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Early Childhood and Child Development

Preschool kids eating applesResearch shows that children are more successful in school and beyond if they are given a strong foundation in the earliest years of their lives. We work with early childhood service providers and policymakers nationwide to find solutions to practical challenges in early childhood education and care. We address major questions in the early childhood field, such as:

  • How can the quality of early educator practices and early education and care programs be improved?
  • How do early learning experiences and school readiness approaches affect young children’s language, literacy, early mathematics, and social-emotional skills?
  • What types of professional development best support teachers’ and caregivers’ needs?
  • Do kindergarten entry assessments measure children’s school readiness in intended domains?
Our Work

Early Childhood brochureOur work includes technical assistance, measurement and data collection, and research and evaluation where we work closely with clients, states, and school districts to define key policy areas, build content understanding, translate research to practice, and identify opportunities for technical support and growth. We also work with clients across the entire range of study planning, implementation, and interpreting data.  

AIR offers a range of services:

Research and Evaluation

  • Experimental and quasi-experimental impact studies
  • Formative and implementation evaluation
  • Policy analysis
  • Literature reviews and meta-analysis
  • Cost analyses and cost estimates

Technical Assistance

  • Translation of research to practice
  • Strategic planning
  • Training facilitation
  • Program standards articulation and alignment
  • Support child-serving agencies

Measurement and Data Collection

  • Integration of existing data sources
  • Development of child assessments
  • Validation of quality rating systems and child assessments
  • Large-scale data collection, including classroom observations and child assessments

Latest Work

3 Feb 2021
Guide

Improving Lives Through Evidence-Based Approaches

Addressing persistent challenges in education, health care, and workforce requires evidence-backed approaches. For nearly 75 years, AIR has researched key issues and offered insight into the effectiveness of many strategies. Read our policy primer to explore our body of evidence covering issues such as COVID-19, early childhood, school climate, the opioid crisis, occupational licensing, and more.
21 Jan 2021
Spotlight

Supporting States with Preschool Development Grants

The Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five initiative supports states to create plans to facilitate collaboration and coordination among existing early childhood care and education programs. AIR has partnered with four states—California, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota—to support their work as they expand access to high-quality early childhood care and education.
Image of Hispanic family reading together at home
3 Dec 2020
In the Field

Strategies for Supporting Young Students’ Home-Language Development During COVID-19—and Beyond

With COVID-19 still affecting in-person education across the country, early childhood educators have had to find new ways to give students, especially those who are dual-language learners, early, rich linguistic experiences. AIR Senior Researcher Lisa Hsin describes a number of ways early childhood educators can help families foster their children’s home language development, while also preparing them to succeed when they’re back in the classroom.
Image of middle school students working on science project
2 Nov 2020
Q & A

A Quick Word with Jill Young on the Readiness Projects

The Readiness Projects—a partnership of the Forum for Youth Investment, the National Urban League, and AIR—advances work informed by science and grounded in practice. In this Q&A, Jill Young, senior researcher at AIR, discusses how the Readiness Projects can support equitable opportunities for thriving youth.

preschool-girl-reading-COVID-DLL-brief-1154573247-am-feat.jpg

Image of preschool girl reading
Project

Impact of COVID-19 on Early Learning and Care in California

The COVID-19 crisis has taken a toll on California's early learning and care system, and early learning providers need more support. In order to understand the ways in which programs have adapted, the services they provide, and the challenges they are facing, AIR and Early Edge California collected data from early learning programs throughout the state.
Image of baby with parents
3 Aug 2020
Q & A

A Quick Word with Alex Holod on Awareness of Family Leave Policy in California

According to existing research, giving mothers paid time off could lead to both improved health outcomes and overall costs savings from reduced employee turnover and re-training costs. AIR's Alex Holod describes the benefits of family leave for both parent and child, why some parents aren’t taking full advantage of available family leave, and the lessons that California's Family Leave practices offer the rest of the country.
Illustration of AIR expert Eboni Howard
30 Jul 2020
Q & A

Meet the Expert: Eboni Howard

Eboni Howard is a nationally recognized expert in child and family development, implementation science, and mixed-methods evaluation approaches. In this Q&A, she describes her work on such topics as early childhood systems change, Quality Rating and Improvement Systems, and professional development.
16 Jul 2020
Podcast

AIR Informs Episode #8: Supporting the Foster Care Community During COVID-19

The foster care system was already overburdened before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Now, it faces even more challenges. AIR early childhood expert and licensed foster mom Ann-Marie Faria discusses these challenges and potential ways to address them in the latest podcast episode.
Project

Birth Through Eight Strategy for Tulsa (BEST)

In order to break the cycle of poverty, the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma is taking early action. The Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa (BEST) program, supported by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, is offering supports for families in the earliest years of their children’s lives.
Image of mother and son playing with blocks
30 Jun 2020
In the Field

Four Steps to Help Home Visitors Increase Use of Evidence-Based Practices

Through home visiting, child development specialists, speech therapists, and other professionals work with families and their children in their homes to assess children’s development and health, as well as bolster parenting skills. Consistent, correct use of evidence-based practices by practitioners such as home visitors can help improve children’s outcomes. AIR recently conducted a study of a parent-implemented language-based intervention used in the home visiting context.
Image of preschool girl reading
25 Jun 2020
Brief

Impact of COVID-19 on Early Learning and Care in California

The COVID-19 crisis has taken a toll on California's early learning and care system, and early learning providers need more support. In order to understand the ways in which programs have adapted, the services they provide, and the challenges they are facing, AIR and Early Edge California collected data from early learning programs throughout the state.
Illustration of AIR Expert Ann-Marie Faria
26 May 2020
Q & A

Meet the Expert: Ann-Marie Faria

AIR early childhood development and education expert, Ann-Marie Faria, Ph.D., focuses on quantitative research in early childhood settings, drawing on her experience as a former kindergarten and elementary school teacher. In this Q&A, she discusses her research at AIR, focused on documenting and improving quality in the early childhood mixed delivery system.
12 Mar 2020
Report

International Early Learning Study

The International Early Learning Study measures 5-year-olds in four key areas: emerging numeracy, emerging literacy, self-regulation, and social-emotional skills. The study provides educators, policymakers, and parents with important context to help them better prepare children for primary school.
30 Oct 2019
Report

Children’s Knowledge and Skills at Kindergarten Entry in Illinois

At least half of states administer or are developing kindergarten entry assessments. In fall 2017 the Illinois State Board of Education began requiring teachers to report data on every child’s skills at kindergarten entry using the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey.
30 Sep 2019
In the Field

Southeast Comprehensive Center Impact Stories

The Southeast Comprehensive Center developed a series of impact stories to highlight key technical assistance support and positive outcomes related to improving teaching, learning, and capacity building in the five states served in its region: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
9 Aug 2019
Presentation

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Professional Development Materials - South Carolina

Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) staff presented an Overview of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), including evidence-based MTSS practices and resources, to South Carolina school districts and schools and assisted with planning for implementation of MTSS.
Project

Illinois Preschool Development Grant Projects

In 2019, 46 states and territories implemented a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Preschool Development Grant, Birth Through Five (PDG B–5), which supported states to do five broadly defined activities related to services for children birth to age 5 and their families.
Infographic: Three-year olds enrolled in early childhood services
29 Mar 2019
Q & A

In Conversation: AIR Experts Discuss Early Childhood Systems Around the World

Research has firmly established that the first five years of a child’s life are critical for future success in school and in life, yet a September 2018 report shows that young children’s educational experiences are inconsistent across the U.S. and around the world. The Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators report includes findings on how early childhood education and care varies around the world in terms of approach, enrollment, quality, and teachers’ salaries. Three AIR experts discussed those variations, and excerpts of their conversation appear below.
Image of UNICEF Think Piece report cover
31 Jul 2018
Brief

