Final Blog Assignment: EDUC-6162 Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field

This assignment is to post on three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for your professional and personal development.  The consequences that I am aware of are, inequity exists world-wide in quality, care, professionalism, accessibility, and support.  

The questions still remain: 

How are excellence and equity defined in relation to early childhood professionals? 

Who takes care of their well-being? 

What options do professionals in the field have to increase their knowledge? 

How are EC professionals compensated for their work with young children—work that is generally described as difficult as well as extremely important to the well-being of a nation? 

In what ways are early childhood professionals evaluated and mentored?

All of these are questions concern my professional life, and they are at the center of my awareness and educational journey.

The field of early childhood is demanding recognition and respect as a vital part of children's development for academics and life.  When we don't ask these questions, the children and profession suffer.  We need to all be on the same page for what is best for the children and ultimately for the profession.  That's why I continue to be a supporter, member, and advocate for NAEYC.  We need an organization to lead us all in best practice across the board.  

http://www.naeyc.org/accreditation

http://www.rightchoiceforkids.org/

http://www.youtube.com/user/naeycvideos

http://www.youtube.com/user/naeycvideos#p/a/u/1/rhBBd9Tl4k4 

One goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends is for all professionals to be held to the same standards in the profession regardless of demographics.  In the spirit of collegial relations, more institutions should collaborate and share on progress, trends, and methods that would benefit the students/ professional development of people in the field of early childhood.

Sharing Web Resources

• Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead?
• I followed http://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/states and was able to explore several states information that pertains to equity issues.  I especially enjoyed researching http://www.naccrra.org/publications/naccrra-publications/we-can-do-better-2011.php this site has information on each states ranking on oversight and regulation issues.  It was fascinating to research each state and see how we are all ranked, our state strengths and weaknesses.
• Thoroughly search one area of the site. What do you find? I found:

More than 11 million children younger than age 5 spend an average of 35 hours a week in some type of child care setting. State child care licensing requirements govern the health, safety and learning opportunities for these children. State oversight requirements monitor compliance with state policies.
We Can Do Better: 2011 Update is the third in a series of reports beginning in 2007 that scores and ranks the states, including the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense (DoD) on 10 program requirements and five oversight benchmarks for child care centers. NACCRRA’s update found that states have made progress but more progress is needed.
The average score in 2011 was 87 out of a possible 150 points (compared to 70 in 2007 and 83 in 2009).  Using a standard grading scale, no state earned an A. The Department of Defense earned a B, and four states earned a C. Twenty-one states earned a D. Half of the states (26 states) earned a failing grade. While we should be pleased with the improvement among the states since 2007, an 87 equates to a score of 58 percent, a failing grade in any classroom in America.

Additionally, find out if the site you selected at the beginning of this course offers any information about the issue of this week: 
  Pre[K]Now: A Campaign of the Pew Center on the States http://www.preknow.org/
e-newsletter: http://www.preknow.org/signupform.cfm

• Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education?
• I receive daily information on topics relevant to early childhood education from across the country on issues of policy changes, laws, headlines, and various other topics.  It has connected me to the field across the country.   am able to think in a bigger picture for our field.
• What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and/or the e-newsletter?
• I would recommend this e-newsletter subscription to all professionals.  I have found and utilized many resources from the newsletter information.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

Issues related to excellence and equity in the early childhood field make for a rich pool of conversation topics.   Take the opportunity this week to learn from your international contacts which issues related to excellence and equity are at the forefront of professional discussions in their countries:

My international contact from Canada has communicated with me on the inequities in her country regarding early childhood.  They are very similar to those of our own country.  There is always a social economic status divide in programs with young children.  Some insights I have learned are the way the government tries to regulate this divide with teacher education regulations.  This connects directly to the inequity I researched for the Application this week.  By creating standards for teacher education, the children benefit regardless of the demographics.

• Share the new insights and information you have gained from these conversations
• Describe in particular the additional information about issues of equity and excellence you acquired from your international sources

Sharing Web Resources

• http://www.preknow.org 
• What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development? Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?
• This site has information for educators on:
•   Pre-K Teachers Resource Center
  
  Virtual Classroom Tour
  
  Community-Based Pre-K Providers
  
  Teacher Profiles
• I also found information on program assessments interesting & useful:
Pre-K Assessment

Controversy and conflict have surrounded the assessment debate in education since the 2000 passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), which brought a renewed emphasis on accountability in education. Also since that time, state spending on pre-k has increased by over $3 billion to $5.2 billion (FY09). As of 2008, one million children were enrolled in state pre-k programs nationwide. The incredible momentum for both pre-k and accountability in education has prompted critical questions: Should pre-k programs be held accountable? If so, how should program effectiveness be evaluated, and how should progress be measured for each individual child?
Pre-K Now believes assessments and evaluations of both children and programs are vital for the success of any state pre-k system. Different assessments provide different data: on the needs of individual children, the effectiveness of a program's practices, or the success of state pre-k policies. Above all, assessments must be adequately funded and developmentally appropriate. This paper outlines our recommendations for successful assessment policies, drawing on decades of important research, particularly the excellent work done on early assessment by the National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force (PDF) (largely funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts) and a 2008 National Research Council (NRC) study.

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• What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?
•  There is a section in the website labeled: Pre-K Advocates.
• Pre-K Advocates Pre-K Now recognizes that pre-k advocates share a common cause but often don't have access to common resources. From state to state, pre-k challenges and solutions vary, yet the insight gained from each campaign is valuable to us all.
  Gathered here are facts, research, presentations, and honest dialogues about pre-k. Advocates developed these resources, and every usage of them creates new knowledge and experience that increases the effectiveness of advocates across the nation.
  
  What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?
• I discovered ways to advocate for children with my local business and community leaders:
• Business & Community Leaders At Pre-K Now, we understand the importance of business and community leaders' involvement in the movement for high-quality pre-kindergarten. In many instances, business and community leaders are the most effective advocates for young children, and in that spirit, we offer examples of and resources for leaders who are helping advance high-quality pre-k for all in their states.
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