The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is initiating the International Early Learning Study, a cross-national assessment of early learning outcomes involving the testing of 5-year-old children in participating countries. The authors use this colloquium to inform members of the early childhood community about this project and to raise concerns about its assumptions, practices and possible effects. The authors also invite readers' comments, to start a process of democratic dialogue and contestation. Keywords Cross-national assessment, early childhood education, early learning outcomes, OECD Anglo-Saxon 'testology' … is nothing but a ridiculous simplification of knowledge, and a robbing of meaning from individual histories. (Malaguzzi, in Cagliari et al., 2016: 378) The very act of ordering and measuring the world also changes the world.

The article presents preliminary findings from a family survey about children's experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown, which was administered through the pediatric network SICuPP (Italian Society of Primary Care Pediatricians-Lombardy) in Northern Italy. The study involved 3443 parents with children aged from 1 to 5 years and from 6 to 10 years living in Lombardy region, the earliest and most severely affected by the COVID-19 emergency. All participants completed an online questionnaire and provided informed consent. Respondents generally displayed confidence and a sense of self-efficacy in relation to how they had coped with the COVID-19 emergency, despite the many difficulties encountered during the lockdown. They reported having observed some unexpected improvements and resources (e.g. parent/child and sibling relationships, adaptiveness and autonomy on the part of children). Parent-to-parent solidarity was commonly reported, although a small percentage of parents had experienced a greater sense of isolation and anxiety. Finally, the study indicated 'key areas of vulnerability' (concerning, for example, eating, rules, sleeping, use of technological devices, fears …) that should be monitored in future by strengthening the territorial network linking families, educational services, and health services.

A widespread latent demand for educational provision for under 3s exists in Italy. This demand emerges from different material and psychological needs offamilies. In the last twenty years a large network of day care centers for infants and toddlers, asilo nido, have been installed by local governments in many regions of Central andNorthern Italy. These facilities provide daily child care within an educationally oriented context. More recently, new types offacilities have been set up. They stem from the public asilo nido in both cultural and organizational terms and are integrated, together with all the other services, into a local network of educational facilities for young children and their families. The new facilities are aimed at quantitatively expanding the supply of educational provision and at broadening the range of choice for families with respect to their different needs. This paper provides an overview ofthe new facilities.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent national lockdowns, school closures and distance learning may have had both negative and positive effects on physical and mental health of children. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on a large group of children between 1 and 10 years old in Lombardy, Italy (n = 3392). Their parents filled in a survey answering single or multiple-choice questions about their offspring’s behavior changes (including sleep, dietary habits, emotional disturbances), relationship with siblings, parents and peers, the use of digital technologies, and distance learning experience during the lockdown. Results Parents reported lifestyles and emotional alterations during the lockdown. The modifications of family relationships, parents’ remote working, and screen time were associated with sleep, emotional and behavioral modifications. Distance learning was overall considered adequate. Conclusions This study reported the most updated data on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on children between 1 and 10 years of age in a large sample of Italian schoolchildren. The results of this study point out that pediatricians and authorities should support relationships within families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents’ remote working might play an important role for this purpose.

This article offers insights into what characterises innovative continuous professional development (CPD) in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC) by analysing similarities and differences from case studies of exemplary approaches to innovative CPD in Denmark, Italy and Poland. The comparative analysis focuses on four features that are particularly relevant for innovation in CPD in the field of ECEC: the social dimension of innovation as a strengthening component; the benefit of dynamic learning processes aimed at integrating theory and practice; the role of key figures in the quality of CPD; and measurements of CPD impact, outcomes and sustainability. This analysis sheds light on the effects of dynamic factors (e.g., regular team-based reflection sessions based on documentation and observation), the importance of work conditions (e.g., contractual obligations to provide time for reflection), the critical role of pedagogical leaders (coordinators, principals and head teachers, supervisors), the importance of inter-organisational networking at a local level and the facilitating role of collaboration with research institutes. 1 | I NTR OD U CTI ON This article aims to contribute to the existing debate on what characterises innovative Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) by exploring similarities and differences from case studies of exemplary approaches to CPD in Denmark, Italy and Poland. The cases were part of the CARE project (http://ecec-care.org), a collaborative project funded by the EU within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-SSH-2013-2) to address issues related to quality, inclusiveness and benefits (individual, social, and economic) of ECEC in 34 | This case is set in Denmark where the national ECEC context is characterised by a 98% participation rate among children between the ages of 3 and 5 (Statistics Denmark, 2015) from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. It focuses on a two-year (2011-2013) in-service innovative continuous professional development (CPD) programme (VIDA) that was offered to 120 daycare institutions in four municipalities and involved 7000 children. VIDA was 36 | BOVE ET AL.The role of key figures (pedagogical coordinators, supervisors, leaders, managers) emerges as a crucial factor for innovation in CPD. In Denmark, 'managers' were trained as key figures in VIDA in order to nurture the implementation of this CPD and lead its facilitation, co-created evolution and future. In Italy, the role of the 'pedagogical coordinators' is considered the main factor in determining ECEC quality in terms of the continuity and sustainability of CPD. In Poland, 'supervisors/leaders' are viewed as 'moderators of practitioners' personal growth, rather than just suppliers of new knowledge'. Further efforts are required in order to inspire and contribute to the design of effective long-term CPD across Europe. In all three cases, leadership and key figures emerge as influential for innovative CPD across contexts. BOVE...

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