on buckets, banks, and hearts: aligning early childhood standards and systems

On Buckets, Banks, and Hearts:Aligning Early Childhood

Standards and Systems

Build Conference onQuality Rating/Improvement

SystemsMinneapolis, MN

June 4, 2008

Sharon L. Kagan, Ed.D.Teachers College, Columbia University

Presentation Overview

Part I: Defining SystemsPart II:Defining StandardsPart III: The Heart of the MatterPart IV: Role of Standards in Advancing an

Early Learning and Development System

Part V:ExamplesPart VI: Next Steps

Part I:Defining Systems

A. The GardenB. The Line Charts

C. The Venn Diagram

Defining Systems

• There is a great deal of talk in our field regarding the development of a system.

• But we are not always clear regarding a system of what:

A. Early Care and Education?B. Early Childhood Education? C. Services for Young Children?

Defining Systems

System Type A:

The Garden

or the System of Early Care and Education

Defining Systems

• One conceptualization, advanced in the late 1990s by the Quality 2000 Initiative, built on the work of 350 experts in the field.

• It focused on early care and education.• It was graphically represented as a

garden.

The Early Care and Education System

HSFPCC

PKCC

Programs

Infrastructure

FS/FL

The Early Care and Education System

HQHS

HQFPCC

HQPKHQ

CC

Programs

Infrastructure

HQFS/FL

Source: Kagan, S. L., & Cohen, N. E. (1997). Not by chance: Creating an early care and education system. New Haven, CT: Yale University Bush Center in Child Development and Social Policy.

Gears: Need to work in all areas to move the infrastructure

Improving Quality and Regulation

Informed Families, Informed Public

Standards, Assessment, and Accountability

Personnel & Professional Development

ECE/K-12 Linkages

Financing

Governance

The Early and Education System

• It advanced two major propositions, each framed as a formula:

System =Programs + Infrastructure

and

8-1 = 0

Defining Systems

• In building upon this approach, some wanted it to embrace more than young children and the services they received before attending formal school.

• These folks said, true to our developmental focus, that we needed to advance a system that focused on children birth through 8.

• And we needed to include a broader array of services.

• This became known at the Early Childhood Education System.

Defining Systems

System Type B:

The Line Charts

or the System of Early Childhood Education

BIRTH AGE 5 AGE 8

Early Care and EducationI. Quality SettingsII. ECE Professional and Workforce DevelopmentIII. Informed Families, Informed PublicIV. Accountability/Results OrientationV. Adequate ECE Financing

GovernanceVI. Governance and Coordination

K-3 EducationVII. Education in the Early Grades

Comprehensive ServicesVIII. Health, Mental Health, Oral Health

The Early Childhood System

• Policy Matters developed 100 key policies in eight domains that, when implemented, would characterize an early childhood system for:– Children birth to age 8– Both public and private providers– Home-, center-, school-, and community-

based programs

The Early Childhood System Approach Took Root in the

Policy Matters Project

Assessing the Early Childhood System

• Policy Matters takes place in three phases:– I. Taking Stock—the policy audit– II. Political Context—survey analyses– III. Setting Priorities—goal setting

Phase IIISetting

Priorities

Phase ITaking Stock

Phase II Political Context

Assessing the Early Childhood System

• In the first phase, the policy audit, states assessed their system in eight policy domains:

1. Quality ECE Settings2. Professional and Workforce Development3. Informed Families, Informed Public4. Accountability and Results Orientation5. Financing6. Governance7. Education in the Early Grades8. Health, Oral Health, Mental Health

The Early Childhood System Policy Matters has taken place in Florida, Ohio,

Mississippi, North Carolina, Colorado, Utah, and West Virginia.

Domain I: Quality ECE Settings

Phase ITaking Stock

Domain II: Professional and Workforce Development

Phase ITaking Stock

Domain III: Informed Families & Informed Public

Phase ITaking Stock

Domain IV: Accountability & Results Orientation

Phase ITaking Stock

Domain V: Adequate ECE Financing

Phase ITaking Stock

Domain VI: Governance and Coordination

Phase ITaking Stock

Domain VII: Education in the Early Grades

Phase ITaking Stock

Domain VIII: Health, Oral Health, Mental Health

Phase ITaking Stock

Defining Systems

• While the Policy Matters projects was going on, others felt that even this was not a broad enough definition of a system.

