Final
1.1 The Benefits of Early Childhood Education
According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the largest membership organization for early education professionals, there are more than 300,000 licensed or regulated early childhood programs in the United States (NAEYC, n.d.). This figure includes a variety of for-profit and nonprofit program types, such as child care centers, preschools, and family child care homes.
An early childhood care program is generally defined as an educational or child care service provided to young children, including infants through 5-year-olds and often also inclusive of older children in after-school programs. Such programs usually employ teachers or caregivers, as well as support staff such as kitchen workers or office assistants. The amount of time children spend in early childhood programs each day can vary from a few hours in a part-day preschool program to nine hours or more in a full-day child care center.
With rare exception, these programs are run by early childhood administrators. The work of early childhood administrators has a significant effect on the lives of young children and their families, because early childhood education plays an important role in the healthy development of children and sets the stage for academic achievement and future success.
Meeting the Needs of Children and Families
For many parents, the top priority in enrolling their child in an early childhood program is to find adequate child care services so they can continue to work outside the home. In the United States today, more than half of the mothers of children under age five are in the labor force (United States Department of Labor, 2008), and four out of five young children with employed mothers receive child care by someone other than their parents (Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 2010). Working parents may need flexibility in pick-up and drop-off times, some may need extended hours care, and all want care that is safe, high quality, and affordable.
Parents also enroll their children in child care or preschool programs for social and cognitive reasons. They may wish for their child to interact with other children, or they may seek to develop their child's school-readiness skills to help prepare him or her for kindergarten.
For children who are considered high risk for school failure, there are programs that provide targeted supports to help children develop language, literacy, and problem-solving skills. For example, publicly funded early childhood programs help children living in poverty who might not otherwise have access to early childhood programs prepare for kindergarten and later school success.
Positive Outcomes of High-Quality Care
The first five years of a child's life are a critical period of development. Children are learning essential cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and self-help skills necessary for success in school and in life. A growing body of research suggests that children who participate in high-quality early childhood programs are more successful, both academically and socially, than children in poor-quality programs (Child Trends Data Bank, 2006) (see the Focus On feature box for a discussion of what constitutes high-quality care).
Longitudinal studies, which track the progress and development of children over a long period, show that children who participated in comprehensive high-quality early childhood programs show lasting developmental differences, such as higher scores on reading and math tests (Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, 1999). Studies also show that children who participate in high-quality programs fare significantly better than those enrolled in poor-quality or mediocre programs. For example, the Cost, Quality & Outcomes study published by the National Center for Early Development and Learning shows that children who were in high-quality care programs when they were three and four years old scored better on math, language, and social skills development through the early elementary years than children in poor-quality care (National Center for Early Development and Learning, 1999).
Some of the strongest evidence of the long-term benefits of high-quality early childhood care and education comes from studies that have evaluated preschool programs that serve disadvantaged children, from small models, such as the Carolina Abecedarian Project, to large-scale programs, such as Head Start. These long-term studies suggest that high-quality early childhood programs can have positive effects on children's academic achievement well into the high school years. Children who participated in high-quality programs achieve higher test scores in math and reading than children who did not, and they are also more likely to finish high school and attend college.
Quality early childhood care is so important that federal legislation mandates support for programs serving children at every age level, from infants through school-age. Currently, there are more than a million children enrolled in federally funded Head Start programs and more than 1.5 million young children in child care programs funded by the Child Care Development Fund, the primary federal program specifically devoted to child care services and quality (Children's Defense Fund [CDF], 2012).
Children whose backgrounds make them at risk for school failure, such as children living in poverty, gain the most from experience in quality settings and are more negatively affected by poor-quality experiences (National Center for Early Development and Learning, 1999). For instance, students who participated in high-quality early childhood programs are less likely to require special education classes in elementary and secondary school than children enrolled in poor-quality programs (Committee for Economic Development [CED], 2006).
Focus On: A Commitment to Quality
Running any kind of business is a challenge, whether it's a bank or a button factory, but running an early childhood program carries an extra level of responsibility because early childhood administrators are trusted to oversee the education, social development, safety, and well-being of our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. The NAEYC states in its Code of Ethical Conduct that an administrator of an early childhood program is committed to providing a "high-quality program based on current knowledge of child development and best practices in early care and education" (NAEYC, 2006).
Administrators create and support quality by maintaining high standards, which are the benchmarks or bases for measuring progress or levels of quality. Some of the most significant indicators of quality in an early childhood program include low teacher-child ratios; professional credentials of teachers; meaningful interactions between teachers, children, and families; a safe and learning enriched physical environment; a research based curriculum; and accurate child assessment.
Low teacher-child ratios
Having more teachers and fewer children in a class means the children will receive more attention from their teachers and, as a result, gain more from the experience. Minimum standards for teacher-child ratio are usually mandated by state licensing regulations, but these standards vary from state to state and many high-quality programs far exceed these minimum standards.
