Partnership for Early Education Research: A Connecticut-Based Research-Practice Partnership

• In Event: Research-Practice Partnerships for Quality Improvement in Early Education: Best Practices and Creative Solutions

Abstract

The Partnership for Early Education Research (PEER) is a research alliance among early childhood stakeholders across three Connecticut communities that aims to conduct rigorous, collaborative, actionable research focused on children from birth through age 8. Through a process of pursuing questions developed collaboratively by its members, PEER aims to produce research that can inform early childhood education policy and practice at the local and state levels, increase access to high-quality early childhood education, and reduce disparities in educational outcomes. To ensure that its research is relevant and useful to local communities, PEER engages diverse stakeholders, including early childhood care and education teachers and providers, district and program administrators, state and local policymakers and advocates, and social science researchers.

The structure of PEER includes a local university partner (Yale University School of Medicine) and local school districts (Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Stamford) along with a Connecticut Regional Educational Service Center (C.E.S.), a non-profit research institution (EDC), two state agencies (Connecticut State Department of Education and Connecticut Office of Early Childhood), and numerous early childhood education stakeholders. By engaging early childhood education administrators, practitioners, policy makers, advocates, and researchers, PEER can support the design of research that addresses the needs and interests of diverse stakeholders, including children, families, and educators.

During its first year of establishment (2014-2015), with support from IES, PEER developed a network of early childhood education stakeholders in Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Stamford, and strengthened connections with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood and the Connecticut State Department of Education. PEER intends to extend this network to other Connecticut stakeholders and regions as the partnership continues to grow.

During its second year (2015-2016), PEER launched three research projects to address its initial research questions, which focus on understanding the experiences of preschool children in the southwest region of Connecticut and the factors that are associated with their readiness for kindergarten. In addition, PEER collaborated with its member organizations to develop a long-term research agenda that will serve Connecticut communities and drive PEER’s work over the years to come. This agenda focuses on program quality, the kindergarten transition, dual language learners, and family/community services.

In its third year (2016-2017), in addition to concluding the research projects launched in 2015-2016, PEER launched a project focused on one area of the long-term collaborative research agenda with support from Spencer Foundation—supporting dual language learners. This project focuses on collaborative research aimed at:
1. Producing readily-accessible practice and policy briefs that summarize research on promising practices for assessing and instructing DLLs, as well as engaging the families of DLLs;
2. Building data capacity to improve understanding of the DLL population and existing DLL policy and supports within preschool and kindergarten settings in PEER communities;
3. Studying the link between DLL preschool and kindergarten policies/supports and child/family outcomes (e.g. child attendance, parent satisfaction and family engagement); and
Translating the findings from PEER’s research into meaningful professional development experiences for early childhood educators.

Authors

• Michael Strambler, Yale University

• Clare Waterman Irwin, Education Development Center, Inc.

• Joanna L. Meyer, Yale University

• George A. Coleman, Cooperative Educational Services