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…
This study published by MDRC examines the long-term effects of the Making Pre-K Count and High 5s programs on third-grade math scores in New York City. When implemented on its own, the Making Pre-K Count program did not demonstrate statistically significant impacts. However, when combined with…
The number of regulated Family Child Care (FCC) programs in the United States has declined over the past 20 years. Using data from California, Florida, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this report from the Erikson Institute addresses questions such as why FCC…
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect child care assistance policies in the United States? New funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, and the American Rescue Plan Act allowed states to make policy…
This paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City notes that in the United States, many women are out of the labor force because they are primarily responsible for their children’s care. The study examines whether maternal labor force participation increases when free pre-kindergarten…
The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) is used by many programs to inform important decisions. This study looks at whether, and to what extent, the scores vary within a single-day observation period. While the authors find some variability in CLASS scores (typically declining over the…
This paper looks at the intergenerational effects of the Perry Preschool Project (PPP) using newly collected data on the original participants of the PPP. It analyzes longer-term effects, including on children of the original participants. The results show the program had significant, positive…
Do high-quality early care and education (ECE) programs help low-income children overcome the disadvantages of childhood poverty in the long term? This study uses data from the National Institute for Child Health and Development’s 1991 Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development to show that…
This study used a randomized controlled trial method to look at the effects of Ohio’s early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) system. The study found significant impacts on the social and emotional skills of children who received consultation, as well as their surrounding peers,…
Home-based child care (HBCC) is “the most common form of nonparental child care for infants and toddlers and for children living in poverty” (p. vii). The selected literature reviewed in this synthesis looks at the features of quality in HBCC settings, as well as how neighborhood and provider…
Identifying and engaging with dual-language learners (DLLs) and their families during early childhood years can significantly affect their ECE experience. This report discusses policies at the federal, state, and local levels regarding the identification of DLLs in early care and education…