2008
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2008 |
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| 2008
Have You Heard Archive: 2006 Have You Heard? 2007 Have You Heard? |
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| Date Posted: | |
| December 19, 2008 | State-by-State Child Care and Early Education Data (12/2/08) |
State-by-state data pages include information on child care assistance, community-based pre-kindergarten, Head Start program data, infant/toddler initiatives, and state Early Head Start initiatives. Users can search for data by topic or by state. |
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| December 19, 2008 | Great Schools: New Online Preschool Locator |
The non-profit parenting web site Great Schools now includes preschools in its online system for identifying and profiling schools in communities across the U.S. Inquiries begin by entering ZIP Codes or choosing cities from the drop-down menu. |
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| December 19, 2008 | The Pre-K Pinch: Early Education and the Middle Class (November 2008) |
For middle-class families, who earn too much to qualify for state pre-kindergarten programs, private early education and care is among the most onerous expenses. By providing high-quality, voluntary pre-k to all three and four year olds, policymakers can help these strapped families while enhancing children's school readiness and our nation's human capital. Pre-K Now |
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| December 19, 2008 | Investing in Early Education for Future Growth (December 16, 2008) |
This report to the Obama administration makes recommendations for future investments in early education. Among issues addressed are closing the achievement gap, teacher support, language issues and parental involvement. Progressive Policy Institute |
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| December 19, 2008 | Preschool Matters (November/December 2008) |
Featured
Articles: |
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| December 19, 2008 | When Worlds Collide: Universal preK brings new challenges for public elementary schools (November/December 2008) |
| Noted education writer David McKay Wilson documents the challenges universal preschool can pose to public elementary schools in a wide-ranging feature article. Wilson introduces readers to the story through the prism of Boston’s struggle to implement preschool for all and then provides a multi-source national perspective that touches on policy, people and infrastructure issues. Harvard Education Letter | |
| December 19, 2008 | The Fiscal Survey of States: December 2008 (December 2008) |
| So far in fiscal 2009, 22 states have cut their enacted budgets by $12.1 billion, with another five states forecasting cuts. In addition, 31 states have reported budget gaps totaling $29.7 billion since fiscal 2009 budgets were enacted. National Governors Association and National Association of State Budget Officers | |
| December 19, 2008 | The Cost of Doing Nothing: The Economic Impact of Recession-Induced Child Poverty (December 2008) |
| The United States is now a year into what many predict will be a very serious recession. Economic turbulence of this type is likely to have far-ranging consequences that are not limited to the immediate future. Recent estimates are that, as a result of the economic downturn, an additional 2.6 to 3.3 million children will fall into poverty. Allowing these children to fall into poverty will prove to be a significant long-term drag on the U.S. economy. In fact, an addition of 3 million children to the ranks of the “poor,” would mean an overall economic loss of at least $1.7 trillion over the lifetime of these children. That amounts to a yearly loss of about 0.27% of GDP, or $35 billion dollars per year. FirstFocus.org | |
| December 12, 2008 | Preschool Curriculum: What's in it for Children and Teachers (December 2008) |
| A new report suggests that early, age-appropriate instruction in language, literacy, mathematics and science can have significant, long-lasting effects on preschool children's social and cognitive skills. The report synthesizes the best research on how young children learn in those academic domains and discusses the implications for improving preschool education. The report also says that aggressive, expanded instruction in these areas may yield economic benefits by reducing the learning disparities between rich and poor children that predate preschool and escalate through elementary and into middle school. American Federation and Teachers and the Albert Shanker Institute | |
| December 12, 2008 | America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2008 (July 2008) |
| This Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics brief summarizes a detailed report scheduled for publication in 2009. The summary version highlights selected statistics indicating the well-being of children and families. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics | |
| December 12, 2008 | Dual Language Learners in the Early Years: Getting Ready to Succedd in School (November 2008) |
| This report examines the growth in the number of young children in this country who speak English as a second language. Since these kids are learning a second language while acquiring their first, an achievement gap persists for years between them and their monolingual English-speaking peers, the report notes. In 2006, nearly one in three children attending Head Start was learning a second language. National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition | |
| December 4, 2008 | Sharing Knowledge with Infant-Toddler Teachers and Home Visitors (Fall 2008) |
| This series of lessons focuses on early development and quality services. One series is for infant toddler teachers and home visitors; the other for people who provide training. The series for infant toddler teachers and home visitors contains information and opportunities for reflection. The Trainer’s Companion Manual provides additional information and ideas for training activities. Administration for Children and Families | |
| December 4, 2008 | Trainer’s Companion Manuals for the Sharing Knowlege Series (Fall 2008) |
| This series provides trainers with information on how to teach the content of the Sharing Knowledge series to teachers and home visitors. Designed for orientations and other training workshops, the series offers background materials and learning activities that education supervisors can use for instruction on the various components of the Sharing Knowledge series. Administration for Children and Families | |
| December 4, 2008 | Connecting Schools and Family Child Care Homes: Research and Practice Issue Brief (Fall 2008) |
| This report looks at how family child care providers can build relationships with schools, in particular 21C schools, to improve their resources and networks in local communities. The School of the 21st Century, Yale University | |
| December 4, 2008 | Child
Care and Development Block Grant Participation in 2007 |
Two new fact sheets from CLASP highlight Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) participation in 2007 for the program as a whole and with a spotlight on infants and toddlers. The fact sheets provide information on the ages of children receiving assistance, the types of child care settings used, reasons for families receiving assistance, and state-by-state differences in participation. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| December 4, 2008 | Meta-Analysis
of the Effects of Early Education Interventions on Cognitive and Social
Development (December 4, 2008) |
Given the current state of research on the efficacy of early childhood interventions, there is both good and bad news. The good news is that a host of original and synthetic studies have found positive effects for a range of outcomes, and this pattern is clearest for outcomes relating to cognitive development. Moreover, many promising variables for program design have been identified and linked to outcomes, though little more can be said of the link than that it is positive. The bad news is that there is much less empirical information available for designing interventions at multiple levels with multiple components. Teacher College Record |
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| December 4, 2008 | Who's
Caring for the Kids? The Status of the Early Childhood Workforce
in Illinois–2008 (November
2008) |
Regardless of program type, philosophy, or setting, the single most important facet impacting a child's life experience is the quality of adult-child interaction. Classroom teachers and home providers are at the core of the child's experience. The expertise, passion, and commitment they bring to their roles can transform ordinary experiences into memorable moments that enrich a child's life forever. National-Louis University's McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership and the Early Childhood Parenting Collaborative at the University of Illinois |
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| December 4, 2008 | Reading First Impact Study Final Report (November 2008) |
| Last week the Department of Education released the final report of the Reading First Impact Study, a rigorous evaluation designed to measure the effectiveness of the federal Reading First program, which funds scientifically based literacy programs in kindergarten through third grade… It did not, however, find any evidence that Reading First improved students' reading comprehension. National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance | |
| December 4, 2008 | Recession Could Cause Large Increases in Poverty and Push Millions into Deep Poverty (November11, 2008) |
| Like previous recessions, the current downturn is likely to cause significant increases both in the number of Americans who are poor and the number living in “deep poverty,” with incomes below half of the poverty line. Because this recession is likely to be deep and the government safety net for very poor families who lack jobs has weakened significantly in recent years, increases in deep poverty in this recession are likely to be severe. There are a series of steps that federal and state policymakers could take to soften the recession’s harshest impacts and limit the extent of the increases in deep poverty, destitution, and homelessness. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | |
| December 4, 2008 | A Guide for Families Using NAEYC Standards to Find Quality Programsfor Young Children |
| The National Association for the Education of Young Children, a leader in the early education field, explains to parents what quality centers should look like, according to its standards. Catalyst Cleveland | |
| November 21, 2008 | What Children Learn in Pre-K (Fall 2008) |
| This video from Pre-K Now follows five preschool children, tracking their development and highlighting the importance of high-quality pre-K education. pre[k]now | |
| November 21, 2008 | Economic Impact of the Early Care and Education Industry in Georgia (Fall 2008) |
| This report quantifies the short-term economic impact of the early care and education industry in the state of Georgia and also provides a summary of current research on the long-term benefits of early education. Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia | |
| November 21, 2008 | Assessing Child-Care Quality How Well Does Colorado’s Qualistar Quality Rating and Improvement System Work? (Fall 2008) |
| This research brief provides a summary of research conducted to assess the validity of Colorado's Qualistar Early Learning Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). Rand Corpoaration | |
| November 21, 2008 | Parents' Reports of the School Readiness of Young Children from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2007 (August 2008) |
| This report presents findings on young children's preparedness for school, as based on reports by their parents from the School Readiness Survey of the 2007 National Household Education Surveys Program. National Center for Educational Statistics | |
| November 21, 2008 | Building “Bob”: A Project Exploring the Human Body at Western Illinois University Preschool Center (Fall 2008) |
| When the children at Western Illinois University Preschool Center embarked on a study of human bodies, they decided to build a life-size model of a body, organ by organ from the inside out, to represent some of the things they were learning. This article describes the building of "Bob," the human body model, highlighting the children's problem solving at various points in the construction process. The article also explains other activities that the class engaged in during the three phases of project work. The project culminated in the creation of a classroom book, written and illustrated by all of the children, which could be shared with families and visitors to the classroom. Early Childhood Reserch and Practice | |
| November 21, 2008 | At the Zoo: Kindergartners Reinvent a Dramatic Play Area (Fall 2008) |
| In a South Dakota early childhood program, children and adults in the kindergarten classroom collaborated to build a “classroom zoo” in support of the children’s pretend play. Creation of the zoo incorporated information about animals and zoos that the children and their families and teachers located in secondary sources such as nonfiction books and the Web site of the San Diego Zoo. Zoo-related activities culminated in a Grand Opening to which families and other classrooms in the center were invited. Early Childhood Reserch and Practice | |
| November 21, 2008 | "Fixing Puppets So They Can Talk": Puppets and Puppet Making in a Classroom of Preschoolers with Special Needs (Fall 2008) |
| This article describes the ways in which puppets were used in two preschool classes of 3- to 5-year-old children with special needs in Indianapolis, Indiana. During their study of puppets, the children created topic webs, used and created different types of puppets, listened to guest experts, and participated in a workshop conducted by nationally renowned puppeteers. The article concludes with teacher reflections and the Indiana Foundations for Young Children that were addressed by the puppet activities. Early Childhood Reserch and Practice | |
| November 21, 2008 | Introduction to the Special Section on Dramatic Play (Fall 2008) |
| This special section of Early Childhood Research and Practice features two practitioner perspectives on children’s involvement in dramatic play. Dramatic play, socio-dramatic play, symbolic play, pretend play—these varied terms describe interrelated phenomena well known to those who work with young children. Early Childhood Reserch and Practice | |
| November 21, 2008 | A Test of a Measure for Assessing Teachers' Judgments about Social Interaction Practices in the Preschool (Fall 2008) |
| The primary purpose of this article is to describe the development and utility of the Social Interaction Practices for the Preschool Years (SIPPY) questionnaire. The SIPPY is a tool designed to assess teachers’ judgments of the acceptability and feasibility, as well as their current use, of literature-supported strategies for promoting the development of young children's social competence in early childhood classrooms. Early Childhood Reserch and Practice | |
