Research and Reports
Bridging research and practice for early learning and expanded learning opportunities
Bridging research and practice for early learning and expanded learning opportunities
Cultivate Learning’s research helps inform quality learning practices that help all children flourish. We identify and analyze new and existing assessment tools to evaluate their efficacy toward positive learning outcomes for children. We also evaluate new and existing programs or systems to better understand the way they function and to establish best practices for the fields of early learning and expanded learning opportunities.
Workforce Research
Depression in Early Care and Education Teachers: Individual and Environmental Predictors in the Lead-Up to and Beginning of COVID-19 (2024)
This study used statewide survey data collected by Cultivate Learning during December 2019-February 2020 and May 2020 to examine how early childhood educator’s characteristics were predictive of depression scores before the pandemic, and how these factors predicted change during the beginning of the pandemic. Before the pandemic, results showed that work hours, child age group taught, and perception of job demands uniquely predicted greater depression, whereas a teachers’ age, identifying as Latine, and perception of job support uniquely predicted lower depression. 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.
Washington Workforce and COVID-19 Impact Survey of Licensed Childcare Providers (2020)
WA Workforce Focus Groups (2022)
In 2020-2021, in partnership with the Department of Children, Youth and Families, Cultivate Learning at the University of Washington surveyed early childhood educators to understand the status, working conditions, and perceptions of early childhood educators. In 2022, Cultivate Learning implemented a follow up study to further explore a theme from that initial survey: high levels of stressors. The responses were clear: these educators are passionate about making a difference in the lives of the children and families they serve. They love the work they do, but increasing pressure is impacting that enthusiasm. These educators need support to continue to do their essential work.
Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Teacher Toolbox Pilot Study (2021)
In 2021, Cultivate Learning studied the impact of professional development to support educators with challenging behaviors in the classroom. The approach includes a web “talk show” series, a corresponding box of materials featured in the episodes, and online coaching, an approach successfully used before with math concepts. This study focuses on positive behavior support using the Pyramid Model, a framework of evidence-based practices for promoting children’s social and emotional development to encourage educator reflection and feedback with coaches. While planned prior to the pandemic, the intervention became more critical when coaches were no longer able to support educators in person. Results show that educators had an increased understanding of developmentally appropriate approaches to social and emotional learning, increased comfort using positive behavior support practices, and decreased stress when responding to challenging behavior.
EarlyEdU Alliance® Paper 1: Issues and Impact
EarlyEdU Alliance® Paper 2: Stories from the Field
EarlyEdU Alliance® Paper 3: Lessons Learned from Across the Nation
The EarlyEdU Alliance® works to address a range of barriers that early care and education professionals face when pursuing degrees, including: affordability, access, relevance, effectiveness and connection. These EarlyEdU papers provide an in-depth description of the EarlyEdU approach and impact.
Learning Environment Research
Improving Language Support for Infants and Toddlers: Results of FIND Coaching in Childcare (2022)
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), using video-based reflective practices to promote positive interactions between providers and children. Results indicate that 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.
Reflecting on Systems Change: Learning from the Partnership for Pre-K Improvement (2022)
The Partnership for Pre-K Improvement (PPI) was launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2016 as a project with a vision to develop and sustain high-quality, equitable pre-K programs that produce improved and more-equitable kindergarten readiness and greater academic success for children through the early elementary grades. The multiyear, multistate effort aimed to learn in partnership with states across government leaders, advocates and researchers about how to systematically improve the quality of pre-K at scale. After five years of learning and implementation, PPI concluded in summer 2021 with key lessons to share with the field and a set of tools and resources for use by state leaders to advance quality and equity in pre-K systems.
Nurturing Early Learning: Resources to Support Young Children's Learning in the Outdoors (2018)
This report describes the benefits of nature-based learning and outdoor play in connection with learning outcomes in children, as well as social-emotional and other development. It also provides strategies and practices for educators to facilitate outdoor learning.
Nurturing Early Learning: The Latest Science on Young Children’s Learning and the Outdoors (Institute Proceedings Report) (2018)
Early learning programs can provide critical opportunities for outdoor play and learning.This report synthesizes key themes from Cultivate Learning's 2018 institute on nature-based learning, in partnership with IslandWood, Tiny Trees Preschool, Washington STEM and Seattle Children's Hospital.
Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND) (2017)
In partnership with the Department of Early Learning (DEL) and the University of Oregon (UO), Cultivate Learning evaluated the implementation of a video coaching program called FIND, Filming Interactions to Nurture Development. The goal of this project is to understand the impacts of supportive interactions between childcare providers and children in infant and toddler environments. This evaluation project is being conducted in center-based and family child care programs in infant-toddler classrooms throughout 10 regions in Washington State. The evaluation activities started in April 2016.
Early Learning Systems Research
Data to Prove or Improve?: A Cross-Case Analysis of State Prekindergarten Quality Improvement through Research-Practice Partnerships (2025)
Research-Practice Partnerships (RPPs) have been championed as a promising strategy to align research with the real-time priorities of policymakers and practitioners engaged in early childhood education (ECE) systems. Yet comparative studies of large-scale RPPs exploring the viewpoints of state-level stakeholders, particularly in the ECE context, remain limited. This paper presents a cross-case study of three RPPs focused on equity-driven quality improvements of state pre-K. We identified critical elements of continuous quality improvement (CQI) at scale: (1) collective inquiry and consensus-building, (2) relational trust, (3) equitable collaborations, and (4) multiple liaisons to ensure sustainability. Furthermore, RPPs strengthened CQI by co-designing learning agendas, facilitating data collection and analysis, and shifting data use from accountability to improvement.
The Early Achievers Family Partnership Project (2022)
Since the initial statewide scale of Early Achievers in 2013, the focus of feedback on the system has primarily come from early learning educators, coaches, and early learning system stakeholders, but feedback was missing from families. Historically, the program has had a low feedback response rate from families. This study works to understand how we can involve a larger group of families, better communicate with them, and use their feedback to inform continuous quality improvement in Early Achievers. We worked with families to co-design potential solutions, yielding resources and recommendations for the state for testing with early adopter families.
Raising Seattle: A Proposal to Expand Preschool Services (2018)
This proposal covers Seattle's progress toward implementing universal public Pre-K since its launch of the Seattle Preschool Program in 2015. The report reviews supporting evidence of publicly financed Pre-K on a state and national scale, an evaluation of gains in learning, and what support of expanding the Seattle Preschool Program in 2018 would entail.
ELO Quality Initiative Pilot (2017)
Out-of-class programming provides a wide range of enrichment opportunities for school-aged children and youth (ages 5-18). Research shows that participation in ELO programs is linked to improved attendance, social skills, critical problem-solving, collaboration, and innovative thinking. Cultivate Learning conducted at 34-week long evaluation of a pilot for Expanded Learning Opportunity Quality Initiative, whose goal is to build a high-quality state-supported ELO system for Washington.
Seattle Pre-K Program Evaluation Study - Year 1 Report (2016)
Seattle Pre-K Program Evaluation Study - Year 2 Report (2017)
These reports present the findings from the impact evaluation of the Seattle Preschool Program. The findings focus on children’s learning and classroom quality. The reports also include comparable findings from other preschool studies and investigate the relationships between SPP children's learning gains and their classroom experiences. The Branagh Group has granted free use of their ECERS-3 scoring system for the SPP Evaluation project.
