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.
This brief explores theories on how to sustain the benefits of attending preschool through elementary school. The theories come from studies using data from students enrolled in Boston Public Schools and explore whether sustained preschool benefits are associated with skill type, post-…
What do preschool administrators think about preschool inclusion? This study examines key themes from interviews with 23 preschool administrators to gain a better understanding of perspectives on preschool inclusion and what resources are required to provide high-quality preschool inclusion.…
Black, Latina, and Latino prekindergarten teachers, directors, and technical assistance providers participated in six listening sessions in April 2022. The purpose of these listening sessions was to understand participants’ perceptions of ECERS-3. This brief summarizes key themes that emerged…
Are preschool teachers equipped to handle multilingual learners? This study looks at whether, and to what extent, teachers in New York City’s prekindergarten programs supported a culturally and linguistically responsive environment. The study finds that program leaders and teachers view…
This report looks at data from several large-scale, mixed-delivery preschool programs (community-based and public preschool) to understand the differences in those settings. Findings suggest some differences in child and teacher characteristics, child gains, and process quality but not in…
Many families with young children in early care and education are eligible for health and human services. This report from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation and Mathematica answers key questions about approaches to coordinating those services. The report highlights findings from…
Change is part of life; however, not all change is planned for or wanted. This study looks at the factors that contribute to child care changes among families with low incomes. The findings suggest that almost all planned changes were wanted, and that unwanted changes occurred with or without…
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…