Selected Publications

Research Reports, Policy Briefs, and Pre-Prints

  1. Bromer, J., Porter, T., Melvin, S., & Ragonese-Barnes, M. (2021). Family child care educators' perspectives: Findings from the Multi-State Study of Family Child Care Decline and Supply. Herr Research Center, Erikson Institute. https://www.erikson.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/FCD_DeclineStudy_2021.pdf

  2. Porter, T., Ragonese-Barnes, M., Melvin, S., & Bromer, J. (2021). Family child care educators speak out: A research-to-policy brief from the Multi-State Study of Family Child Care Decline and Supply. Herr Research Center, Erikson Institute. https://www.erikson.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/FCCEducatorsSpeakOut_2021_BRIEF.pdf


  1. Bromer, J., Melvin, S., Ragonese-Barnes, M., & Porter, T. (2021). The shifting supply of regulated family child care in the U.S.: A literature review and conceptual model. Herr Research Center, Erikson Institute. https://www.erikson.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The_shifting_supply_of_regulated_FCC_in_the_US_2021_LITREVIEW.pdf


  1. Porter, T., Ragonese-Barnes, M., Melvin, S., & Bromer, J. (2021). Understanding the shifting supply of regulated family child care in the U.S. (research-to-policy brief). https://www.erikson.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Understanding_the_shifting_supply_of_regulated_FCC_in_the_US_2021_BRIEF.pdf


  1. Reid, J.L., Melvin, S.A., Kagan, S.L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2020). Enhancing the quality of infant and toddler care in New York City: Variation across EarlyLearn settings (full report). National Center for Children and Families, Teachers College. http://policyforchildren.org/infant-and-toddler-nyc/


  1. Bromer, J., Porter, T., Melvin, S., Ragonese-Barnes, M., & Molloy, P. (2020). Family child care providers: Unsung heroes of the COVID-19 crisis (research-to-policy brief). Herr Research Center, Erikson Institute. https://www.erikson.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Family-Child-Care-Providers_Unsung-Heroes-in-the-COVID-19-Crisis.pdf


  1. Reid, J.L., Kagan, S.L., Melvin, S.A., Healey, B.F., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2019). Building a unified system for universal pre-k in New York City: The implementation of Pre-K for All by setting and auspice (full report). National Center for Children and Families, Teachers College. http://policyforchildren.org/new-york-city-universal-pre-k-upk-study/


  1. Reid, J.L., Kagan, S.L., & Melvin, S.A. (2019). Enhancing the quality of UPK Programs: Differences by setting and auspice (policy brief). National Center for Children and Families, Teachers College. http://policyforchildren.org/new-york-city-universal-pre-k-upk-study/


  1. Reid, J.L., Kagan, S.L., & Melvin, S.A. (2019). Building a coherent system for UPK: Differences by setting and auspice (policy brief). National Center for Children and Families, Teachers College. http://policyforchildren.org/new-york-city-universal-pre-k-upk-study/


  1. Shusterman, A., May, N., Melvin, S.A., Kumar, S., Blumenstock, S., Toomey, M., & Lewis, S. (2019). Working in the research-to-practice gap: Core principles, case studies, and a call to action. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/qhxbn

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  1. Souto-Manning, M. & Melvin, S.A. (in press). Early childhood teachers of color in New York City: Heightened stress, lower quality of life, declining health, and compromised sleep amidst COVID-19. Early Childhood Research Quarterly.


  1. Reid, J.L., Kagan, S.L., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Melvin, S.A. (2021). Promoting quality in programs for infants and toddlers: Comparing the family child care and center-based teaching workforce. Children and Youth Services Review, 122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105890


  1. Melvin, S.A., Landsberg, E., & Kagan, S.L., (2020). International curriculum frameworks: Increasing equity and driving systemic change. Young Children, 75(1), 10-21.


  1. Rojas, N.M., Yoshikawa, H., Gennetian, L., Lemus-Rangel, M., Melvin, S.A., Noble, K.G., Duncan, G.J., & Magnuson, K. (2020). Exploring the experiences and dynamics of an unconditional cash transfer for low-income mothers: A mixed methods study. Journal of Children and Poverty, 26(1), 64-84. https://doi.org/10.1080/10796126.2019.1704161


  1. Reid, J.L., Melvin, S.A., Kagan, S.L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2019). Building a unified system for universal Pre-K: The case of New York City. Children and Youth Services Review, 100, 191-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.02.030


  1. Marti, M.*, Melvin, S.A.*, Noble, K.G., & Duch, H. (2018). Intervention fidelity of Getting Ready for School: Associations with classroom and teacher characteristics and preschooler’s school readiness skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 44, 55-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.02.010

*Authors contributed equally to this work.


  1. Melvin, S.A., Brito, N.H., Mack, L.J., Engelhardt, L.E., Fifer, W.P., Elliott, A.J., & Noble, K.G. (2016). Home environment, but not socioeconomic status, is linked to early differences in phonetic perception ability. Infancy, 22, 42-55. https://doi.org/10.1111/infa.12145

Book Chapters

  1. Melvin, S.A., Landsberg, E. & Kagan, S.L. (2019). Informed, individualized, and continuous pedagogy. In S.L. Kagan (Ed.), The Early Advantage: Building Systems That Work for Children. New York: Teachers College Press.

  1. Kagan, S.L., Melvin, S.A., Landsberg, E., Kumpulainen, K., & Reid, J.L. (2019). Knowledgeable and supported teachers and families. In S.L. Kagan (Ed.), The Early Advantage: Building Systems That Work for Children. New York: Teachers College Press.