Early Childhood
Program Manager - Donna SpikerA variety of programs and social policies have been designed to promote the healthy development of young children. SRI’s Early Childhood Program focuses on applying the tools of research and evaluation to examine critical issues related to implementation and effectiveness of these programs and policies. Studies address a range of developmental and family outcomes and examine a variety of service delivery models, including home-based, center-based, and community-based programs. Many of the studies are multisite, involve large-scale data collection (including child assessment), and include complex statistical analyses.
Our studies have focused on prevention efforts designed to promote optimal development of children, especially those at risk due to biological factors, such as a disability, or environmental factors, such as poverty or having a teen parent. The role of the family as a critical influence on children’s development is a key feature of our research. We consider children in the context of their families and communities and examine the experiences of both children and families in our work.
Our key areas of expertise include
- Child development and school readiness
- Developmental screening and assessment
- Early care and education (ECE) programs
- Early intervention and preschool special education
- Home visiting and parent support programs
- Child care subsidy policies
- Quality rating and improvement systems
- ECE professional development
- Early childhood initiatives and systems change efforts
- Early childhood accountability systems
Current Projects
- Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center
- Early Intervention Graduates at Kindergarten: Analyses of Outcomes from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study
- ENHANCE: Promoting Quality Child Outcomes Data
- Evaluation of FIRST 5 Santa Clara County
- First 5 San Mateo’s Special Needs Project Evaluation Services
- Secondary Analysis of Head Start Data
- Partnerships with States to Develop Early Childhood Outcome Measurement Systems (Colorado, Florida, Hawaii)
- Evaluation of the Illinois Early Childhood Block Grant Programs
- Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program Evaluation
- Evaluation of Ready Schools Florida
- Evaluation of the Minnesota Department of Human Services' Child Care Assistance Program School Readiness Connections Project
Past Projects
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