Early Education Leaders has received a $250,000 grant from the Stranahan Foundation to evaluate its Early Childhood Fellowship program, which provides a debt-free pathway for racially and linguistically diverse early educators to earn their bachelor’s degrees.
The evaluation will examine how the Early Childhood Fellowship contributes to increasing the quantity, diversity, and quality of the early care and education (ECE) workforce in Boston. The project will include developing a comprehensive data system to track program implementation and impacts, gathering feedback from Fellows and staff, and assessing both short-term and long-term outcomes for Fellowship graduates.
“This evaluation will help us understand what works, for whom, and under what conditions,” said Professor Anne Douglass, PhD, Executive Director of Early Education Leaders. “The evidence we gather will not only help us improve our program but could also inform other higher education institutions interested in increasing the number of racially and linguistically diverse BA-degreed early educators serving children in their states.”
The Early Childhood Fellowship, launched in 2022 in partnership with the City of Boston, addresses critical barriers that often prevent early educators from completing their degrees. The program provides comprehensive support through five key components:
- Full tuition coverage and stipends to ensure Fellows can earn their degree without accumulating debt
- Personalized tutoring and academic support
- Regular mentoring and a learning community network
- Leadership development opportunities and an alumni network
UMass Boston’s early education bachelor’s degree program currently serves 300 students annually and has established itself as a leader in recruiting, retaining, and graduating racially and linguistically diverse early childhood educators. The university prepares more racially and linguistically diverse BA-degreed ECE graduates than any other higher education institution in New England.
The evaluation project funded by the Stranahan Foundation will track multiple indicators of program success, including:
- Course completion rates and academic performance
- Teaching quality during field experiences
- Time to graduation
- Post-graduation outcomes such as retention in the ECE field and engagement in leadership activities
Results from this evaluation will help Early Education Leaders attract additional funding to expand the Fellowship model and share evidence-based practices with other institutions working to develop diverse early education leadership pipelines.
For more information about the Early Childhood Fellowship, visit https://www.umb.edu/earlyedinstitute/programs/