| November 21, 2008 | Analyzing the Impact of Gender on Depictions of Touch in Early Childhood Textbooks (Fall 2008) |
| Early childhood contexts often enact “common-sense identities” that create and sustain the notion that teachers of young children are expressly female and heterosexual. It has also been argued that touch is a key difference between men and women in early childhood classrooms. This exploratory study examined 10 early childhood textbooks to determine whether images depicting touch enacted these common-sense notions. To investigate whether implicit gendered messages existed within the texts, images displaying touch between teachers and children were grouped according to three main recurrent themes: teacher touching child, child touching teacher, and mutually negotiated contact. Findings indicated that, although the images of male teachers were positive, troubling patterns did emerge concerning the type and nature of men’s contact with children. These patterns worked to reaffirm larger patriarchal structures at play in schools and society while simultaneously painting women as more suitable to nurture young children. Furthermore, the texts provided clear messages to beginning teachers that acceptable types of touch were delineated by gender. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for early childhood preservice teacher education. Early Childhood Reserch and Practice | |
| November 21, 2008 | Coaching as Part of a Pilot Quality Rating Scale Initiative: Challenges to—and Supports for—the Change-Making Process (Fall 2008) |
| This article reports on a study focusing on the QRS consulting process, as well as some of the factors that present challenges to that process. The article concludes with recommendations for addressing these issues and in turn enhancing the QRS coaching process. Early Childhood Reserch and Practice | |
| November 21, 2008 | Effect of Parents' Wartime Deployment on the Behavior of Young Children in Military Familiest (November 2008) |
| A study of preschool-age children in child care facilities at a Marine base found that those with a parent deployed overseas for war were more likely to show aggression than other young children in military families who did not have a parent deployed. While children 3 to 5 years old reacted to a parent's deployment with increased aggression, children between 11⁄2 and 3 did not, prompting speculation about the mothers' role as the main attachment figure during this period of children's development. The preponderance of deployed parents was men. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine | |
| November 14, 2008 | Influence the Future of Early Childhood Inclusion; Provide Feedback on DRAFT National Position Statement (October 2008) |
Help shape the future of early childhood inclusion. The Division of Early Childhood and the National Association for the Education of Young Children are seeking feedback on a joint position statement on early childhood inclusion. The draft statement and a survey are available online. FPG Child Development Institute |
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| November 14, 2008 | Workforce
Designs: A Policy Blueprint for State Early Childhood Professional
Development Systems (October
2008) |
This report provide resources to states looking to shore up their systems for early childhood workers. The report presents principles and policy areas aimed at developing and retaining effective, diverse, and adequately compensated early childhood professionals. The four “Principles for Policy Making” are: 1) integration; 2) quality assurance; 3) diversity, inclusion, and access; and 4) compensation parity. The six “Essential Policy Areas” that states should consider are: 1) professional standards, 2) career pathways, 3) articulation, 4) advisory structure, 5) data, and 6) financing. National Association for the Education of Young Children |
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| November 14, 2008 | Child Care Assistance in 2006: Insufficient Investments (November 3, 2008) |
This policy brief shows that total spending on child care assistance increased only slightly in 2006. The brief analyzes 2006 expenditure data released in October 2008 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Among the report’s findings, total child care spending (including federal and state CCDBG and TANF-related funds) increased by approximately 2 percent from $11.7 billion in 2005 to almost $12.0 billion in 2006. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| November 14, 2008 | Small is Beautiful: Staff-Child Ratios and Group Size in Early Care and Education (Fall 2008) |
This report reviews past research on staff-child ratios and group size as key indicators of quality in early care and education programs. The brief summarizes findings from a number of major studies and reports and highlights the importance of setting appropriate group ratios and size to improve the quality care and child outcomes. Wisconsin Council on Children and Families |
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| November 14, 2008 | Getting Ready: Curriculum Elements for Early Learning (Fall 2008) |
This report reviews past research on the elements necessary for a high-quality early learning curriculum. Research on brain development has shown that a child’s cognitive and social-emotional foundations are established by age five. The brief examines the curriculum or curriculum-related requirements of major early care and education programs, such as Head Start and written outlines of activities for child care centers. Wisconsin Council on Children and Families |
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| November 14, 2008 | Infants and Toddlers in Child Care (October 10, 2008) |
This brief makes policy recommendations to create supports for, and expand access to, quality child care for infants and toddlers, focusing on the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), tax policy, and appropriations. The brief also summarizes research on the importance of quality child care. Center for Law and Social Policy and Zero to Three |
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| November 14, 2008 | Basic
Facts about Low-Income Children Birth to Age 3 (October 2008) |
The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) released several fact sheets that present 2007 data on low-income children. The fact sheets are broken down into three age groups: birth to age 3, birth to age 6, and birth to age 18. National Center for Children in Poverty |
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| November 14, 2008 | Lessons Learned from the Qualistar Rating and Improvement System RAND Validation Study (October 2008) |
In this report, Qualistar Early Learning offers lessons for those interested in developing QRIS evaluations as well as the key learnings that Qualistar derived from the RAND Validation Study. In addition, the implications for each of the five indicators included in the Qualistar Rating are outlined. Qualistar Eraly Learning |
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| November 14, 2008 | America's Vanishing Potential: The Case for PreK-3rd Education (October 2008) |
An analysis of U.S. government statistics by the Foundation for Child Development (FCD) shows that by the Fourth Grade, less than one-third of all American children are reading at or above grade level. The full report and graphics on the reading levels of all American children, and American children by racial/ethnic groups are available. Foundation for Child Development |
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| November 14, 2008 | Predictive Validity and Early Predictors of Peer-Victimization Trajectories in Preschool (October 2008) |
A Canadian study has found that victims of bullies share traits like aggressiveness in early childhood, overly stern parents, and low socioeconomic status. Dr. Mara Brendgen and colleagues divided children into three categories — low, moderate, or chronic levels of victimhood. The chronic victims were mostly boys. National Center for Educational Evaluation and Regional Assistance |
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| November 14, 2008 | Making Friends: Assisting Children’s Early Relationships (September 2008) |
Suggestions for ways parents and teachers can identify and foster young friendships in children with and without disabilities. FPG Snapshot |
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| November 14, 2008 | Role, Relevance, Reinvention: Higher education in the Field of Early Care and Education (September 2008) |
This report is the product of a call by eight national organizations for reinvention of higher education programs for professionals working with children from birth to age 5. Author Valora Washington, president of the CAYL Institute, illustrates what can be achieved when policymakers, constituents, and education leaders work together to improve teacher education and provides illustrations from states like New Jersey and New Mexico. |
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| November 14, 2008 | A Study of Classroom Literacy Interventions and Outcomes in Even Start (September 2008) |
The report presents findings from the 2-year implementation of research-based, literacy-focused preschool and parenting education curricula in 120 Even Start Family Literacy projects. The Classroom Literacy Interventions and Outcomes (CLIO) study examined whether the CLIO preschool and parenting education curricula are more effective than existing Even Start instructional services and the extent to which the CLIO parenting education curricula add value to the CLIO preschool curricula. The evaluation found that the CLIO curricula had statistically significant, positive impacts on some of the hypothesized precursors to the development of children’s early literacy skills, including instructional supports for literacy, child social competence, and parenting skills; but did not have statistically significant impacts on the child language development and literacy outcomes. The evaluation also found that the CLIO parenting curricula did not significantly add value to the CLIO preschool curricula with respect to child outcomes. Archives of General Psychiatry |
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| November 14, 2008 | Parents’ Reports of the School Readiness of Young Children (August 2008) |
The report provides data on the kindergarten readiness of children, ages 3 to 6, using results from a parent-reported survey. In total, 2,633 survey interviews were conducted between January and May 2007, representing a population of 8.7 million children. The report looks at participation rates in preschool or other center-based early care and parents’ perception of how ready children were for kindergarten. National Center for Education Statistics |
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| November 14, 2008 | Health Insurance and Shared Services Provision for Family Child Care Providers (June 2008) |
This report looks at how to improve health insurance services and other benefits for the low-wage family child care workforce. The report identifies best practice models for providing health insurance and other shared services among family child care providers to reduce costs and improve business operations. Wisconsin Early Childhood Association |
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| October 30, 2008 | CLASP Federal Policy Recommendations for 2009 and Beyond (October 16, 2008) |
CLASP has developed an extensive federal policy agenda for the next President and Congress directed at improving the lives of low income people. The detailed agenda makes recommendations for changes in policy at all levels of the federal government: the White House, Federal departments and agencies, the budget and appropriations’ process, and the law-making process in Congress. This publication provides an overview of our agenda organized into eleven key recommendations. One recommendation is to improve child care by creating a guarantee for child care for all families at or below 200 percent of poverty and including substantial new funds to help states improve the quality of child care and to removebarriers to access for underserved families. The Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| October 30, 2008 | Getting Reasonable About the Evidence for Quality Pre-k (October 30, 2008) |
Fresh off recent anti-universal pre-k op-eds by Reason’s Shikha Dalmia and Lisa Snell, the libertarian think tank/magazine has now produced a snazzy new mini-documentary to make the case against universal pre-k. We’ve already addressed many of their arguments elsewhere, but the video offers some new angles that deserve mention: The Early Ed Watch Blog |
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| October 24, 2008 | Votes Count: Leegislative Action on Pre-K Fiscal Year 2009 (September 2008) |
In spite of worsening economic conditions across the country, the majority of states stood firm in their commitment to investing in pre-kindergarten programs, according to "Votes Count: Legislative Action on Pre-K Fiscal Year 2009," a state-by-state analysis of pre-k funding conducted by Pre-K Now with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts. This year's "Votes Count" also unveils a new list of the places families would have the best and worst chances of enrolling their children in a high-quality, state-funded pre-k program; ten states make the notable lists. pre[k]now |
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| October 17, 2008 | America's Health Starts With Healthy Children: How Do States Compare? (Octdober 2008) |
While it's well-known that children born to poor and uneducated parents are more likely to suffer poor health, it is not common knowledge that substantial health gaps exist between children from middle-income families and the children of the wealthy. The authors document these disparities and say they are so entrenched in areas like eating habits that a major expansion in health care alone would not close the gaps. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America |
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| October 17, 2008 | The Damage Is Just Beginning Sales and Property Taxes Weaken; Sharp Drop in Income Taxes Appears Near-Certain (Octdober 2008) |
Last quarter’s Revenue Report cautioned that “Revenues may be relatively strong during the April-June quarter, but positive cash flows will largely reflect tax payments based on 2007 activity. Such strength is likely to dissipate after June. The underlying trend for states is negative; budget cuts and other gap-closing measures likely loom ahead. Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government |
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| October 10, 2008 | Workforce Development, Welfare Reform, and Child Well-Being (August 2008) |
The paper examines whether policies encouraging family self-sufficiency can be improved to increase both parents' income and their children's school success. The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University |
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| October 10, 2008 | Child-Care Quality Rating and Improvement Systems in Five Pioneer States Implementation Issues and Lessons Learned (October 2008) |
