From the Editor

Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability -     

From the Editor

Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability -     

From the Editor

With the rollout of edTPA, Common Core Standards (CCS), and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there is renewed interest in teacher education programs providing an interdisciplinary approach to curriculum. Yet, future teachers are under increased pressure to pass standardized exams, such as the MTEL, WIFOR and PRAXIS, with a focus on content-specific instruction. Curriculum and assessment policy initiatives present contradictory messages regarding best practice. This research study examines an interdisciplinary approach to teaching content in one early childhood education teacher preparation program. Teaching that crosses disciplines and honors the content and epistemology of each discipline is complex and challenging to convey. Data for this yearlong study exploring student and faculty understanding of teaching from an interdisciplinary perspective at a small liberal arts college included semester-end surveys, focal student interviews, final projects, and faculty surveys. Based on this research, we suggest that integration of content area specialists in college curriculum courses, cross-institutional attention to effective integration strategies, and purposeful interdisciplinary field placements are needed as early childhood educators face continued policy reform.     

From the Editor

Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability -