Head Start University-Community Partnerships and Mentorship of Graduate Students in Early Childhood Research

University-community partnerships are becoming increasingly salient to the development of early childhood education experiences that promote school readiness for young children (Barnett & Frede, 2001). Given the unique skills required for such collaborative research endeavors, there is a need for capacity-building that begins with training of new scholars in the early childhood education and development field. One funding source that focuses on assisting graduate students with developing research skills in the context of university-community collaborations is the Head Start Graduate Student Research Grant program (referred to throughout as the Scholars Program). The Scholars Program emphasizes faculty mentorship of graduate students conducting field-initiated studies in collaboration with Head Start programs (Administration for Children and Families [ACF], 2005), as a context for learning the requisite skills to do successful community-based, partnership-building research. To inform future directions in the preparation of early childhood education scholars, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the alignment of graduate students' Scholars Program experiences with stated program goals. The study examined students' perspectives about the utility of the program's central component — the mentorship process

Teachers\u27 views of the impact of the Good Start, Grow Smart Early Childhood Initiative on Head Start programs in a western Maryland community

As the call for accountability increased, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act in January 2002 to reform the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that was reauthorized in 1994. The Good Start, Grow Smart Early Childhood Education Initiative, followed in April 2002. Both of these reform measures have significant implications for school success and achievement of all children in both childcare and public school settings as well as accountability for teachers and administrators.;The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze the views of Head Start teachers on the impact of the Good Start, Grow Smart Early Childhood Initiative on accountability for early literacy and language skills for Head Start children in a western Maryland community.;Five research questions asked in this study were related to Head Start teachers\u27 professional experiences and background, personal characteristics, philosophical framework, strategies and methods of literacy and language practices with Head Start students and the impact of the Good Start, Grow Smart Early Childhood Initiative on Head Start teachers, administrators and students.;Data collection included the questionnaire and six one-hour long interview sessions with each Head Start teacher and administrator. Data were systematically and inductively interpreted in relation to the five research questions and with the perspectives of the administrator and teachers.;The study suggests that Head Start teachers and administrators believe that meeting the social-emotional and individual needs of Head Start students was critical in meeting the accountability requirements for language and literacy skills of the Good Start, Grow Smart Early Childhood Initiative. While the teachers generally expressed positive views about the need for the students to acquire language and literacy skill, they expressed some concerns because language and literacy were \u27pushed\u27 by the STEP training, and that might negatively impact social and emotional development of the students who are already at-risk due to their low-income background and poverty. Implications were drawn for Head Start teachers and administrators to consider possible risks of introducing young children to formal academic work prematurely. Directions for further research are suggested

The Positive Start Project: a proactive approach to promoting positive mental health in the newer engineering academic community

The Positive Start Project is a new initiative that is in the process of providing a series of workshops and events focused on academic wellbeing, career development and positive mental health within a large faculty of engineering and applied science in the UK. Aimed at building a scholarly and sustainable research and teaching community of early career academics (ECAs), the project has arisen out of a need to provide high quality professional development activities and frameworks for the ECA community whilst also combatting social and academic isolation left over from the two-year long period of ‘lockdown’. Adopting an Action Research Approach this paper addresses a little considered topic in academic circles, the need to nurture positive wellbeing amongst the Engineering Education academic community. Describing proposed plans for how the Positive Start Project will be developed, disseminated, and reviewed, attention is paid to how ‘wellbeing’ will be benchmarked at the beginning of the project. Following this a brief overview of some of the planned support and development activities is given whilst the conclusion reiterates the need for a positive and proactive approach to academic wellbeing whilst also noting why Early Career Academics are an important demographic group within our Engineering Education community

Are early writers and readers more successful than their counterparts?

There exists an increasing number of scientific contributions focused on the influence of the attendance to early childhood and/or preprimary education on the future academic track of the students, which employ the quarter of birth of the student as a proxy for infants’ maturity. The present work goes a step further by employing information on the precise time when children begin to exhibit the basic competences (reading and writing), controlling by the effect of the quarter of birth, for andalusian students aged 10-11 and 14-15. This study uses descriptive analysis as starting point to specify multivariate estimates for the age at which the student began to read and write, together with students’ quarter of birth. Moreover, the effect of these variables on the likelihood of repeating a course has also been analyzed. Results show that the quarter of birth and the age when the student began to read and write affect students’ early academic achievement –primary education– and the likelihood of repeating, but this effect is weakened once non-repeaters reach age 14-15. In addition, students from households where parents have a low level of education present a late start in beginning to read and write and, thus, lower achievement than their older counterparts. This highlights the need to increase the investments in public early education for students living in this kind of families –by increasing the supply of public early education places and scholarships–, so they can develop these competences as soon as possible. This kind of interventions could have a relevant role in fostering higher social mobility.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech; Andalusian Regional Ministry of Innovation, Science and Employment [PAI group SEJ-532 and Excellence Project SEJ-2727]; the Research Plan of the University of Malaga (Capacity Building Programme I+D+i of Universities 2014-2015) and by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain [Research Project ECO2014-56397-P]

