Sarah Lang

Dr. Sarah N. Lang is an Associate Professor in Human Development and Family Science (HDFS), within the Department of Human Sciences. She is interested in ensuring young children have nurturing and enriching early experiences so they can thrive. As such, she examines the network of relationships and contexts in which children develop, with a focus on the early care and education (ECE) workforce, and how these important adults are trained and supported so they can do their best work and foster children’s positive developmental trajectories.

Her experiences as a practitioner and researcher in the field of ECE informs her work. She directs the Virtual Lab School (VLS) - an online professional development system for child and youth educators. In 2024, she was awarded the latest VLS grant funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The VLS system integrates evidence-based information on developmentally appropriate and family-centered practices, with adult learning principles, including an emphasis on practice-based coaching, to empower professionals as they build their knowledge and skills around educating children and youth. The VLS is the professional development system for the more than 30,000 professionals that work in military-affiliated child care programs, though it has a broad impact on the wider ECE field with over 3.9 million visitors and 23.2 million page views in FY2024 alone. Some of Dr. Lang’s research focuses on scholarship that enhances the VLS system and examines its efficacy in public child care contexts. She leads a team of 15-20 professionals, post-doctoral scholars, graduate and undergraduate research assistants all dedicated to the continuous improvement of the VLS system, and scholarship that supports the ECE workforce, children, and families. 

• PhD, The Ohio State University, Human Development and Family Science, 2014
• MS, Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 2004
• BS, Psychology, The Ohio State University, Psychology, 2001

• Child Care and Support Services Management
  • U.S. military child care systems
• Child Development
  • Early childhood teacher/family child care provider practices and training
  • Impact of caregiving on early childhood development
• Early Childhood Education and Teaching
  • Early childhood program quality
  • Family-teacher cocaring relationships
  • Social Emotional Development
• Human Development and Family Studies
• Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching
• Teacher Education
• Workforce Development and Education
  • Early Care and Education Foundational Training and Credentials
  • Early childhood teacher training and workforce development
  • Infant toddler teachers

Research across multiple fields of study has confirmed the importance of children’s earliest experiences. The responsive care, or lack thereof, that children receive in their first five years of life has impact on their own trajectories, influencing their educational and occupational attainment, involvement in the criminal justice system, physical and mental health, and on the wellbeing of our whole society. Thus, the adults in young children’s lives hold an immense responsibility, they need to be prepared to provide the nurturing interactions and developmentally appropriate learning experiences that support healthy development. However, within the United States, many teachers and providers serving young children are undereducated, and, on average, the quality of early care and education (ECE) across the U.S. is lower than desired, with infants and toddlers and children from adverse contexts being even less likely to receive high quality ECE.

Dr. Lang’s research contributions focus on quality ECE. She has proposed and examined new conceptualizations of family-teacher partnerships, termed cocaring, and documented the importance of these relationships for enhancing parental involvement, teacher-child relationships, and children’s social emotional and early academic functioning. Measures she developed in this research are being used in large-scale federal studies on Early Head Start programs (Baby FACES 2018-2022) and by international researchers in Finland. Her research has also made unique contributions to the field of ECE provider wellbeing, for example, by documenting how teacher depression may directly and indirectly, through parent-teacher relationships, negatively impact preschool children’s early math skills, and investigating how small-dose, online professional development (PD) may help increase teachers’ resiliency skills and positive reactions to children’s social and emotional challenges. She is also interested in examining PD models that help teachers become better practitioners and enhance their career trajectories, with a particular focus on PD approaches that include coaching. Her lab continues to conduct pilots examining the efficacy of the VLS professional development system to support in-field professionals in community-based child care achieve greater competency and earn foundational credentials. Thus far, she has found that the VLS model, which pairs high-quality online training with coaching support, can increase teachers’ knowledge and competency, and may increase overall child care center quality.

Dr. Lang loves to create supportive places for doctoral students, post-doctoral scholars, and in-field professionals to grow.