This report looks at the design and implementation of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) in Oklahoma, Colorado, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The selected states represent diverse geographic locations and population sizes. The study observes that all the states integrated two key measures of quality into their systems: staff training and education and classroom or learning environment. However, the states differed on their inclusion of other quality indicators. Rand Corporation |
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| October 10, 2008 | Stable, Quality Subsidy Policy: Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care Research-Based Rationale (September 2008) |
This rationale presents research on state child care subsidy systems and how states can use subsidy policy to promote stable, quality care for babies and toddlers. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| October 10, 2008 | Build Supply of Quality Care: Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care Research-Based Rationale (September 2008) |
This rationale presents research on the current supply and quality of child care for babies and toddlers across all care settings. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| October 10, 2008 | Supporting a Diverse and Culturally Competent Workforce: Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care Research-Based Rationale (September 2008) |
This rationale presents research on babies' and toddlers' cultural identity and language skills as part of healthy development and how a diverse and culturally competent child care workforce can support children's development. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| October 10, 2008 | Basic Facts about Low-Income Children: Birth to Age 3 (October 2008) |
After a decade of decline, the proportion of children under age 3 living in low-income families is rising again, a trend that began in 2000. Between 2000 and 2007, the number of children of all ages who were poor increased by 15%. During the same period, the number of infants and toddlers who were poor increased by 22%. National Center for Children in Poverty |
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| October 3, 2008 | Quality Rating Systems: A Key Topic Resource List (July 2008) |
A compilation of selected Research Connections resources focused on the design, implementation, and evaluation of Quality Rating Systems (QRS) and Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) in child care and after school settings. Child Care and Early Education Research Connections |
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| October 3, 2008 | Demographics of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care in the United States (August 2008) |
This nationwide annual analysis compares child care assistance policies in 2008 to 2007 and 2001 in four policy areas: income eligibility, waiting lists for assistance, copayment requirements and reimbursement rates for providers. Some states have made progress since 2007, but most states continue to be behind where they were in 2001. The report reveals that states continue to fall short of providing low-income parents the support they need to obtain good-quality child care, despite modest gains in some areas. National Women's Law Center |
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| October 3, 2008 | State Child Care Assistance Policies 2008: Too Little Progress for Children and Families (September 2008) |
This nationwide annual analysis compares child care assistance policies in 2008 to 2007 and 2001 in four policy areas: income eligibility, waiting lists for assistance, copayment requirements and reimbursement rates for providers. Some states have made progress since 2007, but most states continue to be behind where they were in 2001. The report reveals that states continue to fall short of providing low-income parents the support they need to obtain good-quality child care, despite modest gains in some areas. National Women's Law Center |
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| October 3, 2008 | Options for Improving the Military Child Care System (September 2008) Summary/ Full Version/Research Brief |
The Department of Defense (DoD) operates the largest employer-sponsored system of high-quality child care in the country. As an employer-sponsored benefit, this system should promote the goals of recruitment, retention, and readiness. But despite the large subsidy DoD provides for military child care (MCC), such goals have not been a key consideration in its design or operation. The present study re-examined data from previous RAND MCC studies of child care cost and demand to assess whether MCC is serving the needs of the military and what changes should be made to improve the system's ability to meet employer goals as well as family needs. Rand Corporation |
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| September 26, 2008 | |
New research commissioned by Save the Children has found that most states have not taken the necessary steps to ensure that thousands of child-care facilities are prepared to respond to the needs of children in the event of emergencies such as tornados, earthquakes or industrial accidents, which can strike during school hours. Save the Children |
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| September 26, 2008 | |
Research has continually shown that in order for children to have exceptional, high quality early care and education, they must have teachers and staff with specialized knowledge, skill, and experience. In a newly released paper, eight national organizations request that every college president address this by asking two questions: What is the current state of our early care and education programs? How can we make them better?. McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership |
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| September 26, 2008 | From Policy to Practice: Learning from Center Directors in New Jersey's Mixe Delivery Abbott Progam (Fall 2008) |
In an effort to close the achievement gap, the Supreme Court of New Jersey mandated in 1998 that all disadvantaged 3- and 4-year-olds in the state would be offered high-quality preschool education. Since then, New Jersey's Abbott Preschool Program has demonstrated that privately run preschool classrooms participating in the program have improved in quality and have become comparable to classrooms run by school districts. Further, children in both types of Abbott classrooms demonstrated gains through kindergarten in their school readiness skills. Research Notes |
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| September 19, 2008 | Research Brief #1: State Pre-Kindergarten (September 2008) |
This brief summarizes the research on state-funded preschool education, addresses its significance and efficacy, and addresses legislation introduced at the federal level to assist the states in expanding pre-K programs. The Brookings Institution |
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| September 19, 2008 | New Evidence on the Monetary Value of Saving a High Risk Youth (December 2007) |
Support for rehabilitation programs, especially early childhood prevention programs, are a key area of interest among academics and policymakers alike, largely because of the observation in longitudinal studies of crime and delinquency showing the strong relationship between prior and future behavior. Across multiple data sources collected at different time periods and throughout the world, a consistent finding indicates that antisocial and deviant behavior that emerges early in the life course tends to continue into childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, of course in different manifestations. |
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| September 19, 2008 | Big Ideas for Children: Investing in Our Nation's Future (September 2008) |
This new book from the child advocacy group First Focus brings together the work of some of the leading figures in the early childhood field, including James Heckman, University of Chicago; Isabell Sawhill, The Brookings Institution; and David Kirp, University of California. First Focus |
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| September 19, 2008 | Preschool Education and Its Lasting Effects: Research and Policy Implications (September 2008) |
NIEER Director Steve Barnett reviews the major research on short- and long-term effects of preschool education, evaluates the studies, and discusses the finding. Education and the Public Interest Center & Education Policy Research Unit |
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| September 19, 2008 | The New Retrenchment: Social Welfare Spending, 1977-2006 (September 15, 2008) |
A new report documents a retrenchment in spending by state and local governments on social welfare, including child care that contrasts with the increases that took place from the mid-1990s to the early years of this decade. Since 2002 social welfare spending has been outpaced by spending for medical assistance. The author say given the current economic downturn, states are likely to see further contractions in non-health spending levels. Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government |
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| September 12, 2008 | Economic Impacts of the Early Childhood Education Indusry in Georgia (September 2008) |
Researchers found that Georgia's early education and childcare sector is a powerful economic engine, bringing in some $2.4 billion in gross receipts annually across the industry. The sector also has indirect economic impacts that lead to expansion in other, related industries--such as food services, transportation, and manufacturing, for a total $4.1 billion impact on Georgia's economy. Child Policy Partnership |
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| September 12, 2008 | Impacts of Early Childhood Programs (September 2008) |
Child and family impacts for these five programs – State Pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Model Early Childhood Programs, and Nurse Home Visiting – are summarized in Table 1 below. As shown in the table, all five early childhood education programs have had positive impacts on children’s cognitive skills and/or school outcomes, with the largest effects reported from some state pre-K programs and the model center-based programs. Most early childhood interventions also have had positive impacts on children’s emotional and behavioral outcomes, including long-term reductions in criminal behavior. The Brookings Institution |
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| September 5, 2008 | Parents And The High Price of Child Care: 2008 Update (June 2008) |
The report provides state-by-state data on the average costs of child care for infants and 4-year-olds in center-based care and family child care. Overall, the report found that child care remains expensive for families, particularly single-parent families. The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies |
|
| September 5, 2008 | Getting Over the Slump: Innovation Strategies to Promote Children's Learning (June, 2008) |
In this report, Arizona State University professor James Paul Gee proposes a new policy framework for using digital technologies and different assessment techniques to avoid the "fourth-grade reading slump." Gee examines how conventional and "new" literacy strategies can converge with emerging media to produce a new learning equation. the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Seasame Workshop |
|
| August 29, 2008 | State Initiatives to Expand on Early Head Start (August 14, 2008) |
CLASP and ZERO TO THREE conducted in-depth interviews with 10 states taking actions to build on Early Head Start. These individual profiles of state initiatives include data on the approaches used to build on Early Head Start, the state program, funding and supports, governance and coordination, and monitoring and evaluation. See also Building on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to Early Head Start for Young Children and Their Families for an analysis of all 20 states building on Early Head Start and recommendations for states. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| August 29, 2008 | Family Child Care Ratios and Group Sizes: Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care Research-Based Rationale (August, 2008) |
This rationale presents research on the effects of ratios and groups sizes on babies in family child care. As part of the Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care project, this rationale supports the Policy Framework’s Recommendation #7: Ensure babies and toddlers in family child care are in small groups with sufficient numbers of providers. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| August 29, 2008 | Continuity of Care: Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care Research-Based Rationale (August, 2008) |
This rationale presents research on attachment relationships and stable care for babies. As part of the Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care project, this rationale supports the Policy Framework’s Recommendation #3: Support continuous relationships between providers and caregivers and the children they care for, from when they enter child care to age three. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| August 29, 2008 | Center Ratios and Group Sizes: Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care Research-Based Rationale (August, 2008) |
The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care collaborated to develop national health and safety performance standards called Caring for Our Children to help state licensing agencies. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation requirements include recommended ratio provisions. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| August 22, 2008 | Music Eases Transitions and Encourages Learning (August, 2008) |
Music is a natural way for children to explore the world and to interact with their social environment. It can motivate and encourage young children’s learning and development during daily transitions and routines. Below are several resources on incorporating music into young children’s routines. FPG Child Development Institute |
|
| August 22, 2008 | After Abuse: Early Intervention Services for Infants and Toddlers (August, 2008) |
By law each state is required to ensure that all substantiated cases of maltreated infants and toddlers are referred to Part C early intervention services. In reality, many children may not be receiving the child development services they need. FPG Child Development Institute |
|
| August 18, 2008 | Too young to leave the nest? The effects of school starting age (June 21, 2008) |
For this study, three economists examined the effects of school starting ages using a large sample from the Norwegian army. They found that higher school starting age leads to lower earnings until about age 30. After about age 30, the estimates for earnings become close to zero and are almost always statistically insignificant. VOX |
|
| August 18, 2008 | "Who's the Boss?" Young Children's Power and Influence in an Early Childhood Classroom (Spring 2008) |
