Solving Affordability Challenges In Education, Housing And Childcare,
2026
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
Solving Affordability Challenges In Education, Housing And Childcare, Brad J. Hershbein, Michelle Miller-Adams, Brian J. Asquith, Chloe R. Gibbs
Presentations
These three presentations emphasize that affordability challenges across education, housing, and childcare stem from structural market and policy frictions, and that effective solutions require coordinated public investment, simplified systems, and attention to both supply and demand. The first presentation argues that while college tuition growth has slowed and aid has increased, affordability challenges persist due to complexity, misperceptions, and uneven costs, and it advocates for simple tuition-free programs combined with investments in advising, streamlined pathways, and stronger school-to-work connections. The second presentation highlights a growing housing affordability crisis in the Rust Belt driven by aging housing stock and limited supply, …
An Equity-Based And Culturally Responsive Bill Of Rights For Early Childhood Students Of Color With Exceptionalities,
2026
Ball State University
An Equity-Based And Culturally Responsive Bill Of Rights For Early Childhood Students Of Color With Exceptionalities, Evette Simmons-Reed, Michelle Frazier Trotman Scott, Gloria Tardash, Mildred Boveda, Donna Y. Ford
Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing disparities in early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) disabled children, exposing critical gaps in access, services and support. systemic inconsistencies in implementation, training, and funding, remain barriers limit opportunities for CLD students to benefit, despite the aims of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA). To address these inequities, this manuscript proposes an expanded and updated Culturally Responsive Equity-Based Bill of Rights for EI and ECSE. Building upon Ford and colleagues' (2018) work, this revised document extends protections to children aged zero to five, emphasizing …
Phenomenological Variant Of Ecological Systems Theory (Pvest): Implications For Early Childhood Education,
2026
Ball State University
Phenomenological Variant Of Ecological Systems Theory (Pvest): Implications For Early Childhood Education, Kathryn L. Fletcher, Qunishia N. Carter
Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education
The current article provides an introduction for researchers and educators in the field of early childhood education to Spencer’s Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems theory (Spencer’s PVEST; Spencer et al., 1997; Spencer, 2006). Spencer has expanded the importance of context with her position that children experience contexts differently, particularly children from marginalized groups (Spencer et al., 1997; Spencer, 2006). Two main goals for this article are: 1) introduce Spencer’s PVEST to the field of early childhood education; and 2) apply components of this theory to young children’s self-awareness. The overarching aim of this paper is to argue that Spencer’s PVEST …
Practical Applications Of Play Therapy Principles In Early Childhood Classrooms,
2026
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Practical Applications Of Play Therapy Principles In Early Childhood Classrooms, Colleen D. Martinez, Beth A. Trammell
Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education
Play in early childhood is a central tenet to everyday life for children and is thus of great importance to early childhood practitioners. However, the wide variety of definitions, policies, and practices related to play make implementing it effectively in the classroom nuanced. This article explores components of both child-led and adult-led practices—viewed through the lens of play therapy—to aid early childhood educators in applying these practices in the classroom. Case examples from the authors are included to further explore these topics in real-life situations.
Latent Transition Analysis: A Statistical Method For Identifying Underlying Subgroups Over Time,
2026
Ball State University
Latent Transition Analysis: A Statistical Method For Identifying Underlying Subgroups Over Time, Holmes Finch
Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education
Researchers working in early childhood research are often interested in assessing change over time in multiple variables. In addition, they may wish to ascertain whether there exist subgroups in the data with respect to these variables, and whether/how membership in these groups is related. Latent transition analysis (LTA) provides such researchers with a useful tool for investigating questions around such groups, including their composition, frequency, and the likelihood of moving from one to another at different points in time. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a full demonstrate of LTA and show how it can be used to …
Comparison Of Multidimensional Models For Extreme Response Styles,
2026
Ball State University
Comparison Of Multidimensional Models For Extreme Response Styles, Holmes Finch, Brian French
Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education
Self-administered scales are ubiquitous throughout the social sciences. Therefore, it is crucial that they properly reflect the measured latent trait(s), and are not influenced by other factors. One potential threat to validity is the response style favored by an individual completing the items. In particular, a tendency to engage in extreme responding (ERS) can result in a tendency to provide responses in the outer range of the response scale, independent of the actual level of the response to the item. The purposes of this study was to demonstrate how these models can be used to account for ERS in practice, …
A Tutorial For Identifying And Comparing Change Points In Developmental Trajectories,
2026
Ball State University
A Tutorial For Identifying And Comparing Change Points In Developmental Trajectories, Holmes Finch
Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education
Researchers in a variety of social science fields work with sequential data, such as measurements made over time. In some instances, one or more of the moments (e.g., mean, variance) of the series may change abruptly at some point in the sequence, yielding what is known as a change point. There is a broad literature describing methods for changepoint detection. Researchers working with multiple sequential series containing change points may be interested in comparing the locations of these changes. The purpose of this manuscript is to demonstrate how a researcher can detect changepoints and compare changepoints between two or more …