Quality and Equitable Access Grounded in Local Knowledge: Bringing Pre-primary Education to Scale

The authors of this UNICEF Think Piece explain why focusing on quality and equitable access to pre-primary education is imperative in Eastern and Southern Africa and why it unfortunately does not happen, and explore the implication of the increased focus on access on the provision of quality pre-primary education.
1 Jul 2018
Report

English Language Program Participation Among Students in the Kindergarten Class of 2010-11: Spring 2011 to Spring 2012

Providing English language instruction has important implications for millions of children nationwide. This Statistics in Brief report uses data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, focused on the Kindergarten Class of 2010-11, to examine students who participated in English language programs.
Image of infographic thumbnail
19 Jun 2018
Q & A

In Conversation: Insights on Early Childhood Care Costs and Choices

The annual Condition of Education 2018 provides new insight into the costs and availability of child care options. Spotlight author Jijun Zhang, AIR senior psychometrician and statistician, recently discussed the findings with Susan Muenchow, AIR principal researcher in early learning and care.
22 May 2018
Brief

The Summer After Kindergarten: Children’s Experiences by Socioeconomic Characteristics

This Statistics in Brief analyzes student's participation in summer activities compared by two socioeconomic characteristics - household poverty status and parents' highest level of education. Data for socioeconomic characteristics was gathered from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 while data related to summer activity participation was collected from interviews with parents or guardians in the fall of 2011.
18 Apr 2018
Q & A

Transitional Kindergarten Q&A with Karen Manship

Created in 2010 by the Kindergarten Readiness Act, transitional kindergarten (TK) offers younger children in California additional time to prepare for school. AIR undertook a five-year evaluation study of the TK program in 2012. In light of conversations across the country about increasing access to high-quality early childhood education, AIR’s Karen Manship answered a few questions about the TK study and its findings.
1 Mar 2018
Report

Findings From the Fourth-Grade Round of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–11 (ECLS-K:2011)

The Early Childhood Longitudinal study from the National Center for Education Statistics follows students who were kindergartners in 2011. This report provides information on select child and family characteristics including poverty status, parental education, family type, and primary home language as well as children's knowledge in reading, math, and science.

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Image of baby in a gingham shirt being held by a parent
Project

Changing the Trajectories of Children in Foster Care: The Safe Babies Court Team Evaluation

Children in foster care are at risk for poor developmental outcomes, including increased rates of poor health, higher rates of depression and anxiety, more attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorders, more problems in school, and increased rates of incarceration and suicide. The Safe Babies Court Team™, created by ZERO TO THREE, is an approach that aims to reduce the time a child spends in foster care before reaching a permanent, safe home, and to improve the long-term well-being of children and families in the child welfare system.
30 Dec 2017
Report

Scientific Evidence for the Validity of the New Mexico Kindergarten Observation Tool

The New Mexico Public Education Department developed the Kindergarten Observation Tool (KOT) as a multidimensional observational measure of students’ knowledge and skills at kindergarten entry. This study examined the construct validity of the KOT to determine whether data from a field test supported using the KOT to measure six school readiness domains and, if not, what domain structure the data best supported.
Image of arrows showing 2018 new year
29 Dec 2017
Spotlight

Year in Review: Highlights from 2017

From India and Laos to school districts in California, our research, resources, and multimedia provide insight into a wide array of topics across the U.S. and around the world. Explore highlights from our 2017 work.
Project

Children and Society: A Global Scan of Child Well-Being

All children deserve to live healthy lives and experience positive well-being. The aim for this work is to understand the context that includes the norms, values, and conditions that underpin child well-being in various countries, with the intention of transferring and applying that knowledge to the United States.
Project

First 5 California Dual Language Learner Pilot Study

Over 60% of children from birth to age 5 in the state of California are dual language learners (DLLs). The First 5 California-funded Dual Language Learner Pilot Study seeks to identify the range and distribution of learning experiences for DLLs in California and to better understand how these experiences are linked to positive child and family outcomes.
1 Oct 2017
Report

The Effects of Mainstreaming Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Under BRAC’s MNCH Programme

To combat malnutrition, BRAC Bangladesh has implemented Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health programming focused on nutrition and early childhood development. This programming is designed to combat malnutrition in pregnant-lactating women and young children, as well as to implement multiple strategies to establish better practices for breastfeeding and child feeding, build capacity for community health workers, and create nutrition service deliveries within communities.
26 Sep 2017 to 28 Sep 2017
| 11:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Event

Nurturing High-Quality Early Learning and Leadership Across the Pre-K-3 Continuum Early Childhood Institute

On September 26–28, 2017, the Southeast and Midwest Comprehensive Centers at AIR cohosted a regional institute institute that convened early education teams from various states to collaboratively engage in discussions on research-based information and explore evidence-based early childhood resources. Participants engaged in sessions led by experts in the field to hear about the progress and challenges of other states and discuss strategies for improving early childhood supports for Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) implementation efforts.
Project

AIR Early Math Study

While there are many interventions aimed at boosting young children’s language and literacy skills, there are fewer aimed at improving math learning for young children, and even fewer that target children younger than preschool or kindergarten age. AIR and its partners developed the Math4Littles program to help parents and caregivers better stimulate math learning among their two- and three-year-old children at home and evaluated it's effects on families that used it.
Project

Early Language Home Visiting Study

Consistent, correct use of evidence-based practices by practitioners, such as home visitors, can help improve children’s outcomes. However, a number of factors, such as lack of access to high-quality professional learning opportunities, stand in the way of increasing use of evidence-based practices. This project offers insight into supporting home visitors’ use of evidence-based practices and assessments.
teacher reading to exuberant young students
30 Jun 2017
Video

Transitional Kindergarten: Growing Children’s Early Academic Skills

Transitional kindergarten is a universal, age-based early childhood program in California that is intended to prepare five-year-olds for kindergarten. Karen Manship explains how student outcomes compare between those who attend transitional kindergarten and those who do not and how the program helps ensure children receive a strong start to their educational careers.
28 Jun 2017
Report

The Impact of Transitional Kindergarten on California Students

California’s Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010 established transitional kindergarten (TK), the first year of a two-year kindergarten program for students affected by the change in the birthdate cutoff for entry into kindergarten from December 2 to September 1. This final report from the program’s evaluation focuses on results from a five-year study. The study used a rigorous regression discontinuity design to examine whether TK, as a new approach to prekindergarten education for age-eligible students, leads to positive outcomes, for which students, and under what conditions.
28 Jun 2017
Spotlight

How Transitional Kindergarten Helps Younger Children Prepare for School

Created in 2010 by the Kindergarten Readiness Act, transitional kindergarten offers younger children in California additional time to prepare for school. Transitional kindergarten provides an additional year of early education to approximately 120,000 children each year, with the goal of promoting their school readiness. Explore resources that show what we’ve learned about transitional kindergarten so far.
22 Jun 2017 | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Event

Cultivating Oral Language and Literacy Talent in Young English Learners (Webinar)

Please join experts from the Center for English Language Learners at AIR on June 22, 2017 to learn how teachers can support the development of oral language and pre-literacy skills in preschool and kindergarten English learners (ELs).
Infographic based on results from a study of California’s Transitional Kindergarten program compares literacy and math scores of students entering kindergarten
21 Jun 2017
Infographic

Does Transitional Kindergarten Improve School Readiness?

