Leaders as Change Agents: A Theory of Change for Early Care and Education Quality Improvement

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Early Childhood Leaders

Abstract

Leadership is widely recognized as an essential driver of organizational performance and improvement, but little is known about its role in driving quality of early care and education (ECE) programs and outcomes for staff and children. The Early Care and Education Leadership Study seeks to fill definitional and measurement gaps to help early childhood researchers, policymakers, and the field understand how effective leaders can improve quality experiences for children in ECE settings. The study’s first phase included a structured, multidisciplinary literature review and development of a theory of change to explain the pathways and mechanisms through which leadership may influence quality outcomes. This paper presents the theory of change and concludes with implications for research, policy, and practice.

Authors

• Anne Douglass, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Gretchen Kirby, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc

• Lizabeth M. Malone, Mathematica Policy Research