Resource Library

This is the summary report for the second year of the Listening to Teachers Study which asks how early childhood educators in New York City (NYC) have been faring through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The exploratory, mixed methods study’s purpose has been to seek deeper understandings of what NYC’s early care and education (ECE) workforce has experienced during the Pandemic to inform decision-making about the city's future ECE systems by raising issues for reflection and action-oriented discussion.

This report summarizes recent developments in Early care and Education (ECE) in New York City. Some issues discussed include the increase in funding, disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and new City ECE initiatives. Additionally, it makes suggestions for future changes needed to strengthen the City's ECE system.

This report summarizes findings from research by New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development in partnership with the NYC Public Schools’ Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE). The study examins 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). 

This brief was shared with The NYC Department of Education during a briefing held in November 2023. It summarizes initial findings and recommendations from the Disparities in NYC Preschool Program Ecologies, Equitable Referrals, and Inclusive Practice study.

Abstract

Our team was awarded a grant by a private organization in partnership with a local research network to examine disparities in the special education referrals and services provided to young children in New York City (NYC). Our convergent mixed-methods study is exploring how the NYC preschool ecology—consisting of process, people and their positionalities, and practices—influences teachers’ decisions to refer and include minoritized young children who are at risk for or have developmental delays or disabilities. In this colloquium we: (1) describe key issues in the US and the NYC contexts that led to this design; (2) present the study methodology, including its theoretical underpinnings; and (3) discuss implications for systems change in NYC.

Citation

Gupta, S. S., Cheatham, G. A., Strassfeld, N., Zhu, X., Medellin, C., & Nagasawa, M. (2024). Examining the ecology of preschool inclusion in New York City: A mixed-methods study underway. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14639491241229229

This presentation is a report presented to the NYS BEI State Early Intervention Coordinating Council (SEICC) by the research team and partners from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). The Building the New York State Early Intervention Workforce project examines and analyzes the New York State Education Department's regulations and requirements towards professional licensure and certification within the key allied disciplines authorized to provide early intervention (EI) services.

This article explores what can be gained from research-practice partnerships in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Through discussing their partnership with NYC Department of Education during the expansion of its universal pre-k initiative, they argue that these types of partnerships offer a unique opportunity for researchers to address larger questions in ECE. They suggest recommendations for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners considering this type of research.

This report examines the participation in New York City's Universal Pre-K for All program during the years 2018-2021. Data evaluated includes applications, enrollment, and attendance. The report provides insight into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participation by comparing pre-pandemic and pandemic trends. 

Vivian Tseng, president of the Foundation for Child Development, discusses in this essay the role research-practice-partnerships (RPPs) can play in advancing research related to social justice for children and families. Tseng argues that intentionality in research design is key for RPPs.  In this essay, she suggests three design principles for RPPs: centering children marginalized by oppression, embracing historical perspectives, and contending with power asymmetries. 

This report from The Office of New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli provides data on child poverty trends in New York State. It analyzes the impact of COVID relief funding on reducing child poverty and the subsequent increases after that funding ended. New policies, and future recommended policies to reduce child poverty are discussed.  

This executive summary of a report from Raising New York provides data on child poverty in New York State. The report includes analysis of barriers to accessing early childhood and poverty reduction programs. Recommendations are made about how to address these barriers. 

In this mixed methods study, researchers explore the impact of the 2016 presidential election, the immigration policy that followed, and the impact on educators working in Latinx communities. Data was collected through surveys completed by 88 educators in New York City and interviews with 17 educators from New York, California, Arizona, and Texas. Through analysis grounded in an ecological-transactional model, the authors argue that these policies have an adverse impact on educators. The paper includes recommendations for policies that can support communal healing and education.

This study investigates the impact of the immigration policies following the 2016 election on Latina immigrant mothers. Through analysis of the survey and focus group data collected from 30 Latina immigrant mothers, the researchers argue that the post-2016 election immigration policies resulted in the mothers experiencing various forms of discrimination and negatively impacted their children’s sense of safety and ability to focus at school.  The authors suggest that awareness of this impact is important and that mental health supports are needed for children and families.