Transitional kindergarten is a universal, age-based early childhood program in California that is intended to prepare five-year-olds for kindergarten.
16 Jun 2017
Service

Pay for Success/Social Impact Bonds

The Pay for Success (PFS) model, also known as the Social Impact Bonds model, is a relatively new way to finance improvements in persistent social problems. PFS brings together investors with local, state, and federal government agencies to fund and improve education, health, and social services. AIR is implementing this approach in many communities around the country.
Five Things We Can Learn from Pre-K in Other Countries
5 Jun 2017
Blog Post

Five Things We Can Learn from Pre-K in Other Countries

Which programs and policies can we adopt from other countries to increase access to preschool programs in the U.S.?
12 May 2017
Brief

The Impact of Transitional Kindergarten on English Learner Students

This fifth brief in a series highlighting findings from the Study of California’s Transitional Kindergarten Program summarizes what we have learned about the impact of TK on EL students’ school readiness skills, including mathematics skills, language and literacy skills, and English proficiency.
1 Mar 2017
Report

Quality Improvement Efforts Among Early Childhood Education Programs Participating in Iowa’s Quality Rating System

States have prioritized documenting and improving the quality of early childhood education programs by developing quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs). This report describes the quality improvement efforts of early childhood education programs participating in Iowa’s voluntary quality rating and improvement system, the Iowa Quality Rating System (QRS). The findings of this study provide an overview of the landscape of quality improvement activities among early childhood education programs participating in the Iowa QRS and their relationship with increased ratings.
24 Feb 2017
Blog Post

What's the Research Behind Head Start's New Rules?

It’s been 40 years since performance standards were substantially revised for Head Start. The newly Revised Head Start Rules were approved and released last September. They include four major changes: increased duration, expanded access, special supports for vulnerable populations, and improved supports for teachers. In this blog post, Eboni Howard offers a run-down on the evidence-base for these new rules.
1 Feb 2017
Report

The “I” in QRIS Survey: Collecting Data on Quality Improvement Activities for Early Childhood Education Programs

A quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) is a voluntary state assessment system that uses multidimensional data on early childhood education programs to rate program quality, support quality improvement efforts, and provide information to families about the quality of available early childhood education programs. This report describes three versions of a survey that helps states collect data, including how to use it, how it was developed, and how it can be adapted for other states.
Gaby Fain on early childhood education
31 Jan 2017
Video

Lessons From Abroad: Ensuring High-Quality Early Care and Education in the U.S.

High-quality early care and education (ECE) provides an important foundation for young children’s success in school and in life. Yet fewer than two of three U.S. children are enrolled in center-based ECE programs. Gabriele Fain examines ECE internationally and the factors that may contribute to the high rate of participation in many European countries.
18 Jan 2017
Video

Supporting States to Close the Education Achievement Gap

The achievement gap, which refers to the disparity in academic performance between groups of students, is a pressing issue facing K-12 education. AIR is supporting states to close academic achievement gaps through strategies including alternative school discipline policies, GIS mapping, improved early childhood education, and culturally responsive instruction. In this video, the four directors of the federally funded regional Comprehensive Centers discuss promising approaches in Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Texas.
1 Jan 2017
ESSA

ESSA │Early Childhood and Childhood Development

Research shows that children are more successful in school and beyond if they are given a strong foundation in the earliest years of their lives. ESSA includes new opportunities for states to strengthen and expand access to public early childhood education. Read about AIR's early childhood and child development work with respect to ESSA.
21 Nov 2016
Presentation

Planning for Universal Preschool in the City of Oakland Expanding Access and Quality

This presentation was given by AIR staff to stakeholders in Oakland in 2016. It describes a strategy for city leaders and stakeholders to expand access to quality programs to 3- and 4-year-olds in the city, identifying the areas of highest need.
24 Oct 2016
Brief

Connecting All Children to High-Quality Early Care and Education: Promising Strategies From the International Community (Brief)

High-quality early care and education (ECE) provides a critical foundation for young children’s success in school and in life. Yet, in the United States, fewer than two out of three preschool-age children are enrolled in center-based ECE programs. This brief highlights promising practices used in many European countries to ensure all children have access to ECE—practices which can inform similar efforts in the U.S.
24 Oct 2016
Report

Connecting All Children to High-Quality Early Care and Education: Promising Strategies From the International Community

High-quality early care and education (ECE) provides an important foundation for young children’s success in school and in life. Yet, in the United States, fewer than two out of three children between the ages of 3 and 6 are enrolled in center-based ECE programs.

16 Oct 2016
Report

Santa Clara County Early Learning Master Plan

This Early Learning Master Plan for Santa Clara County presents both a snapshot of the state of early childhood education in Santa Clara County as of 2017 and a roadmap for the future, with goals, milestones, and actions aimed to address the needs of children ages birth to eight, their families, and the providers who teach and care for them. It also provides an overview of progress made since 2010, current needs, and specific goals and steps to address those needs between now and 2024.

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Image of Twitter logo with statistics
Project

CS for All Teachers

CS for All Teachers is a virtual community of practice, welcoming all teachers from PreK through high school who are interested in teaching computer science. It provides an online home for teachers to connect with one another and with the resources and expertise they need to successfully teach computer science in their classrooms.
Infographic: Immigrant Kindergartners in the U.S.
15 Sep 2016
Infographic

Infographic: Immigrant Kindergartners in the United States

How many students in our nation’s kindergarten classrooms were born outside the United States? Where do they come from and what languages do they speak? As students enter new classrooms this fall, Shannon Russell, Jeremy Redford, and Meghan McQuiggan explore these questions and more using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 data.
13 Aug 2016
Report

Independent Evaluation of California’s Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Quality Rating and Improvement System: Cumulative Technical Report

The purpose of the Independent Evaluation of California’s Race to the Top–Early Learning Challenge (RTT–ELC) Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) is to inform California stakeholders about the ability of the QRIS to accurately measure program quality, differentiate programs with better learning outcomes for children, and provide quality improvement (QI) supports that meet program improvement needs.
13 Jul 2016 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

Is Reading Contagious? Examining Parents’ and Children’s Reading Attitudes and Behaviors

When children have positive attitudes and behavior towards reading, they generally also demonstrate strong reading skills. Strong reading skills enable children to access and learn content in a variety of subjects and reap a host of other academic and nonacademic benefits. On July 13, 2016, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion that examined whether parents’ reading attitudes and behaviors are shared by their children—that is, if reading attitudes and behaviors are “contagious.”
30 Jun 2016
Report

Primary Early Care and Education Arrangements and Achievement at Kindergarten Entry

Young children experience various types of early care and education environments the year before they enter kindergarten. This report examines data to explore relationships between children’s primary care and education arrangements the year before kindergarten and their academic skills and learning behaviors at kindergarten entry.
29 Jun 2016
Blog Post

Growing Up in Foster Care: Elementary and Middle School

In this second blog post in a series examining educational challenges facing youth in foster care, from early childhood into college, Trish Campie offers some promising solutions to creating pathways to college and career success.
23 Jun 2016
Blog Post

Growing Up in Foster Care: Our Littlest Ones

One-third of the 400,000 children in foster care enter the system before age five, just as they should be making the transition from preschool to kindergarten. Seventy-five percent of kids in foster care must change schools, often multiple times, which means they tend to fall behind their classmates, miss more days in school, and experience lower high school graduation rates and less success in college. In this blog post, Patricia Campie offers five research-based ways to bolster school readiness and reduce risks when early entry into foster care disrupts children’s educational opportunities.
22 Jun 2016
Report

What Do Transitional Kindergarten Classrooms Look Like in the Third Year of the Program’s Implementation?

