Principal Investigator
Dr. Maxwell is Principal Investigator for the North Carolina School Readiness Assessment and lead author of the report North Carolina's Kindergartners & Schools. She served on the Ready for School Goal Team and was a principal author of the goal team's report, School Readiness in North Carolina: Strategies for Defining, Measuring, and Promoting Success for All Children. Dr. Maxwell co-leads the evaluation of Smart Start, North Carolina's early childhood initiative. Her primary research and evaluation interests include school readiness, developmentally appropriate practices in preschool and the early elementary grades, and evaluation of early childhood initiatives.
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Bryant is Co-Principal Investigator for the North Carolina School Readiness Assessment and author of the report North Carolina's Kindergartners & Schools. She served on the Ready for School Goal Team and was a contributor to the goal team's report, School Readiness in North Carolina: Strategies for Defining, Measuring, and Promoting Success for All Children. Dr. Bryant co-directs the National Center for Early Development and Learning based at UNC-CH and funded by the U.S. Office of Educational Research and Improvement. She has conducted statewide studies of North Carolina's kindergarten and public preschool programs and currently leads the evaluation of Smart Start. Dr. Bryant also has directed several studies of early intervention and prevention for children at risk for developmental disabilities, recently focusing on Head Start. Current studies with Head Start include the Head Start Quality Research Consortium and a study of mental health interventions for teachers and parents of children with problems of aggression.
Project Coordinator
Ms. Ridley is Project Coordinator for the North Carolina School Readiness Assessment and author of the report North Carolina's Kindergartners & Schools. She previously coordinated a federally funded research study investigating child care quality and young children's engagement behavior. Her primary research interests include school readiness, early childhood care and education, and children's engagement.
