National Center for Latino

• Dual Language Learner (DLL) Classroom Quality Symposium: The Center in collaboration with the National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education (NCRECE) at the University of Virginia, recently convened a national invitational symposium with presentations by researchers who are improving our understanding of what is happening within the classrooms of DLL children and how best to measure these experiences, as well as to better understand what classroom experiences and related inputs contribute to their school readiness (i.e., language development, early literacy).

• National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Survey Design Project:  Staff from the Center and The Catholic University of America are Co-Principal investigators on a project to develop a comprehensive research design for a National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) survey that: (1) Describes the characteristics and experiences of children and families served by the programs; (2) Reflects the variations in program service delivery approaches, and (3) Identifies strengths and gaps in MSHS services.

• First 5 LA Universal Preschool Evaluation:  Staff from the Center are consulting with First 5 LA and LAUP to help develop a research and evaluation strategy for the $600 million universal preschool initiative that is being implemented within Los Angeles county.

• Latino Infants and their Families: A National Perspective of Protective and Risk Factors for Development.  This study examined early predictors and indicators of Latino infant development, the fastest growing segment of the Latino population, utilizing a nationally representative sample (N= 1018) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey – Birth Cohort (ECLS-B).

• Child Care Utilization Patterns & Trends in Los Angeles County 2002-2007. This study is exploring child care and early education services utilization patterns for children from different racial and ethnic groups in Los Angeles County, using data from three cohorts of a representative sample of children birth through five years of age from Los Angeles County (the 2002-03, 2005 & 2007 cohorts from the LA County Health Survey).

• Assessment Considerations for Young English Language Learners Across Different Levels of Accountability- a collaborative project involving First 5 LA, the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Early Childhood Accountability Project, The Catholic University of America and the National Center for Latino Child & Family Research.  The goal was to develop recommendations and resource materials to guide the appropriate assessment approaches used with the unique and rapidly growing population of English language learners (ELLs), within different contexts and for different purposes.  Three distinct, but related products were developed: (1) A Report on Assessment Considerations for Young English Language Learners; (2) A Dual Language Learner Preschool Measures Review and (3) A brief Consumer’s Guide for the Assessment of ELL Children.

• East Coast Collaborative for Enhancing Language and Literacy:  Conducting a study of a Migrant Education Even Start Language and Literacy intervention program in North Carolina and Florida.

• SRCD Latino Caucus:  The National Center for Latino Child & Family Research, in collaboration with several other Latino researchers, has helped launch a new Latino Caucus within the structure of the Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD) to more systematically and effectively address the importance of Latino issues within the broader child development research, program and policy communities.

• Advisory Committee member for Sesame Workshop's Talk, Listen, Connect Project.

• Member of Research Working Group of the White House Initiative on the Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.

• Consultants to National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics.  Member of Technical Advisory Committee.

• Expert Panel Members for Enhancing the cultural validity of the Family Involvement Questionnaire for low-income, Latino families of preschool children, a collaborative research project with NYU, the University of Delaware and Lehigh University.

• Member of the Expert Work Group focused on English Language and Literacy Learning (ELL)- National Institute for Literacy (NIFL).

In addition to the currently funded initiatives, The National Center for Latino Child & Family Research also is in the process of developing several additional initiatives:

• Leadership Fellowship Program for Latino Child Development Scholars: This new leadership development program will create a visible mechanism to more systematically and effectively address the importance of Latino issues within the broader child development research, program & policy communities.

Past Projects:

• Members of Technical Advisory Panel for High/Scope Early Childhood Reading Institute.

• Member of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) Immigrant Families Advisory Committee.

• National Council of La Raza – “Latino Birth to Three Agenda”:  Consulted on development of research and policy briefs for the National Council of La Raza’s new “Latino Birth to Three Agenda” initiative.

• Language Minority Children Education Report (Child Trends):  Provided methodological consultation and co-authored a Language Minority Children Education Report, in collaboration with staff from Child Trends.

• Chartbook on Early Child Development:  Member of Expert Panel for Project to develop a Chartbook on Early Child Development, conducted by the Center for Child Health Research and Child Trends, with funding from the Commonwealth Fund.

• Research consultant to “Salsa, Sabor y Salud project”, a project designed to promote nutrition & fitness activities, as well as improved eating & nutrition behaviors of Latino families with children under 12 years of age.  Conducted by the National Latino Children’s Institute and funded by Kraft foods.

• Early Childhood Multidimensional Acculturation Scale & related Parent Acculturation Scale (Center for Health Services and Community Research, Children’s National Medical Center):  Provided methodological and statistical consultation to the Center for Health Services and Community Research at Children’s National Medical Center for a research project to develop the Early Childhood Multidimensional Acculturation Scale & related Parent Acculturation Scale.  Also served as first author on the resulting research journal article.