California’s Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010 established transitional kindergarten (TK), the first year of a two-year kindergarten program for students affected by the change in the birthdate cutoff. This fifth short report in a series highlighting findings from the Study of California’s Transitional Kindergarten Program focuses on what we have learned about the structure, teachers, and instruction in TK classrooms in the 2014–15 school year.
10 Jun 2016
Report

Development and Implementation of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems in Midwest Region States

Recent federal and state policies that recognize the benefits of high-quality early childhood education and care have led to a rapid expansion of quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs). This study examined QRISs in use across the Midwest Region to describe approaches that states use in developing and implementing a QRIS. Findings suggest that the process of applying for a Race to the Top–Early Learning Challenge grant helped advance the development of a QRIS system.
Preschool teacher with kids
26 May 2016
Brief

Ten Questions Local Policymakers Should Ask About Expanding Access to Preschool

High-quality preschool programs can have far reaching benefits for kids, parents, and communities—and they can provide a high return on initial investments. This 10 Series report summarizes our key findings about local preschool initiatives in 10 U.S. communities.
30 Apr 2016
Report

Analysis of Options for Funding Universal Preschool in Sonoma County - Updated Report

Critical gaps currently exist in the availability of high-quality preschool, particularly in low-income areas of Sonoma County, California. Building on the county's interest in universal preschool, and the body of work already conducted in the county supporting it, this report provides a plan to expand access to preschool and to raise the quality of service.
26 Apr 2016
Podcast

EdCast: How Do We Ensure High-Quality Early Childhood Experiences for All Kids?

Eboni Howard has devoted her career to researching early care and child development, working to ensure that all children receive high-quality early experiences—regardless of race, ethnicity, income, or zip code. In the second podcast episode in the Education Policy Center's Equity Series, Howard and Peter Cookson discuss what research has shown and the implications for policymakers.
31 Mar 2016
Report

Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California: Statewide and Local Analysis

California is home to more than one million three- and four-year-old children, but is ranked among the 15 states producing the worst outcomes for youth. This brief presents an analysis of the unmet need for preschool services in California at the state and local levels and concludes with a more detailed discussion of the policy implications of these findings.
Preschool kids eating apples
10 Mar 2016
Commentary

What Works in Early Childhood Education? An Open Letter to Legislators

Eboni Howard shares what’s known—and isn’t—about early childhood programs and asks legislators to invest in research-based paths to greater equality of opportunity for the children who will become America’s labor force, citizenry, and leaders.
16 Feb 2016
Report

Arts Integration: A Promising Approach to Improving Early Learning

Research shows that integrating arts into early childhood education has great potential for improving student learning in multiple disciplines. This brief builds on the results of a randomized-controlled trial of Wolf Trap’s Early Childhood STEM Learning Through the Arts program. Findings from the study show that participation in the program yielded a significant positive effect equivalent to one to two months of learning.
Karen Manship and Heather Quick
30 Nov 2015
Blog Post

Transitional Kindergarten: A Unique Approach to Pre-Kindergarten in California, but Is it Effective?

A December 2015 AIR study finds that Transitional Kindergarten, the first year of a two-year kindergarten program for young five-year-olds in California, appears to improve children’s school readiness in critical areas of academic learning and development. Researchers Karen Manship and Heather Quick explain how and suggest next steps.
Infographic: Transitional Kindergarten
30 Nov 2015
Infographic

Transitional Kindergarten Improves Literacy and Math Skills

California students who had attended Transitional Kindergarten were more advanced than their peers in language, literacy, mathematics and executive function, early results of a study by AIR show, as shown in this infographic.
16 Oct 2015 | 2:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Event

Webinar: Focusing on the “I” in QRIS

Nearly all 50 states implement—or plan to implement—some form of a quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for early childhood education and care programs to rate, communicate, and improve the quality of early education and care. However, each state uses different strategies to help programs improve the quality of early education and care. AIR is hosting a webinar to delve into the findings summarized in its recently published brief, Moving Up the Ladder: How Do States Deliver Quality Improvement Supports Within Their Quality Rating and Improvement Systems?
30 Sep 2015
Brief

Moving Up the Ladder: How Do States Deliver Quality Improvement Supports Within Their Quality Rating and Improvement Systems?

As national attention has increasingly focused on the potential for high-quality early childhood education (ECE) to improve children’s school readiness, states have developed quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs) to document the quality of ECE programs, support systematic quality improvement, and provide clear information to families about their child care choices. This brief discusses quality improvement supports, including their prevalence in state and regional QRISs, and key considerations for their implementation.
8 Sep 2015
Commentary

Language in Learning and Literacy: Native Tongues First

In this commentary, Pooja Reddy Nakamura, an AIR senior researcher explores the question of when to introduce English to children in multilingual contexts. Rather than introducing it at the first opportunity, she suggests grouping classes by local language achievement skill—not just age—and introducing written English only after the local language threshold has been reached.
Ann-Marie Faria
31 Aug 2015
Video

Long Story Short: How Can Early Childhood Education Quality Ratings (QRIS) Ensure the Best Return on Our Investment in Six Million Children?

Recent federal efforts to expand access to early childhood education for six million children by 2020 have also increased attention about quality programming. In this video interview, Ann-Marie Faria, principal researcher, explains the role that Quality Rating and Improvement Systems have in communicating about quality to parents, programs, and policy makers.
Jonathan Farber
12 Aug 2015
Blog Post

Big Changes Coming to Head Start Include More Intensive Coaching

Head Start, a leader for 50 years in preparing children from low income families for kindergarten and beyond, is about to undergo its first comprehensive overhaul since 1975. In this blog post, AIR's Yoni Farber talks about the importance of the change from intermittent workshops to intensive professional development for Head Start practitioners.
Preschool kids eating apples
4 Aug 2015
Report

What Matters Most for Children: Influencing Inequality at the Start of Life

The persistence of gaps in education, income, health, and other socioeconomic indicators suggests the urgent need to reduce inequality early in life. In this white paper, Eboni Howard reviews the science of early childhood and summarizes the disparities and the opportunity gaps stemming from inequalities, describing programs, services, and policies that might affect the extent of inequality and provide supportive early life experiences.
30 Jul 2015 | 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM
Event

Toxic Stress: How Economic Inequality Hurts Early Childhood Development

On July 30, 2015 AIR hosted an event examining the ways economic inequality can constrain young children’s learning opportunities. Guest presenter C. Cybele Raver will review the neuroscience of early socioemotional development in the context of toxic stress.
Project

HighScope Preschool Curriculum and Professional Development Efficacy Study

State and federal governments have invested heavily in expanding, and improving the quality of early childhood education programs. AIR led a study to investigate the impact of the HighScope Preschool Curriculum on children’s learning and development and classroom quality.
Image of Susan Muenchow
21 Apr 2015
Blog Post

Up for Vote #5: Rethinking the Role of Pre-K in ESEA Sequel

As ESEA turns 50 this month, the time is ripe to rethink whether the “E” in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is the best place to start. In this blog post, Susan Muenchow discusses the robust research that reveals students are most successful when they get a good jumpstart prior to elementary school.
27 Mar 2015
Report

Examining Ratings and Dimensions of Quality in an Early Childhood Education Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)

Documenting and improving early childhood program quality is a national priority, leading to a rapid expansion of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRISs). QRISs document and improve the quality of early childhood education programs and provide clear information to families about their childcare choices. Findings from this study suggest that incremental changes to how QRIS ratings are calculated can alter inferences about program quality.
Two kindergarten girls
11 Mar 2015
Brief

Transitional Kindergarten in California: Early Outreach, Enrollment, and Parent Perspectives

With the 2012-2013 school year, California established a new grade level—Transitional Kindergarten (TK), the first year of a two-year kindergarten experience for students who turn five between September 2 and December 2. When TK began, there were many questions from parents and other stakeholders. This is the third in a series of briefs investigating TK implementation in Year 1, and focuses on district outreach efforts, parent perceptions of TK, and TK student demographics.
2016 Federal Budget cover
4 Feb 2015
Spotlight

Programs with New Funding in the Proposed Budget: What Does Research Say About Their Effectiveness?

