RISE is a comprehensive approach to teacher professional development (PD) designed to support an increased focus on science, technology, and engineering (STE) in preschool classrooms. The RISE approach to PD and curriculum development is meant to inform culturally relevant, ecologically responsive STE practice for the benefit of dual language learning (DLL) children’s transition from home and family into the formal early education setting. The RISE PD approach emphasizes dignity-affirming teacher supports and promotion of children’s sense of belonging within the preschool classroom community. Specific to the goals of RISE is recognition that educators need support to develop and implement meaningful STE experiences that engage young children in active exploration and problem-solving, as well as to partner with families for this purpose.  

Over the last ten years, the project team has co-constructed a comprehensive professional development approach and culturally relevant STE learning experiences with Head Start teachers and families. The development and initial pilot implementation phase of this project was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Brady Education Foundation, and private support from Ellen R. Cohen. We just completed a two-year randomized controlled trial in 40 Head Start classrooms. This second phase was supported by generous funding from NSF, the Heising-Simons Foundation, and private support from Ellen R. Cohen.

For more information on this line of research, please read:
*Indicates student co-author

McWayne, C. M. (2015). Family-school partnerships in a context of urgent engagement: Rethinking models, measurement, and meaningfulness. In S. Sheridan (Ed.), Research on Family-School Partnerships: An Interdisciplinary Examination of State of the Science and Critical Needs (pp. 105-124). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13838-1_6

McWayne, C. M., & *Hyun, S. (2016). Family engagement in early childhood education curriculum. In D. Couchenour & K. Chrisman (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Contemporary Early Childhood Education. Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483340333.n153

McWayne, C. M., Mistry, J., Brenneman, K., Greenfield, D., & Zan, B. (2018). Supporting family engagement in STE curriculum among low-income immigrant families with preschool children. In M. Caspe, T. A. Woods, & J. L. Kennedy (Eds.), Promising practices for engaging families in STEM learning: volume in family-school-community partnership issues (pp. 79-95). Information Age Publishing, Inc.

Sarama, J., Clements, D., Nielsen, N., Blanton, M., Romance, N., Hoover, M., Staudt, C., Baroody, A., McWayne, C., and McCulloch, C., (2018). Considerations for STEM education from PreK through grade 3. Waltham, MA: Education Development Center, Inc. Retrieved from: http://cadrek12.org/resources/considerations-stem-education-prek-through-grade-3

McWayne, C. M., Doucet, F., & Mistry, J. (2019). Family-school partnerships in ethnocultural communities: Redirecting conceptual frameworks, research methods, and intervention efforts by rotating our lens. In C. M. McWayne, F. Doucet, & S. Sheridan (Eds.), Research on Family-School Partnerships: Ethnocultural Diversity and the Home-to-School Link. Springer Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14957-4_1

McWayne, C. M., Doucet, F., & Sheridan, S. (Eds.) (2019). Research on Family-School Partnerships: Ethnocultural Diversity and the Home-to-School Link. Springer Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14957-4

McWayne. C. M., Mistry, J., *Hyun, S., Diez, V., Parker, C., Zan, B., Greenfield, D., & Brenneman, K. (2020). Incorporating knowledge from children’s homes and communities: A home-to-school approach for teaching STEM in preschool. Young Children, 75 (5), 20-26.

McWayne, C. M., Mistry, J., Brenneman, K., Zan, B., & Greenfield, D. (2020). A model of co-construction for curriculum and professional development in Head Start: The Readiness through Integrative Science and Engineering (RISE) Approach. Teachers College Record, 122 (11).

McWayne, C. M., Greenfield, D., Zan, B., Mistry, J., & *Ochoa, W. (2021). A Comprehensive Professional Development Approach for Supporting Science, Technology, and Engineering Curriculum in Preschool: Connecting Contexts for Dual Language Learners. In S. T. Vorkapić & J. LoCasale-Crouch(Eds.), Supporting children’s well-being during the early childhood transition to school (pp. 222-253). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-4435-8.ch011

McWayne, C., Brenneman, K., Greenfield, D., Mistry, J., & Zan, B. (2021). Readiness through Integrative Science and Engineering (RISE): Professional Development Guide and Materials. Medford, MA: Tufts University. http://rise.as.tufts.edu/

