The current study aimed to identify predictors of depression for early care and education (ECE) teachers before and at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using large-scale statewide survey data collected during December 2019-February 2020 (N = 1156) and May 2020 (N = 760), we examined the extent to which ECE teachers' socio-demographic, professional, and work environment characteristics were predictive of depression scores before the pandemic, and how these factors, coupled with COVID-19 stressors, predicted change during the beginning of the pandemic, controlling for pre-COVID-19 variables. Before the pandemic, results showed that ECE teachers' work hours, child age group taught, and perception of job demands uniquely predicted greater depression, whereas teachers' age, identifying as Latine, and perception of job support uniquely predicted lower depression. Our results also showed that there was a significant mean increase in depression from pre to post pandemic, and that work hours, job demands, and income worry were each predictive of greater increases in depression. Finally, teachers who were from specific BIPOC groups had less increase in depression compared to White teachers. Implications of these findings on the ECE teacher workforce as well as recommendations for policy and practice are discussed.

The study sought to understand the general trajectory of children's executive function, as well as whether there was heterogeneity among monolingual English-speaking and dual language learning children in their growth of executive function. In addition, the study examined whether monolingual English-speaking and dual language learning children demonstrated different developmental trajectories in their executive function development. Two executive function measures, the Peg Tapping and the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task, were used in the study. Findings of 122 children (Mean age = 3.68 years; 57% monolingual English speaking, 43% dual language learning) showed there was linear growth on children's executive function. Both monolingual English-speaking and dual language learning children varied significantly in their initial level of executive function and in their growth rate of executive function over time. In addition, monolingual English-speaking children demonstrated higher initial levels of executive function than dual language learners, while dual language learning children showed a faster rate of growth in executive function measured by the Peg Tapping test.

Insufficient wages and unequal pay create challenges in attracting and retaining highquality early educators, critical for young children’s success in early care and education (ECE) programs. While ECE professional wages are already lower than similar workers, there may be wage disparities based on race/ethnicity and gender within the workforce. To examine whether hourly wages were associated with race/ethnicity and gender after considering demographic and professional characteristics, this study used a nationally representative sample of 5,192 ECE professionals in the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) workforce survey. Multivariate regression analyses showed that compared to their White counterparts, Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, and other races, educators earned lower hourly wages. Additionally, this study revealed that the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender has a compounding effect on pay equity among early childhood educators. For example, the wage gap between Black/African American male and female educators is significant, with male educators earning higher hourly wages. Moreover, the study found that women of color, including Black, Hispanic/Latina, Asian, and other races, had the lowest average hourly wages compared to other ECE workers. Additionally, the study’s results indicate that Black and Hispanic/Latino men had higher average hourly wages than women of color but lower average hourly wages than white women. The study explored possible reasons for these findings and their implications for policies and support.

Early childhood teachers’ work with very young children is rewarding yet physically and mentally taxing. The challenge of being an early childhood teacher does not end there—ECE programs offer the lowest wages among similarly educated workers (half of kindergarten teacher pay). Teacher turnover in early childhood education (ECE) stands at three times that in K-12 settings. In this study, we surveyed 4,018 ECE lead and assistant teachers in Washington state to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on already strained early childhood teachers. Analysis of this data found that the mean incidence of depression symptoms increased by 37%, and the probability of crossing the diagnostic threshold into probable depression increased by 96.4%. To explore potential determinants of this problem, we have applied the framework of self-determination theory (SDT) to test the hypothesis that fraught parent-teacher relationships may have contributed to ECE teachers’ deteriorated well-being. This hypothesis was found to be consistent with the data. We have subsequently tested the hypothesis that family engagement (FE) may improve parent-teacher relationships, and this hypothesis was borne out by the data. Our study suggests that early childhood teachers’ experiences are consistent with the predictions of the SDT, making it a potentially useful framework for understanding early childhood teachers’ well-being.

Language skills are vital to children's learning and well-being, and the first 5 years of life are an especially critical time for language acquisition. Research suggests that when early childhood teachers create language-rich environments, children develop stronger receptive and expressive language abilities, especially children from low-income households who are more at risk for language delays. This study investigated the effects of a 10-week professional learning intervention focused on language-based interactions in early care and education settings that serve infants and toddlers on state childcare subsidy. The intervention with childcare providers was titled Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND), which utilized video-based reflective practices to promote positive interactions between providers and children. Using a treatment–control design (control: n = 44; treatment: n = 42), we compared childcare providers' language practices. Provider language use was measured using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA), a wearable digital language processer. Results indicate that, as compared with the control group, FIND participation was associated with increased adult word count and conversational turns in facilities that serve the most vulnerable children. These results suggest the utility of video-based professional learning and automated data collection for supporting providers' positive interactions and improving the quality of infant/toddler programs.