President Obama’s proposed federal budget would increase funding for many education initiatives, programs for homeless veterans and disabled workers, technology training for teachers, and other programs. What does research and evidence say about these programs' effectiveness and value?
Project

Ethiopia Accelerated School Readiness Evaluation

The Ethiopian government has made a firm commitment to supporting early childhood development and school readiness support nationally. However, the creation of (Grade 0) kindergarten classes in all primary schools cannot be achieved overnight. UNICEF Ethiopia received a challenge grant to test the effectiveness of two accelerated school readiness programs that may serve as a stop-gap measure until Grade 0 can be rolled out nationally.
preschoolers with books
10 Dec 2014
Longform Essay

What to Look for in a High Quality Preschool

The White House’s announcement December 10 of a $1-billion public-private investment in early childhood education programs raises critical questions about which program features will best help the projected 63,000 children affected learn and thrive. AIR’s early childhood experts weigh in here.
Image of Susan Muenchow
1 Dec 2014
Blog Post

Three Important Questions About Publicly Funded Preschools

With government-supported preschool alive, recovering from the recession, and growing again at the state level, Susan Muenchow offers three central questions when considering preschool expansion.
1 Dec 2014
Report

Zambia’s Child Grant Program: 36-Month Impact Report

A cash grant program for households with children under five in three districts in Zambia generated positive impacts, both in terms of immediate needs of the family and children's health, and in longer term productivity. This third report builds upon the results of the 24- and 30-month reports.
21 Oct 2014
Brief

Transitional Kindergarten in California: Comparing Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Classrooms

The rollout of California's Kindergarten Readiness Act has given rise to questions about how transitional kindergarten is being implemented in districts throughout California. This second research brief in a series highlighting findings from the study focuses on characteristics of transitional kindergarten classrooms compared with those of kindergarten classrooms.
Project

Going Beyond the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS): A New Way to Evaluate Early Learning Programs

Brain development is critical during children's early years, yet nationally less than 50 percent of children enter Kindergarten ready to learn. AIR and Excellent Schools Detroit developed the Early Learning Scorecard, which provides families and the community with information about climate and culture as part of a high-quality early care and learning program.
1 Sep 2014
Service

Client Services in State and Local Evaluation

AIR’s state and local evaluation projects marshal a broad range of expertise and resources to support state education agencies and district offices as they decide whether to retain, revise, or end a policy or program. The projects address challenges in district and school reform, educator quality, special education, school financing, STEM, literacy, virtual learning, extended learning, English learning, early childhood education, and college and career readiness.
Project

Impact Evaluation of BRAC’s Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Program

Malnutrition is one of the most serious global health problems. Advancing the knowledge base about the effects of nutrition and early childhood development programs on nutrition outcomes is particularly important in Bangladesh. AIR is evaluating a large-scale nutrition program and a pilot program to combat malnutrition in the country.
Young boy at computer
21 Jul 2014
Spotlight

Creating Opportunities for Young Men of Color

In February 2014, President Obama launched the My Brother’s Keeper initiative. This week, the president is announcing an additional $104 million in funding from new partnerships with public and private groups to address the opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color at critical stages throughout their lives. AIR’s work focuses on issues critical to the support of young men of color, from childhood interventions to preparation for career success.
Image of Susan Muenchow
6 Jun 2014
Blog Post

Research and the Public Prekindergarten Debate

Early learning has few detractors, but publicly supported prekindergarten has many. In this blog post, Susan Muenchow cites a recent AIR study that refutes the main objections and makes the case for free early childhood programs.

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Map of Zambia
Project

Zambia 1,000 Days: Evaluation of the “Tackling Maternal and Child Undernutrition in Zambia” Program

Large numbers of Zambian children suffer from nutrition-related disorders such as low birth weight, wasting, being underweight, chronic malnutrition, and various nutrient deficiencies. AIR and its partners are evaluating the First 1000 Most Critical Days Program, which addresses these issues by targeting households with pregnant women or children under two for maternal and child nutrition and health services.
15 May 2014
Commentary

An Education Bill of Rights for Every Child

Peter Cookson offers ten rights that, taken together, contribute to an education that prepares children for the social, ethical, and workplace challenges all will face.
23 Apr 2014
Report

Study of California’s Transitional Kindergarten Program: Report on the First Year of Implementation

A study looking at the first year of transitional kindergarten in California finds that most districts implemented the new grade level, and that approaches varied widely. Overall, transitional kindergarten appears to provide a different experience than traditional kindergarten. The results are shared in AIR's "Study of California’s Transitional Kindergarten Program: Report on the First Year of Implementation."
5 Mar 2014
Report

California’s Birth Through 3: Program Purpose and Design

The primary purpose of California's Birth Through 3 Program is to increase the number of the most vulnerable children receiving high quality comprehensive services that meet their needs for early learning, health and family support.

Project

Improving Early Childhood in Zambia

In resource-limited settings such as Southern Africa, malnutrition and infectious diseases need to be an integral part of thinking about early childhood interventions. AIR conducted a cluster-randomized trial to test the feasibility and preliminary impact of a package of community-based early childhood services in a rural area of Zambia.

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Happy young students
Project

Study of California's Transitional Kindergarten Program

California's Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is intended to provide an additional year of early education for younger children, with the goal of promoting their success in school. The Heising-Simons Foundation and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation are partnering with AIR to study the impact of TK on children’s academic and social-emotional skills in kindergarten, and how these impacts are related to program quality characteristics.
Project

Synthesis Review of and Evaluation Strategy for UNICEF’s Basic Education Interventions

Between 2007 and 2013, UNICEF commissioned 133 evaluations of UNICEF-supported basic education interventions. AIR conducted a synthesis review to determine their effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and sustainability, and advised UNICEF on how, when, and for what to invest limited resources in rigorous evaluations of the impact of basic education interventions.
29 Jan 2014
Blog Post

How Does the Quality of Your Preschool Compare to Other Providers in Your State?

Systems to rate the quality of child care and preschool programs are in place or under development in 49 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In this blog post, Laura Hawkinson and Karen Manship explain that, until validation and evaluation studies are complete, states' varying systems make it hard for parents to fully understand the ratings.
29 Jan 2014
Blog Post

Education in the State of the Union

Throughout the State of the Union address last night, there was a renewed emphasis on the link between career success and education—from Pre-K through college. This blog post highlights AIR's work in many of the areas highlighted by the President.
5 Jan 2014
Report

The Descriptive Study of Head Start's Early Learning Mentor Coach Grant Initiative

The Office of Head Start developed the Early Learning Mentor Coach initiative to improve practices in Head Start programs. AIR conducted a study to describe the objectives, activities, approaches, strategies and other aspects of the initiative.