This paper explores how teachers may inadvertently empower some children while disenfranchising others in the classroom. Teachers' responses to the most powerful children in their classroom showed that in order to empower all children, sometimes it was necessary to disempower some children. Observations demonstrate ways teachers often ignore this aspect of power dynamics, missing opportunities to raise critical questions about their own and children's behaviors. The study deconstructs some taken-for-granted early childhood practices. Early Childhood Research and Practice |
|
| August 12, 2008 | Summary of the Child Development and Care Program Performance Audit (August 11, 2008) |
The following information was compiled after a review of the findings of the recent Auditor General's report on the Child Development and Care Program in the Department of Human Services. Michigan House Fiscal Agency |
|
| August 12, 2008 | Ensuring Quality Care for Low-Income Babies Contracting Directly with Providers to Expand and Improve Infant and Toddler Care (June 30, 2008) |
The supply of high-quality infant and toddler child care is limited, particularly for low-income families. While most states provide child care assistance through vouchers or certificates, states have the option of contracting directly with providers to expand infant/toddler care for low-income families. Based on interviews with state policymakers, this paper explains how states are using contracts to create or stabilize care in particular communities or for specific populations; to create child care slots meeting quality standards important for infants and toddlers; to extend the day for infants and toddlers served in Early Head Start; and to improve the quality of infant/toddler family child care. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| August 12, 2008 | Child Well-Being Index (CWI) 2008 Report (July, 2008) |
This report notd that the quality of life of American children has been stalled since 2002. The 2008 CWI also compared the well-being of teenagers in the first part of this decade (2003-2005) with the well-being of teenagers in the early years of the study (1975-1977). The teenagers of 1975-1977 are likely to include many who are now the parents of teenagers. Foundation for Child Development |
|
| August 12, 2008 | Education Policy in the Next Administration (July 24, 2008) |
Education advisers to presumptive Presidential nominees, Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama, were invited to speak about education policy.The discussion focused on how federal policies could improve educational and teacher quality. The forum also featured the first in-depth discussion of early education issues by education advisers from both campaigns Foundation for Child Development (FCD) and the New America Foundation |
|
| August 12, 2008 | Partnering with the Private and Philanthropic Sectors: A Governor's Guide to Investing in Early Childhood (Summer, 2008) |
This report from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices describes the nature and activities of early education public-private partnerships, aiming to help governors and policymakers understand the roles they will play if they pursue such partnerships. National Governors Association |
|
| August 12, 2008 | Effects of Preschool Curriculum Programs on School Readiness: Report from the Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research Initiative (July, 2008) |
This final report of the Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research initiative has been released by the Institute of Education Sciences. It contains findings for the impact of each of 14 preschool curricula on five student-level outcomes and six classroom-level outcomes. Ten curricula show no statistically significant impacts on any of the student-level measures while five show significant impacts on some measures. National Center for Educational Research |
|
| August 12, 2008 | Professional Development: The Landscape of Opportunity in Early Care and Education (Summer, 2008) |
In its position statement on professional development, NAEYC reinforces the prevailing wisdom of the field that early childhood staff should have ongoing training to improve their knowledge and practice. While state licensing standards interpret this recommendation differently, leaders in the field are in staunch agreement that professional development is an essential component of administering high-quality programs.McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership, National-Louis University |
|
| August 8, 2008 | Infants and Toddlers in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program (August 4, 2008) |
CCDBG is the primary source of federal funding for child care subsidies for low-income working families and funds to improve child care quality. CCDBG provides child care assistance to children from birth to age 13. In fiscal year 2008, CCDBG provided $5 billion in federal funding, with states expected to contribute an additional $2 billion to draw down all federal funds. This fact sheet highlights key information about infants and toddlers and CCDBG. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| July 17, 2008 | National Survey – Likely General Election Voters (June 17, 2008) |
To determine public
opinion on the presidential election and issues facing children and
families, the Every Child Matters Education Fund commissioned a nationwide
telephone survey of 800 registered voters, representing a crosssection
of the voting public, who say they are likely to vote in the 2008 general
election. See
additional data analysis. |
|
| July 17, 2008 | State Advisory Councils: Creating Systems of Early Education and Care (June 17, 2008) |
This policy brief
outlines the key components of successful state early learning councils. It
provides an overview of the language in the new Head Start Act that
creates the
Early Learning Councils and provides a set of lessons learned from states
that have created similar councils. The brief also provides a set of
appendices with resources for policymakers who are just beginning the
process of establishing early learning councils. |
|
| July 17, 2008 | State Indicators for Early Childhood (July 2008) |
Several State Early Childhood Comprehensive System (ECCS) Initiatives are using a variety of risk, process, and outcome measures to examine child well-being and program performance, as they work to implement results-based accountability in their early childhood systems. This Short Take reviews existing indicators from Title V Maternal and Child Health Programs, the Institute of Medicine/National Academy of Sciences, the School Readiness Indicators Project Measures, and other indicators that ECCS grantees are currently using. Project THRIVE at the National Center for Children in Poverty |
|
| July 17, 2008 | 2008 KIDS COUNT data book (July 2008) |
The Annie E. Casey Foundation released the 2008 KIDS COUNT data book, which compiles comprehensive information on the well-being of children in the U.S. The data book presents national and state-by-state profiles of children from infants to teenagers and identifies trends in their growth and development. The data book uses 10 key indicators to assess and rank all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on the quality of children’s conditions. The KIDS COUNT Web site includes a data center with interactive tables with state specific information on early childhood include preschool enrollment, percent of low-birthweight babies, and infant mortality rate. Annie E. Casey Foundation's |
|
| July 17, 2008 | Breaking
Down Barriers: Immigrant Families and Early Childhood Education in
New York City (May 2008) You will need to enter your name and email address |
This report relates the unique experiences of Bangladeshi, Chinese, Dominican, Haitian, Korean, and Russian parents in accessing early care and education. Parents in the study expressed their preferences for child care arrangements for their young children, but often the care they were seeking was inaccessible or unavailable. The report finds that immigrant families face multiple barriers that prevent access to programs in New York City, such as universal pre-kindergarten, Head Start, and child care subsidies. Barriers include insufficient translation of materials, inadequate outreach targeted to immigrant communities, lack of affordable child care, and an ineffective response on the part of the city government to respond to the needs of immigrant families. For example, the city’s Child Care Resource and Referral Hotline only offers services in English, Spanish, and Chinese—leaving out other language groups. Coalition for Asian American Children and Families |
|
| July 17, 2008 | Child Care Usage Among Low-Income Families: Variations Across States (June 2008) |
his Research Brief provides new estimates to show the variation across the 50 states in the use of nonparental child care, the types of child care used, and parents’ experiences with child care problems that interfere with their work schedules. The brief concludes with a discussion of possible reasons for these patterns across states. Child Trends |
|
| July 17, 2008 | Promoting a Pre-K to Three Vision for Early Learning (July 2008) |
This issue focuses on how state leaders can increase the quality of instruction from prekindergarten through third grade, and how states can better coordinate their early education systems to enable young children to sustain their learning gains throughout the prek-3rd grade years. National Association of School Boards of Education |
|
| July 11, 2008 | State Profiles: 2006 Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) Data (July 2008) |
These individual state profiles analyze 2006 Head Start PIR data, which all Head Start programs are required to report to the federal government on an annual basis. Data include information on programs, participants, families, and staff for all Head Start programs in each state, including preschool, Early Head Start, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and Migrant Head Start.Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| July 11, 2008 | The Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study: Interim Report (June 2008) |
This report discusses the results of a rigorous study of New Jersey's Abbott Preschool Program. The study seeks to determine if the learning gains from the state prekindergarten program found in earlier research at kindergarten entry continued throughout the kindergarten year and assess the quality of Abbott classrooms. Findings from this study: classroom quality in the Abbott Preschool Program continues to improve; children who attend the program, regardless of setting, improve in language, literacy and math skills through the end of their kindergarten year; and children who attend the preschool education program for two years significantly outperform those who attend for only one year or do not attend at all. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| July 3, 2008 | Early Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2006 (June 2008) |
This fact sheet reviews the 2006 Program Information Reports (PIR) data for the Early Head Start program, which serves children under age 3 and pregnant women. In 2006, Early Head Start continued to provide vital services to a diverse group of low-income children and families, most of which included at least one working parent. Most children received medical, dental, and disability screenings and follow-up services when necessary. Pregnant women also received prenatal and postnatal health care, dental care, and mental health care. Families also accessed services at high rates; 84 percent of families accessed at least one social service. However, just 2.4 percent of eligible children receive Early Head Start services. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| June 27, 2008 | Home Visiting: Strengthening Families by Promoting Parenting Success (June 2008) |
Childhood success begins with parenting at its best. Home visiting is an early childhood intervention that can enhance parenting and promote the growth and development of young children. In high-quality programs, home visiting increases the odds that children from at-risk families will enter kindergarten ready to learn. National Human Services Assembly |
|
| June 27, 2008 | The Effects of Oklahoma’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program on Hispanic Children (June 2008) |
For Hispanic students as a whole, the Tulsa pre-K program resulted in significant monthly gains for all three cognitive indicators. Center for Research on Children in the U.S. |
|
| June 27, 2008 | Preschool Programs Can Boost School Readiness (June 2008) |
A universally-available pre-K program in Tulsa, Oklahoma boosts pre-reading skills by nine months, pre-writing skills by seven months, and pre-math skills by five months. The Tulsa Head Start program boosts pre-reading skills by six months, pre-writing skills by three months, and pre-math skills by five months. Classroom practices help to explain these results. The negative effects of family and environmental risk factors can be mitigated by a strong preschool program. The Oklahoma Project Working Papers |
|
| June 27, 2008 | Fiscal Survey of the Impacts of New Mexico PreK on Children’s School Readiness at Kindergarten Entry: Results from the Second Year of a Growing Initiative (June 2008) |
New findings from an ongoing NIEER study of New Mexico 4-year-olds who attended the state's pre-K initiative show that in its second year of existence, the program continued to improve language, literacy and math development. NIEER |
|
| June 27, 2008 | Fiscal Survey of the States (June 2008) |
In stark contrast to the preceding several years, state finances in fiscal 2008 marked a turning point with a significant increase of states with fiscal difficulties. ...based on previous downturns, the impact on state budgets may lag the downturn in the economy as states may take up to several years after a recession is over to recover. National Governors Association |
|
| June 27, 2008 | Majority of Voters Favor More Federal Support for Pre-K (June 2008) |
A national survey of 802 registered voters conducted for Pre-K Now in May 2008 found broad support for greater federal investments in state pre-kindergarten programs and recognition of the lasting benefits of early childhood education. pre[k] now |
|
| June 27, 2008 | Prepared to Learn: The Nature and Quality of Early Care and Education for Preschool-Age Children in California (June 2008) |
Children who have the most to gain from preschool are the least likely to participate, reveals a new RAND Corporation study. Lynn Karoly and colleagues surveyed more than 2,000 California households with children eligible for pre-K, interviewed teachers and administrators from 600 pre-K programs, and visited 250 center-based programs. They found while 59 percent of all preschool –aged children attend center-based programs, only 45 percent whose moms have less than a high school diploma attend. Only one in four children attending was taught by teachers with a bachelor's degree in the early childhood field or related discipline. Only 22 percent of children were in classrooms that were rated between good and excellent for space, furnishings, and activities. Rand Corporation |
|