Language skills are vital to children's learning and well-being, and the first 5 years of life are an especially critical time for language acquisition. Research suggests that when early childhood teachers create language-rich environments, children develop stronger receptive and expressive language abilities, especially children from low-income households who are more at risk for language delays. This study investigated the effects of a 10-week professional learning intervention focused on language-based interactions in early care and education settings that serve infants and toddlers on state childcare subsidy. The intervention with childcare providers was titled Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND), which utilized video-based reflective practices to promote positive interactions between providers and children. Using a treatment-control design (control: n = 44; treatment: n = 42), we compared childcare providers' language practices. Provider language use was measured using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA), a wearable digital language processer. Results indicate that, as compared with the control group, FIND participation was associated with increased adult word count and conversational turns in facilities that serve the most vulnerable children. These results suggest the utility of video-based professional learning and automated data collection for supporting providers' positive interactions and improving the quality of infant/toddler programs.

Research Findings This study explores the inter-rater reliability of WaKIDS, Washington State’s kindergarten entry assessment (KEA). Specifically, we analyze (1) the extent to which teachers’ assessments are in agreement with a master code, (2) how often inaccurate assessment decisions lead to misidentification of school readiness, and (3) whether teacher characteristics influence the accuracy of teachers’ assessment decisions. We created four video portfolios of students with diverse identities and skill levels and asked 54 kindergarten teachers across Washington State to evaluate each portfolio using an online survey version of the WaKIDS assessment. Data were analyzed with calculation of agreement percentages, cut-point score analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results indicate that inter-rater reliability varies by developmental domain and is weaker for dual language learners and children with developmental delays. In addition, teachers’ professional experiences are significant predictors of agreement level. Practice or Policy: These results suggest a need for targeted professional development experiences for educators and further quantitative and qualitative investigation of kindergarten entry assessments. Ongoing evaluation and improvement of assessment tools across developmental domains and for diverse learners is crucial in order to strengthen the potential of KEAs for supporting all children’s learning and growth.

Gross motor and physical activity opportunities in early childhood are important for promoting health and development. We conducted two studies with the following aims: (1) to describe the quality of gross motor/physical activity early learning environments in Washington (WA) state, USA and (2) to study the relationship between the quality of gross motor/physical activity environments and various early learning outcomes. We used state-wide classroom quality measures related to gross motor activities from the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- Revised (N=1335 centres). For Aim 2, individual early learning assessments were conducted on 495 children from 72 centres in the fall and spring. We found considerable room for improvement in the space, equipment, schedule and supervision related to gross motor activities in child care centres. The quality of the gross motor environments was found to be related to desirable early learning outcomes including preschoolers' executive functions and behaviour.Abbreviations: ECERS-R: Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- Revised; QRIS: Quality Rating and Improvement System; WA: Washington

Teaching is regarded as one of the most challenging yet rewarding professions. Moreover, research has shown that stress and burnout are likely to undermine teacher effectiveness and negatively impact their willingness and intentions to implement evidence‐based practices. The present study sought to contribute to a growing body of research implicating the importance of teacher well‐being by evaluating the efficacy of a theoretically based training that integrates several practices into a single program (e.g., mindfulness, values clarification, gratitude practices, sleep hygiene, etc.) that are designed to promote the well‐being of teachers—the ACHIEVER Resilience Curriculum (ARC). To evaluate the ARC, a randomized block controlled study was conducted with pre–post measurement. Results from the study indicated that, compared with an active control group, teachers who participated in the ARC experienced significantly better outcomes, characterized by medium effect sizes, including reductions in job‐related stress, improvements in teaching self‐efficacy, and stronger intentions to implement evidence‐based classroom practices. The implications of these findings for teacher preparation and professional development, along with the limitations of the study, are discussed.

