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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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.
The goal of this study is to evaluate whether an integrated behavioral parenting training and adolescent driver education program improves a variety of adolescent driving, as well as parent-adolescent relationship, outcomes relative to adolescents who only receive a driver education program.
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.
This project will compare the developmental learning trajectories of children who attend early childhood programs with those of children who do not attend such programs and examine the factors that influence changes in those trajectories.
The purpose of this project is to support the further validation and refinement of a new measure, the Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP). The study will assess the measure’s feasibility of implementation and psychometric properties in pre-k inclusive classrooms.
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 Joint Attention Mediated Learning Intervention for Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their Families project is being conducted at three sites: Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, Indiana University, and University of Kansas. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, and the Principal Investigator is Dr. Hannah Schertz at Indiana University.
This project created More Than Baby Talk, a brief guide that describes ten practices that early childhood teachers can use to foster language and communication skills among infants and toddlers. The guidelines are based upon the latest research findings on optimal adult-child interactions for promoting strong language and communication skills among young children.
Through “Eat, Play, Move!” the FPG Child Care Program will educate and engage teachers, children, and families in nutritional practices that support children’s health and increase purposeful physical activity. Using affordable resources, intervention strategies will include targeted staff education, curriculum activities, and community collaborations. Activities will include applications of ChooseMyPlate and yoga practice.
This project will analyze the psychometric properties of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-3rd Edition (ECERS-3)—the latest version of the most widely used tool for assessing quality in early childhood classrooms—ensuring that it accurately measures program quality. Additionally, the project will establish an alternative scoring that will provide users with highly detailed and nuanced information about classrooms that can be used to better assess and support quality.
The project team will research national trends and relevant models of governing and delivering early childhood special education systems, including but not limited to implementation of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), quality and control measures, and innovative approaches in other states and jurisdictions that hold the potential for enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, or accountability of the early childhood special education system in the state.
FPG statisticians will collaborate with Mathematica Policy Research and Child Trends to design a study to develop stronger instruments to measure child care quality for infants and toddlers.
The goals of this project were to: (1) develop a reliable and valid executive function (EF) battery for use with young children in the context of large-scale studies; (2) establish the psychometric properties of this battery; and (3) provide normative data on the battery in the context of an epidemiologically derived, racially and economically diverse sample of 600 children.
This study will examine the psychometric properties of the Reading-Tiered Fidelity Inventory (RTFI). RTFI was developed to document the levels of a tiered reading program in elementary and middle schools in Michigan. The UNC-CH team will provide factor analyses and other psychometric analyses of the data that the Michigan Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative collected. They will support the staff in developing evaluation skills they can apply to future projects.
This is a collaborative project with Michigan's Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative (MIBLSI) to develop blended learning (lessons pairing eLearning modules and onsite training) for Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS) within Michigan public school systems.
This is a collaborative project with Michigan’s MTSS Technical Assistance Center (MiMTSS) to develop blended learning (pairing data captured from eLearning and/or other activities with onsite training) to support Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) within Michigan public school districts.
This grant supports a staff person with early childhood expertise to assist the Mid-South Regional Resource Center's staff and states in providing technical assistance on issues related to early intervention and early childhood special education.
The FirstSchool team will deploy an online course to promote student communication in PreK through third grade education. Participants in the online course will include PreK through third grade teachers and administrators. The course will begin in September 2018 and conclude in May 2019.
This purpose of this project is to conduct an evaluation of Montana’s Maternal and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MECHV) Program. Major tasks to be completed include analysis of existing data, surveys of program staff, interviews with key stakeholders, and document reviews. The evaluation will contribute vital information related to home visiting programs within the early care and education system for policy makers, program administrators, and other stakeholders in Montana.
NCEDL was created to provide national leadership and advance knowledge in early childhood development and learning. It aimed to enhance cognitive, social and emotional development of children birth through eight years and to support families.
The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute is partnering with ZERO TO THREE to support the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning through four major activities: 1) building implementation science capacity; 2) designing and supporting a performance evaluation; 3) providing cross-sector partnership and leadership with activities conducted by the National Center; and 4) providing content area expertise.
The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (NCPFCE) funded by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start in partnership with the Office of Child Care is one of four National Centers that develop evidence-based best practices for Early Head Start and Head Start programs across the country, as part of a comprehensive Office of Head Start Training and Technical Assistance System. The goal of this project is to support family well-being, effective family and community engagement, and children's school readiness, including transition to kindergarten.
NECTAC was supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) under the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). NECTAC served Part C-Infant and Toddlers with Disabilities Programs and Part B-Section 619 Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities in all 50 states and 10 jurisdictions to improve service systems and outcomes for children and families.
