1. New ways of exploring links between educational and developmental outcomes
Dr Chris Playford
@playford_chris
Data Linkage Scotland Showcase 2016
29th November 2016

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Scottish Longitudinal Study
Source: Boyle et al. (2009: 388) – Table 2
Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Exploring educational and developmental outcomes, CJ Playford, 29th Nov 2016

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14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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