Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 30 of 66
Full-Text Articles in Education
The Influence Of Center Climate On Teachers' Emotional Support Of Children, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
The Influence Of Center Climate On Teachers' Emotional Support Of Children, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
Research suggests that emotional support improves children’s academic and social development. Children in classrooms characterized by emotionally supportive teachers and environments are less likely to exhibit problem behaviors, negative affect, and aggression.
Quality Standards Drive Professional Development Opportunities, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Quality Standards Drive Professional Development Opportunities, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
No abstract provided.
National Principals' Survey On Early Childhood Instructional Leadership, Michael B. Abel, Teri N. Talan, Kelly D. Pollitt, Laura Bornfreund
National Principals' Survey On Early Childhood Instructional Leadership, Michael B. Abel, Teri N. Talan, Kelly D. Pollitt, Laura Bornfreund
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University, and New America partnered to study early childhood instructional leadership in schools. The National Principals’ Survey on Early Childhood Instructional Leadership was conducted in 2016 with the NAESP membership. This environmental scan collected basic descriptive data about the roles within schools and districts that contribute to instructional leadership and teacher supervision in preK classrooms. The survey was designed to examine the distribution of leadership functions; the influence of elementary principals on supporting children transitioning to kindergarten; classroom activities in preK and …
Instructional Leadership In School-Based Prek, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Instructional Leadership In School-Based Prek, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
No abstract provided.
Qualifications Of Illinois Head Start And Early Head Start Administrators, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Qualifications Of Illinois Head Start And Early Head Start Administrators, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
In this Research Note, the McCormick Center released new workforce data on the qualifications of Head Start and Early Head Start administrators at the grantee and site levels. These findings are important since little is known about the qualifications of on-site leaders in Head Start and Early Head Start programs. While Head Start programs are supported by well-developed systems, administrators—especially site-level managers—must possess the knowledge and skills to implement effective systems and lead individuals for sustained programmatic success. The Spring 2016 Research Note summarizes findings of a study of Head Start and Early Head Start administrators in Illinois.
Quality Improvement In Program Administration Through Directors’ Support Cohorts, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Quality Improvement In Program Administration Through Directors’ Support Cohorts, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
Initiatives to improve administrative practices in early childhood programs take many forms. Some models are high-intensity, providing substantial external support for directors. Other models are moderate-intensity, providing a lower dose of formal training and on-site support, and lead to a director credential. Because high- and moderate-intensity initiatives are costly to implement, this edition of Research Notes examined an informal low-intensity approach to strengthening leadership capacity as a viable alternative.
An International Perspective On Early Childhood Leadership, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
An International Perspective On Early Childhood Leadership, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
A 2015 study of early childhood leaders affirms that “people skills” are necessary for advancing organizations to help children succeed in school and in life. Participants in an Australian leadership development program perceived leadership capacities related to interpersonal relationships and self-regulation as more important than knowledge and skills that focus on program quality outcomes. Read more about this research and its implications in the Summer 2015 Research Note.
Quality Improvement In Program Administration Through Directors’ Support Cohorts, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Quality Improvement In Program Administration Through Directors’ Support Cohorts, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
Initiatives to improve administrative practices in early childhood programs take many forms. Some models are high-intensity, providing substantial external support for directors—formal training leading to an advanced degree, high dosage of technical support for achieving accreditation, and on-site coaching addressing multiple facets of program leadership and management. These high-intensity models have been shown to yield significant improvements in program- and classroom-level quality, organizational climate, and participants’ level of knowledge and demonstrated skill. Other models are moderate-intensity, providing a lower dose of formal training and on-site support, and lead to a director credential. Although the outcomes are not as robust as …
Poor Work Environments Contribute To Teacher Burnout, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Poor Work Environments Contribute To Teacher Burnout, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
A recent report by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, Worthy Work, STILL Unlivable Wages, highlights the relationship between poverty-level wages and high turnover among early childhood teachers. High turnover in early childhood programs disrupts center operations, alters the workplace environment, and affects the quality of teaching. But low wages are not the only influence on teachers’ decisions to leave their programs or the field. Teacher burnout is also a contributing factor to the high turnover rate in the early childhood field. Burnout was the focus of a recent study of 108 early childhood teachers conducted by …
The Relationship Between Administrator Qualifications And Family Engagement, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
The Relationship Between Administrator Qualifications And Family Engagement, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
The purpose of the current study was to explore how directors’ qualifications are related to factors that contribute to family engagement practices in early childhood programs.
