HOT TOPICS
The proportion of Latine teachers and administrators in early childhood education lags behind the percentage of Spanish-speaking dual language learners (DLLs), who account for nearly a third of children under age five in the U.S. The result is that too often the education of these children is not informed and supported by leaders and teachers with the requisite cultural and linguistic knowledge. To address this leadership gap, NIEER Assistant Research Professor Alexandra Figueras-Daniel is leading Building Early Learning Latine Educators (BELLE), a leadership academy aimed at establishing a pipeline of early childhood education leaders who identify as Latine, speak Spanish, and have teaching experience. Read Figueras-Daniel’s reflections on her own experiences with Latine representation in schooling and the successes of the BELLE project as it enters the second year here.
Recognizing Early Childhood Education as a Human Right in International Law
The right to early childhood care and education (ECCE) is an implicit element of the right to education in international human rights law; therefore, States have an obligation to protect, respect, and fulfill the right to ECCE, researchers concluded. They completed a detailed review of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, along with comments and observations made between 2015 and 2020 by United Nations monitoring bodies covering 152 nations. “Education and development for young children is a common global responsibility, which affects everyone in our interconnected and interdependent world,” they wrote. “These flow directly from States’ commitments under international human rights law to provide education directed to ‘the development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential.’” Read the article here.
NIEER OPPORTUNITIES
Senior Editorial/Media Specialist
NIEER is seeking a Senior Editorial/Media Specialist to create momentum and awareness, participate in strategic planning, and develop an integrated communications plan to advance the institute’s mission. The senior editorial/media specialist reports to the founding co-director and plays a key role in telling NIEER’s story and expanding its presence. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced professional to build an impactful communications program that contributes to evidenced-based policies for early education nationally and globally. To apply, click here.
Research Project Coordinator II
NIEER is seeking a Research Project Coordinator II to work closely with faculty and staff. The position coordinates major aspects of preschool education research and evaluation projects. Key duties include managing fieldwork across two to three research projects, communicating effectively with research and project partners, and planning and carrying out data collection trainings. Required qualifications include:
- Bachelor’s degree, preferably in early childhood education or in policy or a social science (psychology, anthropology, sociology, human development, education).
- A minimum of two years experience in early childhood research; a masters degree in a related field may be substituted.
If interested, please apply here. Reach out to mnores@nieer.org with questions.
ECE RESEARCH
School Breakfast and Young Children’s Absenteeism: Does Meal Location Matter?
Kindergartners and first graders who routinely ate breakfast in their classrooms missed fewer school days and were less likely to be chronically absent than children who ate elsewhere, researchers found. Researchers evaluated the impacts of Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC), a school meal program where students eat breakfast in the classroom just as the school day is starting. Through BIC, “we have identified not ‘if’ breakfast matters but ‘where’ breakfast is served and how that might matter,” wrote Michael A. Gottfried of the University of Pennsylvania and Jacob Kirksey of Texas Tech University. Read the study here.
Underpaid but Choosing to Stay: Compensation Inequity in Kentucky Public Preschool
Public preschool educators in Kentucky “face substantial underpayment” compared to similarly qualified staff in kindergarten through high school grades, according to researchers, with preschool teachers and assistants reporting lower wages than similarly qualified K-12 teachers. While some reported having to work second jobs, most said teaching preschool was a career choice, according to Victoria Sherif of Wichita State University, Kathryn Chapman of the University of Florida, and Beth Rous of the University of Kentucky. Access the study here.
Itinerant early childhood special education services are not well defined, according to researchers at the University of South Carolina who conducted a systematic review of itinerant teaching in the early childhood context. Itinerant teachers, also referred to by other terms such as inclusion specialists and early childhood consultants, primarily used a direct service model, working directly with children with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in their general education classroom, they found. They noted the field lacks rigorous research on itinerant service delivery and called for further evaluation of itinerant services. Read the rreview here.
The Role of Early Childhood Pedagogical Leaders in Schools: Leading Change for Ongoing Improvement
Case studies on leading pedagogical change in early childhood education settings identified three common elements to change strategies: building relational trust; collaborative professional learning and reflection; and empowering teachers as decision-makers. “Early childhood pedagogical leadership was found to involve leading a process of change, a responsibility distributed between principals and early childhood champions,” wrote researchers Amie Fabry, Lennie Barblett and Marianne Knausith of Cowan University in Australia. Access the study here.
ON THE CALENDAR
Invest Early in Children: Policies, Practices, and Ideas for Action
The Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy at The Ohio State University will hold a Symposium on Children on Oct. 28. The event brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers and thought leaders interested in how we can better invest in children. The keynote speaker is Kirabo Jackson, a labor economist studying education and social policy at Northwestern University. Multiple breakout sessions and panels are scheduled throughout the afternoon; read about the session speakers and register here.
OPPORTUNITIES
- Early Childhood Education Postdoctoral Research Associate, School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia
- Research Project Associate, The Study of Early Education Through Partnerships (SEE-Partnerships), University of Virginia
- Cleveland Early Learning Spaces Manager, Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio
- PRE4CLE Communication Manager, Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio
- Data Analyst, Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care
- Policy Specialist, Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care