In Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programs, the quality of teacher-child interactions is regarded to be important for children's vocabulary development. However, prior studies on the relationships between teacher and child, as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), and children's vocabulary skills are inconsistent.…

This study examined the association between observers and students' reports of instructional support at the classroom-level, and whether students' off-task behavior predicted their perception of instructional support over time. The sample consisted of 1306 students and 79 teachers. Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling was applied to the…

The present investigation examined the links between preschool teachers' self-reported emotional exhaustion (n = 117) with the quality of their classroom interactions and the dosage and rigor of their instruction. Research Findings: Although teachers' experience of emotional exhaustion was not associated with the dosage and rigor of instruction,…

A recent trend in public libraries' children's services emphasizes the role of promoting school readiness. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the school readiness efforts present in storytime programs, this study observed and scored 68 public library preschool storytime sessions presented by 35 storytime providers across three states using…

Using data from six urban school districts, we examine the relationship between the quality of interactions in the classroom (measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System [CLASS] framework) and the racial match or mismatch between teachers and the students in their classes. We find that White teachers have lower scores on the CLASS…

Social-emotional learning interventions are intended to improve classroom dynamics and have the potential to enhance the well-being of students and their teachers. Using data drawn from an effectiveness trial of the Social Skills Improvement System SEL Edition Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS SEL CIP; Elliott and Gresham in SSIS SEL Edition…

Social-emotional learning interventions are intended to improve classroom dynamics and have the potential to enhance the well-being of students and their teachers. Using data drawn from an effectiveness trial of the Social Skills Improvement System SEL Edition Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS SEL CIP; Elliott & Gresham, 2017), the present…

The present investigation examined the links between preschool teachers' self-reported emotional exhaustion (n = 117) with the quality of their classroom interactions and the dosage and rigor of their instruction. Research Findings: Although teachers' experience of emotional exhaustion was not associated with the dosage and rigor of instruction,…

The critical thinking skills of pre-kindergarten special education teachers needed for effective education of their students are currently not known. This study used a mixed methods multi-case study design to answer the question: What is the relationship between critical thinking and effective teaching for pre-kindergarten special education…

Research Findings: This study focused on kindergartens serving low SES families and examined the associations between teachers' perceptions of their teaching experiences in their classroom and observed global classroom quality. Forty teachers and their classrooms participated. Teachers' perceptions of their teaching experiences in the classroom…

Measures of teaching are used internationally to understand and improve quality in early education with little consideration for ecological validity. In this study, we analyze videos gathered in 58 K-1 classrooms in Central Mexico to evaluate the validity and reliability of scores from an observational tool developed in the U.S. and used…

Studies show that early engagement with mathematics leads to increased math achievement later in life. Yet, early childhood teachers do not regard mathematics as critical to young learners' development and lack confidence with helping children learn mathematics. Early childhood teacher comfort and engagement with mathematics is a critical element…

Helping students engage with complex texts has been a longstanding challenge, though teachers have received little guidance about practices that help students in engaging with texts. This paper provides a range of empirical evidence about a tool designed to provide formative insight into text-focused teaching, which we used to reliably score more…

The purpose of this paper is to: (1) examine the research base on three types of assessments currently collected in some states and by some institutions of higher education (IHE); and (2) consider the degree to which these assessments can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of programs preparing teachers to work with students with disabilities.…