In this paper we describe the use of peer learning teams creating annotated video-based portfolios to improve the quality of teacher–child interactions of undergraduate majors in early childhood and family studies. We used the intentional teaching framework (Hamre et al. in Handbook of early education. Guilford Publications, New York, 2012a) to create a course that moved students through the process of “knowing,” “seeing,” “doing,” and “reflecting & improving.” Forty-four undergraduate early childhood students formed eleven peer learning teams of four. We started the course by teaching the teacher–child interaction skills that are considered to be high-quality and linked to positive child outcomes (knowing). After learning to reliably identify (seeing) high quality instruction using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, the students created video portfolios featuring their own adult-child interactions (doing). These portfolios, featuring short salient examples of six different dimensions of quality instruction, were posted to a website and shared with their peer learning team. Each team member then commented on the extent to which she or he believed the students’ example was high quality. The portfolios and the peer coaching learning team (PCLT) process have improved our ability to document change in interactions as well as the students’ abilities to see their own growth (reflecting & improving). Further, it allows us to tighten the connection between course content and practical application as well as providing us with an alternative to on-site supervision of practicum students, which can be challenging due to budget constraints. Finally, we hope that sharing this activity will encourage others to integrate video-based technology into their coursework as a means to demonstrate positive change in students’ learning.

Young children use social cues to guide their interactions with the world [1]. Yet, the influence of this proclivity on group level instruction has been relatively unexplored. Children's group activity is an arena in which peer behavior has the potential to amplify or alter teacher efforts [2][3]. Indeed, peer groups are informal arenas in which children process curricular content found in their classroom environments [4] (or introduced by teachers)[5]. Teacher cues impact the social dynamics of children's activity [6] and their representations of curricular activities [7]. And, early childhood educators can be trained to better facilitate group activity [8]. Despite these promising findings, the content of children's classroom activity is a latent variable in most analyses of preschool quality, children's classroom experiences, and learning outcomes.Our work uses a mixed-methods approach to examine children's activity at the group level, by characterizing the behavioral milestones-or early learning standards-evidenced during their interactions with teachers peers and materials across five domains of child development: Physical Health, Well-Being, and Motor Development Domain; Social-Emotional Development; Approaches Towards Learning; Cognition and General Knowledge; Language, Literacy and Communication. The distribution and diversity of standards serve as indicators of program success.We utilized this approach in conjunction with an established measure of classroom quality. We hypothesized that when the quality of teacher-child interactions was higher children's group activity would be more diverse. The direction of this relationship seems to be an implicit assumption in quality improvement efforts. However, we found a negative relationship suggesting that one of the functions of pedagogy may be to direct and focus children's activity [1]. We present a mixed-methods analysis that triangulates quantitative measures with qualitative field note descriptions of teacher-child interactions to examine the dynamics underlying different classroom profiles.Our work contributes to research on early learning assessment by offering a means of: (1) introducing standards in a way that allows teachers to have a choice in which standards they select, (2) examining program quality that does not require assessing individual children, (3) tracking the relative contributions of teachers and children to classroom activity, and (4) examining the distribution of different types of developmental activity across and within five different domains of child development. The presentation will also compare findings from informal learning environments.

Lise Fox, Ph.D., is a research professor with Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida in Tampa. She conducts research and training and develops support programs focused on young children with challenging behavior. Glen Dunlap, Ph.D., is a professor of child and family studies and director of the Division of Applied Research and Educational Support at the Florida Mental Health Institute. Mary Louise Hemmeter, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois in UrbanaChampaign and the principal investigator of a five-year project to enhance the capacity of Head Start and child care providers to address the social and emotional needs of young children. Gail E. Joseph, Ph.D., assistant research professor at the University of Colorado at Denver, has been engaged in several national projects focused on professionals working with children with challenging behaviors. Phillip S. Strain, Ph.D., professor in educational psychology at the University of Colorado at Denver, has designed comprehensive early intervention programs for children with autism or severe problem behaviors.

Helen and her 30-month-old daughter, Lucy, have a long-standing morning tradition of going to a neighborhood park and playing with other parents and children. They spend anywhere from 1 to 2 hours each day at the park. This day, however, Helen receives an emergency call and needs to return to their home immediately. She and Lucy have been at the park for about 10 minutes, and Lucy is playing “cooks” with her best friend Tito. Helen says to Lucy, “Honey, I’m sorry, but you and Mommy have to go home right now. Everything is O.K., but we have to go.” Lucy begins to whimper and says, “But, I was playing with Tito.” Helen reaches down and hugs Lucy, saying, “I know. Let’s call Tito’s mommy when we get home and invite him over to play later.” Lucy says, “O.K.,” and she and her mom hurry home.

plete his masterpiece, he needs an elusive triangle piece. As he searches the room in vain for the last, crucial piece, his initial calm hunt becomes more hurried and disorganized. He begins to whimper and disrupt other children’s play. His teacher approaches and asks what is the matter. Shantay swiftly turns away to resume his now frantic search. This behavior persists for several minutes until the signal for clean-up is given, whereupon Shantay launches into a major, 15-minute tantrum.