Assessment practices in model early childhood special education programs

Examination of assessment practices in 54 model programs for early education of handicapped children revealed extreme variability. Only 19 tests were used by at least five programs; only one device was used by over half of the responding programs. Most tests were listed as being used for more than one purpose, but some tests appeared to be used more exclusively than others for a particular purpose. Although the technical adequacy, in terms of norms, validit, and reliability, was reportedly an important factor influencing selection and continued use of tests, analysis of the 19 most commonly used devices revealed that only three were technically adequate. Other methods of assessment also were examined. Implications for model practice are discussed.     

Parent involvement in early childhood special education: Opportunities for school psychologists

Increased opportunities for assessment and intervention, consultation, and program evaluation in early childhood education are suggested as roles that the school psychologist should develop to facilitate effective parent involvement in a child's education. A review of the literature on parent involvement in early childhood special education is provided. The current federal guidelines, rationale, definitions of parent involvement, and strategies for evaluating parent involvement are reviewed.     

A study of early childhood education programmes in Delhi,India

Early years is the period of rapid physical and mental growth wherein the foundation for the child's development is laid and therefore, these years are considered extremely critical for the overall development of the child. Given the critical significance of these early childhood years, it is imperative for every child to get the opportunity to develop in a stimulating environment. The early childhood programmes provide this stimulating environment to the children. Extensive research evidence indicates towards the positive impact of early intervention and both short-term and long-term gains of an early childhood programme. However, mere participation in an early childhood programme is not sufficient. The quality of the programme attended by the children at this stage is also crucial. The various provisions provided by the programme to the children determine the quality of an early childhood programme. Curriculum seems to be the basic variable that influences the provisions provided to children in an Early Childhood Care and Education programme and in turn determines the quality of the programmes for children. This article is an attempt to study the variability of provisions provided and curriculum implemented in different early childhood programmes.     

Philosophical differences between early childhood education and special education: Issues for school psychologists

Increasingly, professional psychologists are extending their services from school-age children to young handicapped children. Psychological intervention and education issues regarding this group of children are complicated by the fact that the field of early childhood special education itself is in its infancy. This article presents the emerging field of early childhood special education, clarifies some major concerns in educating young handicapped children, and raises issues for school psychologists working in this area.     

Contemporary trends and developments in early childhood education in China

Early childhood education in China has gone through a century‐long development process and has made great progress in the past two decades. Contemporary early childhood education is becoming diverse in its forms and educational approaches, and is aligning itself with the increasingly open and diversified society. It is clear that early childhood education in China is strongly influenced by sociocultural changes and reflects the hybrid of traditional, communist and Western cultures. We should re‐think what happened in past years and continue to promote reform and development in early childhood education.     

A new professional role in early childhood education

The traditional method of education—one teacher in a classroom—is ineffective with children from low-income families. Six sequential studies presented in this article provide the basis for a new role model in early education—the Paraprofessional Educator Manager (PEM). The model uses one professionally trained individual to direct the activities of two teams, each composed of three paraprofessional teachers and one paraprofessional home visitor, who use a structured approach for educating young children that involves both the classroom and home setting. Implications for recruiting and training individuals to implement the model are discussed.

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Résumé La méthode traditionnelle d'éducation—un professeur dans une classe—est inefficace pour les enfants parvenant des familles économiquement faibles. Six études consécutives présentées dans cet article fournissent la base pour un nouveau modèle dans l'éducation primaire—leParaprofessional Educator Manager (PEM). Le modèle emploie un individu de formation professionnelle pour diriger les activités de deux équipes. Chaque équipe se compose de trois professeurs paraprofessionnels et d'un visiteur paraprofessionnel, qui se servent d'une approche structurée comprenant le milieu de la classe et de la maison pour éduquer les enfants. On discute aussi les implications pour le recrutement et la formation des individus pour mettre en oeuvre le modèle.

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The research reported in this article was supported in part by funds from the U.S. Office of Education, Bureau of Research, Grant 5-1181, Contract OE 6-10-235; U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity Grant CG 8889; and U.S. Office of Child Development Grant H-8884.     

Making sense of teacher leadership in early childhood education in China

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to offer a theoretical discussion on teacher leadership in early childhood education (ECE) in Chinese contexts. Since 2010, the Chinese government has initiated a comprehensive education reform in ECE, with strategies for developing teacher leadership and promoting education quality. However, at the school level there is a lack of leadership preparation and development, along with a gap between policy initiative and its implementation. How to narrow this gap between policy and practice in teacher leadership has become a critical issue for ECE in China. This paper suggests that ‘formal role or informal role’ and ‘role or practice’ are important dimensions of teacher leadership in a Chinese, policy-driven context. In this regard, it is worth exploring how teacher leadership is conceptualized and enacted in the process of quality improvement and related contextual factors. In doing so, an agenda could be identified for future research, contributing to theories on the development of teacher leadership in the global discourse.     

