This pilot study conducted an initial evaluation of the Center for Improving the Readiness of Children for Learning and Education (CIRCLE) Infant-Toddler Teacher Training program. The program is unique in three ways: 1) use of an online platform with courses that explain social-emotional, language, and literacy development in young children…

This study investigated associations between child care participation and socioemotional and language development of children born to adolescent mothers. Participants were 704 mothers and their children (mean age = 24 months) enrolled in a randomized controlled-trial evaluation of a voluntary statewide home visiting program for first-time young…

Building on extensive feedback from the field as well as vigorous new research on how best to support infant and toddler development and learning, the authors have revised and updated the widely used "Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale." ITERS-3 is the next-generation assessment tool for use in center-based child care programs for…

The dynamic systems theory, a theory that goes beyond Piaget and Vygotsky, looks promising for curriculum development. In this theory it is explained how a curriculum that creates physical and psychological space for play and initiative learning (self-regulation) is being designed and how the teacher can support the enrichment of play and…

This study describes the results of an evaluation of the Individualized Learning Intervention, a mentoring program for early childhood educators. This mentoring program includes 3 components: Mentor Teacher Seminar, Mentor teachers supporting professional development of Protege teachers throughout the school year, and Mentor coordinator meetings…

This report describes the design and implementation of the three interventions tested in Project Upgrade, one of four experiments conducted as part of the Evaluation of Child Care Subsidy Strategies. The evaluation was a multi-site, multi-year effort to determine whether and how different child care subsidy policies and procedures and quality…

An evaluation of the New Parents as Teachers (NPAT) program concluded that a high quality parent education and support program conducted during a child's first three years measurably increases the child's intellectual, achievement, and language abilities. Parental involvement with parent educators during home visits is the single most important…

Research Findings: Integrated services for young children and families are part of the new policy landscape in early childhood, but there is limited evidence of the effectiveness of these programs and how they develop on the ground. This study examined the use of the Early Development Instrument (EDI) as both a summative program evaluation tool…

The Cognitively Oriented Preschool was implemented in West Chester, Pennsylvania as a special program to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of disadvantaged children moving into the area. This report describes the program as it was implemented, including specific daily activities as well as the various kinds of curricula used. Also included…

This evaluative report of a Head Start program discusses gains in academic achievement and social development of 248 preschool children as measured by standardized tests, parent questionnaires, and staff surveys. A pre- and postadministration of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) was used as a basis for the measurement of student gains…

The material reported here was developed as part of a systematic effort to develop techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of a nationally implemented early childhood program. The Classroom Attitude Observation Schedule technique has been implemented in a number of school districts as a means of assessing program implementation of the Tucson…

This document is a transcript of the proceedings of a one-day meeting held in Austin, Texas on March 29, 1967. Participants included representatives of the national Head Start Planning Committee, the Head Start Research and Evaluation Division in Washington, D. C., and the staff and study directors of the regional Child Development Evaluation and…

This volume, a compilation of essays and state-of-the-art reviews, re-evaluates the progress and current practices in early childhood education. Topics include some of the issues, problems and implications of developmental theory applied to preschool education; historical antecedents for early education; malnutrition and behavioral development;…

Between 1995 and 2004, Early Head Start (EHS) grew from 68 to more than 700 programs nationwide, serving more than 62,000 children and securing the program's reputation as a beacon of hope for the nation's low-income families with infants and toddlers. According to a comprehensive 5-year national evaluation of EHS, children who participated in…

The document--half of which consists of appendixes--is intended as a guide for developing and implementing preschool recreation programs for handicapped children, based on the Preschool Recreation Enrichment Program (PREP) model. Information on the growth and development of both normal and handicapped preschool children is presented, touching upon…