News & Announcements

NYC Early Childhood Research Network Awarded Spencer Vision Grant to Transform Special Education Transitions for Young Children

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:41:37 Z

The Research Network is pleased to announce a recently funded project:

NYC Early Childhood Research Network Awarded Spencer Vision Grant to Transform Special Education Transitions for Young Children
 
The New York City Early Childhood Research Network has been awarded a Vision Grant from the Spencer Foundation to support a groundbreaking, interagency research project aimed at improving how young children with disabilities and their families transition from Early Intervention (EI) services to preschool special education in New York City.

This one-year planning project, titled Interagency Collaboration to Transform New York City Early Childhood Special Education Transitions, will bring together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and families across multiple city agencies and organizations to better understand the transition process during this critical developmental period.

In New York City, Early Intervention services are governed by the NYC Health Department, while preschool special education (also known as the Committee for Preschool Education, or CPSE) falls under the jurisdiction of the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS). New York State overall has struggled to meet implementation requirements between these two systems. This project has the potential to provide valuable research and insights that can be used to improve outcomes for young children and their families.

The Spencer Vision Grant supports the collaborative planning of innovative, interdisciplinary research designed to transform education systems for equity. It is also a prerequisite for applying to the Spencer Foundation’s Transformative Research Grant, for large-scale research projects.
This award provides a unique opportunity to directly engage with NYC early childhood policymakers, practitioners, and families across agencies; plan a transformative project that investigates systemic barriers; and determine a shared vision for system change with EI and preschool special education transitions. The NYC Early Childhood Research Network, an initiative of the Institute, is designed to create opportunities for researchers and policymakers to collaborate and improve early care and education in NYC. The Research Network will facilitate this collaborative work.
Building on a conceptual framework for improving transitions and outcomes for children, the research team will employ tools such as root cause analysis and process mapping to identify and address challenges across NYC agencies during the transition process.

The project team includes 14 members representing city and community organizations including:

The New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute (PDI) — Dona Anderson, Executive Director

The NYC Early Childhood Research Network — Lindsey Bravo, Director of Research and Evaluation and Principal Investigator

The Staten Island Alliance for North Shore Children and Families — Diana Jaquez, Early Intervention ambassador and parent representative

Fordham University – Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Annie George-Puskar
The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Early Intervention
New York City Public Schools
Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE)
Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learning

As New York City seeks to advance equity in early childhood services, this project offers a vital opportunity to investigate and address systemic barriers to successful transition, strengthen interagency collaboration, and create lasting structural change in how young children with disabilities are supported through the earliest years of education.

“The Institute is proud to be able to work with our City agency partners and higher education researchers to explore how the systems that serve young children with disabilities and their families can be aligned to ensure that all children can thrive,” said New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute Executive Director Dona Anderson.

"I'm incredibly proud of our dedicated leadership in the Division of Early Childhood Education and the Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learning who are steering this vital work alongside the NYC Early Childhood Research Network,” said Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. "This type of collaborative research is necessary to ensure every child with disabilities receives seamless, high-quality support during their crucial early years. When we break down silos between agencies and center families' voices in our work, real opportunities are created that make real differences for our youngest learners. I'm excited to see how this teamwork will inform systemic changes that benefit children and families across New York City."

“New York City’s Early Intervention program helps ensure our youngest New Yorkers and their families have the resources they need to support a healthier future,” said Lidiya Lednyak, Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Family and Child Health at the New York City Health Department. "I look forward to strengthening our work with New York City Public Schools and community partners, and exploring how we can best support the transition of our clients into classrooms for continued success.”

“The Research Network was created to bridge research, policy, and practice, and this project exemplifies that mission,” said Lindsey Bravo, Director of the NYC Early Childhood Research Network. “By identifying systemic barriers and co-creating solutions, we’re working toward a goal of ensuring that children with disabilities and their families experience smooth transitions and long-term success.”

About the Spencer Foundation
The Spencer Foundation invests in education research that cultivates learning and transforms lives. Based in Chicago, IL, the Foundation supports research that is methodologically diverse, forward-thinking, and committed to achieving equity in education systems.

New Research-to-Practice Video on Promoting Teacher-Child Relationships in Early Care and Education Classrooms

Mon, 05 May 2025 14:02:31 Z

The research team from Bank Street College of Education facilitated a collaborative conversation based on their research on Promoting Teacher-Child Relationships in Early Care and Education Classrooms. This video provides highlights from the time spent together. Learn more about the Promoting Teacher-Child Relationships in Early Care and Education Classrooms Project.

Research Findings and Recommendations: The Relationship Between Family Engagement and Mental Health and Well-Being

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 17:06:15 Z

In a study supported by the NYC Early Childhood Research Network and funded by the Spencer Foundation, Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez examined the relationship between family engagement and the mental health and well-being of Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) of color. Dr. Rodriguez and colleagues bring to the forefront the unique expertise and experiences of ECEs of color that influence their engagement with families. Researchers shared three major themes they found when talking with ECEs: “First, their love for children drove their care for the family. Second, they recognized trust, respect, two-way communication, empathy, and culturally sustaining practices as key elements of family empowerment. Third, their awareness of families’ contexts and awareness of themselves highlighted how their community cultural wealth influenced their family engagement practices.” Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez and her colleagues offered three policy and programmatic recommendations:

Integrate family engagement into existing supports related to early childhood educator mental health and wellness
Develop organizational conditions that promote healthier teacher-family relationships
Clarify expectations for how ECEs should engage families

Please click here to read the full report by Dr. Rodriguez and colleagues.