| June 27, 2008 | A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education (June 2008) |
... there is solid evidence that policies aimed directly at education-related social and economic disadvantages can improve school performance and student achievement. The persistent failure of policy makers to act on that evidence—in tandem with a school-improvement agenda—is a major reason why the association between social and economic disadvantage and low student achievement remains so strong. New America Foundation |
|
| June 27, 2008 | Broader and Bolder, but Missing Something (June 2008) |
"... getting the most bang for our buck out of early education investments requires linking them to real reforms in the K-12 schools children will enter following early education." New America Foundation |
|
| June 27, 2008 | The Child Tax Credit Gap: A Snapshot of Families Left Out (May 2008) |
This brief points to the importance of lowering the income floor for the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and provides key demographic information on the working families who are unable to claim any part of the CTC. Coalition on Human Needs |
|
| June 27, 2008 | Creating a Workforce in Early Childhood Mental Health: Defining the Competent Specialist (May 2008) |
What are early childhood
mental health services? Who should provide them, and who has the right
to say who can provide these services? In the past decade different
workgroups and organizations have attempted to define the characteristics
of competent early childhood mental health providers. This study compares
standards of ECMH competency across six states. Herr
Research Center for Children and Social Policy |
|
| June 27, 2008 | The Competent Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist (May 2008) |
This brief summarizes
findings from a study comparing competency systems for early childhood
mental health professionals across six states. It offers recommendations
for policy and practice and addresses a key question: should a national
set of ECMH competencies be developed? Herr
Research Center for Children and Social Policy |
|
| June 27, 2008 | Leadership Matters: Governors’ Pre-K Proposals Fiscal Year 2009 (April 2008) |
This report from Pre-K Now examines policymaker's support for preschool education programs, particularly in tight fiscal times .pre{k}now |
|
| June 27, 2008 | Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2006 (April 2008) |
This issue reports on New State Pre-K Reports and Hard Economics at Head Start. NIEER |
|
| June 13, 2008 | March/April Preschool Matters (April 2008) |
This issue reports on New State Pre-K Reports and Hard Economics at Head Start. NIEER |
|
| June 13, 2008 | Healthy Marriage and the Legacy of Child Maltreatment: A Child Welfare Perspective (May 2008) |
The twelfth in a series on Couples and Marriage Research Policy, this brief looks at marriage from a notably different perspective than previous briefs in the series. This brief explores how childhood experiences, specifically child maltreatment and involvement with the child welfare system, impact the potential for a healthy, lasting marriage. The brief summarizes the research on the barriers to a healthy marriage and what is known about the long term impacts of child maltreatment and foster care. Finally, the authors offer recommendations for addressing the unique needs of couples in which one or both partners have experienced childhood maltreatment. CLASP |
|
| June 6, 2008 | Increasing State Investments in Early Care and Education: Lessons Learned from Advocates and Best Practices? (Spring 2008) |
This report profiles 10 states with recent success in expanding funding for early childhood: Alabama, Colorado, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Funding increases served children birth to age 5, for example through increasing child care subsidies, home visiting programs, and pre-kindergarten funding. Although the political climate and history of investment differed widely across these states, advocates and partners were able to capitalize on opportunities and build will to increase investment in early care and education. The report also discusses 13 lessons learned from looking across these states, including: create a focused agenda, build and sustain coalitions, build relationships with elected officials and the media, and create strategies for long-term success. Each lesson learned is paired with examples of how advocates successfully (or unsuccessfully) applied that principle to their goals for young children. Voices for America’s Children |
|
| June 6, 2008 | Early Childhood Program Evaluations: A Decision-Maker’s Guide? (December 2007) |
The guide is targeted to policymakers, to help them become better consumers of program evaluation data and reports on early childhood programs. The report examines five areas for policymakers to consider in evaluating a program, including the design of the evaluation, program implementation, effect sizes and impact, measuring costs and benefits, and understanding context and relevance of a program in a given community or state. The guide also recommends that policymakers and decision-makers build relationships with researchers and local experts, who can answer further questions about program evaluation. National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation |
|
| June 6, 2008 | What Do We Mean by Professional Development in the Early Childhood Field? (March 2008) |
The report provides
a common definition and conceptual framework that can be applied across
the birth to age 8 field to guide professional development efforts to
improve the quality of the early childhood workforce. National Professional
Development Center |
|
| June 6, 2008 | Child Care Vouchers and Unregulated Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care (May 2008) |
This report relates the experiences of family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) caregivers or unregulated providers who receive child care vouchers in three counties in California and New Jersey. The Urban Institute |
|
| June 6, 2008 | Child Care Voucher Programs: Provider Experiences in Five Counties (May 2008) |
This report adds to the research base by looking comprehensively at the experiences of child care centers and licensed family child care homes with the voucher subsidy sys-tem in 2003–04. The Urban Institute |
|
| June 6, 2008 | Talking to Children: Why Some Mothers Do It More (May 2008) |
An FPG study published in the May/June 2008 issue of The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology examines how mother and child characteristics might influence the way mothers talk to their infants. FPG Snapshot |
|
| June 6, 2008 | U.S. Variations in Child Health System Performance: A State Scorecard (May 2008) |
The analysis focuses on 13 indicators of child health system performance along the dimensions of access, quality, costs, and the “potential to lead healthy lives.” In addition, for two indicators, gaps in performance by income, race/ethnicity, and insurance are used to gauge equity. The Commonwealth Fund |
|
| June 6, 2008 | Tangible Steps Toward Tomorrow (March 2008) |
This book offers solutions to ensuring success for the next generation based on three areas: parents, teachers and schools. W.K. Kellogg Foundation |
|
| June 6, 2008 | Children and Electronic Media (Spring 2008) |
This report focuses on the most common forms of electronic media and analyzes their influence on the well-being of children and adolescents. Investigators Jeanne Brooks-Gunn and Elisabeth Hirschhorn Donahue invited a panel of experts to review the best available evidence on how media are linked with various aspects of child well-being. Evidence for young children and adolescents are considered separately. The Future of Children |
|
| June 6, 2008 | The Economics of Early Childhood Policy: What the Dismal Science Has to Say About Investing in Children (May 2008) |
A new study by the RAND Corporation uses the economic concepts of human capital theory and monetary "payoffs" from investments in early childhood services to provide policymakers with a primer about how economic analysis can help set agendas for early childhood policy. Programs evaluated according to these economic concepts show, for example, that increased investment in early childhood results in government savings by leading to less need for social services later in life and increased earnings by individuals - which in turn leads to greater tax revenue for the government. Rand Corporation |
|
| June 6, 2008 | Longitudinal Effects of the Arkansas Better Chance Program: Findings from Kindergarten and First Grade (May 2008) |
New findings from the long-running Cincinnati Lead Study show that increased blood lead levels before birth and during early childhood were associated with higher rates of arrest and violent crimes. For every five micro-grams per deciliter increase in blood lead levels at 6 years of age, the risk of being arrested for a violent crime as a young adult increased by almost 50 percent. Between 1979 and 1984, pregnant women living in poor areas of Cincinnati were recruited to provide the sample for the study. The women and their children's lead blood levels were tested. The National Institute for Early Education Research |
|
| June 6, 2008 | Association of Prenatal and Childhood Blood Lead Concentrations with Criminal Arrests in Early Adulthood (May 2008) |
New findings from the long-running Cincinnati Lead Study show that increased blood lead levels before birth and during early childhood were associated with higher rates of arrest and violent crimes. For every five micro-grams per deciliter increase in blood lead levels at 6 years of age, the risk of being arrested for a violent crime as a young adult increased by almost 50 percent. Between 1979 and 1984, pregnant women living in poor areas of Cincinnati were recruited to provide the sample for the study. The women and their children's lead blood levels were tested. Public Library of Science |
|
| May 30, 2008 | Developing an Advocacy Strategy for New Jersey’s PK3 Agenda (March 2008) |
The Association for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) identifies steps that the state and key educational stakeholders must take to plan for Prekindergarten expansion and to connect that expansion with PK-3 approaches in schools throughout the state. The brief also advocates for a strong state infrastructure that supports the development of successful PK-3 approaches. Association for Children of New Jersey |
|
| May 30, 2008 | Embracing the Big Pitcure: The State of New Jersey's Road Toward a PK3 Continuum (December 2007) |
This brief examines New Jersey's newly developing systems, at the state and district levels, that provide a continuum of quality educational experiences. It also documents steps taken to create an aligned and coordinated system that links quality Prekindergarten programs with Kindergarten and the early primary grades (PK-3). Association for Children of New Jersey |
|
| May 23, 2008 | A Case Study of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care |
This report provides an instructive and sometimes cautionary tale for states considering bringing early care and education under one governance system. Funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the study documents the challenges encountered in creating the nation's first state-level independent department that consolidates early education and care. It highlights the critical role played by engaged stakeholders, champions in the legislature and strong research in making the case for consolidating governance of early care and education. It also underscores the need to deal with polarization that can contribute to mistrust between the two areas. Strategies for Children and the Rennie Center for Research & Policy |
|
| May 23, 2008 | Reducing Poverty through Preschool Interventions |
In this Future of Children article, the authors explain how providing high-quality care to disadvantaged preschool children can help reduce poverty. In early childhood, they note, children's cognitive and socio-emotional skills develop rapidly and are sensitive to "inputs" from parents, home learning environments, child care settings, and the health care system. The authors propose an intensive two-year, education-focused intervention for economically disadvantaged 3- and 4-year-olds. The Future of Children |
|
| May 23, 2008 | Like Taking Candy From a Baby: How Young Children Interact with Online Environments |
An observational study of children interacting with web sites like Club Penguin, Webkinz and Nick Jr. shows that children and their parents are often manipulated by the web sites, leading to frustration and tears on the part of the kids. Children’s Technology Review editor Warren Buckleitner, author of the study, says after watching 10 hours of typical web play he was "shocked" by the manipulation. Consumer Reports WebWatch and MediaTech Foundation |
|
| May 23, 2008 | Right Start in Michigan — 2008: Targeting Disparity in Infant Mortality Other reports and local data |
Among the 10 key Kids Count indicators of child well-being, Michigan earns its worst ranking among the states on its infant mortality rate. Newborns in 33 other states had a better chance of surviving to their first birthday than those in Michigan in 2005. Michigan League for Human Services |
|
| May 23, 2008 | Michigan Child Care: Spaces and Rates and an analysis. |
| A collected child care cost data from the child care provider databases of the 16 regional 4C offices on the average cost of child care. Michigan 4C Association | |
| May 16, 2008 | Meaningful Investments in Pre-K: Estimating the Per-Child Costs of Quality Programs |
Meaningful Investments
in Pre-K: Estimating the Per-Child Costs of Quality Programs estimates
the costs of quality improvements in public and private pre-kindergarten
settings in the United States at varying levels of quality. The report
adapts a cost estimateion model developed |
|
| May 16, 2008 | Quality Programming: Everyone's Concern |
There are a variety of well-known instruments that are often given as points of reference in the measurement of quality, some of which have been used in a variety of cultural settings. Two examples include the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) developed by Thelma Harms and Richard Clifford (1980)i, and Developmental Appropriate Practice (DAP), an approach articulated by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the largest ECCD professional organization in the USA. Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development |
|
| May 9, 200 | A Vision for the Reauthorization of Child Care |
National and state organizations
dedicated to improving the quality of our nation’s child care
have developed a “Vision” blueprint for the reauthorization
of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the strengthening
of the Dependent Care Tax Credit (DCTC). This “Vision,” when
realized, will expand families’ access to high-quality learning
opportunities for their children and help ensure all children are cared
for in child care settings that enhance their readiness for and success
in school. |
|
| May 9, 200 | Early Care and Education Legislation Database |
This searchable database
tracks related early care and education legislation from the 2008 session.
