Research Connections’ librarians have curated this page to include publications that may be of particular interest to child care and early education policymakers, professionals supporting the workforce, and researchers. The publications were selected because they align with federal priorities, seasonal priorities, current events, or national interest. Many of the highlighted publications have been featured in Research Connections newsletters.
Could strong positive relationships between students and teachers help mediate expulsion risks? This study examines the relationship between preschool children’s inhibitory control and their risk of expulsion. Findings indicate that better inhibitory control is associated with a lower risk of…
This review covers more than 40 studies on professional development approaches for managing classrooms and providing behavioral support skills. Findings show most studies focus on educators from Head Start and public preschools. Professional development approaches included strategies for…
Could participation in high-quality ECE equip children who are at risk for educational failure with skills on par with their more advantaged peers? This study examines children randomly assigned as infants to participate in an enhanced Early Head Start–Head Start program. The study finds…
This study looks at whether numeracy skills—set counting, numeral identification, number comparison, and number line estimation—mediated the relationship between executive functioning skills and math achievement in young children. This study finds executive functioning skills are a significant…
Why are Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) participation rates declining? This report looks at participation benefits, barriers, and facilitators among CACFP–participating independent child care centers and sponsors in California to understand what might be causing the decline. The…
This brief explores how educators, administrators, and policymakers can use TIC to support young children from low-income households. It specifically focuses on children affected by trauma from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The brief provides research-based information on TIC…
Does the amount of time children spend in Head Start matter? This study looks at the effects of time spent in Head Start on children’s self-regulation skills in kindergarten. Researchers found spending an extra year in the program was significantly associated with children’s self-regulation…
Early childhood teachers may deal with stress in the workplace as well as chronic stress from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This study looks at whether the source of stress has independent associations with teacher resilience and classroom behavior. Findings suggest that both higher…
This review provides a national overview of how state-level, center-based child care licensing regulations address exclusionary discipline. It contains state-by-state information on allowable and prohibited exclusions. Both in-program and out-of-program exclusions are included in this review.…
Are preschool teachers equipped to handle multilingual learners? This study looks at whether, and to what extent, teachers in New York City’s prekindergarten programs supported a culturally and linguistically responsive environment. The study finds that program leaders and teachers view…
This report looks at data from several large-scale, mixed-delivery preschool programs (community-based and public preschool) to understand the differences in those settings. Findings suggest some differences in child and teacher characteristics, child gains, and process quality but not in…
Many families with young children in early care and education are eligible for health and human services. This report from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation and Mathematica answers key questions about approaches to coordinating those services. The report highlights findings from…
Change is part of life; however, not all change is planned for or wanted. This study looks at the factors that contribute to child care changes among families with low incomes. The findings suggest that almost all planned changes were wanted, and that unwanted changes occurred with or without…