Michael Little
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 4238954 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Michael Little |
| NOMBRES | Michael |
| APELLIDO | Little |
| FIRMA | LITTLE M |
| AFILIACIONES | Dartington Service Design Lab |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9321-3088 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 78 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 109 |
| OBRAS COMO AUTOR | 78 |
| OBRAS COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 1985 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 6 |
Teaching Toward Equity
This study explores how kindergarten teachers interpret and respond to the wide range of school readiness skills present in their classrooms. Building on a national survey of 422 kindergarten teachers, we conducted in-depth interviews with 26 teachers across 22 states to understand how they make instructional decisions when faced with heterogeneous skill profiles. Findings reveal that teachers engage in fairness-driven instructional triage, focus…
School- Versus Center-Based Pre-K
In the United States, Pre-K is available as a mixed-delivery system, where families choose from various center- or school-based settings. Enrollment in school-based Pre-K is increasingly common, yet more needs to be understood about whether school-based Pre-K versus center-based Pre-K is associated with different outcomes. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–11 (n ≈ 4,300), …
Case for Closing Superintendent Gender Gap
This brief considers how closing the superintendent gender gap may contribute to the strengthening of early childhood education (ECE) leadership. Using data from a national survey of superintendents, we find that women are significantly more likely than men to prioritize prekindergarten (pre-K) initiatives, even after controlling for ECE background and training and district characteristics. These gender differences are amplified among leaders wit…
Novice Teachers and Student Attendance in Early Elementary School
Student absenteeism in the earliest years of elementary school has been linked to a range of negative outcomes. Though the literature has examined numerous factors that are associated with children missing school, the role of teachers—especially at the early elementary level—has not been well understood. Given that students spend the majority of their time in elementary school with one teacher in a single classroom, a large component of early ele…
Principal Leadership of Pre-K Programs in Elementary Schools
Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) programs are becoming increasingly common in elementary schools across the United States—in fact, a recent analysis of federal data revealed that 57% of public schools have a Pre-K grade. Despite the prevalence of Pre-K programs in schools, principals—known to be among the most important factors in school success—often lack the knowledge and professional supports to effectively lead Pre-K programs. In this study, guided b…
Does Going to School-Based Prekindergarten Predict Access to Disability Services in Elementary School
This study examines school-based Pre-K (SBPK) versus center-based Pre-K (CBPK) settings, focusing on subsequent access to disability supports, an underexplored area. Specifically, we examine whether attending SBPK is associated with difference rates of disability diagnosis or receiving an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in elementary school, grades K through 5. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten Class of 20…
Exploring the Theory of Preschool Skill Convergence Through a National Survey of Kindergarten Teachers
Preschool effectiveness research consistently documents “fadeout” or “convergence” wherein initial preschool gains dissipate when students enter school. Most fadeout occurs in kindergarten, leading scholars to theorize about mechanisms that make kindergarten a “hotspot” for fadeout. Fielding a national survey of kindergarten teachers (n = 422), this study is the first to shed light on some of these theoretical propositions through the insights of…
Associations of state-funded prekindergarten with early elementary literacy and absences
Nationally Representative Evidence on the Association Between Preschool and School-Based Parental Involvement in Elementary School
Increasing school-based parental involvement—which has links to improved student outcomes like academic achievement—is a core area of focus in many preschool programs. Yet, little research to date has examined what the association is between attending preschool and school-based parental involvement in early elementary school. This study addresses this gap by drawing on nationally-representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kin…
Preparing Early Education Leaders
Purpose: Recently, a confluence of factors has focused elementary school leaders on early education. One factor is that nearly 60 percent of all public elementary schools in the U.S. today have a Pre-K program in the building. Yet, prior research reveals that leaders are often not prepared to effectively lead early education programs. This study assesses the current state of early education leadership preparation among UCEA-affiliated programs. M…
Is skill heterogeneity in kindergarten classrooms associated with the persistence of pre-K gains? Evidence from the IES early learning network
Student-Teacher Ethnoracial Matching in the Earliest Grades
Research Findings: The purpose of this study is to advance our understanding of student-teacher ethnoracial matching in early elementary school by exploring two executive function outcomes – working memory and cognitive flexibility. Drawing on nationally-representative, longitudinal sample of kindergartners (N = 18,170) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Class of 2011, we relied on a fixed effects methodology and found stu…
Transition Practices of Rural Pre-K and Kindergarten Teachers and Their Relations to Children’s Academic and Social Skills
Research Findings: The present study examined the transition practices reported by 59 pre-kindergarten (pre-k) and 186 kindergarten teachers in the rural Southeastern United States, and asked if transition practices related to skills at the beginning and end of kindergarten for 387 children. Analyses indicated kindergarten teachers offered more transition practices than pre-k teachers, and the transition practices children received varied dependi…
