The following research reports and policy briefs support our efforts to identify policy solutions that can increase access to effective educational and professional development opportunities.

Learning Together: A Study of Six B.A. Completion Cohort Programs in Early Care and Education (Year 4 Report)

By Fran Kipnis, Marcy Whitebook, Mirella Almaraz, Laura Sakai and Lea J.E. Austin

The Year 4 interviews of the Learning Together study reveal that two to three years post degree, nearly 95 percent of graduates remain in the early care and education (ECE) field, and that graduates overwhelmingly report personal, professional and educational benefits as a result of their B.A. degree cohort program. Specifically, graduates report that structural aspects of their B.A. program, such as financial aid and flexible class schedules, were important to their educational success, that the cohort experience continues to provide them with professional support, and that as a result of their degree attainment they now earn more, have advanced in their careers, and continue to explore educational opportunities. Graduates also identified several important areas for programmatic improvement, such as expanding coursework to include ECE public policy and classes on working with adults.  They also discuss workplace characteristics that support or impede their abilities to engage in good practice and to continue to develop their skills.

Executive Summary (pdf)

Full Report (pdf)

Read more information about the Learning Together project, or read the Year 1 report, Year 2 report, or Year 3 report.


Posted 2012.


By Default or By Design? Variations in Higher Education Programs for Early Care and Education Teachers and Their Implications for Research Methodology, Policy, and Practice

By Marcy Whitebook, Lea J.E. Austin, Sharon Ryan, Fran Kipnis, Mirella Almaraz, and Laura Sakai

Understanding how higher education contributes to teacher performance is a complex undertaking. It requires identifying which variations in program content and delivery are most relevant to student learning and teacher practice with young children. This necessitates appropriate research methodologies that can illuminate key program variations, which are re essential for generating solid evidence to inform policy and practice.

By Default or By Design? Variations in Higher Education Programs for Early Care and Education Teachers and Their Implications for Research Methodology, Policy, and Practice draws upon a case study of two early childhood B.A. completion cohort programs in order to illuminate the limitations of current ways of conceptualizing and studying early childhood teacher education. Focusing on four dimensions— program content, clinical experiences, faculty characteristics, and institutional context—we examine challenges encountered and lessons learned in seeking to understand differences in educational experiences among students attending these two programs. We then offer a series of recommendations for more nuanced ways of describing and evaluating the quality of higher education programs for early care and education practitioners.

Executive summary (pdf)

Full report (pdf)

Posted 2012.


Degrees in Context: Asking the Right Questions about Preparing Skilled and Effective Teachers of Young Children

The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and the National Institute for Early Education Research have jointly published a NIEER Policy Brief, Degrees in Context: Asking the Right Questions about Preparing Skilled and Effective Teachers of Young Children. In this Policy Brief, Marcy Whitebook and Sharon Ryan argue that too much attention has been given to debating the baseline qualifications required of preschool teachers – AA vs. BA. They contend that it is just as necessary to take into account the nature of the education teachers receive en route to a degree, supports for ongoing learning, and the effects of the workplace environment on teaching practice. 

Policy Brief (pdf)

Posted 2011.


Learning Together: A Study of Six B.A. Completion Cohort Programs in Early Care and Education (Year 3 Report)

By Marcy Whitebook, Fran Kipnis, Laura Sakai, and Mirella Almaraz

The Year 3 interviews of the Learning Together study reveal that the vast majority of students successfully graduated from their B.A. cohort program. Year 3 interviews focused on two issues of concern about higher education programs – the practicum experiences for employed students and the adequacy of attention to working with children from linguistically diverse backgrounds. The graduates overwhelmingly reported that their B.A. classes provided them with skills and strategies needed to communicate with children who speak a language other than their own. While the majority of students reported that their practicum experiences helped them do a better job at their workplace, they also identified several areas for improvement. The Year 3 study also reports on the graduates’ perspectives about support at their jobs for ongoing learning and any changes in employment and/or compensation upon completing their degree.

Executive Summary (pdf)

Full Report (pdf)

Read more information about the Learning Together project, or read the Year 1 report, or Year 2 report.

Posted 2011.


Learning Together: A Study of Six B.A. Completion Cohort Programs in Early Care and Education (Year 2 Report)

By Marcy Whitebook, Laura Sakai, Fran Kipnis, Dan Bellm, and Mirella Almaraz

During the Year 2 interviews of the Learning Together study, the students resoundingly reported that the cohort model enabled them to access and succeed in a B.A.-level education in a way that would not otherwise have been possible. The students reported progress in overcoming the challenges described in the Year 1 report, and decreasing their reliance on some of the program supports as they progressed through the program. The students also identified the importance of employer support in successfully pursuing their educational goals.

Download the Year 2 report (pdf)

Read more information about the Learning Together project, or read the Year 1 report or Year 3 report.

Posted 2010.


Preparing Teachers of Young Children: The Current State of Knowledge, and a Blueprint for the Future

By Marcy Whitebook, Deanna Gomby, Dan Bellm, Laura Sakai, and Fran Kipnis

This two-part paper examines the early care and education (ECE) and K-12 research literature in depth to assess the current state of knowledge about the effective preparation of excellent teachers, and charts a research and policy agenda for the future.

» Executive summary (pdf)

» Comparison of K-12 and Early Care and Education Systems (pdf)

Part I: Teacher Preparation and Professional Development in Grades K-12 and in Early Care and Education: Differences and Similarities, and Implications for Research (pdf)
Part I summarizes the differences between the K-12 and the early care and education fields. We found more than enough similarities to warrant a close consideration of the combined wisdom of both fields.

Part II: Effective Teacher Preparation in Early Care and Education: Toward a Comprehensive Research Agenda (pdf)
Part II contains an in-depth review of our ECE and K-12 teacher preparation research and outlines what remains to be learned. It concludes with a set of key recommendations for research and policy.

Posted 2009.


Learning Together: A Study of Six B.A. Completion Cohort Programs in Early Care and Education (Year I Report)

by Marcy Whitebook, Laura Sakai, Fran Kipnis, Mirella Almaraz, Esther Suarez, and Dan Bellm
 
 

 

This report presents the Year 1 findings of the Learning Together study, in which the research team conducted extensive interviews with over 90 percent of the 124 student cohort members, and with 13 administrators and faculty members. The report highlights the striking congruence between the student and institutional perspectives on aspects of the B.A. completion cohort programs that were working well, and on the adjustments or improvements that were still needed.

Download the report (pdf)

Read more information about the Learning Together project, or read the Year 2 report or Year 3 report.

Posted 2008.


Early Childhood Educator Competencies: A Literature Review of Current Best Practices, and a Public Input Process on Next Steps for California

Editor, Dan Bellm

By request from First 5 California and with support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, we conducted an extensive literature review in 2007 on current best practices across the United States for defining early childhood educator competencies—the appropriate knowledge and skills for working effectively with young children. We also solicited feedback broadly from California’s early care and education field on the appropriate structure and content of such competencies for our state. This report compiles our research and the input received from the field.

Download the report (pdf)

Posted 2008.