This paper presents findings from an exploratory study to define associations between social-emotional teaching practices and teacher characteristics through a person-centered approach. The sample consisted of 97 teachers working in center-based early childhood education settings with young children ages 2-5 in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. We…

This study examines how a mathematics professional learning (PL) program can contribute to building the capacity of local facilitators to implement PL designed to make high-quality instruction accessible to all students. Thirty-one local facilitators were trained in the use of the Math for All PL program and implemented it over one school year.…

Child-directed speech (CDS), which can help children learn new words, has been rigorously studied among infants and parents in home settings. Yet, far less is known about the CDS that teachers use in classrooms with toddlers and children's responses, an important question because many toddlers, particularly in high-need communities, attend…

The neighborhood literature consistently documents associations between neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and child development. Yet, this approach may miss important heterogeneity in neighborhood resources (e.g., libraries, doctors' offices) that have important implications for children. Moreover, the mechanisms that explain the relation…

The purpose of this report is to discuss the sustainability and scalability of Math for All (MFA) by returning to talk with past MFA program participants. Drawing on qualitative research methods, this report derives its findings from interviews with 12 teachers, 6 facilitators, and 5 administrators within two years of their participation in MFA.…

Evidenced-based mathematics interventions are critical for supporting students with mathematics difficulties. In research and practice, collecting implementation fidelity is important for ensuring that all the core components of the intervention are implemented as designed. Historically, implementation fidelity has been defined as multi-faceted…

The English Language and Literacy Acquisition--Validation (ELLA-V) study was a five-year evaluation of a program that provided professional development, coaching, and curricula that targeted English-as-a-second-language (ESL) instruction for teachers of K-3 English learners (ELs). ELLA-V was implemented in 10 school districts in Texas in the…

Simulation offers unique affordances over traditional training (e.g., remote access, mastery learning experiences, immediate feedback) relevant to teacher training in behavior management. This study describes a user-based evaluation of Interactive Virtual Training for Teachers (IVT-T). The study involved observing representative users (seven…

Public preschool programs require the use of a research-based, whole-child curriculum, yet limited research examines whether curricula influence classroom experiences and children's development. We use five samples of preschool children to examine differences in classroom processes and children's school readiness by classroom curricular status…

Early childhood education programs (ECE) invest in assessments of classroom quality to enable accountability and to enact efforts towards quality improvement. The "Early Childhood Environment Rating System -- Revised" (ECERS-R) and "Classroom Assessment Scoring System" (CLASS) are two widely used classroom quality assessments…

This study examined the effects of the BEST in CLASS intervention professional development component when delivered online in comparison with in person and a control group. A total of 29 early childhood teachers serving young children demonstrating challenging behaviors were included as participants. Data were collected on teachers' classroom…

The COVID-19 pandemic led to extended school closures globally. Access to remote learning opportunities during this time was vastly unequal within and across countries. Higher-quality early childhood education (ECE) can improve later academic outcomes, but longer-term effects during crises are unknown. This study provides the first experimental…

A range of education initiatives in the U.S. are focusing on ways to improve curriculum, instruction, teacher development, and student assessment related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Key indicators to monitor the quality of STEM education have been proposed by the National Research Council. This paper is…

In recent years, policymakers' and practitioners' interest in school climate as a contributor to K-12 student learning and classroom processes has increased, both in the US and internationally. However, researchers have not yet examined the influence of school climate on the youngest learners in these contexts -- prekindergartners. Using data from…

Classroom quality measures, such as the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, Revised (ECERS-R), are widely used in research, practice, and policy. Increasingly, these uses have been for purposes not originally intended, such as contributing to consequential policy decisions. The current study adds to recent evidence of problems with the…