Projects
Research is at the heart of all we do at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. As one of the nation's foremost multidisciplinary centers devoted to the study of children from infancy to adolescence, our scientists are committed to conducting research and evaluation studies that improve children's lives, support families, and inform public policy.
Learn more about our projects—current and completed—by clicking on the links below. And to stay up to date on news and events related to our work via social media, visit our Project Digital Directory.
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This contract supports the evaluation of enhancements being made to the early childhood program at Northampton Community College (NCC). NCC has created the Supporting Change and Reform in Inclusive Personnel Preparation project to increase the number of highly qualified paraprofessionals in Pennsylvania who apply evidence-based and competency-based practices in classrooms that serve culturally and linguistically diverse children of varying abilities aged birth through five years.
This project is a collaboration between FPG and Urban Institute to evaluate Head Start’s Designation Renewal System (DRS) and examine its role in improving quality in Head Start and Early Head Start. We will examine the sensitivity of the DRS in differentiating lower performing programs from higher performing programs and determine whether the DRS might affect program quality through re-competition.
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the policies, processes, and implementation of the Mississippi Child Care Quality Stars program. This project involves collection of focus group data from parents and providers, as well as review of policies and criteria for Mississippi’s quality rating improvement system. The research questions guiding this project will help Mississippi increase the number of child care programs that provide quality care and early learning experiences for children and families.
This project is designed to provide a statewide evaluation of the NC Pre-K Program. The primary research questions addressed include who is served by the NC Pre-K Program, what are the characteristics and quality of services provided, and what are the outcomes for children attending the program. Data are gathered from multiple sources including classroom observations, teacher surveys, child assessments, and monthly program reports.
Building on the success of the first QRIS National Learning Network–Learning Table, we will use a similar process to support states in addressing cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity within the context of QRIS. Needs assessment data from the QRIS National Learning Network survey will inform the selection of states and the content of the series. The project methodology will utilize transactional approaches and incorporate an emphasis on both knowledge acquisition and knowledge application.
This study will examine the association between vocabulary and Executive Function (EF) for children without exposure to typical language by assessing early language and later EF in deaf preschool children with recent cochlear implants. It will address the question of whether children's early vocabulary acts as a precursor to EF when children do not have the ability to hear verbal language.
This supplemental study provides preliminary information on whether culturally responsive practices are predictive of racially marginalized children's outcomes and whether teacher factors, such as partnership with families, are related to culturally responsive practices.
FirstSchool is a Pre-K through third grade approach to improving early elementary school experiences for African American, Latino, and low-income children and their families.
FirstSchool is a Pre-K through third grade initiative led by FPG and the UNC-CH School of Education to promote public school efforts to improve the early school experiences of African American, Latino, and low-income children and their families. FirstSchool is a systems-based change process designed to move schools and communities toward a seamless approach for children ages 3 to 8.
FPG's FirstSchool team will collaborate with Turning Point, Inc., to provide services to the State of Nevada under RFP 2108, “Nevada Ready – B-3.” FirstSchool will support the development of practices and systems for using data to promote effective P–3 learning communities.
FPG will develop and deploy an online course to promote inquiry and equity in PreK through third grade education. Participants in the online course will include teachers who are receiving data feedback and coaching through other FirstSchool projects as well as teachers who only take the online course.
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute will provide leadership and professional development for the Department of Public Instruction's demonstration pre-k and kindergarten classrooms. FirstSchool staff will serve on the steering committee and participate in biannual professional development sessions for demonstration site teachers.
The focus of this project is to provide educators in struggling schools with lenses through which to view the experiences of their students and make informed decisions about how to improve their school experiences. In order to sustain this practice, the work will build the capacity of school leaders and the Department of Public Instruction to lead this process.
The FPG Autism Team will develop five AFIRM modules based on new evidence-based practices identified by the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence & Practice review of the literature.
The purpose of this collaboration with Boston University is to develop and disseminate various products focused on the effects of racism during infancy through early childhood (birth to age 5) for racially marginalized children and families, specifically those that are Black, Latine, Indigenous, or Asian.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning partnered with FPG Child Development Institute to jointly evaluate a summer pre-k program and two quality improvement initiatives sponsored by the Department. FPG also provided assistance with developing and piloting a quality continuum framework for early care and education programs.
