University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

This study will examine the relationships between the teachers' coursework content, instructional quality, and children's cognitive, language, and social-emotional outcomes. There is a lack of consensus in the field of early childhood education about the knowledge, competencies, and qualifications that early childhood teachers need to be effective. There are mixed findings in the research literature regarding associations between teacher education, classroom quality, and children's school re...

Licensure policies and accreditation requirements at the national and state levels described expectations for the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are presumed important to teachers' eventual success in the classroom. These expectations represent "Core Competencies" (CCs). Previous research on CCs is limited in that expectations have been determined by studying high quality teachers only, often selected based on principal recommendations. The purpose of this study is to provide ad...

According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism is increasingly becoming a public health crisis with a prevalence that has reached 1 in 110. To provide early intervention, LEAP-USA was developed as a comprehensive intervention model for preschool children with autism. Based on inclusion with typically developing peers, it aims to provide intervention and early education for young children with autism in a manner that does not tax school systems' limited resources. The first randomized c...

Growing evidence shows extended clinical placements (residencies) support teacher candidate effectiveness, and states are increasingly requiring residencies for teacher preparation. Little is known, however, about the critical features of residency. Residency models vary widely in standards, approaches, and resources. Data on why and how models differ, or how candidates perform, is limited and often not comparable across programs. This project will (1) examine how and why the seven teacher r...

There is a substantial and growing body of evidence that using assessment results formatively to shape learning activities can have a significant impact on student learning. However, there are no instruments available to measure formative assessment practices in the classroom. In this project, the researchers will investigate formative assessment practices and accompanying instructional practices that occur in middle-level science classrooms. Specifically, this project will develop and carry...