McWayne, C. M., *Hyun, S., Diez, V., & Mistry, J. (2021). “We Feel Connected… and Like We Belong”: A parent-led, staff-supported model of family engagement in early childhood. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01160-x

McWayne, C. M., Melzi, G., & Mistry, J. (2022). A Home-to-School Approach for Promoting Culturally Inclusive Family-School Partnership Research and Practice. Educational Psychologist, 57 (4), 238-251. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2022.2070752

McWayne, C. M., Zan, B., *Ochoa, W., Greenfield, D., & Mistry, J. (2022). Head Start teachers act their way into new ways of thinking: Science and engineering practices in preschool classrooms. Science Education, 106 (4), 956-979. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21714

*Li, L., McWayne, C. M., & Mistry, J. (2023). Parent and teacher perspectives about preschool children’s natural learning opportunities in two immigrant Head Start communities. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 44(1), 42-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2021.1990166

*Li, L., *Ochoa, W., McWayne, C., *Rocha, L., & *Hyun, S. (2023). “Talk to me”: Do parent-teacher background similarity and communication quality relate to fewer barriers to school-based engagement for ethnoculturally diverse Head Start families? Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 29(2), 267–278. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000497

Mistry, J., *Segovia, J., *Li, L., McWayne, C. M., Zan, B., & Greenfield, D. (2023). “I woke up to
science”: Teacher Narratives of Growth in a Culturally Sustaining Preschool STEM Program. To appear in the Special Issue, Building from Strengths: Culturally Situated STEM Learning in Childhood. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2022.101456

Melzi, G., & McWayne, C. (2023). Introduction to Building from strengths: Culturally situated early STEM learning. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 86, 101543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2023.101543

McWayne, C. M., *Ochoa, W., *Segovia, J., Zan, B., Greenfield, D., & Mistry, J. (2023).
Engagement in the preschool classroom: Brief measures for use with children from ethno-racially diverse and low-income backgrounds. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 64 (3), 177-185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.03.002

McWayne, C. M., & Melzi, G. (2023). Young children co‐constructing science: The importance of their families and cultural communities. Science Education,107, 1655-1669. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21823

Zan, B., Greenfield, D., McWayne, C. M., Mistry, J., & Brenneman, K. (2024). Connect, deepen, extend: Creating meaningful science, technology, and engineering learning experiences. Teaching Young Children, 18(1), 28-31.

*Ochoa, W., *Li, L., *Kiyama, F., McWayne, C. M. (2024). Are Family-Teacher Communication Quality and Child and Family Characteristics Associated with Head Start Children’s Classroom Engagement? It’s Complicated. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.11.007

McWayne, C.M., Mattis, J. S., *Ochoa, W., & *Li, L. (2024). Bridging divides and making visible the invisible: Connecting parents, children, and teachers through cultural inclusion. In C.M. McWayne & Gadsden, V.L. (Eds.), Early Childhood Research for Educational Equity: Family-School-Systems Connections. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Greenfield, D., Zan, B., McWayne, C. M., *Harris, M., Alexander, A., *Ochoa, W., & Mistry, J. (2024). The Early Childhood Science Practices Observation Tool (EC-SPOT): Assessing Science Practices Across Multiple Classroom Contexts. International Journal of Science Education, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2024.2305634

McWayne, C. M., & Melzi, G. (2024). Immigrant families and young children: Realizing a commitment to cultural inclusion in preschool classrooms. Educational Forum, 88(4), 492–517. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131725.2024.2383146

Iruka, I., Lees, A., McWayne, C., Fryberg, M., Bustamante, A., Allen, D., & Musa, T. (2025). Advancing an equitable and just early care and education ecosystem through community-rooted research-practice partnerships. Review of Research in Education.

McWayne, C. M., & *Xiao, N. (accepted). Culturally inclusive family-school connections in a global society. Chapter to appear in S. M. Luna, B. L. Wright, & M. Tesar (Eds.), Handbook of critical perspectives in early childhood. Bloomsbury.

*Ochoa, W., & McWayne, C. M. (accepted). Understanding the role of technology in Latine parents’ involvement in their preschool children’s education. To appear in, M. Williams-Johnson (Ed), Critical Analysis of Parental Involvement in School: Working with Families across Sociocultural Context. Routledge.

