In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a mandatory shift from in-person instruction to online learning for many young children. Teachers needed to adjust to virtual teaching, children were isolated from their peers, and parents played a bigger role in learning during the pandemic. In 2021, the shift back to in-person learning occurred. Research has…

A Head Start program in Southeast Georgia, teachers were struggling to provide appropriate services to students with special needs (SWSN) in inclusive settings. The purpose of this study was to explore Head Start teacher descriptions of their roles and the barriers that inhibit implementation of inclusive education for SWSN. McKenzie and…

In the US state of Georgia, teachers licensed to teach children from birth through Kindergarten (B-K, ages 0-5) or pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) to Grade 5 (p-5, ages 4-10) can teach pre-K and K in the public school system. Concerns have been raised about the unequal job opportunities for B-K candidates in the public school system because of the…

Background: Active classroom engagement is at the heart of children's learning. The definition of active classroom engagement has broadened over time to incorporate aspects of social emotional learning (SEL). SEL -- a developmental process that supports student acquisition of skills to build healthy peer relationships and regulate emotions…

Coaching is a popular mechanism for supporting teachers' improved use of teaching strategies. However, relatively little is known about which coaching processes are used or how those are implemented, especially in emerging formats like online asynchronous coaching. We used a multiple-case study design to examine coaching logs from an asynchronous…

For three weeks each June, the authors' PDS hosts a summer program called the Academy for Future Teachers (AFT), serving high school students interested in a teaching career. Partners across the PDS convene to support high-school AFT participants, including master teachers (P-12 teachers from local school districts and university faculty) and PDS…

During a time of historic COVID-related federal investment in child care and early education, states are working to leverage this opportunity to provide significant relief and recovery to providers and families. This fact sheet highlights the actions that select states have implemented to make the most of this critical time and opportunity. As…