University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Early Education in Rural North Carolina
Studies
Policy and Practice Study
Researchers studied the policy context surrounding a cohort of children as they progressed from prekindergarten through third grade in six rural counties. Specifically, the North Carolina team focused on whether policies were aligned in ways that helped sustain learning across the early grades. To investigate these issues, researchers drew upon semi-structured interviews, survey data from school and program administrators, and content analysis of policy documents.
Classroom Observation Study
Researchers observed the quality of teacher-child relationships, conversations between teachers and children, differentiated instruction, instructional content and policies, and related them to gains during the school year in children’s academic and social-behavioral skills to examine associations between classroom practices and child outcomes.
Longitudinal Study
Researchers investigated the extent to which classroom policies and practices related to gains in students’ academic and social skills across five years, from pre-K through third grade. The team also examined the extent to which these patterns are similar for children whose home language was Spanish and English.
Setting
The research studies took place in six rural counties in North Carolina. Three counties had a higher expenditure rate per publicly-funded pre-K classroom and the other three counties had a lower expenditure rate per publicly-funded pre-K classroom.
About the Team
Personnel
Principal Investigator
Ronald Seifer, Ph.D.
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
ronald_seifer@unc.edu
Co-Principal Investigator
Ellen Peisner-Feinberg, Ph.D.
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Epeisner.feinberg@unc.edu
Co-Principal Investigator
Lora Cohen-Vogel, Ph.D.
School of Education
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Lora.cohen-vogel@unc.edu
Investigator
Claire Baker, Ph.D.
School of Education
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
claire.baker@unc.edu
Investigator
Ximena Franco, Ph.D.
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
ximena.franco@unc.edu
Investigator
Lynne Vernon-Feagans, Ph.D.
School of Education
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
lynnevf@email.unc.edu
Investigator and Project Director