Fostering effective early learning (FEEL) study

The 2018 Fostering Effective Early Learning (FEEL) study focuses on the importance of quality, and how to strengthen it in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Extensive research demonstrates that the benefits of ECEC for children are increased when the service provider and educators are highly skilled and participate in professional development (PD), and the service is of high quality. Upskilling the workforce, including in-service professional development, is considered to be a key to improving quality, and can produce substantial and practical improvements for staff and children alike. Building on the existing body of international research, the findings of the Fostering Effective Early Learning (FEEL) study, address the need for quality improvement in ECEC by showing how a particular form of evidence-based in-service PD can produce substantial and practically meaningful improvements in both staff practices and child outcomes. The FEEL study was conducted by the research team from Early Start, University of Wollongong, on behalf on the NSW Department of Education

Early Childhood Education in Ethiopia: A Case Study with Implications for Ethiopian Immigrants

The research study analyzed early childhood education in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to find out about early childhood education in Ethiopia in order to effectively support Ethiopian families in St. Paul, Minnesota. The following are the research guiding questions: 1) What are the early childhood teaching methodologies being used in the Ethiopian education system? 2) What are the teachers’ qualifications in Ethiopian early childhood education? 3) What are teachers’ perceptions of early childhood education in Ethiopia? Studies from the Center on the Developing Child found that learning in early childhood sets the foundation for future learning and development. Brain development is rapid in early childhood and is crucial to learning and development. Head Start research indicated that a creative learning environment is essential for promoting children’s learning, imagination, and independence. Effective planning, nurturing, and teaching practices are important building blocks in early childhood learning. Copple and Bredekamp mentioned that developmentally appropriate practice is a framework designed to reflect research-based practices that promote a child\u27s optimal learning and development. Educators need to consider students’ learning goals and interests when selecting curriculum. A qualitative case study design was implemented; research tools included teacher interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. The research topic highlighted five major teaching factors, such as the importance of early childhood education, quality learning environment, early childhood education in Ethiopia, developmentally appropriate practice, and purposely derived curriculum or carefully selected curriculum. Findings presented that no curriculum was used in the school, but annual lesson plans were implemented. The research-based approach (developmentally appropriate practice) was not evident in teaching. Teachers believed that early learning began at age 4. It is beneficial for future researchers to focus on early learning in Ethiopia, especially from prenatal to three years

Alignment of Alaska’s Educational Programs from Pre-School through Graduate Study: A First Look

Too many Alaska students leave formal education unprepared for their next steps in life. Too many drop out of high school; too few high-school graduates go on to post-secondary education; and too few of those who do enroll in post-secondary education graduate in a timely manner. Employers report that a substantial number of young people who enter the work world directly after graduating from high school (or after dropping out) lack the reading, writing, and math skills necessary for many of today’s jobs, even at entry level. Ideally, the various components of the education system would be structured so that as children or young people complete each step, they would be adequately prepared for the next. In practice, this is often not the case. Students arrive at kindergarten and again at college, vocational training, or work unprepared for the challenges they face and without the skills their teachers, professors, or employers expect. Alaska is not alone in these problems, and many states are focusing on alignment as a possible response. Policymakers and others are studying how students progress through the entire education system—from pre-school through college, graduate study, or career training. As defined above, alignment would coordinate the work of institutions providing different levels of education. Educators in K-12 and early childhood programs would agree on what children should know and be able to do when entering kindergarten (or first grade)—and on how those skills and abilities would be taught and assessed. Likewise, employers, institutions of higher education, and K-12 schools would work together to reach similar agreements on what young people need to know to enter the workforce or college. Alignment efforts bring together policymakers and practitioners from all levels of education to identify what needs to be done to achieve this coordination and to oversee the work. The first section of this report looks at alignment of early childhood programs and K-12 education. Why is it important to begin alignment at the level of early childhood education? Research has demonstrated the strong effect of quality early childhood education on later educational outcomes. Among the best-known research is the High/Scope Perry Preschool study, which followed 120 children from the time they attended that preschool in the 1960s, at ages 3 or 4, until they were age 40.1 Schweinhart, et al. (1993) looked at program participants through age 27 and estimated that the program had produced savings to taxpayers of over $7 for each dollar spent. Program participants were less likely to need special education services throughout their school careers, less likely to commit crimes, and less likely to receive welfare—and they alsoearned more and paid higher taxes than non-participants. Other studies have found that children who participate in quality early childhood education programs are less likely to be retained in grade, placed in special education, or drop out of high school (Schweinhart 1994). In Alaska, public early childhood education is limited to federally mandated special education and federally funded (with state supplemental funding) Head Start programs. These programs together enroll about 16% of 3-year-olds and 22% of 4-year-olds in the state. Many more students in urban areas are enrolled in some form of private pre-school. Head start programs exist in more than 75 Alaska communities and are run by 16 different grantees, which have varying degrees of coordination with their local K-12 districts and with each other. The second focus of this report is readiness of Alaska high-school graduates for post-secondary education or work. Alaska’s colleges and universities find that many of their entering students— even those with good grades in high school—aren’t ready for college-level work. Again, national research affirms that Alaska’s problems are not unique. Callan, Finney, Kirst, Usdan, and Venezia (2006) report “The more difficult challenge for students is becoming prepared academically for college coursework. Once students enter college, about half of them learn that they are not prepared for college-level courses. Forty percent of students at four-year institutions and 63 percent at two-year colleges take remedial education. Additionally, high-school students face an incredibly complex system of placement tests and college admissions requirements.” A national survey of 431 employers about workforce readiness found that “When asked to assess new workforce entrants, employers report that many of the new entrants lack skills essential to job success… Over 40 percent (42.4 percent) of employer respondents rate new entrants with a high school diploma as ‘deficient’ in their overall preparation for the entry-level jobs they typically fill. Almost the same percentage (45.6 percent) rate the overall preparation of high school graduate entrants as ‘adequate,’ but almost no one (less than ½ of 1 percent—0.2 percent) rates their overall preparation as ‘excellent.’ ” 2 Anecdotal information from Alaska employers indicates that many young people entering the workforce in Alaska aren’t prepared for work, either. This report brings together available data on the scope of these problems in Alaska and discusses what other states have tried and what we can tell so far about what has worked. We identify areas that need more research and where there may not even be data to conduct research. Finally, we suggest steps the state can undertake now, while conducting research, to fill in the gaps.Avant-Garde Learning Foundation. Shell Exploration and Production Alaska

