Predicting the quality of center-based early care and education programs for preschool children: A cumulative asset model

The present study examined the relationship between structural indicators of quality in early childhood programs to observed quality in the classroom. Observational data about the global process quality and the quality of teacher-child interactions was collected in a sample of 113 center-based preschool classrooms in four Midwestern states.;Results indicated that the single strongest predictor of observed process quality was the use of an evidence-based curriculum. Multiple regression analyses identified a similar relationship between a group of structural indicators and process quality. However, indicators of mulitcollinearity among the predictor variables were found.;To address the issue of multicollinearity, a cumulative index of seven assets was developed. Classrooms with a greater number of assets were found to have higher ratings of quality. These results support the idea that multiple structural features of early care and education programs work together to create a climate of high quality within the early childhood classroom.