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of Georgia’s regulatory process for licensing center-based child care programs and family child care homes.
The Georgia Pre-Kindergarten Evaluation project provides an external statewide evaluation of Georgia's Pre-K Program, a universal pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds. The project is currently conducting an ongoing longitudinal study of the short- and long-term learning outcomes for children who attended Georgia's Pre-K Program as well as the quality of their preschool and early elementary school experiences from pre-k through fifth grade.
The Healthy Places North Carolina (HPNC) initiative is a 10-year project funded by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust to create the conditions for initial, sustainable, and dramatic improvements in the health of all the people who live in selected Tier 1 counties in North Carolina.
In collaboration with the University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning, the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) will evaluate outcomes related to the Hillsborough Early Learning Network (HELN) professional development program. The HELN Final Report prepared by FPG will include information about educators who participated in HELN cohorts and pathways across six school years (2018-2024).
The purpose of the IDEA Data Center is to improve the capacity of States to meet their Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) data collection and reporting requirements under sections 616 and 618 of the IDEA.
The purpose of this project is to conduct a validation study of center-based programs registered in ExceleRate Illinois as well as a child outcomes study of preschool-aged children. Through gathering of program and classroom observations; director, teacher, and parent surveys; and child assessments, results will help examine the extent to which ExceleRate Illinois meaningfully distinguishes program quality and the extent to which rating levels relate to child outcomes.
As the Geoleads for their Differentiated Assistance Region, Placer and Sacramento County Offices of Education are seeking support for the capacity development of their county office staff in best practices of implementation science to support implementation of improvement strategies within their differentiated system of support for local education agencies (LEAs). To support development of internal implementation capacity, the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) will provide virtual training, coaching, and consultation supports.
The Triple P Implementation Evaluation (TPIE) supports evaluation activities related to ongoing implementation of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program system of interventions in two North Carolina counties. Triple P is an evidence-based, community-wide parenting and family support system to promote the social, emotional, health, and behavioral wellbeing of children.
This study will investigate the impact of the Advancing Social-Communication and Play (ASAP) intervention on school-aged students with ASD, and the feasibility of the ASAP intervention in elementary schools. The study is expected to provide valuable data on the effect of the ASAP intervention on elementary school students. Additionally, the study will offer important information on adapting preschool interventions for elementary school settings.
The pilot study presented in this proposal is a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The intended outcomes of this program are to positively impact inclusion in early childhood classrooms and kindergarten readiness for children with disabilities. Consisting of a 5 day, in-person, professional development (PD) opportunity and Networked Improvement Community (NIC) meetings that are targeted to meet the individual needs of the participants, we propose a three-phase process. Phase 1 includes targeted observations of inclusive STEM practices. Phase 2 includes a 5-day PD opportunity, planned and facilitated by UMBC and STEMIE. PD sessions will be designed to foster the participants’ engagement in inclusive STEM teaching. Phase 2 sessions will be developed based on observed needs of the participating teachers and support participants in using STEMIE resources (e.g. learning trajectories) within the scope of their own curriculum. A series of NIC meetings will be held focusing on areas of need identified by the participants to allow for collaborative problem solving with investigators serving as facilitators. The final phase (Phase 3) will include targeted observations of participants to assess progress.
This research will extend the use of work systems -- an evidence-based practice with school-aged children that provides visual information about what one is expected to do -- to adolescents and adults.
The National Professional Development Center on Autism (NPDC) developed a professional development model for increasing the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in schools. The NPDC model includes information on goal attainment scale to monitor student progress, an overview of EBPs, a process of selecting EBPs. Ann Sam, PhD, will partner with Guilford County Schools to provide training on these components. Additionally, she will provide an overview of foundational EBPs (reinforcement, prompting, and visual supports). Training will include specific practice to promote independence and adaptive/vocational skills, social communication needs of students, and promote school readiness, academics and behavior. Training will occur over a two-day period.