Using Multilevel Modeling To Understand Nested Data,
2026
Ball State University
Using Multilevel Modeling To Understand Nested Data, Holmes Finch
Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education
Researchers in the social sciences often work with nested data, in which individuals are collected in higher level clusters. For example, educational research often involves working with samples in which students are nested within schools. Standard data analyses, such as regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA), yield statistically biased results when this nested structure is ignored. One widely used and effective approach for handling such nested data is multilevel modeling. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the basics of multilevel modeling and to provide the reader with a fully worked example in which the analytic approach and results …
Early Education Indirect Service Research With Generalization Data: A Systematic Review Of Single-Case Design Methodological Rigor,
2026
University of Southern Mississippi
Early Education Indirect Service Research With Generalization Data: A Systematic Review Of Single-Case Design Methodological Rigor, Zachary C. Labrot, Brittany D. Garza, Tyler Smith, Emily Maxime, Abigail Lawson
Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education
Consultation and coaching are both forms of indirect service delivery that have been found to be effective for improving early childhood educators’ implementation of evidence-based practices. These indirect service delivery modalities have also been found to be effective for promoting early childhood educators’ generalization of evidence-based practices. However, less is known regarding the methodological rigor of early childhood indirect service delivery research that collected generalization data. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to apply the 2020 and 2020 What Works Clearinghouse single-case design standards to this literature base to determine the extent to which these studies were conducted in …
Guest Editor's Introduction: Methodological Innovations For Advancing Early Childhood Educational And Psychological Research,
2026
University of Kentucky
Guest Editor's Introduction: Methodological Innovations For Advancing Early Childhood Educational And Psychological Research, Anthony Mangino Ph.D.
Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education
The goal of this special issue is to provide you, the inquisitive reader and developmental scientist, with some of the methodological tools to aid in augmenting your analytic capacity.
Haapxtàm Ka'Ál Yimisapʰíkʰ We Dream For Our Children Indigenous Pedagogies In Early Childhood Education: Survivance, Truth Telling, And Healing On Native Land,
2026
Portland State University
Haapxtàm Ka'Ál Yimisapʰíkʰ We Dream For Our Children Indigenous Pedagogies In Early Childhood Education: Survivance, Truth Telling, And Healing On Native Land, Sara Anne Koyano
Dissertations and Theses
Since Time Immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have lived, learned, and thrived on this continent, exercising their inherent sovereignty as Original Peoples and passing down Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and learning across generations. US settler colonial violence and assimilation policies have had historical and contemporary detrimental impacts on Native children, families, and communities by attempting to disrupt the intergenerational transmission of Indigenous knowledges. Consequently, many young Native children in Oregon do not have access to educational opportunities that value, honor, and affirm their Indigenous identities and cultures, nor do they see themselves reflected in their classrooms and curricula. Furthermore, in 2019, …
The Impact Of Trump Administration Immigration Policies On Connecticut Educators And Families,
2026
University of Connecticut - Storrs
The Impact Of Trump Administration Immigration Policies On Connecticut Educators And Families, Elena C. Bielesz
Honors Scholar Theses
Anti-immigrant rhetoric, policies, and practices, which have grown increasingly prevalent due to the current national political climate, have adverse effects on the mental health of immigrant families and the teachers that support them in Connecticut. This study seeks to represent the opinions of Connecticut K-12 MLL (Multilingual Learners) Education Teachers and Administrators whose daily lives are impacted by the anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policies and procedures. The study employed a human subjects-based approach supported by a review of related literature. MLL Educators from around the state of Connecticut were interviewed. These interviews found that while immigration-based trauma and stressors are common …
The Importance Of Diverse Characters In Children's Literature For Identity Development,
2026
Ursinus College
The Importance Of Diverse Characters In Children's Literature For Identity Development, Gabrielle Revaitis
English and Creative Writing Independent Study Projects
This paper aims to explore and examine the function of diverse and realistic representation in children's literature and its effect on their identity development. It asserts that literature is one of the main tools by which children develop their understanding of themselves and their place in the world. Reading about various kinds of diversity and realistic representation of different kinds of identities, whether based on race, gender, and disability, helps them to see diversity and commonality in human experiences. However, this paper will also examine how children's literature has been problematic in representing stereotypes and misrepresenting marginalized groups. It emphasizes …
Understanding Diversity Through "All Are Welcome" Lesson Plan,
2026
Ursinus College
Understanding Diversity Through "All Are Welcome" Lesson Plan, Gabrielle Revaitis
English and Creative Writing Independent Study Projects
This lesson plan for 2nd grade students uses the book All Are Welcome to explore themes of diversity. It lists needed materials and includes learning objectives, lesson procedure and discussion prompts.