Issues include child care and child care financing, early childhood
services, prekindergarten, professional development, home visiting,
infants and toddlers, and financing early education. Search legislation
by state, topic, status, primary sponsor, bill number or keyword. National
Conference of State Legislatures |
|
| May 9, 2008 | Covering the Map: Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Providing Vital Services to Parents Throughout the United States |
The report presents findings
on the activities carried out by local child care resource and referral
agencies (CCR&Rs) as described in a May 2007 NACCRRA survey. CCR&Rs
carry out a range of services for parents and providers including child
care referrals, consumer education, assistance with accessing child
care subsides, parent trainings and workshops, and referrals to additional
community services. National Association of Child Care Resource
and Referral Agencies |
|
| May 9, 2008 | Does Readiness Matter? How Kindergarten Readiness Translates Into Academic Success |
A new report from the
Santa Clara Partnership for School Readiness examines longitudinal data
on school readiness and academic achievement in five high-needs school
districts in San Mateo, California. San Mateo and Santa Clara counties
have been collecting data on school readiness through kindergarten assessments
since 2001 and 2004 respectively. Does Readiness Matter? provides information
for these two communities on what skills at kindergarten entry best
predict later academic achievement. CLASP |
|
| May 9, 2008 | Child Development Fund: Report to Congress for FY 2004 and 2005 |
The report provides the
latest information about Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
expenditures and participation in those years as well as additional
information about training and technical assistance, and child care-related
research. The report contains administrative data that has not previously
been released. Child Care Bureau |
|
| May 2, 2008 | When Quality Counts and Money Matters |
Policymakers across the
country have begun to implement statewide quality rating systems (QRS)
to measure and improve the program quality in early care and education
settings. A quality rating system is a systematic approach to assess,
improve, and communicate the level of program quality. Currently, there
are 15 states implementing statewide quality rating systems; approximately
30 more states are in the design or pilot stages of QRS development.
As QRS pilots are taken to scale through statewide implementation, it
becomes clear how money matters when quality counts. McCormick Tribune
Center for Early Childhood Leadership, National-Louis University |
|
| April 25, 2008 | Building on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to Early Head Start for Young Children and their Families |
This report examines actions
states have taken to build on Early Head Start. Less than 3 percent
of babies
and toddlers who are eligible for Early Head Start (EHS) - a federal
program with promising results - are reached at current federal funding
levels. The paper also discusses opportunities and challenges facing
state policymakers and provides recommendations for state leaders interested
in promoting better futures for at-risk children through building on
Early Head Start. CLASP & Zero to Three |
|
| April 25, 2008 | Trends in Infancy/Early Childhood and Middle Childhood Well-Being, 1994-2006 |
This report presents the
first wide-ranging picture of how children in their first decade of
life are
faring the the U.S. It is the first report to look comprehensively at
the overall health, well-being, and quality of life of America's youngest
children - from birth through eleven years old, using the FCD Child
Well-Being Index (CWI), and to track and compare child well-being across
three primary stages of development - early childhood, middle childhood,
and adolescence. Foundation
for Child Development |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Taking Stock: Assessing and Improving Early Childhood Learning and Program Quality |
Based on their core recommendations
(e.g., develop a unified system of early childhood education), the Task
Force designed four approaches that
states can use to collect data and report on program performance and child
learning. Over the next eighteen months, the Council of Chief State School
Officers, with funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts, will use the Task
Force's findings to help states document and strengthen preschool program
performance. National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Geography Matters: Child Well-Being in the States |
This report shows the wide
gaps in key indicators of child well-being from state to state. |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Preschool teachers’ talk, roles, and activity settings during free play |
Five-year-olds did
better on motor tasks when they talked to themselves out loud (whether
prompted by teachers or talking spontaneously) than when they were silent,
says George Mason University psychology professor Adam Winsler. This
finding came from his study that looked at teachers' involvement and
roles in activity settings and free play time in pre-K classrooms. By
equipping teachers with remote microphones and taping them, he discovered
teachers are most often in the role of play enhancers, playmates and
stage managers. Teachers exhibiting different patterns of involvement
differed in how they talked to the kids ... with implications for the
kids. Early Childhood Research Quarterly |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Think Tank Review Project Pans Lexington Institute Pre-K Report |
This new report
from the Lexington Institute, “How sound an investment? An analysis
of federal prekindergarten proposals,” considers current proposals
for federal involvement in prekindergarten (pre-K). It is misleading,
however, with respect to both the provisions and likely consequences
of those proposals. The report attempts to disparage the potential benefits
of pre-K by presenting inaccurate information about public pre-K programs
and |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Pathways From Brain Research to Policy: Highlights from the National Summit on America’s Children |
In May 2007, Speaker
of the House Nancy Pelosi invited researchers from across the country
to a National Summit on America’s Children to present research
on the development of young children to policymakers. Pathways From
Brain Research to Policy: Highlights from the National Summit on America’s
Children, summarizes the research findings and implications for policy
development. |
|
| April 18, 2008 | State Early Care and Education Budget Actions FY 2007 - FY 2008 |
State appropriations for early education programs increased over $1 billion from FY 2007 to 2008, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures’ first-ever survey of state child care and early education appropriations. The survey asked state fiscal staff to report appropriations in the areas of child care, pre-kindergarten, parent education/home visiting, and other early learning strategies. National Conference of State Legislatures |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Early Childhood Educator Competencies: A Literature Review of Current Best Practices, And a Public Input Process on Next Steps for California |
This report presents
the findings of an extensive literature review of state and national
work on developing early childhood educator competencies in order to
identify best practices, trends, and gaps. The report also includes
findings from a public commenting process, which included an online
survey and public meetings throughout California, to inform future development
of California’s own set of core competencies. |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Early Learning Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers: Recommendations for States |
This report provides 17 recommendations for the process of creating and developing content guidelines for infants and toddlers. Early Learning Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers (ELG/ITs) describe what infants and toddlers at different age ranges are generally expected to know and be able to do, and how processes like attention, memory, curiosity, and persistence build the foundation for later learning. Zero to Three |
|
| March 21, 2008 | The State of Preschool 2007 |
The 2007 State Preschool Yearbook is the fifth in a series of annual reports profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. This latest Yearbook presents data on state-funded prekindergarten during the 2006-2007 school year. National Institute for Early Education Research |
|
| March 21, 2008 | Dedication Doesn't Have to Mean Deadication |
Being an administrator of an early childhood program is not just a state of employment; it is a state of mind. So many individuals who don the director's hat with noble intentions of creating exemplary centers end up leaving the field frustrated, depleted, and disillusioned. They burn out. They find that there is simply too much to do and too many people tugging on their sleeve for help, advice, and support. Are you at risk of burning out? The Director's Link |
|
| March 21, 2008 | Aligning the early years and the early grades |
Three studies support
the notion that an aligned and coordinated set of policies and practices
linking early learning with the early elementary |
|
| March 21, 2008 | PK Inclusion: Getting Serious about a P-16 Education System |
A P-16 system must pay particular attention to the P-3 years, from early childhood through third grade, because learning during these years lays the foundation for everything that follows. PHI DELTA KAPPAN |
|
| March 14, 200 | Challenging Behaviors and the Role of Preschool Education |
Curricula associated with deterring the development of negative behavior among young children are those that incorporate social skills training within the broader context of high-quality preschool education. National Institute for Early Education Research |
|
| March 14, 2008 | Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2005 Detailed Tables |
The U.S. Census Bureau released detailed data tables on the child care participation of children under age 15 with working mothers. Data show that in the spring of 2005, 72 percent of children under age 5 had a primary non-parental care arrangement. Relative care was the primary child care arrangement for 27 percent of young children. A quarter of all young children attended a center-based child care program, including a preschool or Head Start program, as their primary care arrangement. Eleven percent of children of working mothers had no regular child care arrangement. The data are broken down by age, income, race, and other variables. United States Census Bureau |
|
| March 14, 2008 | Designing Subsidy Systems to Meet the Needs of Families: An Overview of Policy Research Findings |
The report identified three general types of strategies states have undertaken to improve and maintain access to subsidies.The Urban Institute |
|
| March 14, 2008 | Parents And The High Price of Child Care: 2007 Update |
This report found that the price of child care is still burdensome for many families in America. Findings from this nationwide survey of state and local child care resource and referral agencies revealed that the average annual price for a 4–year-old in a child care center ranges from $3,794 to $10,920. For infants, the average child care center price for one child was even higher, ranging from $4,388 to $14,647 per year. Other findings reveal that the price of child care has increased more than twice the rate of inflation from 2005 to 2006; and in many cases child care costs are higher than other family expenses such as food or rent. National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies |
|
| March 14, 2008 | Racial-Ethnic Inequality in Child Well-Being from 1985-2004: Gaps Narrowing, but Persist |
An analysis of child well-being data released by the Foundation for Child Development (FCD) shows that from 1985 to 2004 child well-being increased for all groups of children. Gaps in overall well-being between white and black children and between Hispanic and white children have narrowed, yet large gaps remain. Foundation for Child Development |
|
| March 14, 2008 | Partnering for Preschool: A Study of Center Directors in New Jersey’s Mixed-Delivery Abbott Program |
The studies' findings revealed that directors implementing the Abbott program had positive experiences overall. They also identified areas of needed improvement. The Center for Child Care Employment |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Teacher education and PK outcomes: Are we asking the right questions |
Results from seven studies of preschool programs. Child Development, 78, 558–580), raising questions about the impact of the degrees and certifications of PK teachers on children's learning. The researchers note that these findings do not support the conclusion that teacher education does not matter for children's learning. Early Childhood Research Quarterly |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Quality Counts - Michigan Highlights 2008 |