State leaders in early childhood education
The Adoption of Public Pre-Kindergarten among the American States
Over the past few decades, we have witnessed a surge in publicly funded pre-K programs in the United States. Today, policy makers in 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted them. Combining information from twelve datasets, we use event history analysis (EHA) to examine the influence of a set of predictors on states’ decisions to adopt public pre-K. Findings indicate that party dominance in the legislature, legislative professionalism,…
Teacher-child racial/ethnic match from prekindergarten through first grade
Governing early learning among the American states
Moving Kindergarten Entry Assessments from Policy to Practice Evidence from North Carolina
Research Findings Kindergarten Entry Assessments (KEAs) – assessment tools used at the beginning of kindergarten to provide educators with a snapshot of children’s readiness for school – are increasingly being adopted by states across the country. The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation of North Carolina’s KEA through analysis of data from an exploratory qualitative study during the initial years of implementation (2015-2018). …
(Mis)Alignment of instructional policy supports in Pre-K and kindergarten
The Politics of Children’s Services Reform
Educators’ views on the location of Pre-K programs and its relation to features of P-3 alignment
Quality” assurance features in state-funded early childhood education
Children Going Home
First published in 1998, this Darlington child care study looks at the return experiences of children looked after by local authorities. It shows that although the great majority of children go back to their families and home communities, little is known about the process. How can professionals and carers make the transition as easy as possible? The book takes forward ideas first reported in the Dartmouth publication, going home: The return of ch…
Testing longitudinal associations between executive function and academic achievement
Children with higher levels of executive function (EF) skills consistently demonstrate higher levels of academic achievement. Despite the consistency of these associations, fundamental questions remain about whether efforts to improve an individual child's EF skills result in corresponding improvements in his or her academic performance. In the absence of experimental evidence, developmentalists have used repeated measures designs to test the nat…
People and systems
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the aspects of social work for children, primarily in England. Design/methodology/approach It is based on reflections on research undertaken by the author prior to 1995 and after 2015. Findings The paper explores the interaction between people – effective leaders and practitioners – and systems. Research limitations/implications It is an opinion piece, and does not present findings from a single stu…
Research Review
The paper summarizes the evidence and provides definitions of risk, protective factors, resilience, coping strategies and need in the context of children in need. Definitions are offered for children in need and children's services. The way in which individual interpretation can alter objective assessment of risk is explored. A method for recording evidence relevant to clinical practice on behalf of children in need is offered. Implications for p…
The impact of residential placement on child development
The accumulated knowledge on the development of children in residential settings covers a lot of ground but leaves a great deal unturned. The article summarises what is known about child development in the context of residential settings and concludes that there is little evidence to draw on to make clear recommendations about what types of children are likely to benefit from what types of residential settings. It maintains that, in the absence o…
Racial and Socioeconomic Gaps in Executive Function Skills in Early Elementary School
This brief leverages the first ever nationally representative data set with a direct assessment of elementary school-aged children’s executive function skills to examine racial and socioeconomic gaps in performance. The analysis reveals large gaps in measures of working memory and cognitive flexibility, the two components of executive function included in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–11 (ECLS-K:2011), based o…
Testing longitudinal associations between executive function and academic achievement
Children with higher levels of executive function (EF) skills consistently demonstrate higher levels of academic achievement. Despite the consistency of these associations, fundamental questions remain about whether efforts to improve an individual child's EF skills result in corresponding improvements in his or her academic performance. In the absence of experimental evidence, developmentalists have used repeated measures designs to test the nat…
(Mis)Alignment of instructional policy supports in Pre-K and kindergarten
Improving outcomes for children in the island of Ireland
Ireland has suddenly become a hub of activity around children's services — at central and local government levels, involving the primary statutory and voluntary agencies, and engaging some of the more disadvantaged communities. In the previous article, Sylda Langford outlined relevant aspects of the broader context in Ireland before describing the origins and work of the Office of the Minister for Children (OMC), of which she is Director‐General.…
Therapeutic Communities for Children and Young People
The care careers of long-stay children
Teacher-child racial/ethnic match from prekindergarten through first grade
Educators’ views on the location of Pre-K programs and its relation to features of P-3 alignment
Looked after Children
Should the state continue to provide substitute care? With a new UK government likely to implement a number of changes in social care provision, Michael Little challenges the effectiveness of current services provided by the state for looked after children
