Description
About the Author
Ellen Vineberg Jacobs is a Distinguished Professor Emerita (Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec), where she taught at the graduate and undergraduate levels in the Early Childhood and Elementary Education Program in the Department of Education. She is one of the three original authors of the School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS) which was first published in 1995. Nina Howe is Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Education, and held the Concordia University Research Chair in Early Childhood Development and Education. Areas of research include children's play, relationships (sibling pretense, conflict, teaching, imitation), the social-cognitive development of preschool and school-aged children, and early childhood education. She has applied experience working in preschools, childcare, as a school counsellor and special education teacher. Justine Pronovost is a research professional at Laval University at the joint research unit about nature-based education in early childhood and preschool programs. With over 10 years of experience working in the field and in research on free and active play, outdoor play and nature-based education, Justine also completed a masters program in Child Studies in Concordia University. Lia Rucker is a state anchor for North Carolina's QRIS assessment process with decades of experience using the Environment Rating Scales. She oversees training, interrater reliability, and projects focused on program quality measurement. Beyond the ERS, she has studied and used numerous assessment tools in diverse programs, including measures focused on school-age and youth, interactions, outdoor learning, and quality inclusion practices.