Research Areas

Our research ranges from teacher development and work environments to compensation and equity.

Compensation

The latest data on educator wages and benefits and how they influence shortages, program quality, and teacher well-being. Policy recommendations on how to achieve equitable, dependable wages.

An early educator teaches two children how to use the gardening tools for the outdoor garden.

Leadership

Research and policy analysis about early childhood leadership and strategies to prepare and advance diverse leaders to be effective agents of change.

A child educator is explaining an activity to a group of children seated at a table.

Stratification & Equity

How race, ethnicity, and language affect roles and earnings, and how this stratification affects early educators and the children they serve.

An early educator smiling at a student while a group of students are learning how to draw letters

Teacher Development & Preparation

Research and analyses on higher education systems, faculty characteristics, and professional development needs, with policy recommendations to enable underrepresented students to succeed.

An early educator is looking over a child as they play a flashcard game.

Teacher Work Environments

The elements of a supportive, rewarding work environment that are critical to attracting and retaining skilled, educated teachers and supporting high-quality services for children.

An early educator is helping a group of children at a table with paints.

Workforce Data

Original research on the ECE workforce that fills the ongoing gap in state and national data. With a special focus on California.

A child educator looks over the finished work of a student as she sits next to them.