Sharon Lynn Kagan

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Sharon Lynn Kagan
Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family Policy; Co-Director, National Center for Children and Families,
Columbia University

Sharon Lynn Kagan is the Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family Policy and co-director of the National Center for Children and Families at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is also an adjunct professor at Yale University’s Child Study Center. A leading scholar in early childhood education policy, Kagan has worked to improve the design and quality of early childhood systems globally, consulting with 90 national governments across Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. She has authored over 300 publications, including 14 books, and served on more than 30 national boards and panels. Her career includes roles as a Head Start teacher, public school administrator, director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Early Childhood Education, and senior advisor to the U.S. Senate. She is a past president of both the National Association for the Education of Young Children and Family Support America and has held leadership positions with the National Academy of Sciences, the Education Commission of the States, and multiple presidential administrations. A fellow of the American Educational Research Association and a member of the National Academy of Education, she has received multiple honorary doctorates and is the only woman in U.S. education history to receive its three most prestigious awards: the Distinguished Service Award from the Council of Chief State School Officers, the James Bryant Conant Award from the Education Commission of the States, and the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. Kagan earned her EdD in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University.

updated 2025

Publications by Sharon Lynn Kagan
Centers and Home Settings that Serve Poor Families
This paper analyzes the observed quality of center-based care and nonparental home settings for low-income children in five cities. The study finds that centers had higher mean quality in terms of provider education and structured learning…
Early Learning Effects of Type, Quality, and Stability
This report examines the effects of center care and home-based care on cognitive and social development of young children in poor communities, as well as the impact of caregiver sensitivity and education level. The study used a sample of children…
Mothers and Young Children Move Through Welfare Reform
This report discusses the lack of knowledge about the impact of welfare-to-work programs on young children since 1996, and how policy leaders are debating ways to aid jobless mothers and enrich their children's lives. The project team followed 948…
Mothers and Young Children Move Through Welfare Reform: Executive Summary
This report examines how welfare-to-work programs have affected the lives of young children since 1996, and how they've impacted the home and childcare settings in which they are raised. The study followed 948 mothers and preschool-age children in…