New ways of exploring links between educational and developmental outcomes Dr Chris Playford chris.playford@ed.ac.uk @playford_chris Data Linkage Scotland Showcase 2016 29th November 2016
Introduction The cognitive and emotional development of children growing up in circumstances of socioeconomic disadvantage is more likely to be abnormal compared to children raised in more advantaged families (Chin-Lun Hung et al., 2015). This association has been noted for a range of different developmental attributes including: gross motor skills (Ozal et al., 2015), vision & fine motor skills (Gottschling-Lang et al., 2013; Morley et al., 2015), social development (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002) hearing & language development (Nicholson et al., 2010; Hartas, 2011). Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Themes Exploring the extent to which the relationship between family socioeconomic position and educational attainment is moderated by: Being born Small for Gestational Age (SGA) Child Development Exploring variation in child development by birthweight and family socioeconomic position Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Rationale Attempting to better understand social patterning of educational and developmental outcomes. To what extent does socioeconomic variation in birthweight (and other birth outcomes) explain differences in these outcomes? Challenge of disentangling these life course processes Middle-range theories (Merton 1967) “Compared with children whose parents are degree-educated, those whose parents have no qualifications are more likely, amongst other things, to have younger mothers, live in lone parent families, experience lower levels of home learning activities and household rules, to have had a low birth weight, poorer general health, and a mother who smokes.” Bradshaw (2011: 22) Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Scottish Longitudinal Study Source: Boyle et al. (2009: 388) – Table 2 Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Linked Administrative Data Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS) – Census based. Maternity Inpatient and Day Case (SMR02) Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Examination Results in Scottish Schools Child Health Systems Programme Pre-School (CHSP Pre-School) Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Outcome Measures Based on Woodside (see Barber et al. 1976, Eu 1986) Standard Grade Points Score Child Development (CHSP-PS) 7 points = Grade 1 (Highest) 1 point = Grade 7 (Lowest) See Croxford et al. (2007) Based on Woodside (see Barber et al. 1976, Eu 1986) Indicators Gross Motor skills Fine motor or manipulative skills Hearing and communication Social skills and behaviour Classification Abnormal Doubtful / Uncertain Incomplete Normal Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
CHSP-PS Reviews Review Gross Motor / Hearing Fine Motor / Social 6-8 Week Review 21,446 - 8 to 9 Month Review 22,147 22,146 21 to 24 Month Review (pre Hall 4) 24,488 39 to 42 Month Review (pre Hall 4) 24,991 48 Month Review/ Pre-school (pre Hall 4) 21,856 Total 114,928 93,481 Table 1: Review coverage and number of reviews Source: Scottish Longitudinal Study Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Summary (1) The relationship between educational attainment and family socioeconomic position is slightly attenuated by differential birth outcomes Only very slight attenuation when child development indicators are included This is because these are indicators of quite serious conditions which affect only a very small proportion of children Child development indicators are strongly associated with gestational age specific birthweight Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Summary (2) Hearing & language, vision & fine motor, and social abnormalities are more likely for children with parents in lower grade occupations, who are long-term unemployed or without qualifications. This is adjusting for other indicators of family socioeconomic position and birth outcomes For children with unqualified parents, part of the association between parental education and hearing & language, vision & fine motor and social skills is explained by the birth outcomes of their children. Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Implications With the exception of gross motor skills, differences in child development outcomes are mostly explained by the social background of parents. This is a critical issue for policy affecting children’s educational and wellbeing outcomes. These findings suggest that children growing up in circumstances of severe disadvantage are at higher risk of abnormal or doubtful vision & fine motor, social skills, and hearing & language and that this cannot be explained by differences in birth outcomes. The implication for policy is that these children will require additional support in their early years of development. Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Benefits of Administrative Data Administrative data provide good measures for this study. This linkage uses nationally representative data that has already been collected. Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
Future work Educational Outcomes Looked After Children (LAC) Social Work WS Placement Stability Maternal Anxiety & Depression ADRC-S Work Package Linked Prescribing Information System (PIS) data Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016
With thanks to chris.playford@ed.ac.uk The help provided by staff of the Longitudinal Studies Centre – Scotland (LSCS) is acknowledged. The LSCS is supported by the ESRC/JISC, the Scottish Funding Council, the Chief Scientist’s Office and the Scottish Government. The authors alone are responsible for the interpretation of the data. Census output is Crown copyright and is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen’s Printer for Scotland. Funder: Economic and Social Research Council Project: Administrative Data Research Centre - Scotland Grant number: ES/L007487/1 chris.playford@ed.ac.uk