In preschool settings, ample evidence has long existed that some administrators and educators rely heavily on exclusionary practices to address unwanted behaviors despite evidence they are ineffective. There is a need for evidence-based interventions that provide teachers with skills to foster positive student--teacher relationships, teach…

The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) conducted a landscape evaluation of early childhood programs in Indiana (IN) between the spring of 2021 and the summer of 2022. Commissioned by Early Learning Indiana (ELI), this study provides Indiana programs and policymakers with research-based information on the quality of a sample of…

Preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may not always be recognized as such during their early years, but some of their behavioral problems may nonetheless prompt a referral for behavioral intervention. Whether such an intervention brings any benefit has not been well studied. We identified a subsample of 34 preschool children at…

Preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may not always be recognized as such during their early years, but some of their behavioral problems may nonetheless prompt a referral for behavioral intervention. Whether such an intervention brings any benefit has not been well studied. We identified a subsample of 34 preschool children at…

Due to the socioeconomic status-related gap in early mathematical knowledge and the need to improve low-income children's readiness for school mathematics, the authors developed an intervention, "Pre-K Mathematics", and rigorously evaluated it over several studies. This math intervention has been found to be highly effective at improving…

A growing number of studies suggests cultural differences in the attention and evaluation of information in adults (Hedden, Ketay, Aron, Markus, & Gabrieli, 2008; Markus & Kitayama, 1991; Masuda & Nisbett, 2001). One cultural comparison, between Westerners, such as Americans, and Easterners, such as the Japanese, suggests that…

A socioeconomic status (SES) gap in mathematical knowledge emerges early and widens prior to school entry. To address this gap, a curricular intervention, "Pre-K Mathematics," was developed and found to be effective in prior efficacy research. In the present project, the next step was taken in evaluating this intervention. Specifically,…

A comprehensive developmental screening model (CDSM) was designed to help local education agencies (LEAs), in Indiana, plan, develop, and implement screening programs for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children. The CDSM is presented in three parts; Part I provides both empirical and philosophical support to the reasons for developing a screening program;…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the FACTS/LRE (Family and Child Transitions into Least Restrictive Environments) project, a 2-year project to promote best practices in the transition process of 3-year-olds with disabilities from early intervention to preschool programs. The project delivered technical assistance to…

The Indiana Deaf-Blind Project was designed to enhance and further develop coordinated direct services to children and youth with deaf-blindness for whom Indiana is not obligated to make available a free appropriate public education. These include children from birth through age 2 and 18 through 21. The work of the project was focused on: (1)…

The purpose of the SPARK Outreach Project was to address the needs of an increasingly culturally diverse population by providing a model for teachers of young children with disabilities with (1) a story-based creative arts curriculum derived from a variety of cultural and ethnic traditions; (2) a developmentally and individually appropriate…

Noting that young children need early childhood settings supporting the development of the full range of capacities that will serve as a foundation for future school learning, and that adults have an opportunity and an obligation to assist children in becoming active participants in the learning process, this document details foundations to…