Matthew Quirk’s research while affiliated with University of California, Santa Barbara and other places

This article reports on a longitudinal, quasi‐experimental comparison of two English language development (ELD) models implemented from kindergarten through Grade 3 to support oral English language development among Spanish‐speaking English language learners (ELLs). Specifically, the study examined oral English language proficiency among students who received only integrated English language development (I‐ELD; n = 39) and students who received I‐ELD with 30 minutes of daily designated ELD (D‐ELD) entailing four specific routines and strategies (n = 65). The study also compared oral proficiency with English‐only speakers (EO) from the same school (n = 47). Oral language proficiency was measured by the IDEA Proficiency Test (IPT I‐Oral; Ballard & Tighe, 2017). A repeated‐measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) across Grades 2 and 3 indicated significant (p < .001; η2 = 0.53) increases in oral proficiency for ELL students who received D‐ELD. A follow‐up analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated significant positive effects (p < .001; η2 = 0.19) of the D‐ELD approach on ELL students' oral proficiency compared to only I‐ELD in Grade 3. The ANCOVA also found no significant (p > .05) differences in oral proficiency between ELL students who received D‐ELD and EO students in Grade 3, indicating similar oral English skills. The D‐ELD model's instructional strategies and practical implications are discussed.

Reading motivation may help explain some discrepancies in higher education attainment among Latinx adolescents. Using a person-centered approach to understand underlying reading motivation profiles among N = 254 Latinx adolescents, results identified four ordered classes of reading motivation including, (a) a “High” class characterized by high motivation across dimensions, (b) a “High-Practical” class characterized by moderate to high levels of motivation with particular emphasis on practical reasons for reading, (c) an “Apathetic” class with moderate to low motivation across dimensions, and (d) a “Low” class who consistently endorsed low levels of motivation across dimensions. Results also showed reading motivation class membership was significantly associated with demographic covariates (e.g., gender and parent education) and higher education aspirations, consistent with previous research. Practical implications are also discussed.

Objective: Researchers have studied the influence of media exposure to acute mass violence (e.g., terror attack, mass shooting, etc.) on distress in populations not directly experiencing the trauma; however, the field has yet to achieve consensus on the measurement of media exposure. There has been a rapidly changing media environment since this body of research began, with the rise of social media. To address this, we developed a measure using the most relevant items from media exposure surveys and accounting for evolving social media. Method: We asked a sample of youth and adults (N = 1,249), ages 14 - 59 years old, about average time spent consuming news in general, time spent viewing coverage of specific terror attacks, and their emotional reactions to the media coverage. Results: A confirmatory factor analysis specifying a 3-factor model was run on a subsample of the data (n = 308), and the data fit the model well, χ2(17) = 30.799, p < .05, root mean square error of approximation = .051 [90% confidence interval = .020, .080], comparative fit index = .989, and standardized root mean square error of approximation = .043. Measurement invariance was examined on the remainder of the participants (n = 937) to determine whether the model was invariant across participant sex. Conclusion: Analyses support that the factor structure of the measure was consistent across male and female participants. Implications on measuring media exposure to acute mass violence will be discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Students with learning disabilities (LD) represent a vulnerable population and are at higher risk for social and emotional challenges compared to their peers without LD. A strengths-based orientation is recommended to encourage building resilience factors to counteract the negative effects of LD over the lifespan. To identify areas of strength and areas for growth, measurement tools that are appropriate for the population of students with LD are needed. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Social Emotional Health Survey–Secondary (SEHS–S) for use with students with LD. Data from students in three secondary schools (N = 2,847) were used to confirm the factor structure, establish measurement invariance, and compare the social-emotional profiles of students with and without LD. The LD group was found to report lower overall social emotional strengths than their non-LD peers. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.

Latinx dual language learners (DLLs) are a large and growing student body that continues to face educational adversities that contribute to the maintenance of a longstanding academic achievement gap. Previous research has documented that preschool attendance and development of home language skills in early childhood support the long-term academic and linguistic growth of DLLs; yet, relatively, little is known about how early childhood educators support bilingual language development in preschool and how such efforts impact bilingual proficiency. These are particularly salient questions, as emerging best practices to support DLLs identified in research may not be reaching educators with sufficient speed. The present mixed methods study examined the role of instructional and contextual factors in promoting English and Spanish language development among (N = 46) Latinx preschoolers. Qualitative phenomenological analyses were conducted to explore the nature of language instruction practices in Central California preschools. Analysis of covariance was used to determine if classroom characteristics, including culturally and linguistically responsive instruction practices and overall classroom quality, predict English and Spanish language proficiency at the end of the preschool year. Results suggest that language instruction practices may tend to be more reactive than systematic, and support findings that high overall instructional quality and application of targeted instructional supports for bilingual acquisition support the development of home language skills throughout the school year. The results reinforce the call for increased attention to bilingual language development in early childhood settings, especially through assessment, instruction models, and multi-tiered systems of support. School psychologists, who are trained on these topics, have a significant opportunity to collaborate with early childhood administrators and teachers to educate themselves further on DLLs’ early language development needs, help improve culturally and linguistically responsive instruction and assessment in early learning settings, and work to bridge the early childhood and K-12 systems to support DLLs’ ongoing development.

Research Findings: Public policy has increasingly focused on expansion of preschool access for underserved students and systematic evaluation of preschool quality and students’ readiness for school. However, such evaluation is limited by a lack of thoroughly validated assessments for use with preschool populations. The present study examined the measurement and structural invariance of the Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile (KSEP) across kindergarten and prekindergarten groups to evaluate its potential use across developmental groups. Participants included 522 kindergarten and 548 prekindergarten students in central California. Invariance was tested by fitting a series of multiple-groups confirmatory factor analysis models with parameter constraints across groups. Results indicated that measurement and structural parameters of the KSEP were invariant across kindergarten and prekindergarten groups. Prekindergarten means on both Social–Emotional Readiness and Cognitive Readiness were significantly lower than kindergarten means. Practice or Policy: These results suggest that the KSEP may potentially be used with prekindergarten students to assess school readiness and inform intervention before kindergarten entry. http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/y79FqeN8JdreW9AMJzh2/full

This study is a brief psychometric report examining the Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile (KSEP). Multiple regression models were tested examining associations between kindergarten teachers’ ratings of children’s social-emotional and cognitive readiness during the first month of kindergarten with academic and social-emotional outcomes almost 6 years later. Significant associations (p < .05) were identified between children’s cognitive readiness at kindergarten entry and reading fluency in Grade 5, as well as between children’s social-emotional readiness and multiple aspects of their social-emotional well-being in Grade 5. This study provides evidence supporting the long-term predictive validity of KSEP screener ratings and highlights the importance of screening for social-emotional, as well as cognitive, indicators of readiness when children enter kindergarten. Practical implications are discussed.