Researchers will assess and examine federal, state and local early childhood education policies, as well as local practices across rural and urban settings, determining how policy and practice are associated with prekindergarten through Grade 3 outcomes.
Researchers will study classroom practices and processes, identifying malleable factors that differentiate child outcomes across rural and urban communities. They will also explore how community setting (rural vs. urban) moderates the association between practices and child outcomes.
Researchers will determine the effects of malleable factors on children’s academic and social-emotional outcomes, specifically examining transition periods across the PreK-3 continuum and effects on long-term developmental trajectories. They will also assess whether malleable factors narrow the achievement gap for children from disadvantaged backgrounds living in urban and rural community settings.
The Learning Frontiers studies will take place in 12 geographically-dispersed school districts across Nebraska (10 rural and 2 urban).