The 12th annual edition of Education Week’s Quality Counts continues the cradle-to-career framework launched in last year’s report. But it also reintroduces some of the categories in which we have graded states in the past, though some of the indicators and the grading have changed. The cradle-to-career perspective emphasizes the connections between K-12 education and other systems with which it intersects: preschool education, other social and economic institutions, and further education and training. Education Week |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Transitions and Alignment |
This chart ranks states' efforts to align all parts of their education system - from pre-k through post-secondary education - and help children transition from one stage of their education to the next. Education Week |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Economic Costs of Early Childhood Poverty |
A report on the long-term benefits of adopting anti-poverty policies focused on poor children, prenatal through age 5. Partnership for America's Economic Success |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Quality in Early Childhood Care and Education Settings: A Compendium of Measures |
Program evaluation is a critical component of any pre-k program, but good data can only come from sound measures. Child Trends has published a compendium of measures that provides an overview of instruments that assess the quality of early childhood education settings. Child Trends |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Mathematics Education for Young Children: What It is and How to Promote It |
This study finds that, although young children have an innate interest in and potential to grasp both concrete and abstract mathematical concepts, teacher practices tend to focus on the most basic aspects of math education such as counting and learning the names of common shapes. Social Policy Report |
|
| March 7, 2008 | The Congressional Budget Resolution: Recommendations for a Blueprint in Support of Low-Income Individuals and Families |
For example, a sizeable increase could be used to increase funding for Head Start. In December 2007, Congress reauthorized the Head Start program. On a bipartisan basis, the new legislation expanded access to Head Start and Early Head Start, increased quality in the program, and improved coordination. The program is authorized to grow dramatically. The budget resolution should allow for substantial growth in this program to allow programs to serve additional children in both Head Start and Early Head Start, as well as begin to make needed investments in quality as outlined in the 2007 reauthorization. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| March 7, 2008 | How Sound an Investment? An Analysis of Federal Prekindergarten Proposals |
The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the U.S. Secretary of Education, awards not more than one 3-5 year grant per state. Grants are awarded to eligible partnerships, which must be governed by a majority of private-sector membership on their boards. They are to strengthen financing of early childhood development services including Head Start, Early Head Start, state or local prekindergarten programs, child care centers and home visiting and other parent education programs. Lexington Institute |
|
| February 29, 2008 | The Dynamic Relationship Between Child Care Work Environments and Learning Environments |
The child care industry has long struggled with poor working conditions, low wages, a lack of benefits, and low status, all contributing to an unstable and undereducated workforce. Research has shown that the ability to recruit and retain qualified teachers is impacted not only by wages and benefits, but the quality of the work environment. There has been little empirical research, however, on the relationship between the child care work environment and classroom global quality. What is the relationship between program administration and global quality? What is the relationship between organizational climate and global quality? What is the relationship between a program's administrative practices and staffs' perceptions of organizational climate? These questions were the focus of a recently published study, Child Care Work Environments: The Relationship with Learning Environments, by researchers Lower and Cassidy. Research Notes |
|
| February 29, 2008 | Paying the Price: The Impact of Immigration Raids on America's Children |
This study conducted by The Urban Institute and funded by the National Council of La Raza, documents the impact of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) worksite raids on the children of undocumented workers. The findings are based on a study of three communities that experienced large-scale worksite raids in 2007: Greeley, Colorado; Grand Island, Nebraska; and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Pre-K Now |
|
| February 22, 2008 | Funding the Future:States’ Approaches to Pre-K Finance 2008 Update |
One important funding
trend is to include pre-k programs in states’ school funding formulas. |
|
| February 22, 2008 | Do small Kids Need BIG Government? A Look at the Research Behind Government Preschool |
To help determine the efficacy of early education programs, we examined the results of some of the programs considered to be early education models—including Perry Preschool, the Chicago Parent-Child Program, Abecedarian, the Georgia universal pre-k program, and Head Start. We find the widespread adoption of pre-k is unlikely to improve student achievement. Texas Public Policy Foundation |
|
| February 22, 2008 | Challenging Common Myths About Young English Language Learners |
This FCD Policy Brief highlights six commonly held beliefs about the development and learning of young children who are learning English as their second language and presents research evidence that can better guide education policies. Foundation for Child Development |
|
| February 22, 2008 | Making the Most of Our Investments: How PK-3 Alignment Can Close the Achievement Gap from the Start |
This report demonstrates the need for aligning education for children from three to eight years, outlines the elements of an aligned PK-3 system and highlights effective grantmaking strategies. Foundation for Child Development |
|
| February 15, 2008 | President’s Budget Disregards Sound Investments for Young Children |
Every administration uses the budget to send a signal about its priorities for the coming year. In this period of economic downturn, when our most vulnerable children and families need access to comprehensive supports, the message of this budget is simple and stark: children in low-income working families don’t matter. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| February 15, 2008 | Reducing Maternal Depression and Its Impact on Young Children: Toward a Responsive Early Childhood Policy Framework |
This study finds that maternal depression may negatively impact healthy early development and school readiness by negatively influencing critical early relationships, impairing parental safety and health management, and increasing the risk caused by other negative environments such as poverty. The developmental barriers and harmful cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral impacts associated with maternal depression often go undetected and are more prevalent among low-income children. National Center for Children in Poverty |
|
| February 15, 2008 | Investing in Children and Partnership for America’s Economic Success/Invest in Kids Working Group |
Partnership for America’s Economic Success has released two research presentations on the public perception of government investments in early education. The two documents: Investing in Children by Overbrook Research and Partnership for America’s Economic Success/Invest in Kids Working Group by Lake Research Partners indicate that early learning is an important issue among most voters and its saliency may be increased by connecting it with K-12 education. Partnership for America’s Economic Success |
|
| February 15, 2008 | The Timing and Quality of Early Experiences Combine to Shape Brain Architecture: Working Paper #5 |
This research paper reveals that a child’s early environment and experience are critical to the development of a his or her brain architecture. The study asserts that stimulating early experiences lay strong foundations for later learning and that age-appropriate experiences can facilitate optimum brain development. Early experiences that are devoid of stimulation or that invoke stress may cause long time detrimental effects on brain development. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child |
|
| February 15, 2008 | Developmental Screening in Primary Care: The Effectiveness of Current Practice and Recommendations for Improvement |
Through a literature review, researchers found that current efforts by pediatricians and other medical providers to detect developmental delays in early childhood often fail to do so in a timely manner. The research revealed that while treatment of developmental delays are most effective in the first three years of life, many children are not properly identified as having a developmental delay until after kindergarten entry. The study also uncovered that while 10 percent of children under 3 have developmental delays, only 2.3 percent are being served by early intervention programs. The study found that physicians rely more heavily on informal milestones and clinical impressions than validated screening tools to identify children with special developmental needs. The Commonwealth Fund |
|
| February 15, 2008 | Neither Art nor Accident New research helps define and develop quality prek and elementary teaching |
In an interview with the Harvard Education Letter, Dr. Robert Pianta, director of the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning and the National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education, discusses the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) that he developed to measure teacher quality. Harvard Education Letter |
|
| February 15, 2008 | Framing Early Childhood Development: Recommendations for Infant-Toddler Professionals & Advocates |
This article explores some specific early childhood frames, the impact of those frames on how people reason about infant-toddler development, and the consequences of these messages for public policy. The article concludes with practical tools which infant-toddler advocates can use to develop their own messages about infant-toddler policy issues. Zero to Three |
|
| February 15, 2008 | Effective Communication about the Early Years: Understanding the Basics of Framing |
This article is designed to provide you with a basic introduction to some concepts of effective communications, including the fundamentals of framing and ways to think about reframing your communications. Zero to Three |
|
| February 15, 2008 | The Elements of the Frame—Context, Numbers & Messengers |
The second article in the series begins to break the process of framing down by examining the strategic elements that comprise a frame. We focus first on the elements of context, numbers and messengers, the research which supports each element, how to use it effectively in your communications and examples that relate each element directly to communicating infant-toddler issues. Zero to Three |
|
| February 15, 2008 | The Elements of the Frame—Visuals, Tone, Metaphors and Simplifying Models |
This article continues our look at the elements of a frame and the ways in which infant-toddler advocates can use these elements effectively in communicating with policymakers. The elements of a frame help people understand new information by providing cues for how to interpret the communication. In the previous framing article, we examined the first three elements of the frame—context, numbers and messengers. This article examines three additional elements of the frame—visuals, tone, and metaphors and simplifying models—the research which supports each element, how to use it effectively in your communications and examples that relate each element directly to communicating infant-toddler issues .Zero to Three |
|
| February 15, 2008 | The Economic Impact of the Early Care and Education Industry in Los Angeles County |
This study reports that the early care and education (ECE) industry, which is comprised of child care and child development programs and licensed home providers for children under age 12, preschool programs, after school, latchkey, and other out of school time programs, is a vital element in strengthening and sustaining the county’s economy. The study found that the early childhood industry in Los Angeles County generates $1.9 billion dollars annually, and directly supports over 65,000 full-time jobs. Between 2006 and 2016 it will be responsible for generating the sixth highest number of new jobs in the county. Additionally, the industry was found to play a vital role in the effectiveness of other industries by creating opportunities for parents to be productive participants in the workforce, helping young children develop skills to contribute to the economy as adults, and preventing occurrences of incarceration, welfare dependency, and other trends that may have a negative impact on the economy. The Insight Center |
|
| February 15, 2008 | Leaving Children to Chance: NACCRRA’s Ranking of State Standards and Oversight of Small Family Child Care Homes |
