Amy Claessens
Gulbrandsen Distinguished Chair in Early Childhood Education, Associate Professor
(608) 263-2973
209 Education Building
1000 Bascom Mall
Madison, WI 53706
Download CV   Center for Research on Early Childhood Education (CRECE) Development and Research in Early Math Education (DREME)
Amy Claessens is the Gulbrandsen Distinguished Chair in Early Childhood Education, and she serves as the associate director for the Center for Research on Early Childhood Education (CRECE). With a doctorate in human development from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy, her research aims to understand how policies and programs affect young children’s development and opportunities to learn. She is a member of the Development and Research in Early Math Education (DREME) network in which she works on enhancing opportunities for young children to learn math both in schools and at home. She is also leading a partnership with the Department of Children and Families to understand child care supply changes in Wisconsin. She has received funding from the Administration for Children and Families, W.T. Grant Foundation, and the Heising-Simons Foundation.
Education
- PhD Human Development and Social Policy, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, 2007
- MA Human Development and Social Policy, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, 2006
- BS Social Policy, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, 1998
Select Publications
- Engel, M., Claessens, A., Watts, T. W., & Farkas, G. (2016). Mathematics content coverage and student learning in kindergarten. Education Researcher, 45, 293-300.
- Pilarz, A. R., Claessens, A., & Gellatt, J. (2016). Patterns of Child Care Subsidy Use and Stability of Subsidized Care Arrangements: Evidence from Illinois and New York. Children and Youth Services Review, 65, 231-243.
- Ryan, R., Claessens, A., & Markowitz, A. (2015). Associations between Family Structure Change and Child Behavior Problems: The Moderating Effect of Family Income. Child Development, 86, 112-127.
- Claessens, A., & Dowsett, C. J. (2015). Growth and Change in Attention Problems, Disruptive Behavior, and Achievement from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade. Psychological Science, 25, 2241-2251.
- Claessens, A., Engel, M., & Curran, F. C. (2015). The effects of maternal depression on child outcomes during the first years of formal schooling. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 32, 80-93.
- Claessens, A., Engel, M., & Curran, C. (2014). Opportunities sustained: Kindergarten content and the maintenance of preschool effects. American Education Research Journal, 51, 403-434.
- Chen, J., Claessens, A., & Msall, M. (2014). Prematurity and school readiness in a nationality representative sample of Australian children: Does typically occurring pre-school moderate the relationship? Early Human Development, 90, 73-79.
- Duncan, G., Engel, M., Claessens, A., & Dowsett, C. (2014). Replication and Robustness in Developmental Research. Developmental Psychology, 50, 2417-2425.
- Claessens, A., & Garrett, R. (2014). The role of early childhood care settings on school readiness skills and later achievement in Australia. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29, 550-561.
- Engel, M., Claessens, A., & Finch, M. (2013). Teaching students what they already know? The misalignment between instructional content in mathematics and student knowledge in kindergarten. Educational Evaluation and Policy Administration, 35, 157-178.