Erin O'Connor
Professor of Education & Chief of Education at Cooper
Teaching and Learning
212 992 9473
The Director of New York University's Early Childhood Education program, Erin is a Full Professor and holds a Doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a Masters in teaching from Fordham University, and a Masters in school psychology from Columbia University. Erin works with teachers in New York City schools and leads professional development seminars. She is also Chief of Education at Cooper - a platform designed to bring together parents, researchers, and teachers around issues of child development. She is also the co-host of the parenting podcast, Parenting Understood, which can be found on Apple and Spotify.
In addition, Erin leads a research program examining relationships with mothers and teachers and the impacts of these relationships on children's development in early and middle childhood. She also conducts randomized control trials of relationship-building interventions on the language and social development of pre-kindergarten children from low-income families and neighborhoods.
Erin has published in educational and psychology journals including the American Educational Research Journal, Journal of Educational Psychology, and Journal of Applied Psychology. Her work is supported by grants from several institutions including the Institute for Education Sciences. She is a member of the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and the Society for Research in Child Development.
Selected Publications
- McCormick, M.P., Neuhaus, R., O’Connor, E.E., White, H.I.,Parham E.P., Harding, S. Cappella, E. & McClowry, S. (2021). Long-Term Effects of Social-Emotional Learning on Academic Skills: Evidence from a Randomized Trial of INSIGHTS. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 14 (1), 1-27.
- Horn, E.P., McCormick, M.P., O'Connor, E.E., McClowry, S.G., & Hogan, F.C. (2021). Trajectories of teacher-child relationships across kindergarten and first grade: The influence of gender and disruptive behaviors. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 55(2), 107 - 118.
- Goldie, P. & O’Connor, E.E. (2021). The gender achievement gap: Do teacher-student relationships matter? Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research,
- Han, J., O'Connor, E. E., & McCormick, M. P. (2020). The role of elementary school and home quality in supporting sustained effects of pre-K. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(5), 956–972.
- Neuhaus, R., McCormick, M.P. & O’Connor, E.E. (2020). The mediating role of child-teacher dependency in the association between early mother-child attachment and behavior problems in middle childhood, Attachment & Human Development,
- McCormick, M. P., Neuhaus, R., Horn, E.P., O'Connor, E. E., White, H. I., Harding, S., Cappella, E., & McClowry, S. G. (2019). Social-emotional learning, special education referral, and grade retention from kindergarten through fifth grade: Long-term effects of early intervention on policy-relevant outcomes. AERA Open.
- Han, J., O'Connor, E. E., & McCormick, M. P. (2020). The role of elementary school and home quality in supporting sustained effects of pre-K. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(5), 956–972
- McCormick, M.P., White, H.I., Horn, E.P., Lacks, R., O’Connor, E.E., Cappella, E., & McClowry, S. (2018). Instructional support and academic skills: Impacts of INSIGHTS in classrooms with shy children. Early Education & Development, 1-25.
- McCormick, M.P., White, H.I., Horn, E.P., Lacks, R., O’Connor, E.E., Cappella, E., & McClowry, S. (2018). Instructional support and academic skills: Impacts of INSIGHTS in classrooms with shy children. Early Education & Development, 29(5), 691-715.
- Han, J., O’Connor, E.E., McCormick, M.P., & McClowry, S.G. (2017). Child temperament and home- based parent involvement at the transition to kindergarten: Evidence from a low-income, urban sample. Early Education and Development, 28(5), 590 – 606.
- McCormick, M.P., O’Connor, E.E., & Horn, E.P. (2017). Can teacher-child relationships alter the effects of early socioeconomic status on achievement in middle childhood? Journal of School Psychology, 64, 76-92.
- Collins, A., O'Connor, E.E, & McClowry, S. (2017). The role of a temperament intervention in kindergarten children's standardized academic achievement. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 5(2), 120-139.
- Collins, B. O’Connor, E.E., Supplee, L. & Shaw, D. (2017). Behavior problems in elementary school among low-income boys: The role of teacher-child relationships. The Journal of Educational Research. 110(1), 72-84.
- Collins, A. & O'Connor, E.E. (2016). Teacher-child relationships and child temperament in early achievement. Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, 6(1), 174-194.
- McCormick, M.P., Cappella, E., O’Connor, E.E., Hill, J., & McClowry, S.G. (2016). Do effects of social-emotional learning programs vary by level of parent participation? Evidence from the randomized trial of INSIGHTS. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 9(3), 364-394.
- McCormick, M.P., O’Connor, E.E., & Barnes, S.P. (2016). Mother-child attachment styles and math and literacy skill development in middle childhood: The mediating role of children’s exploration and engagement. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 36(3), 295 – 306.
- McCormick, M.P., Cappella, E., O’Connor, E. E. & McClowry, S. (2015). Social-emotional learning and academic achievement: Using causal methods to explore classroom-level mechanisms. AERA Open.
- McCormick, M.P., O’Connor, E. E., Cappella, E., & McClowry, S.G. (2015). Getting a good start in school: Differential effects of INSIGHTS on the behaviors and engagement of children with high maintenance temperaments. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 30, 128-139.