Alternative Pathways To Quality In Family Child Care Quality Rating And Improvement Systems, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Alternative Pathways To Quality In Family Child Care Quality Rating And Improvement Systems, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
Kelton, Talan, and Bloom recently published a study evaluating the validity of Illinois’ alternative pathway model for family child care programs. They examined the relationship between three accountability measures frequently used in QRIS to measure quality in family child care programs: accreditation from National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale–Revised Edition (FCCERS-R), and the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS).3The study compared the average FCCERS-R and BAS scores of NAFCC-accredited family child care programs participating in Illinois’ QRS and the likelihood of an accredited program meeting the FCCERS-R and BAS threshold …
Indicators Of Quality And Child Outcomes In Family Child Care, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Indicators Of Quality And Child Outcomes In Family Child Care, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
While there has been considerable research on the indicators of quality in center-based early childhood programs, there is scant research on the correlates of quality in family child care. A recent study was conducted to increase our understanding of the relationship between indicators of quality and child outcomes in the context of family child care. The study addressed two questions. 1) What provider-level characteristics predict observed quality practices? 2) Are quality practices and providers’ professional attitudes and beliefs associated with children’s pre-academic and social-emotional skills? To answer these questions, the researchers conducted a secondary analysis of data collected in 2004 …
The Changing Landscape Of Early Childhood Education Leadership Development, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
The Changing Landscape Of Early Childhood Education Leadership Development, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
An executive summary of the second edition of the "Early Childhood Education Leadership Development Compendium: A View of the Current Landscape." The compendium provides comparison data, highlighting noteworthy differences in the findings between 2009—the year the first edition was published—and 2013, and identifies emerging trends in leadership development in early childhood education.
Accreditation As An Alternative Pathway To Quality In Qris, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Accreditation As An Alternative Pathway To Quality In Qris, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
Of the 24 statewide quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS), 21 include linkages to national program accreditation and 15 include accreditation status as an alternative pathway to quality at a specific level of a statewide QRIS. While there is general agreement that program accreditation status is a valid measure of overall quality, little attention has been paid to the relationship between accreditation status and the threshold scores on classroom assessment tools such as the Environment Rating Scales (ERS: ECERS-R, ITERS-R, SACERS) and administrative assessment tools such as the Program Administration Scale (PAS), frequently used to determine incremental levels of program …
Support One, Impact Hundreds -- Evaluation Of A Facilitated Cohort Model Of Online Director Training, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Support One, Impact Hundreds -- Evaluation Of A Facilitated Cohort Model Of Online Director Training, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
The McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership conducted an evaluation study to explore the impact of the Aim4ExcellenceTM facilitated cohort model which was delivered to three successive cohorts in the Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa. The study was designed to evaluate the impact of the training experience on the participants, their programs, and the communities in which they work.
Home-Based Child Care Characteristics Associated With Different Levels Of Quality, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Home-Based Child Care Characteristics Associated With Different Levels Of Quality, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
This Research Note summarizes a study funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation and conducted by Child Trends. The purpose of the study was to better understand the needs and strengths of family child care and to guide the content of professional development specifically designed for home-based providers.
Child Care Center Directors’ Experiences With Qris, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Child Care Center Directors’ Experiences With Qris, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
The National Women's Law Center (NWLC) and the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), recently conducted a study to explore the perspective of center directors on both the opportunities and the challenges faced by "on-the-ground" participants in QRIS.
Speaking Up And Speaking Out -- The Director As Advocate For The Early Childhood Workforce, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Speaking Up And Speaking Out -- The Director As Advocate For The Early Childhood Workforce, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
The McCormick Cneter for Early Childhood Leadership recently conducted a study to explore the role of the director as an advocate for the early childhood workforce. The student sought to determine the workforce issues that directors believe to be the most important, their self-perceptions related to advocacy, and the specific actions they have taken related to workforce issues. Additionally, the study sought to illuminate the characteristics of the most engaged advocates.
Quality In Context—How Directors' Beliefs, Leadership, And Management Practices Relate To Observed Classroom Quality, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Quality In Context—How Directors' Beliefs, Leadership, And Management Practices Relate To Observed Classroom Quality, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
Children's experiences in early childhood programs can impact their developmental outcomes. While some high-quality programs promote children's success in school and life, the majority of child care programs are of minimal to adequate quality. A recent study conducted by researchers at the Urban Institute explored the seemingly simple uestion, why is there so much variation in program quality? The study focused on center directors—their beliefs and decisions, and the contexts within which they work. The goal was to identify what promotes quality in some centers and what hinders quality in others.
Mentoring Directors As A Strategy To Improve Quality In Early Childhood Programs, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Mentoring Directors As A Strategy To Improve Quality In Early Childhood Programs, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
Mentoring and coaching are well established professional development strategies. These relationship-based strategies are often used in conjunction with traditional instructional practices. Most research in this area, however, has focused on the use of mentoring or coaching with teachers to improve teaching practices. This evaluation study conducted for the Ontario Government was designed to determine the extent to which the Mentoring Pairs for Child Care Project achieved its primary goal of enhancing quality in early learning programs in Ontario, Canada by increasing the administrative knowledge and skills of center directors (supervisors).
Degrees In Context -- Asking The Right Questions About Preparing Skilled And Effective Teachers Of Young Children, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Degrees In Context -- Asking The Right Questions About Preparing Skilled And Effective Teachers Of Young Children, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
A recent policy brief jointly published by the National Institute for Early Education Research and the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment argues that the attention given to whether an associate or baccalaureate degree is the appropriate baseline education for a qualified early educator masks equally important questions about the content and quality of the education received, the on-going suppor for teaching and learning, and the effects of the work environment.1 The policy brief explores these contextual issues and makes recommendations for policy, resources, or further research.
