Investing in Early Childhood Research to Improve School Readiness, Address Equity and Inclusion, and Inform Early Childhood Policy and Practice

• In Event: Federal Support for Early Learning and Development Research: Current Research Priorities

Abstract

Children’s early learning experiences have immediate and lasting consequences for their development and school achievement. The Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) funds research on the development of young children’s social, cognitive, and academic school readiness skills aimed at informing early childhood policy and practice. The mission of the National Center for Education Research (NCER) of the Department of Education is to close the achievement gap and ensure that all children have access to a high-quality education. NCER supports research to improve the school readiness and social behavioral skills of prekindergarten children (3- to 5-year-olds) enrolled in center-based preschool programs and inform early childhood policy and practice. Through the Early Learning Programs and Policies research topic, the Early Learning Network, and other initiatives, NCER addresses equity and access to high quality early childhood programs and learning opportunities for children from diverse sociodemographic backgrounds, including racially minoritized children and dual language learners. NCER research projects focus on reducing achievement and opportunity gaps by developing measures and identifying and understanding mechanisms, interventions, policies, and practices that promote early learning and development for young children and address the skills and needs of the early childhood workforce. Although early childhood education is covered under a number of competitions, the primary mechanisms for supporting early education research in the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) is through the Early Intervention and Early Learning topic area. Through this grant program, IES supports research that contributes to improving a range of developmental and pre-academic outcomes of children from birth through preschool with or at risk for disabilities. With NCSER’s mission to cover research on students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), NCSER-supported projects aim to develop, evaluate, and understand interventions that narrow the achievement gaps between children with and without disabilities. Even as early as infancy, early intervention to enhance various aspects of child development can ultimately improve the child’s readiness to attend school. Because children with disabilities must be afforded equal access to education, many NCSER-funded projects focus on young children with or at risk for disabilities in inclusive classrooms alongside their typically developing peers. Some projects also look at the intersection between disability and other demographic backgrounds such as English learners. Research supported by these two Centers has enhanced our understanding of early intervention practices, preschool curricula, early learning in special education, the role of parents and early childhood educators in supporting children’s development, classroom quality, and implementation of early childhood programs and policies. This presentation will highlight IES’ investments in early learning and early intervention research. Presenters will describe research addressing these topic areas and describe current IES funding opportunities. They will describe research initiatives that address achievement and opportunity gaps and inclusion for young children with or at risk for disabilities and children from diverse socio-demographic backgrounds.

Authors

• Amy L Sussman, Institute of Education Sciences
  Presenting Author

• Caroline M Ebanks, Institute of Education Sciences
  Non-Presenting Author