IDCd Lab Research Projects
National Project on Achievement in Twins (NatPAT), NICHD grant HD052120
(More details can be found on the "NatPAT" tab above)
Abstract:
Reading and math problems represent an important public health issue for children in that they are associated with various negative outcomes including school failure, limited occupational success, and juvenile delinquency (Geary et al., 2012; Reynolds et al., 2002). Of US fourth-grade students, one-fourth fail to reach even partial mastery of grade-level knowledge in reading, and one-fifth fail to reach partial mastery of grade-level knowledge in math (NCES, 2015), highlighting the prevalence of reading and math difficulties in childhood. Given we know that children who struggle in reading often also struggle in math, it is important to identify influences on the development of both reading and math. The overall goal of the proposed research is to uncover salient factors, including genetic and environmental influences, which contribute to the co-development of reading and math performance, at a critical developmental point (elementary school). We will identify the first nationally-representative US twin sample through the proposed National Project on Achievement in Twins (NatPAT). The NatPAT sample will comprise 7,668 pairs of twins located across the US, and will be uniquely situated to address the overall goal of the proposed research through four specific aims (SA). First, we will utilize a large national database of reading and math performance from schools across the country to ascertain the NatPAT twin sample. Using a cohort-sequential design starting in kindergarten, we will examine reading and math performance across elementary school in order to model genetic and environmental influences on reading and math (co-)development (Specific Aim 1). Second, we will model the genetic and environmental influences on the co-occurrence of reading and math difficulties, while also testing for sex differences (Specific Aim 2). Third, we will capitalize on publically available data to characterize the environmental contexts related to the (co-)development of reading and math performance (Specific Aim 3). Finally, we will capture important attitudinal individual differences dimensions and examine how they are associated with the (co-)development of reading and math performance (Specific Aim 4).
Florida Twin Project on Reading, NICHD grant HD052120
Abstract:
Reading problems have negative consequences such as school failure and are associated with behavior problems that can adversely impact children’s health and wellbeing. In Project IV, we will use an ethnically/racially/economically diverse sample of 866 identical and 1,725 fraternal twin pairs in grades K-6 to accomplish three specific aims that will significantly advance our understanding of reading problem phenotypes, the environmental context in which genetic risk for reading problems may be expressed, and genetic and environmental factors underlying status and stability of comorbid reading and behavior problems. For aim 1, reading measures from Florida's Progress Monitoring and Reporting Network (PMRN) will be used to create classifications of reading problems in order to identify those that have substantial genetic influence. Behavioral, cognitive, and school/home environment data collected in year 1 of the project on a subsample of 350 identical and 350 same-sex fraternal twins will be used to created composites of salient environmental factors (e.g., home literacy, school resource level, classroom effectiveness) and behavior problems related to executive cognitive dysfunction (e.g., attention, impulsivity, etc.). For aim 2, gene-environment interplay processes underlying reading problems will be identified by testing for moderating effects of salient environmental factors on genetic and environmental variance associated with reading measures from the PMRN (e.g., word reading fluency, comprehension) using biometrical models. For aim 3, the subsample of 700 twin pairs will be re-assessed on behavior and environment measures in years 3 and 5 of the project and those data will be combined with PMRN reading data on the twins to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to status and stability of the comorbidity between reading problems and behavior problems using bivariate biometrical models.
Project KIDS, NICHD grant HD072286
Abstract:
Reading difficulties have negative consequences that are frequently associated with behavior problems and can adversely impact children’s school outcomes, health, and wellbeing. There has been a growing body of work which suggests that the individual traits and history that a child brings into a classroom, and by extension an intervention project, have an interactive effect on literacy learning. Given the call for better understanding and improving the outcomes from literacy intervention paradigms, this project proposes to explore how individual differences in child traits, family environment and familial risk status moderate response to intervention. To do so, this project innovatively proposes to combine three extant intervention projects to create a pooled source of data which is more representative and powerful than any one intervention alone, as well as capitalizing on the knowledge pool of already collected data. The three Aims of this project will serve to meet the general goal of measuring individual differences in response to intervention using the bioecological model. Aim 1 explores child trait characteristics, or cognitive and psychosocial outcomes. Aim 2 explores the family environment, such as home literacy practices and parental beliefs. Aim 3 explores the familial risk status of various learning disabilities and difficulties on response to intervention. By using the novel method of integrative data analysis, the raw data from each project can be combined and heterogeneity across sites controlled for. Additionally, for aspects of child individual differences which are not presently available in the existing intervention projects, we propose to recruit original participants and their families into a questionnaire portion of the present project. This pooling of raw data, as well as the new collection of data through a questionnaire, will allow for the various sources of individual differences, specifically child traits, family environment, and familial risk status, to be entered as moderators in a multilevel model predicting children's response to intervention defined as post-test status controlled for by pre-test status. This work has the potential to lead to more effective literacy interventions, which has great public health implications for school children and future generations of citizens.
Profiling students in online Calculus and music theory courses
Dr. Hart has been working with Dr. Ganley on two different projects with faculty in different departments on campus. These projects have a common thread of measuring numerosity, mathematics, and spatial skills in students enrolled in courses that are typically very difficult for students. We measure individual differences predictors of success in these classes. The work with Calculus students is funded through to NSF grants, and the work with music theory courses is funded by a FSU CRC MDS grant.