17 Dec 2013
Blog Post

The New First Grade: Kindergarten

According to an AIR analysis of data from U.S. Department of Education’s early childhood longitudinal studies, America’s public school kindergarten has become dramatically more academic. In this blog post, Jill Walston and Kristin Flanagan describe the data and ask how this affects children who don't have the opportunity to attend a high-quality preschool.
13 Dec 2013 | 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Event

Policymakers Gather to Learn About Essential Conditions for Learning

On Dec. 3, 2013, policymakers and representatives from national education organizations gathered on Capitol Hill for a presentation by AIR researchers on how to create safe and supportive learning environments for children inside and outside of the classroom.

13 Jul 2013
Report

Local Quality Improvement Efforts and Outcomes Descriptive Study: Final Report

Quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs) constitute an ambitious policy approach to improving early care and education practices and child outcomes. A QRIS is a uniform set of ratings, graduated by level of quality, used to assess and improve early learning and care programs. The purpose of this study, conducted by AIR and the RAND Corporation, is to support the state of California and its counties in their efforts to build robust, evidence-based quality improvement systems.
11 Jun 2013
Brief

Transitional Kindergarten in California: A Review of the First Year

Transitional kindergarten aims to provide an additional year of early education to California’s youngest students to ensure that they obtain the necessary preparation to succeed in school. This research brief provides an initial glimpse of transitional kindergarten in its first year of statewide implementation.

10 Jun 2013
Toolkit

Early Learning Needs Assessment Tool

The Early Learning Needs Assessment Tool can create custom or provide prepared reports using data AIR has collected on the supply and demand for early learning and care for young children, including estimates of those eligible for Title V state programs.

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Mother with baby in Bangladesh
Project

Building Parental Capacity to Improve Child Development in Bangladesh

Twenty-two percent of infants in Bangladesh have low birth weight, and 41% of children under age five have stunted growth; the majority of these children lack appropriate stimulation and early learning opportunities. This project evaluates the Save the Children Early Childhood Stimulation Program, which targets very poor, rural families with young children in Bangladesh.
19 Mar 2013
Report

Teacher Practice and Student Outcomes in Arts-Integrated Learning Settings: A Review of Literature

AIR conducted a review of key literature in 2011-12 exploring the measurement of teacher practice and student learning in arts-integrated settings through a project funded by the Department of Education and offered by the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
13 Feb 2013 | 12:00 PM - 12:00 PM
Event

“The Family Medical Leave Act at 20” Reviews the Law’s Impact and Possible Changes Going Forward

As the Family Medical Leave Act turned 20 in February, AIR and ZERO TO THREE hosted an event looking at the law’s impact on workers so far and ways to improve family leave policies going forward.

30 Jan 2013
Report

Evaluation of the Stretch to Kindergarten Program: 2012 Findings, Final Report

The Stretch to Kindergarten program is a six-week school readiness program that serves children with limited prior preschool experience during the summer prior to their kindergarten entry. AIR continued an evaluation of the Stretch to Kindergarten program in Mountain View, California in 2012, the program’s fourth year.

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Map of Peru
Project

Impact Evaluation of the Early Education Improvement Program in the areas of Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Huánuco

Approximately 135,000 children between three and five years of age live in the departments of Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Huánuco in Peru, where total poverty and extreme poverty rates far exceed the national averages. AIR is evaluating the impact of a preschool program which aims to improve the quality of early childhood services in these areas.
1 Aug 2012
Report

Condition of Children Birth to Age Five and Status of Early Childhood Services in California

Supported by federal funds, California is developing a comprehensive statewide plan for an integrated early learning system, the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan (CCELP). In support of the development of this plan, AIR compiled a report describing statistics on the condition of children in California, and analyzing existing research and recommendations on the state’s early childhood services.

Project

Wisconsin Reading Excellence and Demonstration of Success Initiative (READS)

The Wisconsin Reading Excellence and Demonstration of Success (READS) initiative was launched by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction in 1999–2000 in an effort to positively affect student reading achievement and reduce the number of referrals to special education in READS-funded schools through the implementation of comprehensive reading programs. This four-year comprehensive evaluation of the READS initiative includes both qualitative case studies and longitudinal analysis of student demographic and achievement data and special education referral rates.

13 Feb 2012
Guide

Reauthorizing ESEA: Students with Disabilities Pocket Guide

The Reauthorizing ESEA Pocket Guides are written by AIR experts to assist policymakers and educators as they consider changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

5 Jan 2012
Report

Children’s Elementary School Outcomes After Participating in Family Literacy Programs

The First 5 LA Family Literacy Initiative is a comprehensive program to promote language and literacy development, parenting knowledge and skills, and economic self-sufficiency among low-income families in Los Angeles County. Findings from the eight-year evaluation of this Family Literacy Initiative have shown significant growth in language and literacy skills among children participating in these programs.

28 Nov 2011
Report

Eighth-Grade Algebra: Findings From the Eighth-Grade Round of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 (ECLS-K)

This Statistics in Brief provides descriptive statistics on algebra enrollment for the cohort of students in the first-grade class of 1999-2000 who had progressed to eighth grade in the 2006-07 school year.

28 Nov 2011
Report

The Kindergarten Year

This report answers two basic sets of questions about children's knowledge and skill acquisition during the kindergarten year. What gains are children making from the fall of the kindergarten year to the spring of the kindergarten year in their overall reading and mathematics knowledge and skills? What gains are children making in specific knowledge and skills (e.g., recognizing letters, recognizing numbers)?

Project

Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS)

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) was an integrated study public and private school districts, schools, principals, and teachers designed to provide descriptive data on the context of elementary and secondary education. AIR provided support for all aspects of SASS.
Project

Early Childhood Longitudinal Studies (ECLS)

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Studies (ECLS) program offers the first nationally representative study of early childhood development and education in the United States. The ECLS program currently has three separate longitudinal studies fielded by the National Center for Education Statistics: The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99; the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort; the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of 2010–11.
12 Jan 2011
Report

Evaluation of the First 5 LA Family Literacy Initiative: Final Evaluation Report

The First 5 LA Family Literacy Initiative, which began in 2002, is a comprehensive program to promote language and literacy development for children and their parents, and to promote parenting knowledge and skills, with a goal of greater economic self-sufficiency among low-income families in Los Angeles County.

Project

Evaluation of the Early Childhood Readiness Demonstration Projects and School Readiness Certification System

The Texas School Ready! (TSR!) Project consists of communities in which independent districts, Head Start agencies, and child care providers agree to collaborate as partners in providing high-quality instruction to 3- and 4-year-old, income-eligible, at-risk children to promote their readiness for school. AIR was one of three organizations that conducted a comprehensive evaluation of TSR! to assess program implementation, fiscal management, and student outcomes of the program, as required by Texas State Legislature.
28 Nov 2010
Report

The Children Born in 2001 at Kindergarten Entry: First Findings From the Kindergarten Data Collections of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)

Using data from the final two rounds of the ECLS-B, a longitudinal study begun in 2001, this First Look provides a snapshot of the demographic characteristics, reading and mathematics knowledge, fine motor skills, school characteristics, and before- and after-school care arrangements of the cohort at the time they first began kindergarten.

1 Nov 2010
Brief

Making the Most of Extra Time: Relationships Between Full-Day Kindergarten Instructional Environments and Reading Achievement

This brief uses nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) to explore relationships between full-day kindergarten program factors and public school children’s gains in reading scores from the fall to spring of the kindergarten year.

