November 2018

This month's newsletter focuses on the Early Learning Network's assessment team at the University of California, Irvine, and the new OLOS Observation System. Discover how UCI's work contributes to the network's collective goal to advance our understanding of policies and practices that help narrow the achievement gap and maintain early learning success as children transition from preschool to third grade.

University of California, Irvine

Project update: University of California, Irvine - Early ... The Early Learning Network's assessment team has been developing and testing the the OLOS Observation System in pre-K through third grade classrooms for the last two years. The technology-based observation tool is used by teachers in real-time to ... Read more earlylearningnetwork.unl.edu

Q&A with Deborah Lowe Vandell

Deborah Lowe Vandell, Ph.D. Co-Principal Investigator University of California, Irvine Professor of Education and Psychological Science UCI's Deborah Lowe Vandell shares her perspective on the Early Learning Network’s efforts to develop and implement the OLOS Observation System. The technology-based observation tool is used by teachers in real-time to assess factors that are predictive of later learning and school achievement, including classroom instruction, teacher-child interactions and the classroom learning environment. Read the full Q&A.

"Over the course of my career, I have been involved in developing several observation instruments that have been widely used by researchers. It is exciting to draw on these previous experiences to create this new tool that can be used by practitioners to capture key aspects of children’s experiences to improve instruction." — Deborah Lowe Vandell, Ph.D.

Piloting OLOS

The Early Learning Network’s assessment team at the University of California, Irvine, has been developing and testing the OLOS observation tool in classrooms for the last two years. Currently, the team is collecting data in approximately 40 classrooms. Below is a snapshot of the UCI team's sample data.

Webinars - Early Learning Network "Making Research Matter: Communicating Network Research Findings to Policymakers" True North Group, LLC's Hope Cooper and Marci McCoy-Roth provide introductory information on why it is important to share research in a policy context, identify... Read more earlylearningnetwork.unl.edu

The Early Learning Network, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences , leverages its expertise, resources and geographic diversity to help close the achievement gap and maintain early learning success as children transition from preschool to third grade. Together, network researchers from universities and organizations across the U.S. are examining current policies and practices, identifying malleable factors associated with early learning and achievement and developing tools to assess early learning instruction, interactions and environments. Learn more at earlylearningnetwork.unl.edu.

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