July 17, 2020 – Volume 19, Issue 27

The Children’s Equity Project and the Bipartisan Policy Center published a new early learning equity policy agenda aimed at closing opportunity gaps in learning systems. “Start with Equity – From the Early Years to the Early Grades: Data, Research, and an Actionable Child Equity Policy Agenda” reviews child equity data, research, and policy and presents targeted recommendations for more equitable learning systems.

GG Weisenfeld Speaks on How City Pre-K Programs are Adapting to COVID-19

NIEER’s GG Weisenfeld was among the scheduled speakers for a webinar co-sponsored by CityHealth and NIEER earlier this week. The webinar discussed how programs are adapting to the realities of social distancing and distance learning and how they’re preparing to safely meet the needs of children and their families and teachers.

“Study Shows Excellent Preschool Experience Can Narrow Racial Achievement Gap” The Chronicle for Social Change

“Eliminating the Racial Gap in Educational Readiness in Preschool Children” The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

“Report: Deck Stacked Against Young Children of Color, but Leaders Can ‘Seize This Moment’ to Improve Equity” The 74

Video Forum Schedule

Moving New Jersey Schools Forward Amid COVID-19 schedule of upcoming video forums:

Visit the links above to register and watch previous forums on YouTube.

US “preschool teachers need intensive training” that “focuses on math teaching in order for their math teaching knowledge to be more refined and teaching to be more knowledge-informed,” suggest researchers.

Examining “the feasibility and effectiveness of … a web-based physically active learning program, on attention and behavioral control of children,” researchers found the “intervention group improved significantly more, compared to the control group, in both attention and behavioral control whereas the control group declined over time.”

When researchers examined “childcare providers’ perceived barriers to serving healthy foods and beverages to preschool (2 to 5-year-old) children”, they recommend that “considering contextual factors influencing providers’ barriers can improve healthy food availability in childcare.”

Examining “roles of ToM [Theory of Mind] and EF [executive functions]in young children’s narrative processing of e-stories and printed stories,” researchers found “narrative processes in e-stories are more related to EF and probably require more complex cognitive competencies.” The researchers suggest “designers should create developmentally appropriate and well-designed e-stories that facilitate both story comprehension and EF.”

Addressing Harsh Discipline and Its Disproportionate Application, July 22, 3:00 – 4:30 PM ET, sponsored by the Children’s Equity Project and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Expanding Inclusive Learning for Children with Disabilities, July 28, 3:00 – 4:30 PM ET, sponsored by the Children’s Equity Project and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

State Policy Series #1: Head Start and Early Head Start, Responding to COVID-19 and Rising Need in States, July 28, 3:00 PM ET, sponsored by NHSA, National Community Action Partnership and ZERO TO THREE

Equitably Expanding High Quality Learning Opportunities for Dual Language and English Learners, August 6, 3:00 – 4:30 PM ET, sponsored by the Children’s Equity Project and the Bipartisan Policy Center.