July 28, 2023 – Volume 22, Issue 30

HOT TOPICS 

👉 Breaking Barriers: 10 Years of Global Advancements in Early Childhood Development for Children with Disabilities, 2013–2023 🧠👶 

🔍 Global Progress towards Early Childhood Development for Children with Disabilities, 2013–2023. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on a mission to “leave no one behind,” sparking a remarkable interest in children with disabilities worldwide. 🌍 Policymakers, academics, donors, and governments have focused their attention on these historically marginalized and excluded children in the global health agenda. 

Read more. 

Upcoming Webinar 📅 Thursday, August 3, 2023, 4PM ET 

🚀 Join us for the upcoming CAYL Catalyst Ep. #29 – MOONSHOT: EVERY CHILD IS INCLUDED! 🌙 Featuring our very own Allison Friedman-Krauss, Ph.D. – NIEER Assistant Research Professor  

📣 Calling all changemakers and advocates for inclusive education! 🌟 Children with different abilities face systemic challenges in accessing appropriate services. Our recent report, The State(s) of Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education: Looking at Equity, provides a state-by-state landscape breakdown of early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) and offers new strategies and information to support these children. 

Panelists  

  • Allison Friedman-Krauss, Ph.D. – Assistant Research Professor – National Institute for Early Education Research  
  • Christy Kavulic, Ed.D. – Associate Division Director of the Early Childhood Team in the Office of Special Education Programs in the US Department of Education 
  • Hanna Gebretensae, Ed.D. – Director – Eliot-Pearson Children’s School at Tufts University  

With guest host Peggy Kemp, Ph.D. – Executive Director of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC)  

Secure your spot now! 

“Unveiling the Journey: Early Education & Care in NYC and Its Impact on Homeless Children – Leaps and Hurdles Report” 

Families with children facing homelessness can greatly benefit from universal early education programs. However, to ensure positive outcomes, these programs must address their specific needs effectively. “Leaps and Hurdles: Early Education and Care in New York City: History, Challenges, and Implications for Homeless Children,” examines the development of early education and care policies in New York City, spanning the administrations of Mayors Lindsay through Adams.  

Read more. 

NIEER ACTIVITY  

Join Home Grown and the Pre-K in Family Child Care Project Team (Erikson Institute, University of Delaware and University of North Carolina Equity Action Research Coalition) and NIEER for the 🏠 Advancing Equity in Pre-K Systems: Empowering Family Child Care Providers & Families Webinar! 🧒🏡 

📅 Thursday, August 10, 2023, 1:30PM  ET 

🔍 Join NIEER’s Dr. Erin Harmeyer and Dr. GG Weisenfeld, alongside others in a discussion about building a mixed-delivery pre-K system that includes family child care. Our recent study notes that fewer than 1% of providers in most pre-K systems are family child care providers. 🌟 We encourage state, county, and city leaders and pre-K advocates at various stages in your journey of including family child care in pre-K systems to join us. 

Register here.
 

🌟 Introducing NIEER’s BELLE Initiative: Empowering Educators of Dual Language Learners!🌈 

Our groundbreaking initiative, Building Early Learning Latiné Educators (BELLE), proudly serves Dual Language Learners (DLLs) by promoting Latiné representation in leadership roles. 🤝🎓 

Our Goals:  

1️⃣ Foster a pipeline of Latiné ECE leaders through a culturally and linguistically affirming professional development model, increasing their presence in decision-making positions.  

2️⃣ Enhance recruitment and retention of Latiné educators, nurturing a diverse and inclusive workforce.  

3️⃣ Elevate the quality of bilingual acquisition support in early childhood education, empowering emergent bilinguals on their learning journey. 🌐📚 

Be a part of this transformative movement! Learn more about BELLE and make a lasting impact on early childhood education for Dual Language Learners. 🌟💫 

📢 Join the NIEER LinkedIn Community and Ignite Your Passion for Early Childhood Education   

Are you an advocate for quality early childhood education? Do you want to stay informed about the latest research, policy updates, and innovative practices in the field? Look no further! Join us and drive change. As an influential voice in the field of early childhood education, NIEER wants to network with you to shape policies and practices to positively impact young children’s learning, development, and wellbeing. Join today and be part of a network that is shaping the future of early childhood education. 

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHILD CARE AND EDUCATION POLICY  

Implementation of Policy, System and Environment Changes in Early Childhood Education Settings 

This study reveals making policy, system, and environment changes in early childhood education fights obesity. Across 68 child care centers, 5.07 health-improving changes per center were made using an evidence-based strategic planning tool. After six months, 47% of changes were fully realized, and 42% partially, with Head Start teams lagging. The study highlights the power of these changes for early childhood obesity prevention. 

Read more. 

Publish in the International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy (IJCCEP)  

It’s FREE – article processing charges for all articles published in the journal are fully sponsored.  

The journal is indexed by Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and by Scopus.  

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 license. Authors will retain copyright. 

ECE RESEARCH 

Review of the International Play Policies and Their Contribution to Supporting a Child’s Right to Play  

In a recent paper applying critical discourse analysis, researchers scrutinized existing international policies on children’s right to play—a fundamental provision under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The paper identifies a global shortfall of dedicated policies that support and prioritize this right. Despite legislative obligations, the importance of play is often overlooked in policymaking. This research highlights best practices and points out perceived obstacles to the successful establishment and implementation of play-centric policies. 

Read the full paper.

Trends in Mathematics Research in Early Childhood: Bibliometric Review

In this study, researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis to explore trends in mathematics research within early childhood education. They examined data from the Scopus database, identifying key patterns and influential publications. The United States emerged as the most influential country in this field, with the highest number of publications and citations. Three main focus areas were identified: mathematics, human learning, and gender; early childhood, professional development, and teachers; and mathematics learning, early childhood curriculum, and achievement. 

Read more. 

Evaluating Popular STEM Applications for Young Children 

This study examined 30 popular STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) educational apps in Turkey designed for young children using tablets and smartphones. While there is growing attention to STEM apps, engineering and technology concepts were found to be neglected compared to science and math. The study suggests that app designers should prioritize social interaction, feedback, progress monitoring, and local language availability for better educational experiences for children. 

Read more about the findings. 

Examining the Prevalence Rates of Autism Diagnosis by Race/Ethnicity for Medicaid-Eligible Children Enrolled in NYC Universal Pre-Kindergarten Programs 

Researchers conducted a study exploring autism diagnosis prevalence in New York City’s Universal Pre-K for All (UPK) program across diverse neighborhoods. The study hypothesis was that racial/ethnic disparities in autism diagnoses might decrease as more children were referred for testing through UPK programs, facilitating more thorough interactions than traditional medical avenues. The study highlights the potential of UPK programs in addressing disparities in autism diagnoses and emphasizes the importance of program expansion for childhood diagnoses and interventions.  

Read more. 

OPPORTUNITIES AND JOB OPENINGS  

Early Childhood Senior Program Manager, SchoolHouse Connection 

Director of K12 Practical Assistance 

Senior Manager/Director, Federal Policy 

Assistant Professor – Early Childhood Education – Berkeley School of Education 

Contract Opportunity, Preschool to Kindergarten Transition Toolkit: The MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in collaboration with the Department of Early Education and Care 

Contract Opportunity, Identification and Approval of Preschool Language and Literacy Assessments: The MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in collaboration with the Department of Early Education and Care