16 Jun 2010
Policy Brief

California Infant/Toddler Early Learning and Care Needs Assessment: A Policy Brief

There are several challenges to assessing the quality and adequacy of early learning services for children in California. The purpose of this policy brief is to improve the knowledge base on the utilization, quality, and access to early learning and care services for infants and toddlers in California.
Project

Early Language and Literacy Classroom Evaluation

The Ohio Department of Education wanted to assess the quality of the literacy instruction received by students in state-funded early learning and preschool programs and to provide teachers with information to improve their practice. AIR conducted more than 1,400 observations of early learning environments across the state using the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Toolkit.
Project

Reading First Ohio

The Reading First Ohio (RFO) initiative was designed to implement scientifically based research on best practices in literacy instruction to ensure that all children are able to read by the end of third grade. With our partner Westat, AIR evaluation team designed an evaluation of this statewide initiative that monitored program implementation and program effectiveness.

Project

Elementary and Middle Schools Technical Assistance Center

The Elementary and Middle Schools Technical Assistance Center (EMSTAC) was a five year contract between the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). It was funded from 1997-2001.

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Project

UNICEF: Child-to-Child Pilot Evaluation

Although increasing numbers of children are enrolling in primary school in low- and middle-income countries, many enter late, fail to progress, and drop out. A child-to-child approach to enhancing learning in developing countries is designed to provide preschool-aged children with early learning opportunities in their homes and their communities at very low cost. AIR evaluated this approach in Bangladesh, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Tajikistan, and Yemen.

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Project

First 5 Los Angeles Family Literacy Initiative Evaluation

The First 5 LA Family Literacy Initiative is a comprehensive program to promote language and literacy development, parenting knowledge and skills, and economic self-sufficiency among low-income families. AIR has worked with First 5 LA since the beginning of the initiative to evaluate its implementation and overall effectiveness.

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Project

The Preschool Research and Technical Assistance Project for the David and Lucile Packard Foundation

The purpose of the five-year Preschool Research and Technical Assistance Project for the David and Lucile Packard Foundation has been to offer research-based technical assistance to state and local entities on how to phase in access to high-quality preschool to all children in California, beginning in the neighborhoods with the greatest need.
Project

Evaluation of Early Childhood Programs for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

The goal of this project is to assist NAEYC to revise and improve their existing tools and processes for accreditation of early childhood programs.

Project

National Head Start Impact Study

The National Head Start Impact Study is a longitudinal study that will involve approximately 5,000 - 6,000 three- and four-year-old preschool children across an estimated 75 nationally representative grantee/delegate agencies in communities where there are more eligible children and families than can be served by the program.

10 May 2009
Policy Brief

Preschool Supply and Demand in the State of California

Unlike the K-12 school system, the preschool system does not maintain unique child identifiers, making it difficult to impossible to track children’s enrollment in child care. This needs assessment of preschool supply and demand in the state of California uses existing public data sources to estimate, by county and zip code, the population of preschool children and the number enrolled in publicly contracted and privately operated programs.
10 Apr 2009
Policy Brief

Financing a Full-Day, Full-Year Preschool Program in California: Strategies and Recommendations

In California, the demand for full-day, full-year early care and education programs has grown over time due to changing family needs. The purpose of this policy brief is specifically to address the financing issues involved in providing full-day, full-year preschool programs.
10 Apr 2009
Policy Brief

First 5 Power of Preschool: Lessons from an Experiment in Tiered Reimbursement

In 2003, First 5 California approved $100 million to establish the Power of Preschool (PoP) Demonstration Program to expand access but also to provide financial incentives to improve the quality of preschool. This brief addresses what lessons can be learned from the PoP demonstration projects to help inform the development of reimbursement rates, not only for the potential continuation of the First 5-funded programs, but also for other publicly financed efforts designed to serve preschool children.
Project

Olean Early Reading First

Olean City School District in New York began implementing an Early Reading First (ERF) program in 2009–10. The goals of the program are to improve prekindergarten literacy instruction, support improvement in the literacy environment in students’ homes, and facilitate the transition of students between preschool and kindergarten. AIR is conducting a three-year evaluation of the Olean ERF program to track progress in program implementation and assess the program’s impact on teacher practice and student achievement.

1 Dec 2008
Brief

Issue Brief: 1.5 Million Homeschooled Students in the United States in 2007

This Issue Brief provides estimates of the number and percentage of homeschooled students in the United States in 2007 and compares these estimates to those from 1999 and 2003.

1 Dec 2008
Report

Expectations and Reports of Homework for Public School Students in the First, Third, and Fifth Grades

This Issue Brief reports that the amount of reading and mathematics homework that students' teachers expected them to complete on a typical evening generally increased from first grade to fifth grade. Children in schools with higher percentages of minority students had teachers who expected more homework on a typical evening compared to children in lower minority schools. In addition, in all three grades, larger percentages of Black, Asian, and Hispanic children than White children had parents who reported that their child did homework five or more times a week.

1 Dec 2008
Report

Expectations and Reports of Homework for Public School Students in the First, Third, and Fifth Grades

This Issue Brief reports that the amount of reading and mathematics homework that students' teachers expected them to complete on a typical evening generally increased from first grade to fifth grade. Children in schools with higher percentages of minority students had teachers who expected more homework on a typical evening compared to children in lower minority schools. In addition, in all three grades, larger percentages of Black, Asian, and Hispanic children than White children had parents who reported that their child did homework five or more times a week.

Project

Wisconsin Responsive Education for All Children Initiative (REACh)

The Wisconsin Responsive Education for All Children (REACh) initiative was launched in 2006 to create a framework for implementation of early intervening services and response to intervention (RTI). The initiative provided small competitive grants to a limited number of schools within the state to implement this framework. AIR was subsequently awarded the contract to conduct a formative evaluation of the new Wisconsin RTI Center.

Project

Wisconsin Reading First

The Wisconsin Reading First program, a federally funded K–3 literacy improvement initiative, was implemented with the goal of improving student reading achievement through the provision of targeted professional development on scientifically based reading research practices, high-quality materials, training, and instructional support. The evaluation tracked program implementation through classroom observations, teacher surveys, and interviews.
1 Sep 2008
Report

Eighth Grade: First Findings From the Final Round of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K)

This First Look used data collected from the final round of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) when most of the cohort was in the eighth grade. This project was intended to provide a snapshot of the eighth-grade round of the ECLS-K and make the data available to encourage more in-depth analysis using more sophisticated statistical methods.

3 Jun 2008
Report

Characteristics of the 100 Largest Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts in the United States

This report is released annually and provides basic information from the Common Core of Data (CCD) about the nation's largest public school districts. The data include such characteristics as the number of students and teachers, number of high school completers and the averaged freshman graduation rate, and revenues and expenditures.

16 Apr 2008
Report

Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2005-06 (Fiscal Year 2006)

The Common Core of Data (CCD) is an annual collection of public elementary and secondary education data administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and its collection agent, the U.S. Census Bureau. Data for CCD surveys are provided by state education agencies (SEAs). This report presents findings on public education revenues and expenditures using fiscal year 2006 (FY 06) data from the National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS) of the CCD survey system. Programs covered in the NPEFS include regular, special, and vocational education; charter schools (if they reported data to the SEA); and state-run education programs (such as special education centers or education programs for incarcerated youth).  

7 Mar 2008 | 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Event

AIR Staff Has a Major Presence at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association

More than 60 staff members of the American Institutes for Research (AIR) have been selected to participate in this year's annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), which will be held in New York City on March 24-28, 2008.

15 Nov 2007
Policy Brief

Estimating the Cost of Preschool for All in California: A Policy Brief

States have traditionally limited public expenditures for preschool programs to children from low-income families or those with disabilities. The Packard Foundation awarded collaborative grants to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and AIR to estimate the cost of a preschool program that would be accessible to all four-year-olds in California. This policy brief summarizes the findings from that project.
21 Oct 2007
Report

Preschool: First Findings From the Third Follow-up of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort

The first report from the third wave of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), a study of children born in 2001.