This report paints a dismal picture of state regulations for small family child care homes. This study found that in the majority of states, regulations and licensing requirements for family child care providers are weak. These include state inspection standards, provider pre-service training requirements, early learning standards, and basic safety and health policies. Of a possible score of 140 points on 14 indicators of quality small family child care homes, the average state score was 59. National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) |
|
| February 8, 2008 | Pedagogical Inquiry and Praxis |
Considered a model with regard to staff training, educational programming, and physical facilities, DoDEA’s preschool and after-school programs meet the guidelines of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the National Association of Family Child Care (NAFCC), and the National School-Age Care Association (NSACA). Urban Education Web Teachers College |
|
| February 8, 2008 | Preschoolers Benefit from Mental Health Screening |
Preschoolers can benefit when early childhood programs use a simple and inexpensive mental health screening process, ABLE, that flags emergent socio-emotional problems that can affect future school success, according to research by FPG. FPG Snapshot |
|
| February 8, 2008 | CCDBG State Plan Reported Activities to Support Limited English Proficient (LEP) and Immigrant Communities |
This paper provides examples of activities that states reported within the Child Care and Development Block Grant program to better serve immigrant and LEP communities. CLASP reviewed FY 2006-2007 CCDBG state plans for references to initiatives that would support immigrant families and/or providers, Limited English Proficient (LEP) families and/or providers, English Language Learners, or linguistic and cultural diversity. We find that state reported activities in these areas were often vague and few states reported carrying out multiple strategies. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| February 8, 2008 | Child Support Cuts - Starting to Shrink Family Income: Reversing Cuts Now Will Provide a Needed Boost to the Economy |
Quick action is needed by Congress this year to reverse counter-stimulative federal cuts to state and child support programs included in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Allowing these cuts to take effect will result in lay-offs of child support enforcement workers, and even worse, will cost families with children at least a billion dollars a year. In contrast, preventing the loss of federal funds will provide needed state relief, while ensuring that families do not lose support in an economic downturn. This is the first of four fact sheets on the subject. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| February 8, 2008 | Child Support: Ripple Effects Throughout the Communities |
The child support program helps families become stronger and more self-sufficient. The program has other bridges into the community as well — bridges that are at risk of collapse without adequate support. The impacts of the child support funding cut will ripple throughout the community, as illustrated in the second of four fact sheets on the subject. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| February 8, 2008 | Restored Federal Funding Needed to Implement New Child Support Pass-Through Options |
Effective next year, new state options included in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) will allow states to pay up to 100 percent of collected child support to current and former TANF families — up to $2 billion more money for families every year. States and advocates alike support the new DRA distribution options. However, a cut in federal funding for child support enforcement also included in the DRA threatens state implementation of these new options. The third fact sheet in this series examines this issue. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| February 8, 2008 | It Makes Sound Fiscal Sense to Restore Funding for Child Support Enforcement |
The final fact sheet in this series illustrates why funding for child support enforcement should be restored. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| February 1, 2008 | The Effects of Interactive Media on Preschoolers' Learning |
This report summarizes current research and practice regarding the use of educational interactive media to teach preschool children. Children Now |
|
| February 1, 2008 | CCDBG State Plan Reported Activities to Support Limited English Proficient (LEP) and Immigrant Communities |
Three states—District of Columbia, Nebraska, and New York—report that they have created opportunities to help Spanish-speaking child care providers increase access to training…In Nebraska, the Executive Director of the Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children has worked with Metropolitan Community College and the Juan Diego Center in Omaha to offer college coursework in early childhood education in Spanish. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| January 25, 2008 | Implementing Policies to Reduce the Likelihood of Preschool Expulsion |
In a new policy brief, Dr. Walter Gilliam of Yale University further analyzes data from his 2005 study on state pre-k expulsion rates to identify the program characteristics associated with higher expulsion rates and the policies that can lead to lower expulsion rates. Foundation for Child Development |
|
| January 25, 2008 | Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: An Evaluation Tool Kit |
A toolkit that summarizes the research behind early childhood mental health consultation programs, key features of such services, guidelines for designing evaluations, and using the data for program improvement .National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health at Georgetown University |
|
| January 25, 2008 | Survey on Early Childhood Advisory Councils |
Coordinating child-care and preschool programs for young children and working to overcome barriers to integrating federal and state early-childhood services are among the top priorities for state Early Childhood Advisory Councils. National Governor's Association |
|
| January 18, 2008 | State Early Care and Education Public Policy Developments |
This report is a compendium of early care and education state legislative developments that have occurred during the past legislative session. The report, State Early Care and Education Public Policy Developments, depicts state public policy developments in statewide commissions, early learning councils, paid family leave, health care, quality rating and improvement systems, professional development, public schools, child care subsidies, prekindergarten, after school programs, quality enhancements, child care licensing, model programs, and ballot measures. NAEYC |
|
| January 18, 2008 | Elevating the Field: Using NAEYC Early Childhood Program Accreditation to Support and Reach Higher Quality in Early Childhood Programs |
Over the past 20 years the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has provided evidence-based accreditation standards for early childhood program quality. According to NAEYC’s recent public policy report, these standards are being used in many states to bolster quality rating systems (QRS) and prekindergarten programs. The report highlights data showing the effectiveness of linking QRS to NAEYC Accreditation, which is done in 13 states. NAEYC |
|
| January 18, 2008 | Designing Quality Rating Systems Inclusive of Infants and Toddlers |
This report offers suggestions to help states develop specific quality indicators for infant and toddler quality within their quality rating systems (QRS). The document addresses QRS standards, accountability measures, program and practitioner outreach and support, financial incentives, and parent/consumer education efforts. Zero to Three |
|
| January 18, 2008 | Infant/Toddler Early Learning Guidelines 2007 |
Infant/Toddler Early Learning Guidelines 2007 reviewed infant and toddler early learning guidelines (ELGs) in 17 states and three territories. The analysis examined infant and toddler ELGs structure and content, attention to diversity and inclusion, alignment to research, and appropriateness for target audiences. Zero to Three |
|
| January 18, 2008 | Planning for the Child Care and Development Fund: Targeted Funds for Infants and Toddlers |
This report recommends that state administrators assess the quality of infant-toddler child care in their state and then examine current and past usage of CCDBG infant and toddler targeted funds as well as the outcomes of these initiatives. The report urges states to look across government systems to identify gaps in supports for infants and toddlers and consider allocating funds within the context of an early childhood systems perspective. Zero to Three |
|
| anuary 18, 2008 | Results from the OECD Thematic Review of Early Childhood Education and Care Policy 1998 – 2006 |
Twenty countries collaborated to identify key elements of successful early care and education policy across various countries throughout the world. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization |
|
| January 18, 2008 | Making the Grade: Making the Case for Well-educated,Well-trained Teaching Staff in Early Care and Education |
In the second paper of their Quality Matters series, Making the Grade: Making the Case for Well-Educated, Well-Trained Teaching Staff in Early Care and Education, the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families uses the findings of recent research studies to demonstrate a strong relationship between teacher education and training and early childhood program quality and child outcomes. While the research is clear on the benefits of well-educated and well-trained teachers, questions remain concerning the necessary levels of education and training. Wisconsin Council on Children and Families |
|
| January 18, 2008 | A Center Piece of the PreK Puzzle: Providing State Prekindergarten in Child Care Centers |
This report gives the perspectives of child care center directors on the benefits and challenges of providing state-funded pre-kindergarten programs and examines state and local policies that could better support child care centers in this endeavor. National Women's Law Center |
|
| January 11, 2008 | Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care: Policy Framework Summary |
This policy framework sets
forth four key principles that establish the foundation of supports
that all babies and toddlers in child care need, as well as 15 recommendations
that state child care licensing, quality, and subsidy policies should
address. CLASP |
|
| January 11, 2008 | Supporting Families, Nurturing Young Children: Early Head Start Programs in 2006 |
A new policy brief analyzes the 2006 Program Information Reports (PIR) data for the Early Head Start program, which serves children under age 3 and pregnant women. CLASP |
|
| January 4, 2008 | Focus on Early Childhood Education |
Based on information reported through the PIR, this fact sheet describes the characteristics of Head Start children and families (including children in Early Head Start, the Head Start preschool program, and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start) and the services provided to them during the 2005-2006 program year. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| January 3, 2008 | Life Chances: The Case for Early Investment in Our Kids |
A Special Report covering the increasing interest and policy debates surrounding early childhood issues . The American Prospect |
|
| January 3, 2008 | School Readiness and Later Achievement |
In this study researchers reviewed data from six large, longitudinal, correlational studies to examine the extent to which early cognitive skills, attention skills, and social-emotional development are related to subsequent math and reading skills. Developmental Psychology |
|
| January 3, 2008 | Who Is Ahead and Who Is Behind? Gaps in School Readiness and Student Achievement in the Early Grades for California's Children |
Describes which groups of California's children are falling short of proficiency in English-language arts and mathematics in the early elementary grades and evaluates the potential for well-designed preschool programs to close achievement gaps.Rand Corporation |
|
| January 3, 2008 | Early Care and Education in the Golden State: Publicly Funded Programs Serving California's Preschool-Age Children |
Provides a comprehensive assessment of publicly funded early care and education programs for preschool-age children in California as a whole, and in four case-study counties: Los Angles, Merced, San Diego, and San Mateo.Rand Corporation |
|
| January 3, 2008 | A review of methods and instruments used in state and local school readiness evaluation |
The report reviews more than 82 evaluations conducted for pre-k programs in 22 states and 15 local communities and describes some common themes about the kinds of assessment instruments they use and how they are administered. Included are bibliographies of the evaluations and publications that help decision-makers develop assessment systems. The report also has detailed descriptions of the 27 assessment instruments used by the programs studied. Southeast Regional Educational Laboratory |
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