Selected Presentations:
*Indicates student co-presenter

*Hyun, S., Li, L., *Crowley, A., McWayne, C., Mistry. J., Zan, B., Brenneman. K., & Greenfield, D. (2014, April). Reflection of Child’s Neighborhood in Preschool Classrooms: Implications for Studying the Context of Immigrant Communities. Roundtable session presented at the American Educational Research Association 2014 Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

*Limlingan, M.C., *Dong, S., *Miller, A., McWayne, C., Mistry, J., Zan, B., Brenneman, K. & Greenfield, K. (2014, April). Variations in Language Use by Preschool Dual Language Learners in Two Immigrant Communities. Roundtable session presented at the American Educational Research Association 2014 Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Zan, B., Brenneman, K., Greenfield, D., McWayne, C., & Mistry, J. (2014, November). Integrating science, technology, and engineering in Pre-K: STEPP up your practice! Presented at the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Dallas, TX.

*Li, L. W., McWayne, C., & Mistry, J. (2015, February). Parents’ and teachers’ perspectives about preschool children’s learning opportunities in two immigrant communities. Paper presented at the 36th Ethnography in Education Research Forum, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA.

*Hyun, S., McWayne, C., & Mistry, J. (2015, February). Evidence of reciprocal dialogue in curriculum co-construction: Recent findings and site variations in two Head Start programs serving DLLs. Paper presented at the 36th Annual Ethnography in Education Research Forum, Philadelphia, PA.

Zan, B., Greenfield, D., Brenneman, K., McWayne, C., & Mistry, J. (2015, March). Integrating science, technology, and engineering in Pre-K: STE-P up your practice! Presentation at National Science Teachers Association Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.

McWayne, C., Mistry, J., Greenfield, D., Brenneman, K., & Zan, B. (2015, March). Partnerships for early childhood curriculum development: Readiness through integrative science and engineering. Presented as part of the Poster symposium “Innovations in Early Childhood STEM Curriculum and Professional Development” (Chair: K. Brenneman) at the 2015 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Child Development. Philadelphia, PA.

McWayne, C., *Hyun, S., Brenneman, K., Mistry, J., Greenfield, D., & Zan, B. (2015, October). Engaging Families and Teachers in Curriculum Co-Construction for DLLs. A paper presentation at the National Head Start Association Parent and Family Engagement Conference, San Diego, CA.

Zan, B., Croteau, S., Chait, H., & Wang, T., McWayne, C., Mistry, J., Brenneman, K., & Greenfield, D. (2015, November). Science, technology, and engineering experiences with living and non-living objects: Exploring the concept of change over time though the eyes of preschool dual language learners. Presentation at the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Orlando, FL.

McWayne, C., Mistry, J., Brenemann, K., Zan. B., & Greenfield, D. (2016, April). Partnerships among Researchers, Teachers, and Families: Co-Constructing Science and Engineering Curriculum for Head Start Dual Language Learners. A roundtable presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Washington, DC.

*Li, L., *Hyun, S., McWayne, C., Mistry, J., Greenfield, D., Brenemann, K., & Zan, B. (2016, April). Patterns of Parent-Teacher Interactions in Home-School Collaboration: Negotiating a Partnership through Non-Hierarchical Dialogues. A roundtable presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Washington, DC.

*Limlingan, M. C., McWayne, C., & Mistry, J. (2016, July). Breakthroughs not barriers: How translanguaging engages and connects parents and teachers in Head Start programs serving DLLs. Poster presentation at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) National Research Conference on Early Childhood. Washington, DC.

McWayne, C., Mistry. J., Brenneman, K., Zan, B., & Greenfield, D. (2016, July). Innovations in early childhood curriculum and professional development: Taking a funds of knowledge approach. Poster presentation at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) National Research Conference on Early Childhood. Washington, DC.

*Limlingan, M.C. & McWayne, C. (2017, April). The relations between classroom language environment, teachers’ language ideologies and Latino dual language learners’ school readiness skills. Paper presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Conference, Austin, TX.

*Hyun, S., McWayne, C., & Mistry, J. (2018, April). The process of building nonhierarchical relationships with Head Start immigrant parents in curriculum co-construction. Paper presentation, as part of the Family engagement in early childhood symposium (Chair: Riojas-Cortez, M.), at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. New York, NY.