Lang, S. N., Purtell, K., Tebben, E., & Fox, E. G. 2024-2026 (18 months), Funded by Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Understanding Factors that Determine ECE Teachers’ Turnover Decisions, Secondary Data Analysis Grant on Eary Care and Education, $100,000

Yoon, S., & Lang, S. N., Tebben, E., Kim, M. 2024-2026 (18 months), Funded by Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Family and Program Strengths: Examining Profiles to Support Social-emotional Well-being Among Children in Early Head Start Programs, Secondary Analyses of Head Start Data, $100,000

Lang, S. N. 2024-2025, Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense through in an inter-agency agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture using National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)’s grant process. Enhancement and expansion of the Virtual Lab School, a comprehensive professional development system for child care professionals, $855,000

Lang, S. N. 2020-2025, Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense through in an inter-agency agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture using National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)’s grant process. Enhancement of the Virtual Lab School, A Comprehensive Professional Development System for Childcare Professionals, $8,892,750

*denotes post-doctoral or student author

• Ryu*, D., Lang, S. N., & Jeon, L. (2024 online). Exploring the Associations Between Family–Teacher Cocaring Relationships and Teacher–Child Relationships in Single-Parent Families. Early Education and Development, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2024.2436828 
• Ha, N., Byun, S., Lang, S.N., & Jeon, L. (2024 online). Qualitative study on Social-Emotional Learning for Teachers (SELF-T): a professional development intervention promoting early childhood educators’ knowledge of emotional well-being. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2024.2425947  
• Peltoperä, K., Rautamies, E., & Lang, S. N. (2024 online). Constructing Closeness in Educational Collaboration in Extended Hours ECEC. Early Childhood Education Journal, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01798-3  
• Lang, S. N., Tebben, E, Ryu*, D., Odean, R., Knight, K. M., Tyree, J., Luckey*, S. W., Fox*, E. G., & Buettner, C. K. (2024 online). Examining the implementation of the VLS Momentum project: A hybrid approach to supporting foundational practices in early care and education. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01688-8   
• Tebben, E., West, K., Golden, L., Lang, S.N., & Yoon, S. (2024). Who calls for help? Assessing the reach of the Ohio preschool expulsion prevention partnership. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 66, 199-210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.10.007  
• Lang, S. N., Jeon, S., & Tebben, E. (2024). Relationships Between Families and Head Start Staff: Associations with Children’s Academic Outcomes Through Home Involvement and Approaches to Learning. Early Education and Development, 35(3), 413–430. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2022.2155772  
• Fox*, E.G., Lang, S.N. & Tebben, E. (2023 online). Planning for Play in Early Childhood Classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01591-8  
• Jeon, S., Jeon, L., Lang, S. and Newell, K. (2021), Teacher Depressive Symptoms and Child Math Achievement in Head Start: The Roles of Family–Teacher Relationships and Approaches to Learning. Child Development, 92: 2478-2495. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13601  
• Luckey*, S., Lang, S. N., & Jeon, L. (2021). Family Childcare Providers’ Relationships with Parents and Self-reported Closeness and Conflicts with Children in Care. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 29:6, 877-894, DOI: 10.1080/1350293X.2021.1985556  
• Tebben*, E., Lang, S. N., Sproat, E., Tyree Owens, J., & Helms*, S. (2021). Identifying primary and secondary stressors, buffers, and supports that impact ECE teacher wellbeing: implications for teacher education. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 1-19. doi:10.1080/10901027.2021.1918294  
• Herman*, E. R., Breedlove*, M. L., & Lang, S. N. (2021). Family Child Care Support and Implementation: Current Challenges and Strategies from the Perspectives of Providers. Child & Youth Care Forum. doi:10.1007/s10566-021-09613-5
• Lang, S. N., Jeon, L., Schoppe-Sullivan, S.J. et al. (2020). Associations Between Parent–Teacher Cocaring Relationships, Parent–Child Relationships, and Young Children’s Social Emotional Development. Child & Youth Care Forum, 49, 623–646. doi:10.1007/s10566-020-09545-6 
• Lang, S. N., Jeon, L., Sproat, E. B., Brothers*, B. E., & Buettner, C. K. (2020). Social Emotional Learning for Teachers (SELF-T): A Short-term, Online Intervention to Increase Early Childhood Educators’ Resilience. Early Education and Development, 31(7), 1112-1132. doi:10.1080/10409289.2020.1749820
• Jeon, L., Buettner, C. K., Grant, A. A., & Lang, S. N. (2019). Early childhood teachers’ stress and children’s social, emotional and behavioral functioning. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 61(2), 21-32. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2018.02.002 