• They developed another meaning that addressed all service domains for young children.

Defining Systems

System Type C:

The Venn Diagrams

or the System of Services for Young Children

• State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network– Has written a good deal about planning and governance– Has described an early learning and development system– Supported by many groups

• Alliance for Early Childhood Finance, The Build Initiative, The Children’s Project, Center for Law and Social Policy, Council of Chief State School Officers, National Center for Children in Poverty, National Child Care Information Center, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Smart Start National Technical Assistance Center, State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network, Zero to Three

System of Services for Young Children

EarlyLearning

Health, Mental Health and Nutrition

Family Support

Special Needs/ Early Intervention

EarlyLearning

Health, Mental Health and Nutrition

Family Support

Special Needs/ Early Intervention

Planning, Monitoring, R&D

Quality Improvement and Accountability

Governance

Standards for Children, Practitioners,

and Programs

Capacity-Building and Professional Development

Engagement and Outreach

Financial Supports

Defining Systems

• So, we have several different definitions of system.

• None is better or worse than the other.• They are different. • We need to be clear about which we are

advancing, taking into consideration: Feasibility Strategy Timeliness State Variation

Part II:Defining Standards

Defining Standards

• At the same time that some folks were working on developing a system, others were focusing on thinking about standards.

• Standards are defined as statements that are used as a basis of comparison in measuring quality, value, or quantity.

What Are Standards?

Common Standards…

the weight a child should achieve at birth to be considered healthy

What Are Standards?

The skills one demonstrates to be certified as a (teacher, doctor)

• Lend precision to vague constructs• Help to clarify what we want to achieve• Provide an opportunity to build consensus• Establish a base for measurement• Can produce more equitable outcomes

But…there are many different kinds of standards

Why Are Standards Important?

Buckets of Standards

I. II. III.

IV. V. VI.

Early Learning & Development Family Competencies Teacher Standards Standards

Program/School Standards Access to Services Systemic Effectiveness

Early Learning & Development Standards

Example: Four-year-old children will be able to state name, where they live, parents’

names, and siblings’ names.

Note: These are usually manifest in children’s behavior or discourse.

Defines what children should know and be able to do.

I.

II.

Family Competencies

Example: A family member should read or tell stories to their children at least

three times a week.

Note: These are usually manifest in adult’s behaviors or discourse.

Defines what families should know and do to advance their young children’s health, development, and education.

III.

Teacher Standards

Example: All teachers should know how to assess their students’ competence and report such findings to parents.

Note: These are usually the basis for teacher preparation programs.

Defines what teachers should know and do to advance their students’ learning.

IV.

Program/School Standards

Example: Every program will have indoor and outdoor space.

Example: Every program will have appropriate developmental materials for children.

Example: Every program will welcome families.

Defines the nature of the program or school.

Access to Services

Example: The percentage of children who have access to high-quality child development programs.

Example: The percentage of children who have developmental screenings upon entry to preschool programs.

Note: These are usually defined for a geographic catchment, area, city, town, or neighborhood.

Defines the nature & amountof children who have access

to diverse services.

V.

Defines the degree to which elements or disparate services work together.

System Effectiveness

Example: The cost savings that are realized when programs buy supplies jointly.

Note: This is the least well-developed area, and is often quite problematic for nations and states with highly diverse delivery systems.

VI.

Part III:The Heart of the Matter

But at the Heart of the Matter are ELDS.

Standards that specify what children know and can do

I.

Early Learning & Development Standards

I.

What are Early Learning and Development Standards?

• Observable, measurable statements of what we expect children to know, do, and be, in the areas of: – Physical Health, Well-Being, and Motor

Development– Social and Emotional Development– Approaches Toward Learning– Language, Literacy, and Communication– Cognition and General Knowledge

Physical and Motor Development

•Run around obstacles and corners;•Walk up and down stairs, alternating

feet, without assistance;•Throw and catch large balls; and•Kick ball forward.

