Early Childhood Education
Our early childhood professionals offer skills and expertise across a broad spectrum of research issues. Recent studies have examined policy-relevant questions related to school readiness, emerging literacy, early childhood curricula, the impact of early care and education settings on academic outcomes, and parent and family involvement.
Our methodologies have included surveys using computer-assisted interviewing (CAI) technology, self-administered paper and pencil measures, direct child assessments, and observational studies in a variety of classroom and care settings. Our experts are highly experienced, not only in study design and execution, but in analyzing, preparing, and communicating study results for any type of audience, from federal sponsors to academic working groups to parents and teachers.
Focus Areas
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Early childhood curricula
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School readiness
Capabilities
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Program evaluation
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Longitudinal studies and randomized experimental designs
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Data coordination
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Training in assessments for child, family, home, and classroom-based environments
Projects
- National Fragile X Survey (2006 to present). The National Fragile X survey was conducted in 2008 with families who have a child with fragile X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome is the most common known inherited cause of mental retardation. The goal of the survey was to better understand how having a child with fragile X affects family life. More than 1,200 families shared information on a wide-range of topics including their child’s functional skills, health and nutrition, education and special services, and the families’ experiences with finding out about fragile X syndrome. Preliminary results are available on our Web site at https://fragileX.rti.org/USresults.
- Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B): The Preschool Year and the Kindergarten Year (April 2003 to present). ECLS is a longitudinal study of children's health, development, care, and education during the formative years from birth through kindergarten entry and is intended to provide information that will inform policy regarding young children, their families and schools, and early care and education. ECLS comprises a birth cohort and a kindergarten cohort.
- Legacy for ChildrenTM (October 1994 to present). Legacy for Children is a set of child development research projects conducted in two locations in the United States. RTI is developing and implementing the research procedures for collection of all mother and child outcome data, conducting a comprehensive process evaluation of the fidelity of the program, and conducting a detailed analysis of the annual and cumulative costs of the interventions as implemented at the two sites. Client: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research (completed). Findings may be accessed at ies.ed.gov/ncer/pubs/20082009/index.asp.
- National Evaluation of Safe Schools/Healthy Students (completed).
rti.org