National Project on Achievement in Twins (NatPAT), NICHD grant HD052120
(More details can be found on the "NatPAT" tab above)
Abstract:
Reading and math problems represent an important public health issue for children in that they are associated with various negative outcomes including school failure, limited occupational success, and juvenile delinquency (Geary et al., 2012; Reynolds et al., 2002). Of US fourth-grade students, one-fourth fail to reach even partial mastery of grade-level knowledge in reading, and one-fifth fail to reach partial mastery of grade-level knowledge in math (NCES, 2015), highlighting the prevalence of reading and math difficulties in childhood. Given we know that children who struggle in reading often also struggle in math, it is important to identify influences on the development of both reading and math. The overall goal of the proposed research is to uncover salient factors, including genetic and environmental influences, which contribute to the co-development of reading and math performance, at a critical developmental point (elementary school). We will identify the first nationally-representative US twin sample through the proposed National Project on Achievement in Twins (NatPAT). The NatPAT sample will comprise 7,668 pairs of twins located across the US, and will be uniquely situated to address the overall goal of the proposed research through four specific aims (SA). First, we will utilize a large national database of reading and math performance from schools across the country to ascertain the NatPAT twin sample. Using a cohort-sequential design starting in kindergarten, we will examine reading and math performance across elementary school in order to model genetic and environmental influences on reading and math (co-)development (Specific Aim 1). Second, we will model the genetic and environmental influences on the co-occurrence of reading and math difficulties, while also testing for sex differences (Specific Aim 2). Third, we will capitalize on publically available data to characterize the environmental contexts related to the (co-)development of reading and math performance (Specific Aim 3). Finally, we will capture important attitudinal individual differences dimensions and examine how they are associated with the (co-)development of reading and math performance (Specific Aim 4).
Florida Twin Project on Reading, NICHD grant HD052120
Abstract:
Reading problems have negative consequences such as school failure and are associated with behavior problems that can adversely impact children’s health and wellbeing. In Project IV, we will use an ethnically/racially/economically diverse sample of 866 identical and 1,725 fraternal twin pairs in grades K-6 to accomplish three specific aims that will significantly advance our understanding of reading problem phenotypes, the environmental context in which genetic risk for reading problems may be expressed, and genetic and environmental factors underlying status and stability of comorbid reading and behavior problems. For aim 1, reading measures from Florida's Progress Monitoring and Reporting Network (PMRN) will be used to create classifications of reading problems in order to identify those that have substantial genetic influence. Behavioral, cognitive, and school/home environment data collected in year 1 of the project on a subsample of 350 identical and 350 same-sex fraternal twins will be used to created composites of salient environmental factors (e.g., home literacy, school resource level, classroom effectiveness) and behavior problems related to executive cognitive dysfunction (e.g., attention, impulsivity, etc.). For aim 2, gene-environment interplay processes underlying reading problems will be identified by testing for moderating effects of salient environmental factors on genetic and environmental variance associated with reading measures from the PMRN (e.g., word reading fluency, comprehension) using biometrical models. For aim 3, the subsample of 700 twin pairs will be re-assessed on behavior and environment measures in years 3 and 5 of the project and those data will be combined with PMRN reading data on the twins to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to status and stability of the comorbidity between reading problems and behavior problems using bivariate biometrical models.
Project KIDS, NICHD grant HD072286
Abstract:
Reading difficulties have negative consequences that are frequently associated with behavior problems and can adversely impact children’s school outcomes, health, and wellbeing. There has been a growing body of work which suggests that the individual traits and history that a child brings into a classroom, and by extension an intervention project, have an interactive effect on literacy learning. Given the call for better understanding and improving the outcomes from literacy intervention paradigms, this project proposes to explore how individual differences in child traits, family environment and familial risk status moderate response to intervention. To do so, this project innovatively proposes to combine three extant intervention projects to create a pooled source of data which is more representative and powerful than any one intervention alone, as well as capitalizing on the knowledge pool of already collected data. The three Aims of this project will serve to meet the general goal of measuring individual differences in response to intervention using the bioecological model. Aim 1 explores child trait characteristics, or cognitive and psychosocial outcomes. Aim 2 explores the family environment, such as home literacy practices and parental beliefs. Aim 3 explores the familial risk status of various learning disabilities and difficulties on response to intervention. By using the novel method of integrative data analysis, the raw data from each project can be combined and heterogeneity across sites controlled for. Additionally, for aspects of child individual differences which are not presently available in the existing intervention projects, we propose to recruit original participants and their families into a questionnaire portion of the present project. This pooling of raw data, as well as the new collection of data through a questionnaire, will allow for the various sources of individual differences, specifically child traits, family environment, and familial risk status, to be entered as moderators in a multilevel model predicting children's response to intervention defined as post-test status controlled for by pre-test status. This work has the potential to lead to more effective literacy interventions, which has great public health implications for school children and future generations of citizens.
Profiling students in online Calculus and music theory courses
Dr. Hart has been working with Dr. Ganley on two different projects with faculty in different departments on campus. These projects have a common thread of measuring numerosity, mathematics, and spatial skills in students enrolled in courses that are typically very difficult for students. We measure individual differences predictors of success in these classes. The work with Calculus students is funded through to NSF grants, and the work with music theory courses is funded by a FSU CRC MDS grant.