• Fox*, E. G., Buckley*, M. N., & Lang, S. N. (May, 2025). State-level policies for family engagement in early care and education [Poster presentation]. Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
• Fox*, E. G., Tebben, E., Bush*, A., Purtell, K.M. & Lang S, S. N. (May, 2025). Understanding who wants to leave and who plans to stay in early care and education [Poster presentation]. Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
• Lang, S. N., Knight, K. M., Matesick, K. E. (November, 2023). Giving Staff Choice & Voice: Leadership Strategies that Empower Staff. Oral presentation given at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) annual conference, Nashville, TN.
• Lang, S. N. (October, 2023). Fostering Strong Family-Program Partnerships and Navigating Challenges. Presentation at the Ohio Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Conference in Columbus, OH.
• Lang, S. N., Tebben, E., Odean, R., Ryu*, D., & Buettner, C. (March, 2023). Improving PFCC-Providing Program Quality through Use of Online Professional Development with Integrated Coaching Support. Flash talk presented at the Society for Research in Child Development,Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. A.
• Lang, S. N., & Knight, K. M. (November, 2022). Leadership Practices that Attract and Maintain Strong Teams. Presented at the National Association for the Education of Young Children 2022 Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.
• Lang, S.N., Tebben, E., Knight, K. M., Taub, M., Scott*, A., Buettner, C. K. (August, 2022). How is play represented in Child Development Associate (CDA) Candidates’ Learning Experiences? Oral presentation at the annual European Early Childhood Education Research Conference. Glasgow, Scotland.
• Lang, S.N. (Apri., 2022). The Virtual Lab School Project: Hybrid, competency-based professional development for in-field professionals. Invited presentation for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Paris office.
• Lang, S. N., Knight, K. M., Tebben, E. (June, 2022). Virtual Lab School and the VLS Momentum Project: Project Overview & Lessons Learned. Invited presentation for the National Research Conference on Early Childhood organized by the U.S. Administration for Children and Families. Online, Covid19 adaptation.
• Lang, S. N., Buettner, C. K. (July, 2019). Virtual Lab School: An Evidence-Based Workforce Development System for Improving Teachers' Practices, Ensuring Program Quality & Creating Career Pathways, part of the Early Childhood State Systems: Partnering with Higher Education to Build Flexible Career Pathways symposium. Invited presentation at the State and Territory Child Care and Development Fund Administrators Meeting (STAM), U.S. Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care.
• Lang, S. N., Buettner, C. K., Basloe, M., Jeon, L. (August, 2019). Building a system: Launching comprehensive ECE training with coaching support for new staff. Presented at the European Early Childhood Education Research Association Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece.
• Lang, S. N. (March, 2019). Symposium Chair, It takes a village: Exploring the antecedents, outcomes and patterns of family engagement in ECE. Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, Maryland.
• Buettner, C. K., Lang, S. N. (March, 2019). Family-teacher relationships and program family engagement: Associations with preschoolers’ social and behavioral outcomes. Presented at biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, Maryland.
• Lang, S.N., Jeon, L., Buettner, C. K., Wells, M. B. (August, 2018). Examination of coaching as a professional development strategy for ECE professionals: What are we missing? Presented at The European Early Childhood Education Research Association Conference, Budapest, Hungary.
• Lang, S. N., Mouzourou, C., Jeon, L., Buettner, C.K., & Hur, R.E. (April, 2017). Preschool teachers’ professional training, feedback, beliefs and motivation: Associations with social and emotional responsiveness. Presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Austin, Texas.
• Maras*, E. Q., Lang, S. N., Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J. (May, 2016). An Observational Assessment of Parent-Teacher Relationships in Infant-Toddler Classrooms to Examine Predictors of Cocaring Quality. Poster presented at the Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies, New Orleans, Louisiana.