A new study from Early Education Leaders, an Institute at UMass Boston, has found that leadership development programs for early educators can be successfully scaled while maintaining impact—and even expanding equity.
The peer-reviewed study, recently published in a special issue of Education Sciences titled “Strengths and Assets of the Early Childhood Workforce”, evaluated the scaled implementation of Leading for Change, a 40-hour entrepreneurial leadership development course for early educators that was developed by Early Education Leaders. Researchers found that participants in the scaled version of the program—delivered by locally trained facilitators—experienced similar gains in leadership mindset and knowledge as those in the original pilot, which was led by the program’s developers.
Significantly, the study, titled “Scalability of Leadership Development Program in a State Professional Development System,” also revealed that the scaled version may be especially effective at reaching early educators who have historically experienced limited access to leadership development. The 225 early educators who participated in the study included a higher proportion of family child care providers, educators without college degrees, non-English language speakers, and Black and Hispanic/Latinx educators than the pilot. The program was also offered in five languages, with 92% of participants completing it in their preferred language.
“For too long, leadership development in early education has been limited to small pilots and applicants who hold an administrative position within the field,” said Dr. Anne Douglass, Executive Director of Early Education Leaders and a co-author of the study. “This study shows that we can scale high-quality leadership programs—and do so in a way that advances equity by reaching educators who are often excluded from professional development opportunities that focus on leadership.”
To guide the scaling effort, researchers at Early Education Leaders created the ECE Professional Development Scaling Framework, a first-of-its-kind tool for early care and education. Until now, no such framework existed for the ECE field. The framework draws on proven strategies and scaling frameworks from public health, medicine, implementation science, and prevention science to identify the infrastructure, fidelity supports, and contextual adaptability needed to expand professional development models sustainably.
“Scaling isn’t just about making programs bigger—it’s about doing so in a way that preserves quality and supports local leadership,” said Dr. Yujin Lee, Director of Research and Evaluation at Early Education Leaders and lead author of the study. “We developed this framework not only to guide our own work, but to serve as a resource for other researchers and systems leaders across the field.”
The study’s findings and the accompanying framework offer an actionable roadmap for policymakers, state professional development systems, and training organizations seeking to expand access to high-quality, equity-driven leadership development for the early education workforce.
The study was fully designed, implemented, and authored by researchers at Early Education Leaders, an Institute at UMass Boston. As an education, training, and research institute staffed by early education professionals, Early Education Leaders brings firsthand experience, practitioner expertise, and a commitment to racial, linguistic, and cultural equity to all of its work.
“Scalability of Leadership Development Program in a State Professional Development System” is available online at https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050609
About Early Education Leaders
Early Education Leaders, an institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston provides the leadership development opportunities and infrastructure that early educators need to support thriving children and families. Founded in 2016, we drive systems change by cultivating effective leaders who reflect and represent their communities—through workforce and leadership development, research, and partnerships that strengthen the larger early education ecosystem. We are nationally recognized as a model of excellence, and we make high-quality early care and education a reality for more children and families while supporting the professional growth of a diverse workforce of early educators. Get involved or learn more by visiting www.umb.edu/earlyedinstitute.
