Leading Edge of Early Childhood Education

Nonie K. Lesaux, Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society, Harvard Graduate School of Education, leads a research program that focuses on promoting the language and literacy skills of today’s children and youth from diverse linguistic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. She also leads state-level policy work to improve third-grade reading outcomes in Massachusetts. With Stephanie Jones, Lesaux codirects a project on building capacity in the early education workforce and works across the country with teams of district and state leaders, center directors, administrators, and teachers focused on strengthening their pre-K to grade 3 initiatives. Lesaux authored a state-level literacy report that forms the basis for a reading proficiency bill (An Act Relative to Third Grade Reading Proficiency) passed in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The legislation established an Early Literacy Expert Panel, which Lesaux cochairs. The panel is charged with developing new policies and policy-based initiatives in a number of domains that influence children’s early literacy development. Lesaux is currently Chair of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care. Stephanie M. Jones, Marie and Max Kargman Associate Professor in Human Development and Urban Education Advancement, Harvard Graduate School of Education, is affiliated with the Prevention Science and Practice program. Her research focuses on the long-term effects of poverty and exposure to violence on children’s social and emotional development, as well as the impact of school-based interventions aimed at promoting children’s social-emotional skills, prosocial behavior, and academic skills. With Nonie Lesaux, Jones codirects a project on building capacity in the early education workforce and works across the country with teams of district and state leaders, center directors, administrators, and teachers focused on strengthening their pre-K to 3 initiatives. Jones was awarded the Grawemeyer Award in Education for her work with Edward Zigler and Walter Gilliam on A Vision for Universal Preschool Education; she was also awarded the Joseph E. Zins Early-Career Distinguished Contribution Award for Action Research in Social and Emotional Learning, from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

"The Leading Edge of Early Childhood Education makes an important contribution to the discussion of how the field of ECCE might move forward in the current educational and political environment." —Christopher P. Brown, Teachers College Record