Research-to-Practice Webinars on Language and Literacy

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 18:43:53 Z

“This information is vital to anyone working in early childhood classrooms in New York State, and especially so for those of us in New York City.” (Research-to-Practice session participant).

The NYC Research Network is a Research-Practice-Partnership that aims to bridge the gaps between research, policy, and practice. The Network’s Research-to-Practice (R2P) sessions encourage dialogue and engagement between early childhood care and education practitioners and researchers. Continuing our discussions around language and literacy, we welcomed Dr. Idalia Nuñez, Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, The University of Texas at San Antonio and Dr. Sudha Arunachalam , Professor of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, NYU, who both facilitated R2P sessions. Dr. Arunachalam guided a conversation on “Language and Preliteracy in the Early Years”, while Dr. Nuñez’s webinar focused on “Teaching and Learning through and with Translanguaging with Young Children.” The above quote comes from one of the participants during the R2P.
Edited videos from sessions are available through the Network’s Video Resource Library.

Research-to-Practice Webinars on Early Learning Brain

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 18:24:40 Z

The NYC Research Network is a Research-Practice-Partnership that aims to bridge the gaps between research, policy, and practice. The Network’s Research-to-Practice (R2P) sessions are part of this effort. The intention of these webinars is to encourage dialogue and engagement between practitioners in early childhood care and education and researchers.

The Network was happy to have Dr. Carolyn Strom from NYU and Dr. Muriel Rand from New Jersey, City University share about The Early Learning Brain. Their session highlighted research on The Science of Reading, with a focus on the early years. Participants engaged in conversation around what this looks like in the classroom and practical routines to support the early brain – such as story play as a method to facilitate the development of reading conversation. Edited versions of both sections of the webinar are available now for viewing through our Video Library.

New Study Recommends Pathways to Address Early Intervention Shortage and Core Competencies for EI Professionals

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 18:01:19 Z

New Study Recommends Pathways to Address Early Intervention Shortage and Core Competencies for EI Professionals

Amidst a statewide shortage of Early Intervention professionals, a new study supported by the New York City Early Childhood Research Network recommends three pathways for recruiting and retaining an effective, competent and diverse Early Intervention (EI) workforce in New York State to provide EI services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities. Researchers from Brooklyn College, in collaboration with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)’s Bureau of Early Intervention, submitted their final report, Building the New York State Early Intervention Workforce: Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) Requirements of Interdisciplinary Personnel Development and Preparation, to the New York State Early Intervention Coordinating Council.

The study, which was funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation, examined and analyzed the New York State Education Department (NYSED)'s regulations and requirements towards professional licensure and certification within four disciplines (early childhood special education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology) authorized to provide EI services. Researchers found that current regulations set by the NYSED Office of Higher Education and the NYSED Office of the Professions regarding standard curricula in academic programs for these disciplines do not require students 1) to learn about Early Intervention core competencies, or 2) to engage in clinical experiences with infants and toddlers and their families in Early Intervention or other early childhood and community-based settings.

To enhance the quality of educational preparation for Early Intervention professionals and to address New York State’s shortage of Early Intervention providers, the research team makes three recommendations for the state to consider as pathways to increase and enhance the capacity of the state’s Early Intervention workforce:

Amend NYSED regulations and requirements to incorporate New York State Department of Health Early Intervention competencies and to require fieldwork with infants and toddlers.
Develop cross-disciplinary pathways to becoming an approved Early Intervention provider (such as an extension or annotation for Early Intervention via NYSED).
Develop Individual Evaluation Pathways for professionals to access and learn Early Intervention competencies (such as credit-bearing or Continuing Education courses in Early Intervention).

“Early interventionists across disciplines need advanced education and training to work effectively with culturally and linguistically diverse infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities and their families,” the research team writes. In New York State, however, professionals can be approved to work in Early Intervention “with general entry-level or limited academic preparation and experience with infants and toddlers and in EI.” Because accreditation requirements for clinical fieldwork in OT, PT and SLP are designed to train students to work with clients across their lifespan, “the vast majority of students never take part in settings serving infants and toddlers.”

The research team concludes: “To ensure future and current early interventionists engage in high-quality EI services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities and their families in the NYSDOH EI Program, there is great need to have Institutes of Higher Education (IHE) integrate these five NYSDOH Early Intervention competencies into their curriculum and their required fieldwork and clinical experiences.” The five EI competencies — which are evidence-based and align with federal and state laws regulating the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) emphasize:

Understanding typical and atypical development in infants and toddlers
Multicultural and linguistic factors that affect supporting diverse families through EI
Understanding the parent-child dyad and enhancing families’ capacity to help their children
Performing quality, evidence-based evaluations and engaging in culturally informed, family-centered practices
Engaging in reflective practice and ongoing professional development

Lindsey Bravo, the director of research and evaluation at the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute and the leader of the New York City Early Childhood Research Network, said: “Facilitating partnerships between researchers and city agencies is exactly the kind of collaboration that makes the Research Network so valuable. By bringing together researchers, practitioners and policymakers, we’re able to promote actionable research that can have a direct impact on early childhood policy and practice in New York City.”