By age four, children should be able to…

Social & Emotional Development

By age four, children should be able to…• Take turns and share with peers to have fun

playing together;• Show understanding of the consequences of

own actions on others;• Describe how own actions make others feel

and behave; and• Show empathy for hurt child.


Approaches Toward Learning

• Invent new activities or games;• Use imagination to create a variety of ideas;• Make up words, songs, or stories;• Express ideas through art, construction,

movement, or music; and• Engage in pretend play.

Language, Literacy, and Communication

• Speak clearly enough to be understood by most listeners;

• Use multiple word sentence/s to communicate needs, ideas, actions, and/or feelings;

• Repeat words or ideas to be sure information is communicated; and

• Draw a pictures with objects and people to communicate an idea or event with assistance.


Cognition and General Knowledge

• Explore various ways to solve a problem and select one option;

• Seek assistance from another child or an adult to solve problems; and

• Modify actions based on new information and experiences.


But there is something else that’s really important about ELDS: they are HEART of the new

Early Childhood System

Early Learning & Development

Standards

Part IV:The Role of ELDS in Advancing

an Early Learning and Development System

Improve Instruction

Improve Public Knowledge of

Children’s Development

Basis for QRIS

Improve Parenting Skills and Behaviors

Improve Curriculum

Evaluate Programs and

Monitor National Progress

Improve Teacher Preparation

Early Learning &

Development Standards

ELDS: The Basis for an Early Learning and Development System

Improve Instruction

Support Parenting Skills

Develop Curriculum


Improve QRIS

Evaluate Programs and Monitor National Progress

Improve Public Knowledge of Children’s Development

The ELDS can be considered as a Bank or a Bank Book

• Approaches: – Guide teacher observations of individual children.– Chronicle the progress of individual children over time.– Aggregate results into a class profile.– Use the class profile for planning activities and tailoring

them to children’s needs.– Use as information for reporting to parents.– Use to guide preparation of children for primary school.

Use 1: Checklist to Improve Instruction

• Approaches:– Create thematic units that build upon

the standards. – Units focus on an idea or theme, and

teachers and children “web” activities related to the theme that cover all domains of development.

Use 2: Develop Curriculum

• Approach/Uses:– Learning packages for parents that can be used in the

home– Parenting education curriculum for use by home

visitors with parents and children– Brochures and posters that reflect normative learning

and development stages– Parenting materials for use in protection and

rehabilitation programs– The number of indicators you will use depends on

which approach/es you select

Use 3: Promote Parenting Education

Use 4: Improve Teacher Preparation

• Approach/Uses:– Teacher Training Curriculum

• Use to train teachers of young children to what they should be exposing children

– Teacher Certification Standards• Use standards to develop teacher

certification criteria that “qualify” teachers to teach

• Approach/Uses:– ELDS can frame the content for what

programs should be doing to enhance children’s development.

– ELDS can be mapped against the QRIS requirements to assure that they can be met within the programs.

– ELDS can be the basis for determining the nature of the professional development needed by programs.

Use 5: Improve QRIS

• Approach/Uses:– Standards can become the basis for the

instruments used in program evaluation.– ELDS can guide the kinds of data that should

be collected on the children. – ELDS, along with program data, provide the

basis for evaluation data.– ELDS can be the basis for a national

monitoring tool.

Use 6: Evaluate Programs and Monitor National Progress

• Approach/Uses:– Use as the basis for public service

announcements.– Use to train media reporters.– Use to inform policy makers.– Use to inform the public at large.

