Regression discontinuity (RD) designs have gained significant popularity as a quasi-experimental device for evaluating education programs and policies. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of RD designs, focusing on the continuity-based framework, the most widely adopted RD framework. We first review the fundamental aspects of RD…

Purpose: In the pre-school period, an active sense of curiosity, the most important developmental feature of children, is directed toward sexuality. In this context, it was aimed to develop a questionnaire to measure the sexual knowledge of children and to develop a sexuality education program based on the information level on sexual issues, and…

Ongoing professional development is a critical component of high-quality early childhood education systems. To guide the content of such professional development, teacher and classroom quality assessments are often used. These assessments generally address universal or tier 1 instruction but omit information to guide teachers' practices to support…

Background/Context: For decades, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers have sought to improve the quality of early childhood education (ECE) to foster equitable experiences for young children. States are increasingly investing in evidence-based professional development programs for teachers, including practice-based coaching and early…

Recent advances in policy development and professional practice in the field of early learning and child care have led to the expectation that it is appropriate and advantageous to include children with disabilities and extra support needs in early child care and learning programs. Yet, to date, evidence-based research on the effects of…

Purpose: Oral language skills provide a critical foundation for formal education and especially for the development of children's literacy (reading and spelling) skills. It is therefore important for teachers to be able to assess children's language skills, especially if they are concerned about their learning. We report the development and…

The long-term goal of the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and other federal and state early intervention and early childhood education initiatives is improved child and family outcomes. States play a critical role in supporting practitioners in the use of evidence-based practices to improve child and family outcomes. When practitioners…

Western European countries have made impressive gender equality (GE) progress in education during the last few decades. Unfortunately, the implementation of gender mainstreaming (GM) in higher education has not been satisfactory. This paper describes a survey-based research study designed to explore student teachers' perceptions of training for GE…

The ABC Quality program, South Carolina's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), is a statewide system designed to improve the quality of early care and education services. Historically, two observation instruments are used for centers that elect to participate in the state's voluntary QRIS depending on the level of quality for which they…

For young Spanish-speaking children entering U. S. schools, it is imperative that educators foster growth in the home language and in the language of instruction to the fullest extent possible. Monitoring language development over time is crucial for promoting language development because it allows educators to individualize student instruction.…

Given the importance of math in today's society, it is critical that children who are at risk for math difficulty are identified early. We developed and validated a prekindergarten math subtest (i.e., CIRCLE Progress Monitoring [CPM] Math Subtest). This teacher-completed measure evaluates domains considered important for later math development.…

The goal of this study is to develop a Guidance Qualification Scale for Preschool Teachers and examine the validity and reliability of the scale. The research was conducted with 374 teachers working in preschools in Istanbul and they were chosen by the random sampling method. Factor analysis was carried out for the construct validity of the scale.…

Building on extensive feedback from the field as well as vigorous new research on how best to support infant and toddler development and learning, the authors have revised and updated the widely used "Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale." ITERS-3 is the next-generation assessment tool for use in center-based child care programs for…

The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Fourth Edition: Canadian (WPPSI-IVCDN; Wechsler, 2012), published by NCS Pearson, is a newly updated, individually administered measure of cognitive intelligence for children aged 2:6 through 7:7. Suitable for educational, clinical, and research settings, the purposes of the WPPSI-IVCDN are…

Family engagement is now recognized by early childhood educators as a critical component of early care and education (ECE) programs. This recognition stems from a body of research showing the important role of family engagement in children's early learning and development. While classroom quality assessments can help programs identify teaching…