Dona Anderson, the executive director of the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, said: “We know that Early Intervention services, which provide critical support to infants and toddlers with development delays or disabilities at a key period in their development, are too often delayed or limited because of a lack of Early Intervention providers. It’s vital that we expand the EI workforce and give professionals who deliver Early Intervention services the preparation and training they need to work with our city’s youngest children.”

"Ensuring that the approach to Early Intervention education reflects key competencies in the delivery of quality services to the birth to three population and includes hands-on experiences for the newest members of our field is crucial to our mission of supporting New York City's youngest," said Assistant Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Bureau of Early Intervention Lidiya Lednyak. "We are grateful for CUNY's partnership as we look at how to strengthen the next generation of professionals."
The research team and partners from the city DOHMH presented their findings, report and final recommendations to the state Bureau of Early Intervention State Early Intervention Coordinating Council (SEICC) in March 2024. The presentation is available on the state Department of Health website.

Researchers
Jacqueline D. Shannon, MSEd, PhD (PI), Brooklyn College, CUNY
Michael Bergen, AuD, FAAA, CCC-A (Co-Investigator), Brooklyn College, CUNY
Sharon Beaumont-Bowman, SLPD, CCC-SLP (Co-Investigator), Brooklyn College, CUNY
Beth Elenko, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, CLA, FAOTA (Co-Investigator), New York Institute of Technology
Karen McFadden, MA, PhD (Co-Investigator), Brooklyn College, CUNY

Agency Partners
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Bureau of Early Intervention
Jeanette Gong, Director of Intervention Quality Initiatives
Lidiya Lednyak, Assistant Commissioner

Contributing Institutions
Brooklyn College, Department of Early Childhood Education/Art Education
Brooklyn College, Department of Communication Arts, Sciences, and Disorders
New York Institute of Technology, Department of Occupational Therapy

About
The New York City Early Childhood Research Network facilitates collaboration between researchers, funders and city officials to promote actionable research to inform public policy for children from birth through age eight.

The Research Network is overseen by the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute at the City University of New York, which leads the work to elevate the field of early childhood in New York State through research, public policy, higher education and professional learning.

This research project was funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation, a private family foundation that funds projects related to climate change, scientific research, education and human rights issues.

Lindsey Bravo: New Research Network Director

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:18:43 Z

The New York City Early Childhood Research Network is happy to announce our new Director, Lindsey Bravo, Ed.D. Prior to this role, Lindsey spent 10 years working with the New York City Public Schools to lead and support qualitative and mixed-method evaluations of citywide programs and initiatives — primarily focused on teacher professional learning — from conception to completion. In her tenure, and while consulting with NYCPS, she collaborated on formative evaluation projects of programs such as Universal Literacy, Readers on the Rise, the New Teacher Mentor Program, and Learning Partners. Lindsey earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from George Washington University. While in Washington, D.C., she taught teacher preparation courses and was a university supervisor at GWU’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development. Lindsey began her career in education as an elementary teacher in Albany County, NY.

New Research: Supporting New York City’s Early Childhood Educators in a Global Pandemic: Challenges, Innovations, and Implications for Professional Learning

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 13:48:05 Z

RESEARCH RELEASE

The Research Network is pleased to announce the release of our latest study.

Supporting New York City’s Early Childhood Educators in a Global Pandemic: Challenges, Innovations, and Implications
for Professional Learning

In a new study, a research team from New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development partnered with the NYC Public Schools’ Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE) to examine professional learning (PL) experiences of New York City (NYC) early childhood educators during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021). Through surveys and one-on-one interviews, the research team gathered broad and deep information about “outside-in” and “inside-out” PL experiences. “Outside-in” PL includes learning provided by external sources (e.g., group-based training series, individualized coaching), while “inside-out” PL describes support among colleagues (e.g., teacher-teacher interactions). Critically, the pandemic has exerted a significant impact on the nature of PL (e.g., the modality of PL shifted from in-person to virtual), calling for an urgent need to better understand early childhood educators’ professional learning experiences.

Key findings and policy recommendations from this study are summarized below:

Inside-out PL among educators is particularly salient during the pandemic, and outside-in PL from external sources can stimulate and further support inside-out PL. While educators sought support from their peers more frequently than from external sources, learning delivered from an external source encouraged ongoing learning with colleagues. Policies that encourage integration between inside-out and outside-in PL would be useful (e.g., encouraging educators’ joint participation in virtual PL provided by external sources and time to discuss and reflect together).

Teachers value support from instructional coordinators, social workers, and other coaches. Teachers were consistently positive about their experiences with individualized support from coaches. Those who did not have access to coaches in 2020-2021 reported feeling isolated and neglected. The coaching workforce can and does provide instructional and emotional support to educators, especially as they navigate the impacts of the pandemic on children, families, and themselves.

