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

What Are the Key Issues for Professional Development?

Meeting participants were unanimous in their opinion that school involvement in early childhood has significant implications for professional development for school and preschool personnel. They discussed specific areas for training and ongoing professional development: early childhood education, parent involvement, and working across program boundaries.

Preschool Teachers Need Training in Early Childhood Education.

Preschool teachers need specialized knowledge and skills in child development. Without specialized training, teachers and administrators may view preschoolers as smaller versions of elementary school children rather than understand their unique developmental levels and ways of learning. Some states are training teachers in how young children learn and develop.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education established Project Construct in 1986 at the University of Missouri in Columbia. The project helps preschool, primary, and elementary teachers incorporate curriculum based on Piaget and constructivist theory into national and state curriculum frameworks and standards.

Other states have established requirements to ensure that all teachers who work with young children demonstrate the ability to offer developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive learning experiences.

Oklahoma requires that all prekindergarten teachers have early childhood education certification and that teachers use curricula and learning environments that are designed for four-year-olds and appropriate for their developmental levels.

Connecticut is increasing the focus on literacy and the overall quality of preschool special education, Head Start, and their school readiness programs. Their Facilitation Project supports public school, special education, child care, and Head Start programs in seeking accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Preschool Teachers and Administrators Need Training in Parent Involvement.

Meeting participants believed that some teachers and administrators do not welcome parents, despite 30 years of research demonstrating that parent involvement is a key to student achievement.69 Teachers and administrators of programs with young children need ongoing professional development in welcoming and working respectfully with all parents as children's first and constant teachers and including them in policymaking, program planning, classroom practice, and evaluation.

Teachers and Administrators Need Training to Work Across Programs.

Coordination across programs requires leaders who respect, listen to, and learn about and from each other. It is important for child care, Head Start, and school leaders to identify the goals and objectives that they have in common and to understand the unique niche filled by each program. Teachers and administrators need training and professional development to work through conflicts and across program, cultural, and historical boundaries.

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