A large national technical assistance (TA) centre in the US provides TA to Head Start regions to help strengthen their use of implementation science frameworks. In administration of TA to regions, the centre has used a 'co-creation' model. Aims and objectives: This paper describes the co-creative TA approach, including level of dosage (frequency…

Design thinking techniques, including empathetic interviews, provide a promising new methodology for enhancing the quality of childcare services. This human-centred approach seeks to address complex problems with a deliberate, thoughtful solution-seeking process [Brown, T. (2008, June). "Design thinking. Harvard Business Review."…

In this case study I explored the dilemmas of three early childhood care and education (ECCE) teachers in a poor community in the Cape Flats of Cape Town, South Africa during COVID-19, and how they used these dilemmas to transform their teaching. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants and data was collected through a…

There are concerns about the quantity and quality of personnel in early childhood intervention (ECI) as the numbers of infants and young children with delays and disabilities grow in number, needs, and diversity. The Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC) was funded to provide technical assistance (TA) to state systems of ECI and institutions of…

Research Findings: The present study provides an initial descriptive comparison of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) and the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Third Edition (ECERS-3) in a relatively large sample in 1 state that uses the Environment Rating Scales within its Quality Rating and Improvement System…

This article describes the quantitative findings from an evaluation of program-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in three rural preschool programs. Each rural preschool program included children 3 through 5 years of age with and without disabilities. Following 3 years of on-site training, technical assistance, and coaching…

In preschool settings, the majority of interventions are individualized for children at high risk for challenging behavior. However, a few early childhood sites have begun to conceptualize and implement prevention and intervention initiatives modeled after the principles and key features associated with school-wide positive behavior support. In…

This study examined the effects of staff development and support on Head Start teachers' use of instructional and managerial strategies. Specific research questions were (a) What variables were selected by teachers? and (b) What changes were indicated by the method of support? Observations were conducted for teachers randomly assigned to…

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate technical assistance and training of Head Start teachers and assistant teachers on the use of a contemporary curriculum-based assessment. A description of the technical assistance process used and the procedures for determining interrater agreement and assessment fidelity are presented. During the…

Early childhood programs are growing increasingly concerned about the number of preschoolers exhibiting challenging behavior. This case study describes how educators at the Visiting Nurses Association Child Care and Family Resource Center program addressed this concern by implementing the systems, data, and practices of Program-Wide Positive…

Quality Rating System (QRS) initiatives define levels of quality based on research and then support providers with funding and technical assistance to increase their quality. Each program is assessed and given a number of "stars" to indicate to parents what level of quality the program has reached. In this article, the author describes…