Teachers are generally satisfied with the PL series provided by DECE, particularly with trauma-related PL. Teachers found the trauma-related PL series relevant and useful (e.g., it helped develop stronger empathy for the children and families they work with). Still, teachers reported receiving less support around their own mental health relative to other PL topic areas (e.g., instruction, children’s behavior, family engagement). Given that educators acknowledged their own experiences of heightened stress and trauma, it is recommended that policymakers continue to expand trauma-informed PL and offer PL around educators’ trauma and mental health.

There are pros and cons of virtual (vs. in-person) PL. The shift to virtual PL offered advantages (e.g., the flexibility to learn at educators’ own pace and to rewatch videos) and disadvantages (e.g., less interactive). Hybrid opportunities that allow for interactive learning with peers (e.g., watching PL videos together in their workplace) would be a promising approach.

There was no clear evidence of systematic inequities in PL experiences across Pre-K for All programs and teachers, at least in the data we collected and sample included in this study. However, given the pre-existing economic and racial inequities that contributed to the pandemic’s uneven burden across communities, it is critical to collect, analyze, and review information on an ongoing basis on PL experiences and the extent to which experiences vary across sites and educators.

“Early childhood educators drew on a range of supports to carry out their work during the height of the pandemic--their colleagues, their coaches, and virtual professional learning sessions,” says Rachel Abenavoli, the study’s principal investigator. “Rather than ‘return to normal’ or scale back following this period, continuing to invest in effective inside-out and outside-in professional learning strategies--and strengthening alignment among these approaches--is a key way to support the educators caring for our city's youngest learners.”

These findings shine a light on challenges to address and innovations to sustain and spread across NYC early childhood education programs.

READ THE FULL REPORT

___________________________________________________________________________________

This project was supported by The New York City Early Childhood Research Network through funding provided by the Heising-Simons Foundation. In addition, it was a research-policy-partnership project with one of the Research Network’s policy partners – NYC Public School’s Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE).

The NYU research team includes Rachel Abenavoli (Ph.D.) Jessica Siegel (Ph.D. candidate), Natalia Rojas (Ph.D.), Pamela Morris-Perez (Ph.D.), and Elise Cappella (Ph.D.).

CONTACT INFO

Rachel Abenavoli, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human development
196 Mercer St., Room 710
New York, NY 10012
212-998-5577
rma6@nyu.edu

Dona Anderson
Executive Director
NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute
Co-Chair, NYS Early Childhood Advisory Council
16 Court Street, 31^st Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11241
T: 718-254-7711
dona.anderson@cuny.edu

News from Early Career Scholars

Wed, 17 May 2023 15:43:20 Z

Over the past year, each Early Career scholar in our 2021 cohort shared actionable insights from their relevant research expertise for the field Early Care and Education. Learn more about our scholars and their work below!

Maria Mavrides' policy brief discusses the implications of compensation and working conditions policies affecting New York City Early Childhood Early Education Centers.

Kym Vanderbilt's post highlights the importance of researching the history of early childhood programs and gives advice on how to get the process started.

Carolina Snaider provides a critical reflection on the "different types of families" approach in early childhood education.

Ashley Davis shares about being open to the joys of early childhood mathematics education.

New Report on PreK Transitions

Wed, 17 May 2023 14:26:51 Z

We are excited to share that 2020 Early Career Scholars Drs. Annie George-Puskar and Jill Gandhi recently released research focused on the important transition into preschool. The research, which was conducted in New York City, explores educators’ perceptions and experiences of successful transitions for children and families. READ THE FULL REPORT HERE

Announcing New Research Network Studies

Mon, 08 May 2023 14:37:55 Z

We are excited to share the launch of two new projects made possible by the generous support of the Heising-Simons Foundation.

Promoting Teacher-Child Relationships in Early Care and Education Classrooms- The National Center for Children in Poverty and The Straus Center, Bank Street College of Education have launched a teacher-research partnership project that will address empirical gaps in our understanding of how teachers perceive teacher-child relationships and factors that contribute to their quality. The research will engage teachers in experiences that may increase their capacity to become more aware of how they view children, their relational behaviors with different children, and their role in contributing to the quality of their relationship with individual children.

Researcher Team

Sheila Smith, PhD (PI)

Cristina Medellin, PhD (Co-PI)

Mark Nagasawa , PhD (Co-PI)

Sarika Gupta, PhD (Co-PI)

The Hechinger Report Features Research Network Supported Study

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 17:05:24 Z

A recent article by The Hechinger Report featured the findings from the Instructional Practices and Supports of Emergent Multilingual Learners (EML's) in Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) Classrooms in New York City study. The study by the Fordham University Graduate School of Education sought to examine teacher practices in support of EMLs in New York City UPK classrooms, as well as workforce characteristics and professional learning opportunities provided to UPK teachers and program leaders.

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE

New Research: The Listening to Teachers Study

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:21:18 Z

RESEARCH RELEASE

  Listening to New York City's Early Care Educators

"I discovered that I am worth more than I once thought"- Study Contributor

 
The Listening to Teachers Study from the Straus Center for Young Children at Bank Street College of Education sheds light on the experiences of the early childhood care and education workforce during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  The recently released report is a follow-up to a previous report that provided findings from an initial statewide 2020 survey. The new report from the study invites important reflection and discussion towards action for a more equitable post-pandemic early care and education system in New York City.