The Relationship Between Organizational Climate And Classroom Quality, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
The Relationship Between Organizational Climate And Classroom Quality, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
The present study was designed to expand this line of research and provide a deeper understanding about the relationship between organizational climate and quality at the classroom level. It also examined whether the relationship between work climate and classroom quality varies as a function of teachers' level of ducation and experience.
Head Start Administrative Practices, Director Qualifications, And Links To Classroom Quality, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Head Start Administrative Practices, Director Qualifications, And Links To Classroom Quality, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
An emerging body of research confirms practical wisdom from the field that center directors are the gatekeepers to quality. Through the teachers they hire, the administrative practices they put into place, and their ability to promote a shared vision, directors create professional environments that enable teachers to provide enriching learning environments for children. Recognizing the importance of program leadership, an increasing number of state initiatives are including a measure of administrative practices in their approaches to assessing and improving program quality across early learning settings. To help inform these initiatives, this research examined how administrative practices in Head Start programs …
Factors Impacting Job Satisfaction And Commitment In The Early Childhood Workforce, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Factors Impacting Job Satisfaction And Commitment In The Early Childhood Workforce, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
Job satisfaction is one of the most widely researched topics in psychology. Its popularity is not difficult to understand; the topic has immediate relevance to our own lives. With the latest wave of educational reform, the issue has taken on heightened importance. Across the educational spectrum, work satisfaction is related to organizational and professional commitment. Thus, understanding the factors that influence job satisfaction is central to attracting and retaining an effective and committed workforce. The present study was designed to provide a profile of the early childhood workforce to understand the specific job facets that contribute most to professional fulfillment. …
Connecting The Dots: Director Qualifications, Instructional Leadership Practices, And Learning Environments In Early Childhood Programs, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Connecting The Dots: Director Qualifications, Instructional Leadership Practices, And Learning Environments In Early Childhood Programs, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
It has long been assumed that directors are a linchpin to high-quality early care and education programs. However, research investigating the influence of director qualifications on instructional leadership practices and the quality of classroom learning environments is sparse. The research that has been conducted, however, supports conventional wisdom that better educated directors provide teachers with supervision that enables more effective classroom teaching.1 The purpose of the current study was to explore different aspects of directors’ qualifications to determine how they relate to the quality of instructional leadership practices and the quality of the learning environment in center-based early childhood programs.
A Window On Early Childhood Administrative Practices, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
A Window On Early Childhood Administrative Practices, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
There is strong consensus among early childhood professionals that sound administrative practices in center-based programs help ensure high-quality learning opportunities for young children. Since its publication in 2004, the Program Administration Scale (PAS) has been used across the country to reliably measure and improve center-based leadership and management practices.1 Data from these initiatives have been compiled to provide a window into the administrative practices of a large, national sample of center-based programs.
Examining Family Child Care Quality From A Business Perspective, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Examining Family Child Care Quality From A Business Perspective, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
Research has demonstrated that center-based early childhood programs that have sound administrative practices are more apt to promote high-quality learning environments and positive development outcomes for children. There is a growing concensus that sound business practices are equally important in family child care settings. While there are several instruments that measure the quality of provider-child interactions and the quality of the learning environment in family child care, there has not been a valid and reliable measure of business and professional practices of family child care. With this in mind, the Business Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) was developed to …
Developing A Unified Performance Measurement System, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
Developing A Unified Performance Measurement System, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
In recent years, a host of studies have exposed wide inconsistency in quality of early childhood education programs in the United States. Findings reveal that large populations of young children receive poor or inadequate services. Policymakers have responded by pursuing a variety of strategies to measure and ultimately enhance children's early learning experiences. However, with numerous measurement tools available, the meaningful and consistent measurement of quality has proven challenging. It is unclear how quality measures compare, what they specifically measure, and how they function across three early childhood education systems—child care, Head Start, and state-funded pre-kindergarten. To address these questions …
The Role Of Leadership To Integrate The Learning Continuum, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
The Role Of Leadership To Integrate The Learning Continuum, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
The American education system developed in separate sectors at different times (early childhood, K-12, and postsecondary), creating a disconnected chain of educational experiences for students. Recently, work has begun to integrate these sectors into a coherent whole and the concept of a learning continuum has emerged. A learning continuum aligns curriculum and instruction across developmental levels and grades, shares goals for student readiness and proficiency, and communicates and coordinates among caregivers, educators, and families to support student learning. To study the current status of learning continuum activities in Illinois, a panel of early childhood and K-12 representatives convened in 2008 …
A Window Into The Business Practices Of Family Child Care Providers, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
A Window Into The Business Practices Of Family Child Care Providers, Mccormick Center For Early Childhood Leadership
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications
This Research Notes offers a window into the business practices of licensed or registered family child care providers across the country so that agencies tasked with improving family child care quality can structure technical assistance efforts effectively based on aspects of provider practices that are in most need of support and resources.