The school readiness of children living in a disadvantaged area in Ireland
This study examined the multiple factors that contribute to the school readiness and early school progress of children living in an urban disadvantaged area. Structured interviews were undertaken with parents of children who had recently started school to elicit information about those aspects of children's health, and their home and neighbourhood contexts that may influence their school readiness. Questionnaires were administered to these childr…
State leaders in early childhood education
Some Children Matter More Than Others
Roy Parker's book Uprooted 1 charts the events that led to 80,000 children being shipped to Canada by the Poor Law and voluntary bodies during the 50 years following confederation in 1867. Michael Little discusses the issues raised by this historical study for current policy and practice and charts the conditions that allow for government and children's services to collude with potentially damaging interventions in children's lives
Interview with Katherine Zappone
Ireland has suddenly become a hub of activity around children's services ‐ at central and local government levels, involving the primary statutory and voluntary agencies, and engaging some of the more disadvantaged communities. In the first article in the series, Sylda Langford (2007) described the origins and work of the Office of the Minister for Children (OMC), of which she is Director General. In the second article, Michael Little and Ali Abu…
Interview with Sylda Langford
Ireland has suddenly become a hub of activity around children's services ‐ at central and local government levels, involving the primary statutory and voluntary agencies, and engaging some of the more disadvantaged communities. Following a critical report when it appeared before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child over a decade ago, the Irish Government set up the National Children's Office and developed a National Children's Strategy. Cu…
Interview with Tom Jeffery Meeting the challenges in implementing Every Child Matters
The government's vision for children's services in England and Wales, Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003), emerged from the debate following the report of the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbié (Laming, 2003). The Children Act 2004 enshrined this vision in legislation, outlining the new statutory duties and clarifying accountabilities for children's services. The Directorate for Children, Young People and Families, located within the Departm…
Quality” assurance features in state-funded early childhood education
Taking over the world or scratching at its surface
Interview with Lord Laming Reflections on the future of children's services in England and Wales
Like most western developed countries, there have been inquiries in England and Wales from time to time into the deaths of children who have been under the watch of social services or other agencies. These cases have led to significant reforms and contributed in part to the Children Act 1989, landmark legislation that has defined the state's involvement in the lives of children in England and Wales. The case of Victoria Climbié was particularly d…
Maintaining Family Links of Children in Care
Maintaining Family Links of Children in Care
The Research Background to the Law on Parental Access to Children in Care
This paper highlights some significant issues regarding the family links of children absent in local authority care raised in recent child-care research. It shows how research and legislative change can be linked constructively. The relevant sections of the Children Act 1989 reflect the successive efforts of the Department of Health to incorporate research messages into child care policy and practice with regard to providing a satisfactory legal …
The care careers of long-stay children
Whispers in the library
In this journal, Liz Trinder (1996) helpfully describes three types of social work research. Using examples from studies undertaken by the Dartington Social Research Unit over a 30‐year period, this reply explores the overlap and complimentarity between types of research and suggests ways in which several sources of evidence will lead to a common conceptual framework in UK children's services
New research on residential care
New research on residential care
Prevention and early intervention with children in need
Prevention and early intervention with children in need
Prevention and early intervention for children in need has considerable appeal to policy makers and professionals operating from health, education and social services contexts. This paper sets out definitions intended to inform the development of ideas in this area. It summarises principles of effective prevention and early intervention based on an extensive review of the literature. It then sets out examples of good practice, one from previous N…
Prevention and early intervention with children in need
New research on residential care
Children's services in the UK 1997–2003
This article reviews developments in children's services since 1997 and considers their effect on children in need by examining government statistics, recent additions to the evidence‐base, and data from two studies conducted by the authors. It shows that there has been extensive service development, mainly beyond the Department of Health, and considerable effort to improve assessment and administrative data. The limits to what can be demonstrabl…
Research Review
The paper summarizes the evidence and provides definitions of risk, protective factors, resilience, coping strategies and need in the context of children in need. Definitions are offered for children in need and children's services. The way in which individual interpretation can alter objective assessment of risk is explored. A method for recording evidence relevant to clinical practice on behalf of children in need is offered. Implications for p…
Therapeutic Communities for Children and Young People
Time for a Change