Key findings from the report include:

86% reported being affected by 5 or more (of 11) economic, health, social, and emotional stressors.
32% had a household income below $35K – in New York City.
Family Child Care professionals far more frequently worked with infants and toddlers than other survey contributors; were weathering more economic stresses; and reported significantly higher rates of suffering and struggling.
61% reported not feeling burned out in June 2021, but the odds of program leaders indicating potential burnout were 1.7 times higher than all others.
Support from supervisors and system representatives (e.g., coaches) reduced the odds of someone reporting potential burnout.
The odds of those identifying as Black, Indigenous, or Other People of Color being in leadership positions were significantly less than their white colleagues.

Read the FULL REPORT HERE.

This project was made possible by The New York City Early Childhood Research Network through funding provided by the Heising-Simons Foundation and the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation.

New Research Shows High-Quality Pre-K can be Further Strengthened With Greater Support for Multilingual Learners

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 15:10:28 Z

In a new study from Fordham University, Instructional Practices and Supports of Emergent Multilingual Learners (EMLs) in Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) Classrooms in New York City (NYC), authors Tiedan Huang, Chun Zhang, and Caitlin Coe examined classroom practices in support of EMLs in 50 NYC UPK classrooms and the extent to which teachers nurtured a culturally and linguistically responsive environment in support of these students. Despite the strengths in current practices, gaps remain between teachers’ positive mindsets and classroom practices that must be designed and implemented to meet the varied needs of EMLs. The findings stress the importance of program improvements to support EML students in NYC where UPK classrooms have a high concentration of EMLs. Accompanying the study findings are policy recommendations to strengthen instructional practice for the benefit of teachers, students, and families.

The research, conducted from January 2018 to June 2019, finds that despite the high degree of emotional support, the gathering of EMLs background information, rich curriculum materials, and regard for student perspectives in the classrooms observed, there are opportunities for improvement in cultural inclusion and integration, assessment, and supports for EMLs’ home language.

The report includes important policy recommendations to accompany each key research finding, summarized below:

Finding: Although program leaders and teaching teams have positive beliefs about EMLs and value multilingualism, they recognize a lack of pedagogical capacity to deliver culturally and linguistically responsive instruction.

Recommendation: Formally incorporate professional learning (for program leaders and teachers) into district- and city-wide improvement strategies.

Finding: While information on EMLs’ cultural and language backgrounds is gathered and available, it is not strategically used by program leaders and teaching teams to strengthen instructional support for EMLs.

Recommendation: Use the Emergent Multilingual Learner Language Profile, approved by New York State, to collect students’ home language information as part of the enrollment process across all sites; strengthen partnership with parents and guardians in joint decision-making concerning EMLs’ learning.

Finding: Although many assistant teachers and classroom aides are multilingual, their language expertise and instructional resources are underutilized, restricting their potential contributions to culturally and linguistically responsive instruction.

Recommendation: Leverage the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of assistant teachers and support them by providing professional learning opportunities; strategically recruit, assign, and retain lead teachers and assistant teachers to mirror the cultural backgrounds of students more closely; provide lead teachers with professional development to promote collaborative team teaching with assistant teachers.

Finding: Teachers want more systematic and targeted professional development opportunities to support EMLs.

Recommendation: Provide teaching teams with focused professional development for high-quality instructional support.

Read the report HERE.

This study was funded by the Foundation for Child Development. The New York City Early Childhood Research Network is a project of the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute at the City University of New York.

Congratulations 2022 Early Career Scholars

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 14:36:43 Z

The NYC Early Childhood Research Network is excited to announce our new Early Career Scholars awardees! Our 2022 cohort will be: David Vining a doctoral candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University; Karina Malik a doctoral candidate in the department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University; and Zoraima Rosario-Rolón a doctoral candidate at Manhattanville College’s Educational Leadership in Higher Education Program.

It is through the support of the Heising-Simons Foundation that the Network is able to continue to promote the advancement of the next generation of researchers who share our commitment to research-policy-practice partnerships.

Seeking Early Career Scholars 2022 Cohort: Applications Due 07/10

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 14:58:06 Z

The NYC Early Childhood Research Network (the Research Network), an initiative of the NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, is committed to bringing researchers and policymakers together to facilitate applied research on the early childhood workforce in NYC.

To promote the advancement of the next generation of diverse researchers who share our commitment to research-policy-practice partnerships, we welcome a cadre of Early Career Scholars each year to form a learning community.

Each scholar receives a $5,000 stipend which will be used between 9/1/2022 and 8/31/2023 to support their research or other professional endeavors. The application deadline is 07/10/2022 EST.

AWARD PURPOSE

Within the learning community, the scholars will meet regularly with the Director of Research and with other key leaders in the field of early childhood care and education: These opportunities will help the scholars to discuss and consider the power and implications of applied research and research-policy-practice partnerships in early childhood. The scholars will be expected to support one another, actively participate in the learning community, and produce a deliverable (blog or policy brief) for NYC agencies (e.g., Department of Education) pertaining to their research topic.

