Assessing School Communities Using Google Street View: A Virtual Systematic Social Observation Approach

Dana Charles McCoy; Terri J. Sabol; Emily C. Hanno; Candice L. Odgers

doi:10.1177/23328584221085247

Assessing School Communities Using Google Street View: A Virtual Systematic Social Observation Approach

Dana Charles McCoy^*, Terri J. Sabol, Emily C. Hanno, Candice L. Odgers

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Education and Social Policy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Little research in education has focused on school neighborhoods. We employ a novel systematic social observation tool—the internet-based School Neighborhood Assessment Protocol (iSNAP)—within Google Street View to quantify the physical characteristics of 291 preschool communities in nine U.S. cities. We find low to moderate correlations (r = −.03 to −.57) between iSNAP subscales and Census tract poverty, density, and crime, suggesting that the characteristics captured by the iSNAP are related to, yet ultimately distinct from, existing neighborhood structural measures. We find few positive associations between iSNAP community characteristics and 1,230 low-income preschoolers’ end-of-year outcomes. Specifically, resources for outdoor play (e.g., playgrounds, open fields) on school grounds predicted stronger child self-regulation skills, whereas global ratings of safety and care for both the school grounds and surrounding neighborhood predicted stronger approaches to learning skills. Indicators of physical order were not associated with child outcomes.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	AERA Open
Volume	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221085247
State	Published - Apr 2022

Funding

The development of this article was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education through Grant R305A160013. The NCRECE PDS study was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education through Grant R305A060021 to the University of Virginia. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the U.S. Department of Education. We are grateful to Dr. Jason Downer, Andrea Busby, Atiya Addie, Allie Cooperman, Sarah Guminski, Marisa Sclafani, Wendy Wei, and each of our coders for their contributions to this work.

Keywords

Google Street View
early childhood development
school neighborhood
school quality
systematic social observation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Education
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1177/23328584221085247

Cite this

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title = "Assessing School Communities Using Google Street View: A Virtual Systematic Social Observation Approach",

abstract = "Little research in education has focused on school neighborhoods. We employ a novel systematic social observation tool—the internet-based School Neighborhood Assessment Protocol (iSNAP)—within Google Street View to quantify the physical characteristics of 291 preschool communities in nine U.S. cities. We find low to moderate correlations (r = −.03 to −.57) between iSNAP subscales and Census tract poverty, density, and crime, suggesting that the characteristics captured by the iSNAP are related to, yet ultimately distinct from, existing neighborhood structural measures. We find few positive associations between iSNAP community characteristics and 1,230 low-income preschoolers{\textquoteright} end-of-year outcomes. Specifically, resources for outdoor play (e.g., playgrounds, open fields) on school grounds predicted stronger child self-regulation skills, whereas global ratings of safety and care for both the school grounds and surrounding neighborhood predicted stronger approaches to learning skills. Indicators of physical order were not associated with child outcomes.",

keywords = "Google Street View, early childhood development, school neighborhood, school quality, systematic social observation",

author = "McCoy, {Dana Charles} and Sabol, {Terri J.} and Hanno, {Emily C.} and Odgers, {Candice L.}",

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doi = "10.1177/23328584221085247",

language = "English (US)",

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AU - Hanno, Emily C.

AU - Odgers, Candice L.

PY - 2022/4

Y1 - 2022/4

N2 - Little research in education has focused on school neighborhoods. We employ a novel systematic social observation tool—the internet-based School Neighborhood Assessment Protocol (iSNAP)—within Google Street View to quantify the physical characteristics of 291 preschool communities in nine U.S. cities. We find low to moderate correlations (r = −.03 to −.57) between iSNAP subscales and Census tract poverty, density, and crime, suggesting that the characteristics captured by the iSNAP are related to, yet ultimately distinct from, existing neighborhood structural measures. We find few positive associations between iSNAP community characteristics and 1,230 low-income preschoolers’ end-of-year outcomes. Specifically, resources for outdoor play (e.g., playgrounds, open fields) on school grounds predicted stronger child self-regulation skills, whereas global ratings of safety and care for both the school grounds and surrounding neighborhood predicted stronger approaches to learning skills. Indicators of physical order were not associated with child outcomes.

AB - Little research in education has focused on school neighborhoods. We employ a novel systematic social observation tool—the internet-based School Neighborhood Assessment Protocol (iSNAP)—within Google Street View to quantify the physical characteristics of 291 preschool communities in nine U.S. cities. We find low to moderate correlations (r = −.03 to −.57) between iSNAP subscales and Census tract poverty, density, and crime, suggesting that the characteristics captured by the iSNAP are related to, yet ultimately distinct from, existing neighborhood structural measures. We find few positive associations between iSNAP community characteristics and 1,230 low-income preschoolers’ end-of-year outcomes. Specifically, resources for outdoor play (e.g., playgrounds, open fields) on school grounds predicted stronger child self-regulation skills, whereas global ratings of safety and care for both the school grounds and surrounding neighborhood predicted stronger approaches to learning skills. Indicators of physical order were not associated with child outcomes.

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KW - school quality

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Assessing School Communities Using Google Street View: A Virtual Systematic Social Observation Approach

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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