Changing educational practice in the early years through practitioner-led action research: An Adult-Child Interaction Project
An account of the first two years of a three-year project examining adult-child interactions with preschoolers and tracking the development of teachers' thinking and practice as they engage in practitioner-led research, based on data from 14 teachers working with children aged 6 months to 6 years
Reports & Papers
A comparison of preschool teachers' talk during storybook and information book read-alouds
A comparison of preschool teachers' extratextual talk across read-aloud sessions with a storybook and an information book, based on data from 20 preschool teachers from a suburban community in the Midwestern United States
Reports & Papers
Can quality improvement system improve childcare site performance in school readiness?
A comparison of growth in children's school readiness over three years in child care sites using a Quality Improvement System (QIS) versus non-QIS sites, based on data from 79 children in 46 sites in Palm Beach County, Florida
Reports & Papers
A critical analysis of the National Quality Framework: Mobilising for a vision for children beyond minimum standards
The National Quality Framework (NQF) has been heralded by the Australian Government as a significant reform that will raise the quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) across the country. Drawing on Foucault's (1991) conceptualisation of governmentality this article critically analyses the NQF. From this analysis we conclude that while overall, children in ECEC settings across Australia will be somewhat better off, the NQF nonetheless falls well short of its intended outcomes. Sumsion's (2006) conceptual framework for political activism in the ECEC sector is used to propose one way forward for early childhood advocates and activists to work for policy reform that may more effectively meet the Government's goal of giving children the best possible start in life. Central to our proposal is what we believe is currently lacking in early childhood policy: a bold, innovative vision for children's right to a high-quality early education. (author abstract)
Other
Early childhood mental health consultation: Promoting change in the quality of teacher-child interactions
An examination of the relationship between characteristics of early childhood mental health consultation and changes in the quality of teacher-child interactions, based on data from 141 early childhood teachers serving 3- to 5-year-olds in publically funded early education programs participating in the Arkansas Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Project
Reports & Papers
Early Learning Coalition of Duval report 2011-12
An examination of the school readiness skills and gains of children who attend early care and learning centers that participate in Guiding Stars of Duval, an initiative to improve the quality of early learning and care services in Jacksonville, Florida, based on pre- and posttest assessments of participants and on public school kindergarten readiness administrative data
Reports & Papers
Enquiring teachers and democratic politics: Transformations in New Zealand's early childhood education landscape
Highlights of an evaluation of Pathways to the Future: Nga Huarahi Arataki, New Zealand's 10-year strategic plan for early childhood education, that consists of a number of policy initiatives aimed at enhancing quality of service, increasing access to programs by families, and improving teacher qualifications, professional capabilities, and collaboration among teachers, based on data drawn from a longitudinal evaluation of the plan
Other
The Jacksonville Journey Early Learning Program: Evaluation report: Fall 2010
An evaluation of Jacksonville Journey Early Learning Program, an initiative to transform 35 child care centers in Jacksonville, Florida, into comprehensive early learning centers, that examines the achievement of eight program goals related to early learning center, school readiness, and mental health outcomes, based on quality rating system data, child assessments, and teacher and parent surveys
Reports & Papers
The Jacksonville Journey Early Learning Program: Evaluation report: Fall 2011
An evaluation of Jacksonville Journey Early Learning Program, an initiative to transform 40 child care centers in Jacksonville, Florida, into comprehensive early learning centers, that examines the achievement of eight program goals related to early learning center, school readiness, and mental health outcomes, based on quality rating system data, child assessments, and teacher and parent surveys
Reports & Papers
Quality Profiles in Early Childhood: An Example from Virginia's Quality Rating Improvement System
This study examines data collected on the quality of centers participating in Virginia's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) to identify patterns and profiles of quality in these settings using a clustering technique. Identified patterns are compared with the composite quality level assigned by the state to determine associations with existing quality profiles across Virginia's 290 participating centers. It is expected that two profiles represent "high overall" and "low overall" patterns of quality, in addition to profiles that demonstrate differential levels or relative strengths and weakness among settings with regard to quality. If patterns of quality features do not bear significant associations with the star ratings, this information can be used by state leaders to reexamine thresholds for determining between star levels.
Administration for Children and Families/OPRE Projects
The Wyoming afterschool quality improvement initiative
Findings from the first year of a pilot initiative in Wyoming to improve the quality of after school programs
Fact Sheets & Briefs