ELIGIBILITY

Postdoc researchers who completed their doctoral degrees within the last 3 years.
Doctoral candidates who have developed their dissertation proposals.
Individuals who reside in in the NY Metropolitan Area and are also affiliated with a university or institution in the NY Metropolitan Area.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants are requested to fill out the 2022 Early Career Scholar Award Application Form and to upload both their CV and a letter of support from their supervisor or advisor.

New Research Explores Teacher Perspectives on Assessment in Early Learning

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 16:31:55 Z

In a new study from Hunter College at the City University of New York, Authentic Assessment in UPK: Case Studies on Utility, Fidelity, and Applications to Practice, authors Lacey Peters and Sherryl Graves explored the adoption of Authentic Assessment Systems (AAS) that are used to examine children’s learning and development in New York City’s Pre-K for All (PKA). The authors elevate the perspectives of teachers and other key members of PKA learning communities who are “policy enactors” in order to inform future policy decisions and empower teachers to improve instruction and assessment practices.

“Assessments like AAS work when they help teachers be more systematic in their approach to understanding the growth of children, developing individualized teaching strategies, and ultimately achieving their goal—and the ultimate policy goal—of better outcomes for children,” says Peters. “As New York City continues to support early educators through adoption of AAS and other tools, it is critical that educators, as policy enactors, understand the rationale behind changes in policy and how the shifts in their practice will improve early learning for children.”

Teachers’ daily experiences and insights were captured through interviews, participant observations, a collection of classroom artifacts (such as daily schedules and lesson plans), and a survey. Data collected across three years (2016-2019) examined how assessment played a role in teachers’ decision-making and how it helped them understand individual student needs, abilities, and interests. It also revealed how assessment data influenced teachers’ conversations with children’s primary caregivers about their children's growth and learning. Observation time spent in classrooms shed light on how students’ learning experiences unfolded and how teachers and students interacted throughout the day.

“A big lesson here is that the combination of a common assessment framework, data, professional learning, and collaboration can improve program implementation,” says Graves.

Key findings in the final report can be categorized under the following themes:

AAS can provide a new lens for understanding children’s progress. Teachers reported that AAS helps them to see a broader view of their classroom’s strengths and growth areas. They embraced AAS when they saw it could be used to be more effective as educators. Almost all of the 17 teachers interviewed commented that AAS helped them to see greater nuance in their students’ growth and learning and to refine their teaching accordingly.

The way educators collect student data is an emergent process. Commonly used tactics are observation as well as anecdotal notes and photo documentation. Summative assessment strategies were also employed by meeting individually with students to capture progress on their abilities in different areas, such as alphabet knowledge or math skills.

AAS expands teachers’ assessment literacy. AAS also created shared language around curriculum and assessment. Teachers often mentioned how their assessment practice helped them become more reflective and identify different growth areas. AAS helped teachers to meet students where they are and better individualize instruction, considering what skills are critical for them to learn while also supporting their social and emotional development.

Areas remain where teachers need additional support. The challenges revealed were dependent on teachers’ previous teaching and assessment experiences—many needed support (in the form of training or providing technology needed to implement AAS) to make the process more efficient and consistent and to maximize the benefits of AAS. Teachers found it difficult to balance the demands of assessments with their other responsibilities. Finally, collaboration and dialogue around assessment among co-teachers were often constrained, limiting critical opportunities for discussion about children’s learning, progress, or regression across learning domains.

Other factors also contribute to teachers’ pedagogical decision-making. While teachers use assessment systems to identify growth areas for the children and to make classroom modifications based on their observations, the diverse abilities of students and the need for kindergarten readiness are also key factors behind teacher decision-making.

In summary, the report offers recommendations for strengthening implementation of AAS through specific additional supports for teachers. These recommendations include:

Providing extended assessment time for teachers;
Using clear and consistent messaging to describe intent of quality improvement as the rationale for shifts in practice;
Using data, such as written anecdotes, photos, and work samples, to inform assessment practice and ensuring that teachers have time to carefully review data they collect, as well as discuss observations with others;
Promote critical reflection on children’s growth and learning by engaging teachers in dialogue around which benchmarks or expectations are appropriate within the context of their learning communities and empowering them to question ideas and reflect on their own practice; and
Engaging teachers in professional learning and shared decision-making in collaboration with others to collectively enhance assessment practices.

Read the report here.

Meet Our New Director

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 18:30:06 Z

We are excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Maki Koyama as our new Director of Research. Maki brings to the NYC Early Childhood Research Network a great deal of leadership experience in child development research and project management.

Previously, Maki worked as a research scientist at NYU Child Study Center, Rutgers Infancy Studies Lab, and Child Mind Institute NYC. Her research interests lie in multiple areas of child development (including speech/language, cognitive, social/emotional, brain) and early-childhood screening for developmental disorders. She also has experience working as a clinical research integration project manager at Child Mind Institute NYC and promoted evidence-based practice. She holds a PhD in Physiology/Neuroscience from the University of Oxford in the UK.

Maki enjoys every moment of living in NYC with her husband and two-year-old daughter. She is excited to make contributions to the Research Network’s mission, particularly bridging early childhood research, policy, and practice.

