The Partnership for Early Education Research (PEER) is pleased to present its long-term, collaborative research agenda! This document was developed in partnership with PEER member organizations over a period of eight months. From the June 2015 Research Agenda Setting Workshop to the January 2016 review of the draft Research Agenda by contributors, a wide range of early childhood education (ECE) stakeholders have engaged in this collaborative process.
While developing PEER’s research agenda, PEER member organizations from the communities of Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Stamford, along with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) and Connecticut Department of Education (CSDE), identified a range of priority research topics. The topics are grouped into four areas: (1) Program Quality (including Pedagogy & Curriculum and Teacher Training & Professional Development), (2) Preparing for the Kindergarten Transition, (3) Dual Language Learners, and (4) Family & Community Services. Next, stakeholders worked collaboratively to define 3-5 long-term research questions for each of these research topics. As a whole, these research questions form a coherent research agenda that will address the needs and interests of a broad spectrum of ECE stakeholders from these three communities and Connecticut as a whole.
Before transitioning to its long-term research plan, PEER will spend the next few months focusing on its preliminary research questions, which were outlined in its original grant application to the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES). These questions focus on understanding: (1) children’s school readiness at kindergarten entry, (2) the use of assessment tools in early childhood education and (3) the teacher- and school-level factors that predict kindergarten performance. At this time, educators at several of PEER’s participating member organizations are participating in a survey about assessment practices in early childhood education. PEER looks forward to sharing the results of these projects as they become available.
In addition, PEER is preparing for its early childhood education conference on May 24th at University of Bridgeport. This event is designed for a broad range of early childhood education stakeholders, including educators, administrators, policy-makers, advocates, researchers, and others. Conference registration will open in the second half of March, but more information about the ECE conference is available here. Please spread the word!
PEER’s Proposed Five-Year Collaborative Research Agenda
Program Quality, including Pedagogy & Curriculum and Teacher Training & Professional Development
1. What are the different criteria used to evaluate program quality? (Literature review)
2. Which program quality criteria appear to be most predictive of child outcomes? (Literature review)
3. What professional development models or practices are associated with positive outcomes for children, families and teachers? (Literature review or meta-analysis)
4. How are early learning programs supporting teachers? (e.g. professional development, continued formal education, pay, benefits, mentoring) (Case study or descriptive study using focus groups or survey)
5. What instructional practices are associated with improved child outcomes across ECE domains and across diverse groups? (Literature review)
Preparing for the Kindergarten Transition
1. How can we quantify children's performance in early language, cognition, social-emotional development, physical development and health, early math, early science and creative arts domains? (Literature review)
2.In order to succeed in elementary school, with what skills should children enter kindergarten in the early language, cognition, social-emotional development, physical development and health, early math, early science and creative arts domains? (Literature review)
3.How are our children performing in the early language, cognition, social-emotional development, physical development and health, early math, early science and creative arts domains? (Analysis of existing data)
4.To what extent is early childhood education quality related to preparedness for kindergarten or progress toward preparedness for kindergarten? (Original research)
5.What are promising systemic or programmatic practices for closing performance gaps among diverse students? (Literature review or original research)
Dual Language Learners
1a. What are promising assessment practices for DLL children birth to 8? (Literature review)
1b. What are promising instructional practices for DLL children birth to 8? (Literature review)
2. What are promising practices for training teachers to work with DLL children birth to 8? (Literature review)
3a. What are promising practices for partnering with families of DLL children birth to 8? (Literature review)
3b. What are our communities doing to partner with families of DLL children birth to 8? Which practices are associated with positive child outcomes? (Original research--mixed methods)
Family and Community Services
1.How are family support service providers (housing, food, healthcare) being connected with public schools and other ECE providers? (Descriptive study based on interviews, focus groups or surveys)
2.What are promising practices in coordinating family support services for families with young learners? (Literature review)
3.To what extent are family support services (housing, food, healthcare) associated with child outcomes? (Literature review)
4.How are school districts collaborating with community-based programs to ensure access to family and community services for DLLs, children with special needs, etc. before kindergarten entry? (Descriptive study based on interviews, focus groups or surveys)