Headstart and Public School: An Investigation of Collaboration and Disconnection in Early Childhood

Persistent achievement gaps for low-income children that start before kindergarten entry call attention to the need for quality early childhood experiences. Head Start (HS) is a federally funded preschool program that provides comprehensive services for low-income children and their families (≤ 100% FPL and up to 30% of enrollment for 130% FPL) including health, education, and parenting support. In Iowa, 18 grantees (i.e., agencies) serve approximately 6,500 preschool children across 92. Given increases in state-funded universal preschool, we need to better understand how HS programs in Iowa collaborate with schools to best serve children. This study used data collected by the Iowa HS State Collaboration Office for an annual needs assessment to examine collaborations between HS Grantees, Local Education Agencies, and other entities. Findings indicate that 70% of local school districts have no collaboration, coordination, or communication with HS grantees. Of the HS grantees that do report collaboration, 70% say it is “not at all difficult”. These findings provide rich opportunities for improving statewide collaboration and coordination among critical state partners in the provision of high-quality early childhood experiences for vulnerable children. Future research could examine how these relationships relate to later school readiness outcomes to further enhance quality improvement

Assessment of the Neighborhood, Housing, Family, and Personal Characteristics that Affect Whether Students Drop Out of High School

This paper seeks to present research that will allow education officials to identify and target individuals who are likely to drop out of high school. By simultaneously using neighborhood, housing, family, and personal factors to identify at-risk students, education officials can link students to the social programs they need to meet their individual needs. Parent’s educational level had statistically significant effect on whether students dropped out of high school. The lower the education level the more likely a student will drop out of school. Parents who are high school dropouts are more likely to earn less and their children are more likely to drop out of school. Age is a significant factor as well. The older a student is the more likely they are to drop out of high school. Children who repeat grades are at a higher risk of dropping out. School failure at an early age is a strong predictor of future academic achievement. If a child performs poorly in elementary and high school, they are at a higher risk of dropping out. Potential solutions need to address parental educational attainment and early childhood education. By increasing early childhood education participation among low-income families and increasing the parents’ educational attainment simultaneously, two-generation programs like Head Start have the potential to be an effective strategy in decreasing the high school dropout rate

Findings from the Nevada Business Summit on Early Childhood Investment

On February 10, 2010, a partnership of the United Way of Southern Nevada, the UNLV Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy, the Agassi Foundation for Education and the State of Nevada Head Start State Collaboration Office, with support from The Lincy Foundation, hosted the Nevada Business Summit on Early Childhood Investment. The summit met to discuss effective ways to invest in early childhood education and health, in hopes of creating solutions that would provide long term human capital development through early intervention. The summit tied issues of employment opportunities, job readiness and economic trends with the need to invest in early childhood programs to enhance Nevada\u27s growth and competitiveness in the United States and global economy. During the summit, members of the business and early childhood community heard from three guest speakers which highlighted the connection between business and early childhood development. First, Dr. Pat Levitt discussed toxic stress and its impact on learning and health, followed by Dr. Art Rolnick who presented on early childhood development and public return on investment, and ended with Dr. Robert Dugger who put forth the call to action