New Research: A Time Use Study of Site Support Personnel

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 19:24:51 Z

The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) examined the critical role of New York City’s pre-kindergarten (pre-K) site support personnel and what they need to further assist program leaders and educators to provide quality early learning. Site support personnel consist of instructional coordinators, social workers, who help early educators to better teach children and assist families, and policy specialists, who focus on foundational quality such as health and safety and governance. The report, A Time Use Study of Site Support Personnel in New York City’s UPK Program, shows that site support personnel provide wide-ranging and much-needed expertise and technical assistance across multiple areas, and would benefit from greater recognition for the important role they play.

Researchers Sharon Ryan and Zijia Li explored the many duties of site support personnel in NYC’s universal pre-K program to better understand how they used their time day to day from 2017 to 2018. While much has changed in the New York City early childhood system since the time of the study, findings still have relevance to the field locally and nationally. Study participants shared time-use reports that revealed commonalities across the teams. By far, the majority of their time was spent providing technical assistance to programs, with slight variations depending on their role. The researchers state, however, that the complexity of the technical assistance and preparation by site support personnel is less widely understood by other key stakeholders in the early education field.

“The support staff we interviewed were working in many roles and multitasking in many ways,” says Ryan. “There is not a lot of awareness of the interpersonal relations that take place at multiple levels for this work. From talking to a security guard to helping with school meals, to talking with teachers about instructional practices to working with families. There is intricate planning that goes into preparing for each day and these individuals are navigating both the policy context and the local community context at the same time.”

This work of site support personnel is applied and custom. In addition to the intricacy of navigating interpersonal interactions, community needs, and policy requirements, site support personnel must also be experts at adult learning principles and how to match them to the developmental stage of teaching staff and leadership.

“Support staff have to rethink solutions,” says Ryan. “What are the strengths of a particular group of teachers and how can we build from that? They are constantly building up that knowledge and tailoring it to the context of teachers and leaders they are working with. To work with adults to catalyze change, you really need to understand how adults learn, and those we interviewed did not have time for formal professional development.”

The research points to several implications for consideration by early childhood system leaders who are working to improve site-support, recognizing that the NYC Department of Education has been implementing many of these strategies: Ensure access to professional development opportunities to bolster knowledge of adult learning principles and best practices in navigating organizational contexts Coordinate site-support personnel roles across agencies and functions Create opportunities for site-support personnel to learn from colleagues and peers about the key issues they face, cutting across individual focus and role “In an environment that is constantly changing, and even more so due to COVID-19, it is important to prioritize professional development opportunities for site support personnel,” says Li. “When informal, in-person interactions are limited because of remote circumstances, giving them dedicated time to learn, plan, and interact with peers to strengthen their practices is invaluable to linking policy to real-world application and improving outcomes.”

Read the report

ICYMI: Research-to-Practice: “Where are the Babies?”

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 20:27:09 Z

The Research Network kicked off its series of Research-to-Practice sessions in April. These interactive sessions are an opportunity to engage early childhood workforce leaders in reflection on research supported by the Network. They aim to connect the research to practice in a collaborative and actionable format.

The first session, titled: “Where are the Babies?” was led by Jen Gilken, Jen Longley, and Jillian Crosby from the Borough of Manhattan Community College. Through an analysis of NY ECE undergraduate teacher education faculty and students. this research considered: What are best practices for working with infants and toddlers? and How are these best practices included in undergraduate programs for infants and toddlers?

Key findings shared from the research included that:

33% of two-year colleges and 18% of four-year colleges mentioned covering content that applied to children ages birth-to-36 months
12% of two-year colleges and less than 1% of four-year colleges have infant-toddler courses
10% of two-year colleges and 5% of four-year colleges have courses offering fieldwork with 0-3 year olds

Some powerful insights from the session participants centered around what they look for in an ideal infant-toddler teacher candidate. These qualities included: “cultural competence”, “strong knowledge of child development”, “organized”, “patient”, “flexible”, and that teachers “understand infant-toddler perspective”.

After reflecting on the research, participants also offered suggestions for next steps. These sentiments called for an increase in learning opportunities for educators. Leaders expressed a need for relevant training. One leader voiced this need and the frustration often felt when it isn’t present stating “Updated trainings with new data! Most of the information shared in PD are outdated!”

Our first Research-to-Practice session demonstrated the deep interest the workforce has in current research surrounding early childhood. It also included a strong call from leaders for more professional development opportunities. The leaders who participated in the session showcased the enthusiasm and positive attitude they expressed looking for in teachers.

Watch this video for highlights from the first session here.

2021 Early Career Scholars: Congratulations

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 15:43:17 Z

We are excited to introduce the 2021 cohort of Early Career Scholars. These scholars represent a wide range of universities across New York City. Participation in the Research Network provides scholars with the opportunity to be a part of a community where they can collaborate and deepen their understanding of how research, practice, and policy intersect to influence New York City’s early childhood education system.

Each scholar will receive $5000 to support their work in applied research aimed at informing early childhood policy and practice. Scholars represent a variety of research interests and experiences that aim to advance equity and excellence for young children.

With generous support from the Heising-Simons Foundation, the Research Network is advancing its goal of developing the City’s group of scholars working to improve the quality of early childhood.

