Wirksamkeit schulrelevanter Förderung in Kindertagesstätten

The present paper summarizes international and national research findings on the general and differential effectiveness of pedagogical work in early childhood education and care settings, evaluations of pilot projects on compensatory preschool education as well programs to support individual learning abilities. Based on these findings, the following conclusions are drawn: First, attending early childhood education and care settings at an early age (after the age of three) has a positive influence on the development of academic competences. Second, the effectiveness of these settings depends on the instructional quality, which could be considerably improved in Germany. Third, pilot projects on programs to support individual learning abilities could show that compensatory effects for disadvantaged groups of children exist, especially when they are interlinked with stimulating conditions in the family and at school. Fourth, effective training programs exist that can be implemented in early childhood education and care. However, a number of challenges need to be met before they can be successfully implemented.     

Reading, Reasoning, and Literacy: Strategies for Early Childhood Education From the Analysis of Classroom Observations

Researchers have posited that children generally learn to read in environments that are trusting, comfortable, and offer small group or one-to-one adult support, all of which are characteristics of a high quality early childhood education program. This evaluation research study examines the Pre-Kindergarten Incentive Program, an early childhood demonstration program in Washington, DC designed to study several urban community-based sites. The authors facilitate a discourse on how all early childhood education programs can become high quality programs through standardized observations, evaluations, and constructive feedback. The article describes the demonstration program, highlights general findings from standardized classroom observations, discusses areas needing improvement, and presents strategies for addressing areas of challenge. It will reveal to early childhood educators how evaluation findings can improve teaching and learning techniques and environments in early childhood programs. The goal is to promote overall improvement in reading, reasoning, and literacy for children enrolled in early childhood programs and thereby better prepare them for kindergarten.     

Improving College Enrollment of At-Risk Students at the School Level

Many federal, state, and local education policy priorities are aimed at preparing high school students, especially those at risk, to be college- and career-ready when they graduate from high school. A number of programs across different institutional entities have been initiated to achieve these goals, encompassing individual partnerships with schools. Many of these programs include a variety of interventions, ranging from college and course counseling to college visits. Although there have been some evaluations of the larger federal programs, and some state and district programs, few have examined national observational data on the impact of these programmatic efforts on college enrollments. This study uses the HSLS:09 database to investigate the impact of specific treatments in at-risk schools on college enrollments. Results show that several of these programmatic initiatives have a positive effect on college enrollment; however, the effects are small compared to some of those reported by other national studies.     

Before the Federal Bilingual Education Act: Legislation and Lived Experience in California

The federal Bilingual Education Act (BEA; 1968) augured a new era in the national politics of diversity, schooling, and state, and California became symbolic of the problems and promise of bilingual pedagogy. This article explores how the BEA was pivotal not only in conceiving a federal commitment to the educational achievement of limited-English-speaking children but also in spurring state and local action. Yet close attention reveals how philosophically and fiscally limited were the terms of the federal act. California had been experimenting with bilingual education in many districts, where innovative programs operated independently of state or federal involvement. On one hand, the emerging legislative structure embodied by the federal BEA pushed districts and states to question the received attitudes about Mexican American underachievement that permeated their practice. On the other hand, the BEA supplanted earlier, locally developed programs, increasing oversight and enforcement and often casting districts as villains and at times even checking adventurous earlier programs. In the 1960s, Californians as well as national politicians and educators engaged in an unprecedented, bipartisan dialogue about bilingual education, in which California conservatives earnestly advocated albeit moderate programs during these early but crucial years in the modern history of bilingual education.     

Towards a framework for the validation of early childhood assessment systems

American early childhood education is in the midst of drastic change. In recent years, states have begun the process of overhauling early childhood education systems in response to federal grant competitions, bringing an increased focus on assessment and accountability for early learning programs. The assessment of young children is fraught with challenges; psychometricians and educational researchers must work together with the early childhood community to develop these instruments. The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework for the validation of such instrumentation and examine its implications for early childhood educators. We formulate a validity argument for early childhood assessments providing a pivotal link between validity theory and early education practice. Recommendations for the assessment field are also considered.     

Pulling preK1 into a K-12 orbit: the evolution of preK in the age of standards

Abstract

We might call this decade the era of early childhood. In the US, federal and state governments invest in the creation of public pre-kindergarten (preK) programs and create standards that articulate goals for practice and benchmarks that can be used to evaluate success. How have these trends provided a context for the evolution of preK curriculum? In this paper, we analyze the enactment of preK policy in New Jersey, a highly regulated preK program and Wisconsin, a local control state. We argue that standards-based practice is evolving into accountability in public preK programs, where outcomes set parameters for planning and teachers and children are increasingly regulated. As preK is more closely affiliated with the K-12 sector (elementary and secondary), preK programs are subject to the logic of alignment, benchmarks and assessments. Even when early learning standards support child-centered approaches to curriculum they are overruled by accountability discourse.     

