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…
What are the long-term mental and physical health impacts of attending the Child-Parent Center Preschool program? This article examines participants of a Chicago program more than 30 years later. Findings indicate that preschool participation in the Chicago Child-Parent Centers is associated…
This review examines data from studies on the impact of adult/child ratio and group size in ECE programs. Its results find tentative support for the idea that smaller group sizes and fewer children per adult promote child development. However, the authors stress the need for contemporary…
Are preschool children with disabilities suspended or expelled at higher rates? This study using the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health data finds that 5.4 percent of young children with disabilities have been suspended or expelled. Meanwhile, 1.2 percent of children without disabilities…
This report analyzes the impact of a Chicago policy aimed at increasing access to preschool for high-priority groups. The policy resulted in increased full-day enrollment in Chicago Public Schools’ prekindergarten programs. City-funded community-based preschools also saw increased full-day…
This 2021 Longitudinal Workforce Report provides information from the National Workforce Registry Alliance. The report uses data from 14 registries that “met quality standards in the data collection and reporting on early childhood and out-of- school-time workforce data” (p. 2). Analyses…
How does a teacher’s education matter? This study looks at the education levels of assistant teachers in prekindergarten classes to determine whether education levels play a role in the assessment scores of at-risk children. The findings indicate that, although the education levels of lead…
The COVID-19 pandemic affected the ability to directly assess children. Using data from Head Start, this report examines whether an alternate measure—teacher reports—can be used reliably when direct assessments are unavailable. The findings indicate that teacher reports have strong associations…
How much does a teacher’s education matter? This study looks at the education levels of assistant teachers in prekindergarten classes to determine whether education levels play a role in the assessment scores of at-risk children. The findings indicate that, although the education levels of lead…
The COVID-19 pandemic affected the ability to directly assess children. Using data from Head Start, this report examines whether an alternate measure—teacher reports—can be used reliably when direct assessments are unavailable. The findings indicate that teacher reports have strong associations…
This 2021 Longitudinal Workforce Report provides information from the National Workforce Registry Alliance. The report uses data from 14 registries that “met quality standards in the data collection and reporting on early childhood and out-of- school-time workforce data” (p. 2). Analyses…