Ashley Renaire Davis is a doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology at City University of New York’s (CUNY) Graduate Center. Ashley’s research on mathematics identity and mathematics socialization is informed by her experiences working as an early childhood educator and instructing pre-service elementary and early childhood teachers at Borough of Manhattan Community College and Queens College.
Carolina Snaider is a doctoral candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University, focusing on Early Childhood Policy. Carolina’s current research explores teachers' understandings and implementation of gender-inclusive policies and practices in kindergarten classrooms.
Kimberly Vanderbilt is doctoral candidate in the Urban Education Policy and Leadership program at the City University of New York's Graduate center. She is also a full time lecturer and Professional Development Liaison in the Early Childhood/Childhood Education Department at CUNY/Lehman College in the Bronx. Kimberly's research focuses on the history of individual early childhood program and she is currently writing the history of the Amalgamated Workmen’s Circle Nursery School, an almost 100 year old school in the northwest Bronx.
Maria Mavrides Calderon is a doctoral candidate at Hunter College CUNY's Instructional Leadership Program. She is also a full-time Clinical Lecturer at Hunter's Early Childhood Program and the Program's Student Teaching and Field Experiences Coordinator. Maria's focus is on investigating the impact of policy, particularly funding, compensation, and work conditions policies, on the ecological system of early childhood programs in New York City.
Yudong Zhang is a postdoctoral research associate at the Institute of Human Development and Social Change at New York University. Yudong's research focuses on the impacts of early life experiences and evaluations of school- and home-based early childhood interventions.

Congratulations Ashley, Maria, Carolina, Kimberly, and Yudong!

Integrated early intervention and early learning helps infants and toddlers thrive

Thu, 13 May 2021 14:40:26 Z

New research on inclusive and family-centered infant and toddler care conducted by Brooklyn College, CUNY, illuminates how New York City can improve early intervention (EI) services for very young children with developmental delays and disabilities across the city’s diverse neighborhoods.

In their new report, Perceptions of Early Intervention Services in Infant-Toddler Care Settings Across Diverse Urban Neighborhoods, researchers Karen McFadden, Jacqueline Shannon, and Jahnavi DeSousa found that New York City’s early childhood programs would benefit from additional supports to integrate early intervention services into the everyday classroom routines and children’s experiences, something that is federally mandated and proven to improve child outcomes.

Download the full report here.

New Research on Covid-19 and the ECE Workforce

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 19:57:53 Z

The Research Network is happy to announce that, with generous funding from the Heising Simons Foundation and the W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation, we will be supporting two new research-practitioner partnership projects:

1. Supporting New York City's Early Childhood Educators in a Global Pandemic: Challenges, Innovations, and Implications for Professional Learning

Dr. Rachel Abenavoli, Dr. Pamela Morris, and Dr. Elise Cappella from NYU Steinhardt's Institute of Human Development and Social Change are leading a study that is examining NYC early childhood educators’ experiences of supports and professional learning (PL) while navigating new challenges and modes of teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Listening to New York City’s ECE Workforce: Towards a More Equitable Post-Pandemic Early Care and Education System

Dr. Mark Nagasawa and Dr. Alex Figueras Daniels from Bank Street’s Straus Center for Young Children and Families are launching a mixed methods study that seeks deeper understandings of what New York City’s ECE workforce has experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of informing decision-making about the city’s future ECE system.

Peer Interaction Strengthens ECE Professional Development

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 02:41:07 Z

Using Data to Improve Quality:Formal and Informal Mechanisms Supporting Professional Development in NYC’s Pre-K for All by Elise Cappella, Travis Cramer, C. Cybele Raver, LaRue Allen & Pamela Morris, NYU Steinhardt: Institute for Human Development and Social Change

This report provides a comprehensive look at early childhood educators' professional development in PreK for All programs. The mixed methods study explores three aims. The first aim investigates how teachers with different levels of teacher qualifications are distributed across UPK classrooms. The second aim examines the social networks that educators and other staff rely on to acquire and activate professional learning. The third aim delves deeper into social networks to examine the ways that administrators and teachers understand and use data about classroom quality to inform professional development and classroom practice. The findings suggest that teachers value training that use active learning principles and opportunities to plan how to implement professional development in classrooms. Additionally, the report provides information on the formal and informal channels used by teachers for knowledge dissemination.

Read the report here

New York Must Improve Preparation and Training for New York's Infant-Toddler Educators

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 15:38:30 Z

New research from the Borough of Manhattan Community College’s (BMCC) Teacher Education Department highlights the need to improve infant-toddler teacher preparation and training to achieve beneficial early childhood outcomes.

Authors Jennifer Gilken, Jennifer Longley, and Jillian Crosby note the shortage of infant-toddler teachers in New York and the barriers to training early educators in the unique skill set required for working with children from birth-to-three. Chief among these are the lack of specialized college curriculum and coursework, faculty expertise, practical experience in building needed skills, and the difficulty transitioning credits from two-year colleges to four-year programs that lead to early childhood teacher certifications (birth to grade 2).

Without better and more specific training in birth-to-three care and education, New York state will struggle to actualize its return on investment in early childhood programming.

“The highest quality pre-K programs cannot mitigate the impacts of a low-quality infant-toddler program,” says Jennifer Longley. “And if we don’t have a high-quality, prepared workforce, we won’t have high-quality programming.”

View the report here