U. professor couple earns inaugural legacy award for early childhood education research

Steve Barnett and Ellen Frede, senior co-directors of the National Institute of Early Education Research (NIEER) and professors in the Graduate School of Education, were awarded the Legacy of Excellence Award from the National Association of State Leaders in Early Education (NASLEE), according to a press release.

The Legacy of Excellence Award from NASLEE recognizes an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution to the discipline of early childhood education, and it is granted once every decade.

"It was tremendously gratifying to be recognized by the frontline early childhood education policymakers in state government, as it means they truly value our work," Barnett said to The Daily Targum.

Frede said that she became a member of NASLEE more than two decades ago and contributed to its influence. Being selected for the award with Barnett, her husband of nearly 40 years, by their colleagues across the country reaffirmed their commitment to their work, Frede said.

Frede and Barnett said that they want to achieve effective relationships with government officials and philanthropic entities to ensure that their work will help improve federal and statewide policies. They added that they hope the award will improve their future accomplishments in developing strong relationships in the early education sector.

NIEER is a nonpartisan research center at the University that carries out research and makes policy suggestions around childhood education.

Barnett said that he is an economist who analyzes early learning, development and public legislation to support early education.

"At NIEER, I conduct research and communicate with policymakers and the media to inform the development of policies and increase the salience and transparency of early childhood policies at national and state levels," he said.

Frede said that she is a developmental psychologist who has worked as a preschool teacher, teacher educator and an early childhood education lead for the state of New Jersey. During her time at NIEER, she said she brings her experience as an educator to help projects and research studies, such as professional development and policy analysis.

Also, Frede said that she has always had an interest in working with children, so when she was studying political science in college, she worked in child care centers.

"Combining these two interests and working on early childhood education policy seemed an inevitable outcome," she said.

Barnett said that his interest in early education began after joining the Perry Preschool Study research team, where he saw how preschool programs generated significant economic growth but noticed enduring improvements in lifelong development.

Frede said that she will be retiring in January 2025 but feels that the research that she helped create will contribute positively to policy and children's livelihoods. Barnett said that he intends to continue managing researchers to improve the lives of young children and their guardians.

"I also wanted this work to have a positive impact, which meant learning to communicate to broader audiences," he said. "Both roles required that I partner with others who have much stronger knowledge of policy and practice and without whom my research would not have been nearly as strong or impactful."