McWayne, C. M., Mistry, J., Greenfield, D., Brenneman, K., & Zan, B. S. (2018, April). Co-constructing family engagement in science and engineering curriculum with low-income immigrant families with preschool children. Paper presentation, as part of the Fly me to the moon: Family, school, and community partnerships support STEM learning symposium (Chair: Caspe, M.), at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. New York, NY.

McWayne, C.M., Mistry, J., Chait, H., Piel, W., & Croteau, S. (2018, November). Co-constructed STE curriculum in Head Start: Partnership-based research for program improvement. Panel presentation at the Massachusetts STEM Summit 2018: Pipelines to Prosperity. Worcester, MA.

McWayne, C.M., Mistry, J., *Hyun, S., & Diez, V. (2018, November). Supporting a home-to-school approach in preschool curriculum with low-income immigrant families. Panel presentation at the Massachusetts STEM Summit 2018: Pipelines to Prosperity. Worcester, MA.

McWayne, C. M., & Melzi, G. (2019, March). Promoting Cultural Responsiveness of Early Childhood Curriculum and Professional Development: Funds of Knowledge Approaches (Co-Chair). Symposium presentation at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Baltimore, MD.

McWayne, C. M., Mistry, J., Zan, B., Brenneman, K., Greenfield, D., & Hyun, S. (2019, March). An Innovative Home-School Collaboration Approach for Engaging Low-income, Immigrant Families in Curriculum Co-Construction. Paper presentation as part of the symposium, Promoting Cultural Responsiveness of Early Childhood Curriculum and Professional Development: Funds of Knowledge Approaches at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Baltimore, MD.

*Wisnia, J. B., Mistry, J., & McWayne, C. M. (2020, February). Teachers’ Narratives: Reflections on Personal and Professional Growth. Presentation at the 32nd Annual Ethnographic & Qualitative Research Conference, Las Vegas, NV.

McWayne, C. M. (Chair, 2020, June), Greenfield. D., Zan, B., Mistry, J., *Ochoa, W., Parker, C., Rammah, R., & Purvis, L. Co-constructed Preschool Science and Engineering Curriculum with Head Start Teachers: Partnership-Based Research for Program Improvement. Poster symposium presentation submitted to the National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC), Arlington, VA.

*Li, L. W., *Ochoa, W., *Harris, M., *Kiyama, F., McWayne, C., & *Hyun, S. (2020, June). Examining Patterns in Caregivers’ Satisfaction towards Home-School Communication across Three Language Groups in Head Start. Poster Symposium submitted to the National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC), Arlington, VA. 

*Li, L. W., *Harris, M., *Ochoa, W., McWayne, C., & Hyun, S. (2020, June). Examining Patterns in Head Start Parents’ and Teachers’ Perceptions about Home-School Communication. Poster presentation submitted to the National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC), Arlington, VA. 

Zan, B., Greenfield, D., McWayne, C., & Mistry, J. (2020, November). Connect, Deepen, Extend: Supporting Preschool Teachers to Design and Implement Culturally-Relevant, Engaging, and Intellectually Rigorous Science, Technology, and Engineering Experiences through Home-School Connections. NAEYC 2020 Annual Conference. Anaheim, CA.

*Ochoa. W., *Li. L. W., *Harris, M., *Kiyama, F., *Wisnia, J., McWayne, C. M., & Hyun, S. (2020, Nov 30-Dec 3). The Development and Validation of a Measure of Barriers to Family Engagement in Preschool Programs: Should we Use the Same Version Among English and Spanish-Speaking Families? [Virtual poster presentation]. National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC). 

*Li, L. W., *Ochoa, W., *Harris, M., *Kiyama, F., McWayne, C. M., Hyun, S. & *Priebe Rocha, L. (2020, Nov 30-Dec 3). Examining Patterns in Caregivers’ Satisfaction towards Home-School Communication across Three Language Groups in Head Start. [Accepted as paper symposium, presented as virtual poster]. National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC).

McWayne, C. M. (2021, March). Co-constructed Preschool Science and Engineering Curriculum with Head Start: Partnership-Based Research for Program Improvement. Graduate School of Education. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. (virtual presentation during COVID-19 pandemic).

