- FPG experts will be presenting at meetings around the world. Visit the FPG website for a complete list of upcoming presentations.
- Visit the FPG websitefor the latest news on FPG projects.
When selecting a pre-kindergarten, families often have to forego considerations of quality education for more practical needs, such as location, school-home collaboration and provisions such as meals.
The findings are from a new national study by the FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which examined how parents of children in publicly funded pre-kindergarten (pre-K) programs define quality and select programs. The paper appears in the December 2006 issue of the journal "Early Education and Development."
"More states are publicly funding pre-K programs. This study suggests that states need to consider parents' perspectives about quality when they design their programs," said Dr. Oscar A. Barbarin, lead author of the study.
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Does music have the power to transform? For children with autism it just might. A study to be published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders showed that when two children with autism were greeted by their teacher with a song highlighting the morning routine, their ability to independently complete that routine increased. Songs helped the children enter the classroom, greet the teacher and classmates, and engage in play.
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A doctoral student in the School of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) has received the James J. Gallagher Dissertation Award for her research into early childhood professional development and program quality.
Eva Mamak will use the $1,500 award to assist her study of the Partners for Literacy curriculum, which was used in a recent national evaluation of the Even Start program. Her dissertation examines how well teachers can immediately use a curriculum in the classroom after receiving training; does on-site consultation and follow-up training improve implementation of the curriculum; and what factors encourage teachers to use a curriculum as it was designed.
The Gallagher Award honors Dr. Jim Gallagher, who was director of FPG from 1970 to 1987 and continues his research at the institute. Gallagher’s work over the years has focused on children at both ends of the developmental spectrum—those with disabilities or at-risk conditions and those who are gifted.
FPG employees also were honored. Maggie Connolly, Director of the FPG Child Care Program and Allen Ryan, an FPG Data Manager received the James J. Gallagher Award in recognition of their exemplary attitude and commitment to the FPG community.
A new report by the National Prekindergarten Center provides a detailed picture of the nation’s early childhood teacher preparation programs.
In 2004, researchers conducted a national survey of programs that prepare individuals to educate and care for children from birth through age four. Most two-year and four-year colleges and universities with programs were included. In additional to a national report, there are reports for 45 states that had at least five early childhood teacher preparation programs and a response rate large enough to be considered representative of the state (75% or higher).
The reports provide basic descriptive information about program, faculty, and student characteristics of early childhood teacher preparation programs. It updates the groundbreaking study of the 1999 National Center for Early Development & Learning that provided the first nationally representative data on the goals, capacity, supports and challenges of early childhood teacher preparation programs.
View the report.
The phrase “evidence-based practice” is becoming standard vocabulary in the early childhood field, yet there is no consensus on its definition. The authors of a new book, Evidence-Based Practice in the Early Childhood Field, propose a definition of the concept and discuss how it can help early educators, special educators, child care professionals, and others to transform the services provided to children and families. A companion article in the fall 2006 issue of Young Exceptional Children also outlines the foundation of this new movement.
Evidence-Based Practice in the Early Childhood Field is edited by Virginia Buysse and Patricia W. Wesley from the FPG Child Development Institute at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is published by Zero to Three Press. Mary Ruth Coleman and Pamela Winton from FPG Child Development Institute contributed chapters.
“Evidence-Based Practice: What does it really mean for the early childhood field?” appears in the fall 2006 issue of Young Exceptional Children. Authors are Virginia Buysse, Patricia W. Wesley, and Pamela Winton from the FPG Child Development Institute and Patricia Snyder from Vanderbilt University.
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