1 Jul 2007
Brief

Demographic and School Characteristics of Students Receiving Special Education in the Elementary Grades

This Issue Brief provides information about elementary school students receiving special education in kindergarten, first grade, third grade, and fifth grade. Data are drawn from the ECLS-K.
17 Apr 2007
Report

Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2004-05 (Fiscal Year 2005)

The Common Core of Data (CCD) is an annual collection of public elementary and secondary education data administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and its collection agent, the U.S. Census Bureau. Data for CCD surveys are provided by state education agencies (SEAs). This report presents findings on public education revenues and expenditures using fiscal year (FY) 2005 data from the National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS) of the CCD survey system. Programs covered in the NPEFS include regular, special, and vocational education; charter schools (if they reported data to the SEA); and state-run education programs (such as special education centers or education programs for incarcerated youth).  

9 Apr 2007
Report

Children’s Self-Report About Their Social-Emotional Development from Third to Fifth Grade: Findings from the ECLS-K

This paper uses longitudinal self-report data from a nationally representative data set to explore the relationships between self-perceptions of peer relationships and problem behaviors measured at the end of the third and fifth grades and various socio-demographic characteristics and academic performance.
1 Mar 2007
Brief

Timing and Duration of Student Participation in Special Education in the Primary Grades

This Issue Brief reports the timing of entry into special education and the number of grades in which students receive special education across the primary grades. Data come from the ECLS-K.

28 Nov 2006
Report

Children Born in 2001: First Results from the Base Year of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)

This report provides descriptive information about children born in the United States in 2001. It presents information on certain child and family characteristics, on children’s mental and physical skills, on children’s first experiences in child care, and on the fathers of these children.

7 Nov 2006
Report

An Historical Overview of Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education, by State: Fiscal Years 1990-2002

This report provides an overview of data from the CCD. Nonfiscal data are presented for school year 2004–05 (except high school completion data, which are for school year 2003–04), and fiscal data are presented for school year 2003–04 (fiscal year 2004).1 For all surveys, the U.S. totals presented in the tables and in the text include only the 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

Project

Early Learning Needs Assessment Tool

Assessing access to early care and education is a key first step in any policy improvement initiative. In part because of the diverse delivery system for early childhood programs in the U.S., there is no single source of data on the availability of programs much less on the enrollment in those programs. AIR’s Early Learning Needs Assessment Tool allows users to create custom reports by county and California legislative district, with zip code detail, regarding the supply of and demand for early care and education.
21 Sep 2006
Report

The Early Reading and Mathematics Achievement of Children Who Repeated Kindergarten or Who Began School a Year Late

This Statistics in Brief examines the association between kindergarten enrollment status (e.g., repeating kindergarten or delaying entry into kindergarten) and children’s first grade reading and mathematics achievement, using data from the ECLS-K.

21 Aug 2006
Report

Findings From the 2-Year-Old Follow-up of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort

This First Look uses the second wave of data from the ECLS-B, a study of children born in the year 2001.

1 Aug 2006
Report

Age 2: Findings From the 2-Year-Old Follow-up of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)

This First Look uses the second wave of data from the ECLS-B, a study of children born in the year 2001. It provides descriptive information about these children when they were about 2 years old, presenting information on selected child and family characteristics.

21 Jul 2006
Report

Fathers of U.S. Children Born in 2001: Findings from ECLS-B

This First Look presents information about the biological fathers of children born in the United States in the year 2001.

1 Jun 2006
Report

Arts Instruction of Public School Students in the First and Third Grades

This Issue Brief uses information from teachers to examine the changes over time from first to third grade in how often young children are exposed to arts education in the general classroom. The brief looks at differences in these characteristics by level of poverty and/or urbanicity of the school.

21 Mar 2006
Report

Instructional Focus in First Grade

This Issue Brief uses data from the ECLS-K to examine how often per week and how much time per day first-graders were instructed in subjects such as reading, mathematics, and science. It also focuses in more detail on students’ in-class work in reading and language arts.

1 Mar 2006
Report

Fifth Grade: Findings From The Fifth-Grade Follow-up of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K)

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 (ECLS-K) is following a nationally representative cohort of children from kindergarten and into the later grades. The ECLS-K focuses on children’s school experiences beginning with kindergarten.

1 Mar 2006
Report

Teacher Qualifications, Instructional Practices, and Reading and Mathematics Gains of Kindergartners

This report explores relationships between kindergarten teachers' reports of their qualifications and instructional practices and direct assessments of children's reading and mathematics achievement during the kindergarten year. The study estimated the degree to which specific aspects of teacher training—the teaching credential and coursework in pedagogy—and teaching experience were associated with student achievement.

14 Feb 2006
Report

Public Elementary and Secondary Students, Staff, Schools, and School Districts: School Year 2003-04

This report presents information about public elementary and secondary education for the 2003–04 school year. The data were provided by state education agencies through the Common Core of Data (CCD) survey system.

Project

Process Evaluation of Preschool for All (PFA), San Mateo and San Francisco Counties

Since 2004, San Francisco expanded preschool access for children in San Francisco County, regardless of family income through its Preschool for All (PFA) initiative. In December 2005, AIR began a joint process evaluation to assess the implementation of PFA in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. The process evaluation was designed to investigate and document the implementation and the preliminary impacts of PFA on children, families, providers, and the community.
28 Sep 2005
Presentation

Long-Term Educational Outcomes of Children in the Positive Education Program’s Early Childhood Centers

Slides from a presentation on September 28, 2005 to the Advisory Board for the Long Term Outcomes for Children Receiving Preschool Intervention for Behavioral and Developmental Concerns Project in Cleveland, OH.
1 Jun 2005
Report

Regional Differences in Kindergartners’ Early Education Experiences

This report describes kindergartners’ early education experiences in each of the four regions of the United States. Findings from this report indicate that kindergartners’ preschool experiences and kindergarten program type vary by the regions in which their schools are located and by the regional characteristics of these kindergartners, their families, and their schools.

15 Apr 2005
Report

Relationships Between Family Risks and Children’s Reading and Mathematics Growth from Kindergarten Through Third Grade

This paper explores whether kindergartners’ reading and mathematics gains over the first 4 years of school are more strongly associated with particular risk factors alone or in combination, as opposed to the cumulative number of family risk factors a child experiences. Second, the analysis makes use of the reading and mathematics data collected at 4 time points to describe achievement growth over time, rather than using scores from two time points as a measure of academic gain.

27 Jan 2005
Report

Effects of Outdoor Education Programs for Children in California

AIR conducted an evaluation to measure the impacts of week-long residential outdoor education programs for at-risk sixth graders in California. As described by California Assembly Bill (AB) Number 1330, Chapter 663, the Outdoor Environmental Education Program is designed to "foster stewardship of the environment and an appreciation of the importance of the wise use of natural resources."

26 Mar 2000
Report

Early Intervention in Children’s Mental Health

This article introduces basic definitions and concepts important in discussions of early intervention for children with, or at risk for developing, emotional or behavioral disorders.

1 Feb 2000
Report

America's Kindergartners

This report provides national data on children’s skills, knowledge, and experiences as they enter kindergarten for the first time. The data are the first findings from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99.

16 Jun 1999
Report

Resources in Education: From Accounting to the Resource Cost Model Approach

Review of two approaches to measurement of resources in education: an accounting approach and a resource-based approach.

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Gabriele Fain

Gabriele Fain

Principal Researcher and Practice Area Director

Eboni Howard

Managing Researcher

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