McWayne, C. M. (2021, April). Bridging Divides and Making Visible the Invisible: Connecting Parents and Teachers through Cultural Inclusion. Early Childhood Initiative Lecture. Sanford Center for Child and Family Policy. Duke University. (virtual presentation during COVID-19 pandemic).

*Li, L. W., *Ochoa, W., *Priebe Rocha, L., McWayne, C. M., & Hyun, S. (2021, April). Exploring Relations among Parent-Teacher Ethnic and Language Match, Communication Quality, and Barriers towards Family Engagement. Roundtable discussion to be presented virtually at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA).   

*Harris, M. P., *Ochoa, W., McWayne, C. M., *Li, L. W., & Hyun, S. (2021, April). Barriers to Family Engagement are Associated with Self-Efficacy in Head Start Mothers and Fathers. Roundtable discussion to be presented virtually at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

Zan, B., Greenfield, D., McWayne, C.M., & Mistry, J. (2022, April). Connect, Deepen, Extend: Supporting Preschool Teachers to Design and Implement Culturally Relevant, Engaging, and Intellectually Rigorous Science, Technology, and Engineering Experiences Through Home-School Connections. National Science Teachers Association National Conference, Houston, TX.

McWayne, C. M. (2021, October). The Readiness through Integrative Science and Engineering (RISE) Project: A Co-constructive Home-to-School Approach for Building Culturally Inclusive Preschool Curriculum. Invited Lecture for the Science Education Department at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Harvard University. Cambridge, MA. (virtual presentation during COVID-19 pandemic).

McWayne, C. M., Whitaker, J., Lange, A. (Panelists) & Dominguez, X. (Moderator). (2022, June). National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine PreK-5 Webinar on Early Education, in response to the consensus report, Science and Engineering in Preschool through Elementary Grades.

Ochoa, W., Li, L., & McWayne, C. (2022, June). Are Teacher-Family Communication Quality and Head Start Children’s English Language Skills Associated with their Classroom Engagement? [Virtual poster presentation]. The Administration for Children and Families’ National Research Conference on Early Childhood 2022 (NRCEC).

Zan, B., Greenfield, D., & McWayne, C. (2022, November). Connect, Deepen, Extend: Supporting Preschool Teachers to Design and Implement Culturally-Relevant, Engaging, and Intellectually Rigorous Science, Technology, and Engineering Experiences through Home-School Connections. Paper presentation at the NAEYC’s 2022 Annual Conference. Washington DC.

McWayne, C. M. (2023, March). A home-to-school approach for promoting culturally inclusive family–school partnership research and practice. Invited talk for the seminar “Special Topics in Early Childhood, Early Literacy, and Parent-Family-Community Engagement” led by Dr. Vivian Gadsden at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education.

*Li, L., & McWayne, C. M. (2023, March). Examining caregivers’ family engagement and teachers’ inclusion of family life in classroom learning. Poster presentation at the SRCD 2023 Biennial Meeting. Salt Lake City: UT.

McWayne, C. M., Mistry, J., Diez, V., Hyun, S., & Ochoa, W. (2023, March). Building cultural inclusivity in Head Start: Co-constructing a home-to-school approach. Paper symposium presentation: Centering Family Voice: Partnership Interventions with Marginalized Families. Chaired by Sue Sheridan, UN Lincoln. SRCD 2023 Biennial Meeting. Salt Lake City: UT.

McWayne, C. M., & Diez, V. (2023, November). Promoting cultural inclusivity in early childhood curriculum: Co-constructing a home-to-school approach. Cambridge Public Schools. Cambridge, MA.

Li, L., Xiao, N., & McWayne, C. M. (2024, June). Teachers’ inclusion of family life in classroom learning as a unique predictor of family engagement for a low-income population. Poster presented at the Administration for Children and Families’ National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC) 2024. Arlington, VA.

Garcia D.I., Bermudez V. N., Diez V., Lan-Millan A., Aguilar V., Mae R., Xiao N., Parker C., Orlando K., Rodriguez R., Solomon L., McWayne C.M., Bustamante A. (April, 2025). Fostering culturally sustaining early education: Lessons from the implementation of the RISE program [Accepted Roundtable Session]. AERA Annual Meeting. Denver, Colorado, USA.

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