论中国幼儿教育财政体制的重构

This paper presents a profile about the financial system of the early childhood education (ECE) in China. The problems discussed are related to (1) segmentation of Tiao and Kuai (some education institutions are directly administered by provincial governments, and some were affiliated to the relative administrative departments of the state), (2) inequality, (3) indistinct responsibility in investment of all levels, and (4) the challenge of reform. On the basis of the current situation in China, ECE and international experience, this paper aims at putting forward suggestions on how to reconstruct the financial system for ECE and also how to make relevant provision of laws and regulations to make various levels of governments, children’s parents, kindergartens and communities share economic responsibility of ECE. Translated from Jiaoyu Yanjiu Yu Shiyan 教育研究与实验 (Educational Research and Experiment), 2006, (2): 21–24     

The development of early childhood education in rural areas in China

Early childhood education has developed greatly in rural areas in China since the 1980s. Recognising the status of early childhood education as ‘the foundation of basic education’, the authorities in China have set up challenging objectives for rural areas. However, the development of early childhood education in these areas has been facing tremendous difficulties and challenges. This paper provides an overview of such development in the past 25 years. Issues of policies, funding, curriculum and the status of rural teachers will be addressed. Further, a case study of early childhood provision in Northwest China, Gao Village (Gao Cun), will be presented as an example of the development and challenges in a typical remote rural village in China.     

Issues in early childhood education

Abstract

This paper raises some of the key issues affecting the educational opportunities of children from birth to seven. These include: services for children under five, four‐year‐olds in primary school classes, equal opportunities, training and status of early years professionals. The paper emphasises the influence of concepts of early childhood and the need for UK policy makers to recognise babies and very young children as people, and to acknowledge their capabilities.     

从民初国文教科书看“新教育”想象

中国近代语文教科书的发展与"新教育"改革密切相关,民初"新教育"所发生的深刻变革,直接影响着此期国文教科书的编辑思想、内容类型、语言形式等,从国文教科书中可以探寻民初"新教育"想象。     

Inclusion of young children with special needs in early childhood education: The research base

Increasingly, early childhood programs include children with disabilities and typically developing children. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent empirical literature that underlies the practice of inclusion at the early childhood level in order to provide a context for the research articles appearing in this issue of ECRQ. We first describe the definitions of inclusion, rationales for inclusive classes, and demographics of inclusive programs and staff. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as a conceptual framework, we review research related to variables proximal to the program (i.e., microsystem and mesosystem levels) such as classroom practices, children's social interactions, teacher beliefs, and professional collaboration. Next, we examine research associated with variables occurring more distally from the classroom program (i.e., exosystem and macrosystem levels): families' perspectives, social policy, community and culture. We conclude this review with an examination of research that illustrates the influence of variables a one level of the ecological system on those occurring at a different levels and recommend directions for future research.     

Avoiding sexism in early childhood education

Conclusion Television, other media, and adults in their daily interactions give children cues about what's appropriate for girls and for boys. It is the daily, continual combination of these events, occurring without thought of the hidden messages they convey to children, which creates an environment organized around sex roles. The message to all of us who work with young children is clear: Provide equal access of space and materials to every child; expect children to engage in all kinds of activities regardless of sex; expect children to exhibit a full range of behavior and reinforce them without regard to sex; and, finally, “liberate” the teacher's role by providing equal access and choices to adults and expecting a full range of responses from men and women alike. Above all, we must recognize that the maintenance of sexist environments and practices prevents every one of us from realizing his or her fullest potential.     

Parental expectation of early childhood education: comparison between China, Japan, and Korea

This study investigates 727 parents from China, Japan, and Korea by a self-devised scale and compares the differences in their expectation of early childhood education in cross-cultural backgrounds. The result shows that parents from the three countries have a positive attitude toward their children's development. The main effect of nations on such factors as individual development, close attention to diet, willpower training, moral judgment, and emotional exchange with adults is significant, while the two-way interaction between nations and child gender, nations and child age, and the three-way interaction between nations, child gender, and child age are not significant. Translated from Xueqian Jiaoyu Yanjiu 学前教育研究 (Studies in Preschool Education), 2006, (4): 60–62     

Schematising activities in early childhood education

The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of introducing schematising to children in early childhood and to determine whether schematising can be taught to children. This was done using a longitudinal, quantitative study with a quasi-experimental design (N = 133). In this study, the use of schematising was taught to an experimental group of children to determine if it is possible to realise significantly improved results in schematising tasks for an experimental group in comparison to a control group of children who were not taught schematising. Pupils in the experimental group demonstrated significantly better results on schematising, which cannot be explained by maturation. In our future research, we will investigate the mathematical performances of these experimental and control groups in the next grade of the primary school curriculum.