Student Teaching Feedback and Evaluation: Results From a Seven-State Survey

Recent surveys have provided some guidance and recommendations for the student teaching component in early childhood teacher preparation, but specific information on the focus of supervision and evaluation of student teachers is limited. The current study surveyed 128 early childhood programs in 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education across seven states. The study collected data in areas such as which students receive feedback, how students are supervised and evaluated, and what types of assessment tools contribute to the evaluation. Results indicate that across 2- and 4-year institutions, language and literacy are a strong focus of feedback for student teachers, as well as child development, planning, and adult–child interactions. Student teachers are typically supervised through on-site visits that range in number and length fairly dramatically across 2- and 4-year institutions. Finally, the use of specific tools for evaluation varies across programs; about a quarter of programs surveyed use a published tool to evaluate student teachers. The majority of programs use an evaluation tool that is based on local, state, or national standards. Findings are discussed in terms of early childhood teacher preparation programs and the continuing discussions of recommendations for student teaching.     

Using evidence and implementation experience for advocacy and policy influence: the Rwanda Emergent Literacy and Maths Initiative (ELMI) case study

This paper discusses applied research initiatives led by Save the Children in Rwanda that were used to inform advocacy and policy efforts surrounding the expansion of high quality early childhood education (ECE) services in Rwanda. Qualitative and quantitative studies were carried out around a new program focused on improving early literacy and math competencies (the Emergent Literacy and Maths Initiative (ELMI)) from 2013–2017. They include a Political Economy Analysis in 2013–2014 and longitudinal impact evaluations in 2014–2015 and 2015–2016. Together, the mixed-methods data helped to identify strengths and gaps in the Rwandan education system, potential solutions to improving ECE for all children in the country, and insights into best practices for taking successful pilot programs to scale in a low-income country. Changes in national policy and ECE service provision are discussed.     

The predictive validity of kindergarten readiness judgments: Lessons from one state

Recent federal investments in early childhood assessment systems are the result of a national need for developmentally appropriate, psychometrically sound instruments to monitor young children and evaluate the effectiveness of their learning programs. In this paper, we examined the association between teachers’ perceptions of their students at the start of kindergarten and academic achievement in Grade 3 with hierarchical linear modeling using state-level data from nearly 30,000 students. The analyses showed that such an association exists even after accounting for student-level and school-level demographic variables and is moderated by the percentage of free-lunch-eligible students in a given school. Implications of these findings related screening and assessment at kindergarten entry are discussed.     

A complex adaptive system approach to evaluation: application to a pay-for-performance program in the USA

Evaluators frequently confront situations in which local programs struggle to meet the expectations and requirements specified by the external program funder. How can evaluators meaningfully evaluate programs (for both the funder and grantee) in situations in which the external program logic clashes with local complexities? This paper discusses complex adaptive system (CAS) evaluations as one method that addresses this question. To exemplify a CAS evaluation approach, we use the case of a pay-for-performance program, the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) program, a United States federal program implemented in numerous jurisdictions. Evaluation findings generated through a complex adaptive system approach have the potential to inform policy as well as assist the local program with ongoing improvements.     

Understanding the Program Effectiveness of Early Mathematics Interventions for Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Environments: A Meta-Analytic Review

Research Findings: The early childhood years are critical in developing early mathematics skills, but the opportunities one has to learn mathematics tend to be limited, preventing the development of significant mathematics learning. By conducting a meta-analysis of 29 experimental and quasi-experimental studies that have been published since 2000, this study extends beyond prior evaluations of early mathematics programs for prekindergarten and kindergarten environments by quantifying program effectiveness in terms of effect sizes and examining 6 aspects of these programs. We found an overall moderate to large effect size. There was a tendency for programs to produce larger effects when they (a) targeted a single content strand, (b) presented content 120 to 150 min per week, (c) designed programs for the prekindergarten environment, (d) presented content individually to children, and (e) used researcher-made mathematics assessments. Practice or Policy: Early mathematics programs can be designed to be both developmentally appropriate and highly effective. The goal of this meta-analysis was to reveal these programs to early development and education professionals so that they understand some of the factors that might explain why some produced stronger effects than others.     

The Effectiveness of the Title I Compensatory Education Program: 1965-1997

We examine the nature and quality of some of the most prominent evaluations of Title I over the past 3 decades. The early assessments conducted in the late 1960s and early 1970s were plagued by a host of inadequacies of both programmatic implementation and evaluation designs and procedures. These flawed assessments suggested that Title I was not meeting its fundamental mandate of eliminating the large achievement gaps between high-poverty students and their less-disadvantaged peers. Beginning in the mid- 1970s and continuing periodically to the present, a series of large-scale, national evaluations of the program has been conducted. The earliest of these studies revealed that Title I was modestly enhancing the math and reading achievement of moderately disadvantaged students hut was failing to improve the relative performance of the most needy segment of the Title I population. Further, such effects typically "faded out" as students progressed through school. Finally, the evidence indicates that the program was not cost effective in that no relation existed between programmatic costs and achievement gains. However, in the past decade, evaluation studies, conducted at both the national and local levels, indicate that a variety of local programs, especially comprehensive, school-wide models, have evolved that provide convincing evidence of at least limited effectiveness of Title I. The hallmarks of such models are clear goals; methods and materials linked to the goals; continuous assessment of student progress; well-specified programmatic components, materials, and professional development procedures; and dissemination of results by organizations that focus on quality of implementation.     

