Early Childhood Research and Development Initiative

Enhancing Quality Through Research that Informs Policy Making

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Welcome to ECRDI

Welcome to the Early Childhood Research and Development Initiative (ECRDI). We are a consortium of researchers from multiple universities established in 2007 to conduct research that informs policy and leadership in early childhood education.

Our goal is to enhance the quality of early childhood programs through collaborative, innovative research that can guide decision-making. We design studies to understand how programs and services for young children and families can be improved.

Based on our findings, we develop resources and tools that can be used by early childhood educators, administrators, and policymakers. By bridging the gap between research, practice, and policy, we aim to drive impactful changes that support children's learning and development.

Our work is made possible through funding from university partnerships, as well as public and private grants and contracts. As a consortium, we bring together experts from different disciplines who combine their unique skills and perspectives to tackle important issues in new ways.

If you are interested in learning more about our research, programs, training opportunities, or want to get involved, please explore our site or contact us.

Beth Rous, Founder and Director

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What We Do

Research and Development

We design and implement studies to support policymakers in designing high-quality programs for young children.From this work, we develop products that early childhood educators and policymakers can use to improve services for young children and families.

Learn More About Our Research Initiatives

Post Doctoral Training

We provide funding to support postdoctoral scholars who are interested in early childhood leadership and policy.

Find Out More About Our Scholars Program

Advancing Early Childhood Policy and Leadership

The University of Kentucky is building capacity to drive impactful change for young children and families through policy, research, and leadership development. Learn more about our Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Policy Leadership Initiative.

As part of our work, we offer a Graduate Certificate in Leadership for Early Childhood and Family Policy that equips emerging leaders with policy analysis, research, and advocacy skills.

Learn More Here

Contact Us

Complete this form to get in touch with us for any questions or comments.

University of Kentucky, College of Education
Educational Leadership Studies
111 Dickey Hall, Lexington, KY 40506-0017

beth.rous@uky.edu

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Meet the Researchers

Collaborative ~ Creative ~ Innovative

Partnerships are at the core of what makes the projects and activities the Early Childhood Research and Development Initiative undertakes so rewarding. We’re proud of the commitment of this group of researchers to young children and their families, with each member contributing their unique skills to the research projects we undertake. Together, we’ve planned and executed some of the most innovative and cutting-edge research designs and initiatives.

Feel free to contact any of the researchers associated with our work.

Beth Rous, University of Kentucky [brous@uky.edu]

Beth is a Professor in Educational Leadership Studies at the University of Kentucky and the Director of ECRDI.

Jaime Grove, University of Kentucky [jaime.grove@uky.edu]

Jaime is a Disability Program Administrator Associate at the Human Development Institute (HDI). She has been involved in numerous early childhood projects and has served in multiple positions over the years.

Currently, she is working on several research projects, including the Kentucky Early Intervention Services Dashboard (KEIS Dashboard) and the Kentucky Early Childhood Assessment Data System (KEDS Services), both funded by the KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Sheerah Keith, University of Kentucky [ske294@uky.edu]

Sheerah is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Qualified Supervisor in Florida, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Mississippi, a National Certified Counselor, and a Registered Play Therapist.

She completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of Mississippi in 2023. Her research interests include early childhood mental health, social determinants of mental health, neurobiological correlates of psychosocial well-being, and mental health aspects of early childhood policy.

Haley Bergstrom, University of Kentucky [hbergstrom@uky.edu]

Haley is an Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky. She is also the Director of Graduate Studies in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with distinction (CSCS,*D) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Her research explores questions related to two primary areas of focus: 1) the non-invasive assessment of muscle function and fatigue; and 2) the mathematical modeling of human performance.

Dwight Irvin, University of Florida [dwirvin@coe.ufl.edu]

Dwight is an Associate Professor at the University of Florida’s College of Education and at the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies. His research has focused on understanding the language environments that young children at-risk for and with disabilities experience in the school, home, and community via advanced measurement approaches, and identifying novel ways to support talk within those settings (individually and collectively) in order to improve children’s developmental outcomes.

Justin Lane, University of Kentucky [justin.lane@uky.edu]

Justin is an Associate Professor of Special Education in the Department of Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education. His research focuses on designing and evaluating individualized interventions for young children with low-incidence disabilities.

Katy Chapman, University of Florida [kathrynchapman@coe.ufl.edu]

Katy is a Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Studies and affiliate of the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies. Her research interests focus on the intersection of policy, leadership, and financial investments to address inequities across early childhood systems.

Sajjid Budhwani, Surrey School District [sajjidbudhwani@gmail.com]

Sajjid is a researcher and educator who works for the Surrey School District in British Columbia, Canada. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Denver, Colorado. His research interests include spatial equity, social capital, school choice, and early childhood education. He is passionate about enhancing quality and equity in education through research that informs policy making.

Victoria Sherif, Wichita State University [victoria.sherif@wichita.edu]

Victoria is an Assistant Professor with research interests in the areas of Student Leadership, Student Voice, Superintendency, Women in Superintendency, Leadership in Early Childhood, Qualitative Secondary Analysis, Program Design, Implementation and Evaluation, Research Design and Implementation

Joanne Rojas, University of Kentucky [joanne.rojas@uky.edu]

Joanne is an associate director of Child Care Aware of Kentucky, a project of the Human Development Institute (HDI) at the University of Kentucky (UK). She is also the co-principal investigator of the project, which provides training and technical assistance to child care providers and families across the state. She has a PhD in educational psychology and research from UK and has over 20 years of experience in early childhood education.

Ying Luo, Purdue University Northwest [ying.luo@pnw.edu]

Ying is an associate professor in the department of computer information technology and graphics. Her research and teaching focus on algorithm design, database management and cybersecurity.

William Haneberg, University of Kentucky [bill.haneberg@uky.edu]

Bill is the former director of the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS), and research professor in the UK Earth and Environmental Sciences Department. His expertise includes computational geology, digital terrain modeling, GIS applications, and geohazard and risk assessment.

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