Fostering Now (Sinclair, 2005) is one of the most important books on foster care in recent years. It presents new information and is part of a series of publications on children's services designed to convey research messages to policy makers and practitioners. However, Michael Little argues that if key questions are to be answered and effective services developed, different types of research and new methods of dissemination are needed
The impact of residential placement on child development
The accumulated knowledge on the development of children in residential settings covers a lot of ground but leaves a great deal unturned. The article summarises what is known about child development in the context of residential settings and concludes that there is little evidence to draw on to make clear recommendations about what types of children are likely to benefit from what types of residential settings. It maintains that, in the absence o…
Refocusing Children's Services Towards Prevention
Increasingly, western developed countries are committed to improving prevention and early intervention strategies that address risks in all areas of children's lives. This article considers the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of such refocusing activity. Five sets of strategies for refocusing are described: developing and using local evidence; designing, implementing and evaluating new services (alongside de‐commissioning); fiscal control; mainstreaming reforms …
Enhancing Service Evaluability
The effectiveness of children's services is often limited by a series of problems that also impede meaningful evaluation. This article describes and assesses research strategies to enhance the evaluability of a programme for disaffected young people, arguing that they have the potential to improve services more widely. It explores methods for developing a logic model, setting target group criteria, tightening programme components, identifying suf…
Interview with John Coughlan From policy to practice
The government's vision for children's services in England and Wales, Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003), and the subsequent Children Act 2004 are ground‐breaking in that they encourage local authorities to focus on child outcomes and demand the integration of previously separate services, such as social care and education. Previous articles in this series were by Herbert Laming (2006), whose inquiry helped pave the way for the 2004 legislation, an…
Interview with Tim Byles Transforming outcomes for young people ‐ a chief executive's view
The Government's vision for children's services in England and Wales, Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003), and the subsequent Children Act 2004 are ground‐breaking in that they encourage local authorities to focus on child outcomes and demand the integration of previously separate services, such as social care and education. Previous articles in this series were by Herbert Laming (2006), whose inquiry helped pave the way for the 2004 legislation, To…
Interview with Lord Laming Reflections on the future of children's services in England and Wales
Like most western developed countries, there have been inquiries in England and Wales from time to time into the deaths of children who have been under the watch of social services or other agencies. These cases have led to significant reforms and contributed in part to the Children Act 1989, landmark legislation that has defined the state's involvement in the lives of children in England and Wales. The case of Victoria Climbié was particularly d…
Interview with Tom Jeffery Meeting the challenges in implementing Every Child Matters
The government's vision for children's services in England and Wales, Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003), emerged from the debate following the report of the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbié (Laming, 2003). The Children Act 2004 enshrined this vision in legislation, outlining the new statutory duties and clarifying accountabilities for children's services. The Directorate for Children, Young People and Families, located within the Departm…
New directions, familiar challenges? A review of the first volume of the Journal of Children's Services
This article reviews the first volume of the Journal of Children's Services. In doing so, it discusses broader directions and challenges in research, policy and practice. The article focuses on discussion about outcomes, the ‘idea’ of children's services and the impact of interventions on children's health and development. It welcomes reflections on different approaches to outcome measurement, analyses of the practicalities of implementing policy…
Interview with Katherine Zappone
Ireland has suddenly become a hub of activity around children's services ‐ at central and local government levels, involving the primary statutory and voluntary agencies, and engaging some of the more disadvantaged communities. In the first article in the series, Sylda Langford (2007) described the origins and work of the Office of the Minister for Children (OMC), of which she is Director General. In the second article, Michael Little and Ali Abu…
Interview with Sylda Langford
Ireland has suddenly become a hub of activity around children's services ‐ at central and local government levels, involving the primary statutory and voluntary agencies, and engaging some of the more disadvantaged communities. Following a critical report when it appeared before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child over a decade ago, the Irish Government set up the National Children's Office and developed a National Children's Strategy. Cu…
Improving outcomes for children in the island of Ireland
Ireland has suddenly become a hub of activity around children's services — at central and local government levels, involving the primary statutory and voluntary agencies, and engaging some of the more disadvantaged communities. In the previous article, Sylda Langford outlined relevant aspects of the broader context in Ireland before describing the origins and work of the Office of the Minister for Children (OMC), of which she is Director‐General.…
Psychology (47 obras) · Political science (36 obras) · Sociology (32 obras) · Computer Science (29 obras) · Early Childhood Education and Development (27 obras) · Medicine (27 obras) · Public relations (19 obras) · Law (18 obras) · Public Administration (18 obras) · Law (17 obras)