Federal Policies and Local Realities: The Case of Appalachian Senior Programs

ABSTRACT

National senior service programs have had a long and relatively successful history. Emerging at the intersection of federal aging and poverty policy initiatives in the early 1960s, projects such as the Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) and the Senior Companion Program (SCP) have expanded in size and scope over the last several decades. These two programs were first introduced into northwestern North Carolina in the 1980s. While the experiences of FGP and SCP in the region have broadly mirrored the successes of programs located elsewhere, they have also confronted difficulties unique to their local realities that federal policy guidelines are often not sensitive to.     

Improving numeracy outcomes for children through community action research

Virtue, according to Aristotle, is doing the right things at the right time with the right people for the right end and in the right way. This concept is central to the work of the Early Learning Initiative, an Irish community-based educational initiative. This paper describes how a community of parents, early childhood care and education practitioners and a third-level institution used action research to develop a three-year numeracy programme for children aged zero to six years. The Early Numeracy Project was one of 11 national projects that aimed to influence early years practice, provision and policy in Ireland. Remaining true to our local values and virtuous practice while implementing a national project was challenging, particularly when robust evidence of the impact of the programme on the children and parents in our community was required at national level. Approximately 860 children (zero to six years old) and their families took part in the Early Numeracy Programme each year, with national and local evaluations indicating that the outcomes for children in the programme had improved. The programme is an example of how a local community can use action research and virtuous practices to implement a national programme and improve outcomes for children.     

COLLABORATION AMONG EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS AND FACULTY THROUGH A REGGIO INSPIRED LONG‐TERM PROJECT

To effectively teach young children, early childhood teachers must be prepared to collaborate with families of diverse backgrounds. Studying the unique cultural contexts of children and families in American early care and education programs and communities will offer early educators information needed to develop empathy for the families with whom they wish to partner. This study investigated the attitudes of Chinese graduate students in the United States toward American early care and education programs. Chinese graduate students are a unique and growing population of approximately 189,000, 40% of whom have at least one child attending American early care and education programs. Chinese graduate students’ educational expectations for their young children and reasons behind these expectations were also explored. Findings showed that participants’ views of American early care and education reflected Chinese culture and life experience. In terms of American education, these Chinese graduate students compared the American programs’ curricula to the Chinese national curriculum, a curriculum they successfully mastered. Implications for early childhood teacher education programs are discussed.     

通过立法强化政府在学前教育事业发展中的职责——美国的经验及其对我国的启示

明确政府职责并予以立法保障对学前教育的发展至关重要。当今美国政府在学前教育事业发展中的职责呈现不断强化的趋势，主要体现在六个方面：各级政府对学前教育的重视史无前例；政府对学前教育的宏观调控不断加强；各级政府对学前教育的投入持续增加；大力提升学前教师资质要求与水平；联邦政府灵活调动州与地方政府积极性；重视政府各相关部门的协调合作等。我国学前教育事业的发展同样需要通过立法强化政府相应的职责。     

美国各级政府与学前儿童的保育和教育

本文论述了美国联邦政府、州政府和地方政府在学前儿童的保育和教育方面扮演的角色和担负的职责.     

Challenging and Appropriating Discourses of Power: Listening to and Learning from Early Career Early Childhood Teachers of Color

ABSTRACT

The racial mismatch between teachers and students has become a salient issue in efforts to counter the historical failure of children of Color in American (pre)schools. To address this mismatch, scholars have argued for the critical need to recruit and retain teachers of Color. In this article, we propose that to successfully prepare teachers of Color so that they remain committed to the profession, we must learn from their experiences during their preservice preparation and their first years of teaching. Against the backdrop of normative institutional discourses shaping teachers and teaching, we sought to learn from the ways in which six early career early childhood teachers of Color reconciled their preservice teacher education experiences, identities, and beliefs about education with the construction of their identities as teachers. To do so, we asked: How do the discursive spaces of early childhood teaching and teacher education shape the practices, beliefs, and identities of early childhood teachers of Color during their teacher education programs and within their three first years of teaching? Through Critical Narrative Analysis of in-depth interviews, we sought to unveil the discourses that shape and are shaped by the experiences of early career early childhood teachers of Color. Findings indicate that instead of being colonized by institutional discourses and oppressed by others' perceptions, to remain in the profession, these early career early childhood teachers challenged and appropriated institutional discourses, reauthoring them agentively. Implications underscore the responsibility of teacher education programs in preparing teachers of Color to negotiate the ever-so-normative discursive space of early childhood teaching and teacher education, if they are to enter and remain in the profession.