effective involvement of parents
Characteristics of the Parent Mentoring Playgroup experience that appear to have contributed to the successful learning outcomes for students include the finding that PM Playgroups incorporated structured, teacher-led, school-like activities and provided children with opportunities to become familiar with school practices and routines. These opportunities and activities served to prepare children for school entry, easing their transition to school and providing them with skills and a readiness for learning valued by classroom teachers.
A second characteristic identified was the quality of transitions made by Playgroup children. Various aspects of the PM Playgroups played a role in this. Familiarity with school, school-like practices and the classroom environment, and the continuity that this provided children and parents between the ECE context and school impacted positively on children’s transitions to school
Another salient characteristic of Playgroups is parent participation and engagement: through participation, Parents gained skills to support their children’s learning, both in the Playgroup and at home, and developed confidence in interacting with their children’s educators. These factors assisted parents to participate more fully in their children’s learning. The skills, confidence and familiarity with schools gained through participation in Parent Mentoring Playgroup may have increased parents’ ability to provide support for their children’s learning once they started school, over time contributing to the successful outcomes obtained for their children.
Effective participation by parents in the Parent Mentoring Playgroups was supported by parents’ preference for a structured learning environment for their children and their desires to participate and learn alongside their children, which were satisfied in this context.