This policy brief looks at policies that affect what scholars call the school improvement industry. It focuses on how products developed within this industry - many with development and use paid for by public schools and state or federal education agencies - are disseminated via open- or...

This presentation discusses the challenge of using observational quality rating tools and accountability systems and strategies to address them. IGPA Expert Rachel Gordon delivered the presentation to the National Research Conference on Early Childhood on July 13, 2016.The presentation discusses...

This presentation by Rachel Gordon to the Commission to Reform Child Care in Illinois (est. by HR 0254) examines studies of child care centers. The first study regarded funding delays from the state in 2011-2012. In a comprehensive survey through the Chicago Area Study, the researchers...

This presentation by Rachel Gordon to the Commission to Reform Child Care in Illinois (est. by HR 0254) examines studies of child care centers. The first study regarded funding delays from the state in 2011-2012. In a comprehensive survey through the Chicago Area Study, the researchers...

In 2008, nearly 15 percent of U.S. households were food insecure, meaning the household members lacked consistent access to enough food for healthy lives. Half of low-income, female-headed households with children were food insecure in 2008. To address food insecurity and inadequate child...

This Preschool Policy Forum documents the many funding sources for Chicago area childcare centers and preschools as well as the frequency and impact of funding disruptions between 2011 and 2012. The study surveyed 229 center directors in 33 ZIP Codes on the west and north sides of Chicago as...

On May 20 in Washington DC, IGPA will host a brainstorming meeting regarding unanswered questions in the prevention of infant mortality, particularly risks related to adult-infant bed sharing. Building on the 2013 Family Impact Seminar, Guarding All Children in Sleep: New Ideas for Reducing...

The 2012 Chicago Area Study surveyed 229 center directors in 33 ZIP Codes on the West and North sides of Chicago. All centers and preschools that served three and four year olds in these ZIP Codes were eligible, except those located in the public schools. Eligible settings included preschools in...

The loss of a baby is an extremely traumatic event and has enduring effects that ripple out from parents to their extended families, friends, and co-workers. Educating parents and other infant caregivers about making infants’ sleep settings safer can help prevent these tragedies and the...