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What the Feds Should Do
July 4, 2012
I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time.
-Charlie Brown in "Peanuts"
-Charlie Brown in "Peanuts"
- Partner with states to align early learning standards that define expectations for all early learning programs.
- Invest with states to build assessments and assessment systems that demonstrate standards are being met.
- Increase consistency, quality, and system wide access to federally procured and federally required, locally procured technical assistance.
- Implement a more consistent, state-of-the-art approach to high-quality professional development for existing staff and help determine the optimal set of skills and knowledge that should be imparted in preparation programs for early childhood program staff.
- Improve early childhood data and harmonize reporting requirements to help increase knowledge of inputs and outcomes.
- Promote the replication of successful strategies to build continuity from early childhood programs to kindergarten and continue to remove data and other bureaucratic barriers to successful continuity systems.
- Build more federal, state, and local capacity to meet the increasing demand for culturally and linguistically appropriate services for children who are dual-language learners.
- Close the gaps in universal developmental screening across all federally supported early learning or care programs.
- Require expanded early learning program participation as a means of boosting performance of failing elementary schools.
- Establish a permanent office that creates a common infrastructure to advance system reforms for both the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education.
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Comments (6)
Displaying 5 of 6 Comments [ View all ]United States
I do not agree that the Federal Government needs to get involved in early learning at all. Education is a states right according to the constitution. In fact the education department at the federal level needs to be disbanded. Most of the points on the list are excellent and each state needs to support early learning.
TREC _ Badlands head Start: Prenatal to Five
SD, United States
I confess that I have not read the entire article from the Center for American Progress. As I read their recommendations, I was left wondering if they are aware of Head Start efforts under the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework initiative. Everything they advocate to occur at the federal level is already happening in this initiative except their desire to channel funding through state governments which simply results in a duplication of administrative structure that already exists through the 45 year, proven effective Head Start program. I intend to read their entire article with these same thoughts in mind.
CSBC
Denver, United States
I am totally against these federal recommendations (which seem to come up on a regular basis). I am particularly opposed to the "alignment with state standards". As we all know, what this actually means is for states to dictate to early childhood programs inappropriate academic outcomes for young children. They have already done this with Head Start. When is alignment with K-12 going to mean that K-12 will align with all the wonderful, developmentally appropriate things that early childhood programs do (i.e play, the arts, use of the outdoors)? Secondly, if the feds really want to have an impact on the quality of early childhood programs, they need to increase reimbursement rates and make sure that schools receive the 40% reimbursement for children with disabilities (including age 3-5) that they have promised!
OMEP-USA
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
This is classic "preaching to the choir" language. Who will receive it? Who will read it? I suspect that the ECE field itself needs to buy into these actions. They need to be converted into a platform on which we all are willing to stand and command attention. We have 150 years of limited government action in ECE in the United States. But we must start somewhere and aim toward something bigger than anything we've done so far. To claim a quotation used by Professional Impact NJ, "start with change in yourself...and start now!"
United States
What an interesting article to come out on the day we celebrate freedom. These types of standardizations work against the freedom we have fought so hard to gain. When will we stop trying to "fix" secondary education by putting more and more pressure on early childhood. This does not honor the purpose and intention of childhood which is to be a self-directed, explorative, open-ended and free individuality. When will we remember to receive young children in reverence, educate them with love and send them forth in freedom.
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