The Role Of Trauma-Informed Play In Supporting Resilience And Emotional Regulation In Early Childhood,
2026
Concordia University, St. Paul
The Role Of Trauma-Informed Play In Supporting Resilience And Emotional Regulation In Early Childhood, Angela C. Burnett
Graduate Teacher Education
This Capstone Paper examined the impact of trauma-informed, play-based learning on resilience and emotional regulation in preschool and kindergarten-aged children. The purpose of the literature review was to explore how play, when grounded in developmentally appropriate, brain-based, and relational practices, supported emotional regulation and adaptive coping in young children who had experienced adversity. A review of 16 scholarly, peer-reviewed studies from multiple countries, including the United States, China, Canada, Germany, Zambia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia, was conducted, incorporating qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research, as well as case studies, quasi-experimental interventions, and correlational analyses. Evidence from the literature indicated that play …
Funding & Resource Adequacy In Mississippi Head Start Programs: Perspectives From The Field,
2026
University of Mississippi
Funding & Resource Adequacy In Mississippi Head Start Programs: Perspectives From The Field, Anna Carlisle Nichols
Honors Theses
Head Start plays a vital role in supporting children from low-income families by providing comprehensive early education, health, nutrition, and family support services. Decades of research demonstrate that participation in Head Start improves cognitive development, social-emotional skills, and long-term educational outcomes. However, a growing body of research suggests that Head Start funding may be insufficient to fully meet the needs of eligible children, raising concerns about program capacity, staffing, and service quality, particularly in high-poverty states that provide no direct state supplemental funding, like Mississippi. This study examines the extent to which Mississippi’s Head Start programs have the resources necessary …
Impact On Social-Emotional Development When Play-Based Learning Is Integrated Into Curriculum And Practice,
2026
Concordia University - Saint Paul
Impact On Social-Emotional Development When Play-Based Learning Is Integrated Into Curriculum And Practice, Meghan Heller
Graduate Teacher Education
This paper examines the impact on social-emotional development when play-based learning is integrated into curriculum and practice. Play-based learning is widely accepted as best practice in early childhood education. Social-emotional learning provides the foundation for student success, equipping them with lifelong skills. Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles were analyzed to interpret the correlation between play-based learning and social-emotional development. The studies selected were published between 2013 and 2026 and selected based on their relevance to the topic of how social-emotional development is affected by play-based learning strategies. The findings of these articles indicate a strong correlation between play-based learning and the development …
Faces Of Identity: Materials-Based Social Studies Learning In Early Childhood Teacher Education,
2026
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Faces Of Identity: Materials-Based Social Studies Learning In Early Childhood Teacher Education, Elizabeth N. Christian Dr.
The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal
This practice-based article explores how materials-centered, play-based learning experiences support preservice teachers’ understandings of identity as a foundational component of early childhood social studies. Situated within a 15-week teacher education course, the article describes a preservice-teacher-designed learning center focused on faces and identity. Through engagement with open-ended materials, preservice teachers explored self-awareness, perspective-taking, and belonging through construction and dialogue. Reflections and artifacts from the experience illustrate how identity emerged through doing rather than abstract discussion alone. The article suggests that materials can mediate social studies learning in early childhood teacher education. By designing experiences that position identity, relationships, and belonging …
The Legacy Of Lead: Lead Exposure's Harmful Effects And Its Concentration In Poc Communities,
2026
Fordham University
The Legacy Of Lead: Lead Exposure's Harmful Effects And Its Concentration In Poc Communities, Layla Sophronia Barber
Student Theses 2015-Present
This thesis examines the disproportionate burden of lead exposure carried by low income, POC communities. The systemic nature of this problem is a symptom of a longstanding legacy of environmental injustice in the United States. Decades of federal neglect are reflected in the higher statistics of lead exposure and poisoning in predominantly black communities. While it is understood that lead exposure poses a serious threat to physical health and early cognitive development, there is a discouraging lack of urgency to remove the toxin from non-wealthy communities. The material covered by this thesis aims to identify and correct the discriminatory social …
How Literature Circles Shape First-Grade Students’ Motivation And Enjoyment In Reading,
2026
Abilene Christian University
How Literature Circles Shape First-Grade Students’ Motivation And Enjoyment In Reading, Cambell Hassell
Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning
The purpose of this research study was to examine what happens when literature circles are implemented in a first-grade classroom. This study also aimed to explore how literature circles shaped students’ motivation and enjoyment of reading. Additionally, the researcher focused on understanding both teacher and student perceptions of literature circles. Qualitative data was collected over a four-week period through observations, field notes, student and teacher interviews, survey responses, and student reflection journals. The data was analyzed using the constant comparative method. Findings showed that literature circles in a first-grade classroom are a powerful structure for supporting engagement, comprehension, and reading …