Use 7: Improve Public Knowledge

Improve Instruction

Support Parenting Skills

Develop Curriculum


Improve QRIS

Evaluate Programs and Monitor National Progress

Improve Public Knowledge of Children’s Development

The ELDS are the basis for creating an integrated Early Learning and Development

SYSTEM

Part V:Examples

Examples

• Parenting – China, Jordan, Mongolia

• Professional development and teacher training – Cambodia, Fiji, Ghana, S. Africa

• Revision of national ECD curriculum for children – Cambodia, China, Fiji, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand, S. Africa

• National capacity building – Ghana

• National monitoring of the status of children – Ghana, Jordan

• National ECD policy– Macedonia

ExamplesCountry Cambodia China Fiji Ghana Jordan Macedonia Mongolia Philippines Thailand Viet Nam S. Africa

Uses 2 4 2 3 2 1 3 2 3 1 3

Curriculum Devel.

X X X X X X X

Instruction X X X X

Parenting X X X x X

Teacher Train

X X X x X

Program Evaluation

X

National Monitoring

X X

Public Advocacy

X

Policy Devel. X

As of 2006, to be updated

• Revised National Curriculum based on ELDS• Linked ELDS with family development and

gender development program – in the national policy plan.

• In the process of training 30,000 caregivers by university trainers using standards with the goal of improving the quality of education.

Examples

Thailand

• Developed an entirely new curriculum for training early childhood workers and a related new National Credential

• Used ELDS to construct a national monitoring system.

• Uses ELDS as the basis for the public education campaign on the importance of ECE.

ExamplesGhana

• Historic new approach to service delivery

“It has established a historical precedent of systematic work and production within ECD issues.”

- Susazana Sanchez, Paraguay

Examples

Examples

• Shared vision and broadened governmental support for the education of young children

“…helped Jordan keep a focus on what all ECD programs and facilities should aim to promote, so rather than having scattered efforts…a shared vision and synergy between all sectors working for children”

- Maha Homsi, Jordan

Part VI:Next Steps for Us/US

Next Steps for Us/USSome Things We Know

1. No entitlement as in public education2. Limited infrastructure supports3. No formal and clear delivery system; a non-system

of micro-enterprises4. No guaranteed funding5. Regarded by some as an intrusion into family rights6. High-quality early education programs make a huge

difference and save money.7. Overall, the quality of early education programs is

poor.

Next Steps for Us/USSome Things We Wonder About

• What understanding of “system” should we use? Does it matter?

• Is there a specific order in which the work should proceed? (e.g., should we begin with a certain component?)

• Can/should we work on all four systems at once?• If not, where are our skills best invested?• Is it more important to emphasize some areas over

other areas at the outset?• What are the practical and political consequences of

doing this?

• Some believe that we should use the broadest definition (e.g., System for Serving Young Children) and begin there.

• Others feel that given our existing system with its divisions, we should focus more narrowly.

• Others feel we should plan with the large system in mind, but target our energies and discern our strategies for the early childhood system.

Next Steps for Us/US

• Not sure which of these strategies would be best.

• Do know that having a common core of understandings helps

• Do know that have early learning and development standards at the core is a solid way to integrate the learning component of our work.



• Maybe trying to get all this in one system is too tough. Maybe need THREE systems, all working together:

1. PEDAGOGICAL SYSTEM2. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

3. STRUCTURAL SYSTEM

Early Childhood System A

Pedagogical or Early Learning and Development System

[Children] Content Standards Curriculum

[Teachers] Teacher Performance Standards

Teacher Prep Curriculum Credential

[Parents] Parenting Standards Parenting Education

[Programs & Services]

Program Standards QRIS

H/MH

Governance Finance

Accountability• Monitoring

• Data Systems• Evaluation

Planning Communications

Structural System

ELDS

Assessment

Early Childhood System BSTRUCTURAL SYSTEM

Quality Improvement System

Licensing

Teacher PD System

Program

Standards

GovernanceAccountability• Monitoring

• Data Systems• Evaluation

Finance PlanningCommunications

Monitoring Accountability

Credential Ongoing PDQRS

Pedagogical System

Teacher Standar

ds

ELDS

Content Standards Curriculum Assessment


• Whether you accept this diagram or draw one of your own, we do need to come to terms with some common vision of:

1. What we really mean by SYSTEM.2. How we foster its SYSTEMATIC

development.

on buckets, banks, and hearts: aligning early childhood standards and systems

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