A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

School Involvement in Early Childhood

July 2000

Contents

• Title Page

• Acknowledgments

• Introduction

• Background

• Why Should Schools Be Involved in Early Childhood?
  • The Line Between Preschool Care and Education is Blurry
  • Schools Have a Vested Interest in School Readiness
  • Every Neighborhood Has an Elementary School
  • All Children Have Access to Public Schools
  • Schools Can Help Child Care and Head Start Programs
  • Child Care and Head Start Programs Can Help Public Schools

• What Roles Should Schools Play in Early Childhood?
  • Schools Can Be Part of a Seamless System of Care and Education
  • Schools Can Help Coordinate Community Resources to Help All Children Achieve to High Standards
  • Schools Can Help Families Develop Social Networks

• What Facilitates School Involvement in Early Childhood?
  • Financial Incentives Can Motivate People to Overcome Barriers
  • Families Can Help Leaders Understand the Importance of Preschool
  • Shared Professional Development Facilitates Coordination
  • Colleges and Universities Can Facilitate Coordination
  • Federal Leadership Can Motivate States and Communities

• What Challenges Do Public Schools Face with Involvement in Early Childhood?
  • Teachers May Not Be Prepared to Work with Preschool Children
  • Programs View Each Other as Competitors for Limited Resources
  • Differences in Credentials and Compensation Can Create Barriers
  • Coordination Can Be Complicated and Time-Consuming

• What Are the Key Issues for Professional Development?
  • Preschool Teachers Need Training in Early Childhood Education
  • Preschool Teachers and Administrators Need Training in Parent Involvement
  • Teachers and Administrators Need Training to Work Across Programs

• What Are the Key Research and Evaluation Questions?

• Summary

• Bibliography

• Meeting Participants and Affiliations

• State Early Childhood Education Contacts

For the user's convenience, this publication is also available in portable document format (pdf) [344K]. To read pdf files you will need Adobe's Acrobat Reader; if you do not have Acrobat, you can download a free copy from Adobe.

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