Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · 19d

Honored to receive the Mangone Young Scholars award from the University of Delaware. I'm lucky to be supported by incredible colleagues and to be in a department that encourages and values early career researchers. 🩷

www.udel.edu/udaily/2025/...

Whitaker and Kunjapur named Gerard J. Mangone Young Scholars | UDaily

Young, promising scholars recognized for their outstanding research

www.udel.edu

2

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Aug 31

Excited to share our new publication in JPAM - "Why are preschool programs becoming less effective?"

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

#EdPolicy #EarlyChildhood #QuantResearch #RCTs

Why are preschool programs becoming less effective?

Public preschool programs are heralded as an effective policy tool for promoting the development and lifelong well-being of children from low-income families. Recent preschool evaluations report dive....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

4

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Aug 9

*gatekeep? Idk - this news is too good not to share!!

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Aug 9

Not one to gate keep (sorry not sorry for the non-work post):

thecostpro.com/pureology-hy...

Pureology Hydrate Disguised as Costco Signature Shampoo - The CostPro

Costco’s Kirkland Signature Moisture Shampoo is Pureology Hydrate Shampoo in disguise with the Costco Kirkland Shampoo label and the low Costco price.

thecostpro.com

1 1

Reposted by Ana Whitaker

AEFP @aefpweb.bsky.social · Aug 8

Developing a syllabus for the upcoming academic year? Consider including the AEFP Live Handbook. It provides a dynamic, evolving collection of insights from education finance and policy experts. A digital hub for evidence-based education policy research: livehandbook.org/

Evidence-Based Education Policy Research | Live Handbook

Explore evidence-based education policy research at our digital hub. Access data-driven insights to improve learning outcomes and shape effective policies.

livehandbook.org

10 12

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Jul 29

These results suggest it may be time to revisit and refine how we define and measure “quality” in ECE.

#EarlyChildhood #EducationResearch #ECEPolicy #ChildDevelopment

2

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Jul 29

Using data across 4 studies, we found that:

• Structural features (like ratios, teacher ed) were linked to classroom quality only when regulations were low.
• Once structural standards improved, those links weakened.
• Classroom process quality didn’t significantly predict preschoolers’ outcomes.

1 1

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Jul 29

Our paper empirically examining the early childhood education structure-process-outcome model is out now in Developmental Psychology.

psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...

APA PsycNet

psycnet.apa.org

1 2

Reposted by Ana Whitaker

Lea Woods @lea9223.bsky.social · Jul 10

HHS announced today they will consider Head Start a welfare program, not an education program, and will subject it to new citizenship requirements. This goes against decades of legal precedence that all children in America have a right to education. Announcement here. www.hhs.gov/press-room/p...

www.hhs.gov

160 1.4K 2.6K

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Jun 16

edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1202

Recent Immigration Raids Increased Student Absences

Local immigration raids expanded dramatically across the U.S. during the first two months of 2025. Anecdotal accounts suggest that these raids increased student absences from schools because parents f...

edworkingpapers.com

1

Reposted by Ana Whitaker

Daphna Bassok @dbassok.bsky.social · Mar 15

Great flash talks this morning from @chloergibbs.bsky.social and @anawhit.bsky.social about the impacts of early childhood education policies, part of the new AEFP Live Handbook! #AEFP2025

2 7

Reposted by Ana Whitaker

Cara Jackson @carajackson.bsky.social · Mar 12

Objective, comprehensive, rigorous, timely, and useful:
A digital hub for evidence-based education policy research.

#EdResearch #EdPolicy

livehandbook.org

Evidence-Based Education Policy Research | Live Handbook

Explore evidence-based education policy research at our digital hub. Access data-driven insights to improve learning outcomes and shape effective policies.

livehandbook.org

3 69 110

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Dec 8

💜💛

Matthew Coller @matthewcoller.bsky.social · Dec 8

Absolutely freakish by Darnold. How did he keep his eyes down field? How did he escape? Goodness gracious

1

Reposted by Ana Whitaker

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Nov 21

📢 Another new post-doc position at @UChicago! The Committee on Education seeks an early childhood development scholar from any relevant discipline. EOE/Vet/Disability. Work with us @HarrisPolicy @HarrisBIPLab among other units.
voices.uchicago.edu/coed/about-ies

About IES | Committee on Education

voices.uchicago.edu

4 8

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Nov 19

Agree - just found some working papers on here yesterday.

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Nov 19

Yes! Please share! Twitter was helpful in introducing me to new research and I’m hopeful we build that same vibe over here too.

Aaron Sojourner @aaronsojourner.org · Nov 19

No need to apologize for promoting your work here.

Who better to tell us about it? Who knows it sooner or better?

1 4 12

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Nov 18

Here's a good read for those intro to research/grad school courses.

Community has been essential to my success and something I strive to promote and create in the spaces I join.

1 4

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Nov 18

Thank you!

1

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Nov 18

Love to be added to this incredible list! Thanks for sharing!

1 1

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Nov 18

We are hiring in our brand new Social Work program!

Happy to answer any questions about UD's College of Education and Human Development. I have really fabulous colleagues :)

Check out the position in the link below.

careers.udel.edu/en-us/job/50...

University of Delaware - Details - Assistant Professor, Master of Social Work

careers.udel.edu

4

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Nov 17

Yay!

1

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Nov 15

Going to #APPAM2024? Check this out!

I'm hoping to stop by this happy hour. If you are going to APPAM and want to connect, send me a chat/email!

Mark Chin @mememedianmode.bsky.social · Nov 15

Education scholars heading to #APPAM2024 - @christocleve.bsky.social and I are organizing an informal happy hour meet up Thursday night 11/21 at The Brass Tap, 7pm! Would love to reconnect with folks while we're all together next week.

Please amplify and feel free to invite others!

2

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Nov 15

Starter packs are a really smart idea. Makes this site much less daunting/easier to navigate. Also really helpful to share with students and for them to build their online community.

2

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Nov 15

Cathleen Crudden @cathleencrudden.bsky.social · Nov 15

Want to give a good scientific talk? TELL A GOOD STORY. don’t show the audience every result, don’t give us one slide on every paper you’ve ever published. If I want to read your resume, I will. Teach me something, tell me a story.

1

Ana Whitaker @anawhit.bsky.social · Nov 14

ECE folks - reach out to Pia to get added to the starter pack!

Pia Caronongan @piacar.bsky.social · Nov 14

Thanks for continuing to spread the word, Ana! I did just add my Bluesky handle to the description so people can contact me if they want to be included.

2