As Research Director, Abby leads the research and policy team. She guides proposal development, oversees research design implementation, and coordinates the release of findings with the goal of improving policy and practice that affect early educators. Prior to her role as Research Director, Abby led the Center’s work exploring the preparation of early educators through the Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory series of studies. Abby has more than a decade of experience in the early childhood research and policy fields in both non-profit and academic settings, including extensive experience with program evaluation and secondary data analysis. Before joining CSCCE in 2016, Abby co-authored several briefs on the topics of child care, school readiness, and quality rating for the Child and Family Policy Center in Iowa. Abby earned a master’s degree in Applied Child Development and Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Iowa State University. In her free time, Abby tries to keep up with her energetic family and directs a youth volleyball club.
Publications by Abby Copeman Petig
Teaching Transitional Kindergarten: A Snapshot of the Teacher Experience Before UTK Expansion
December 6, 2022 • Report • By Elena Montoya, Lea J.E. Austin, Anna Powell, Yoonjeon Kim, Wanzi Muruvi and Abby Copeman Petig
In the fall of 2020, CSCCE surveyed almost 300 TK teachers in classrooms throughout California as part of the California Early Care and Education Workforce Study. This brief provides…
Pennsylvania Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory
October 3, 2022 • Report • By Abby Copeman Petig, Jenna Knight, Lea J.E. Austin and Raúl Chávez
This report is part of our Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory. This report describes the early childhood degree programs offered in Pennsylvania, focusing on variations in program…
August 23, 2022 • Report • By Elena Montoya, Lea J.E. Austin, Anna Powell, Yoonjeon Kim, Abby Copeman Petig and Wanzi Muruvi
Drawing on findings from the 2020 California Early Care and Education Workforce Study, this report provides statewide and regional wage and benefits data for home- and center- based early…
“The Forgotten Ones”—The Economic Well-Being of Early Educators During COVID-19
February 16, 2022 • Brief • By Anna Powell, Raúl Chávez, Lea J.E. Austin, Elena Montoya, Yoonjeon Kim and Abby Copeman Petig
This report provides a closer look at the well-being of the early care and education (ECE) workforce in California, using data collected by the Center for the Study of Child…
June 23, 2021 • Blog • By Abby Copeman Petig and Jenna Knight
Teaching the Teachers of Our Youngest Children: The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in Maryland is CSCCE’s most recent Higher Education Inventory study. This report looks at…
Maryland Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory
May 4, 2021 • Report • By Bethany Edwards, Abby Copeman Petig and Lea J.E. Austin
This report is part of our Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory. This report describes the early childhood degree programs offered in Maryland, focusing on variations in program…