Research Connections’ librarians have curated this page to include publications that may be of particular interest to child care and early education policymakers, professionals supporting the workforce, and researchers. The publications were selected because they align with federal priorities, seasonal priorities, current events, or national interest. Many of the highlighted publications have been featured in Research Connections newsletters.
Could strong positive relationships between students and teachers help mediate expulsion risks? This study examines the relationship between preschool children’s inhibitory control and their risk of expulsion. Findings indicate that better inhibitory control is associated with a lower risk of…
This review covers more than 40 studies on professional development approaches for managing classrooms and providing behavioral support skills. Findings show most studies focus on educators from Head Start and public preschools. Professional development approaches included strategies for…
Could participation in high-quality ECE equip children who are at risk for educational failure with skills on par with their more advantaged peers? This study examines children randomly assigned as infants to participate in an enhanced Early Head Start–Head Start program. The study finds…
This resource describes the results of a training on childhood trauma, given to staff and parents of children in Head Start and Early Head Start. The training, which aimed to improve staff and parental knowledge and attitudes related to child trauma, found significant positive results. Staff…
What do assistant teachers in Head Start programs have to say about their workplace? In interviews with 35 primarily multilingual assistant teachers in Head Start programs, workers revealed that working with children and lead teachers are positive factors, as are supports for professional…
In a growing number of communities, parents are faced with “childcare deserts” – a shortage of licensed child care options. This study uses data from pre-pandemic rural Kentucky to examine the factors that contribute to the low supply of early care and education programs. The research findings…
This resource provides an extensive overview of the child care vaccination laws across the United States, including data from all 50 states and Washington, DC. The overview provides an assessment of child care laws about type of vaccines required, allowable nonmedical exemptions, child care…
Child care workers frequently “manage emotions within themselves, in parents, and children” (p. 3) and challenge the idea that such work is unskilled; this is a skill that must be learned and practiced. Any child care worker could tell you: Emotional labor takes work. This resource takes a close…
The findings in this study suggest that organization of classroom time and classroom activities may facilitate higher language learning in children, particularly at the start of the school year. The study examines 60 preschool classrooms: In half of these classrooms, children made higher…
To better understand how educators approach social-emotional learning in their afterschool programs, the authors interviewed 23 afterschool educators and program directors. The interviews showed that afterschool educators integrate social-emotional learning into daily interactions with children…
This study asks whether parental adverse childhood experiences have intergenerational effects for their children. Results showed no association between parental adverse childhood experiences and children’s social-emotional skills. However, the results did show a statistically significant…
Does attending a high-quality prekindergarten program affect elementary school behavioral and academic outcomes? This study looks at whether participating in San Antonio’s Pre-K 4 SA program affected student academic and behavioral outcomes in third and fourth grades. The study compared Pre-K 4…
Using a regression-discontinuity design, data from 155 Tennessee Voluntary Prekindergarten Program classrooms and 5,189 children across two cohorts, this study examines how the Tennessee Voluntary PreK program affects literacy, language, and math skills at kindergarten entry. The analyses show…