For example, while many states mandate a minimum four to one child to teacher ratio for infant child care centers, numerous research findings demonstrate that infants receive much more responsive, sensitive care when the ratio is three to one (Center for Law and Social Policy [CLASP], 2008). The NAEYC accreditation criteria, often the benchmark of quality for early childhood programs, requires teacher-child ratios for infants of either three to one or four to one, for toddlers 12 to 28 months no more than four to one, for 2-year-olds no greater than six to one, and for preschoolers up to 5-years-old no more than 10 to 1 (NAEYC, 2008).
Professional credentials and training of teachers
Unlike primary and secondary school teachers, there is no uniform set of credentials or competencies required for early childhood teachers. Yet the level of teachers' educational backgrounds directly affects the benefits children receive in an early childhood program. Teachers with specialized college-level training in topics such as child development, teaching methods, and curriculum are better able to support and challenge the children in their care (North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project, n.d.). Hence, there is a direct correlation between the leader's credentials and experience and the overall level of program quality.
NAEYC Director Qualifications
• 10.A.02
The program administrator has the educational qualifications and personal commitment required to serve as the program's operational and pedagogical leader. This criterion can be met in one of three ways:
The administrator. . .
has at least a baccalaureate degree. [AND]
has at least 9 credit-bearing hours of specialized college-level course work in administration, leadership, and management (which can be in school administration, business management, communication, technology, early childhood management or administration, or some combination of these areas.) [AND]
has at least 24 credit-bearing hours of specialized college-level course work in early childhood education, child development, elementary education, or early childhood special education that encompasses child development and children's learning from birth through kindergarten; family and community relationships; the practices of observing, documenting, and assessing young children; teaching and learning processes; and professional practices and development.
• 10.A.03
The program administrator demonstrates commitment to a high level of continuing professional competence (see Program Administrator Definition and Competencies) and an ability to promote teamwork.
• 10.A.07
The program administrator and other program leaders systematically support an organizational climate that fosters trust, collaboration, and inclusion.
(NAEYC Accreditation Criteria, 2012a)
Interactions between teachers, children, and families
In high-quality early childhood programs, teachers are attentive and respectful to children and family members. For example, during classroom conversations they respond to children's questions and requests, make eye contact, smile, and use a warm tone of voice.
Physical environment
Children benefit from a physical environment that is safe, comfortable, and that provides opportunities for discovery and learning. Teachers in high-quality programs organize the space and the materials so that children have enough room to play and explore.
Curriculum
The curriculum implemented in a high-quality early childhood program fosters children's cognitive development in key content areas such as language, literacy, mathematics, technology, creative expression, and the arts. Curriculum should also foster social, emotional, and physical development.
Child assessment
In high-quality early childhood programs, child assessment and curriculum goals are closely aligned. The child assessment process is ongoing and supports children's learning.
Early childhood administrators must continually monitor and assess the quality of care and education provided in their programs. Formal, standardized measures of quality, such as quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) and accreditation processes, will be discussed in Chapter 3. Early childhood administrators also monitor quality informally every day as they interact with children and staff members and observe classrooms and playgrounds.
Economic Benefits
One of the great pleasures of working in the field of early childhood education is having the opportunity to build relationships and provide learning experiences that will benefit children for the rest of their lives. Among early childhood professionals there is often a sense of shared optimism that our work with children will help make the world a better place. Research suggests that this conviction is, indeed, true. Studies indicate that children who participate in high-quality early childhood programs provide an economic benefit to society because as adults they make more valuable contributions to the workforce and the economy.
High school dropout rates among students who attended high-quality early childhood programs is about 25% less than students who did not attend high-quality early childhood programs. High school and college graduates earn higher salaries, which means they contribute more to the economy. Additional studies indicate that adults who participated in high-quality preschool programs when they were young are more likely to be employed in higher-paying, skilled jobs (CED, 2006).
In fact, child advocacy groups often assert that every dollar invested in quality early care and education saves taxpayers up to $13 in the form of future contributions to society and savings in remedial programs (Calman & Tarr-Whelan, 2005). For example, funding invested in early childhood education that improves program quality will result in more children achieving success in primary and secondary school, and more young adults successfully entering the workforce. The dollars spent at the front end, in early childhood care and education, will diminish the need for remedial programs for students who drop out of high school and for job programs that provide training for adults struggling to find and retain employment.
The powerful message behind these projections is that everyone benefits from a commitment to quality in early childhood education, even citizens who are not parents of young children, because tax dollars spent on early childhood programs will, in the long term, enhance economic vitality.
1.2 Early Childhood Programs: The Basics
The range of different kinds of programs providing early childhood care and education today is broad and varied. Unlike the systems of public and private elementary schools, the roots of which were established even before the American Revolution (Mather Elementary School, n.d.), early childhood education has grown into a diverse professional field only in the last 50 years. The establishment of the federal Head Start program in the 1960s, combined with the growing need for child care to support working families in the 1970s, led to the rapid development and expansion of early childhood programs (Elkind, 2009). Today, the variety of programs available is robust, and they are run or sponsored by entities as diverse as corporations, churches, the government, or private individuals or families.
Variations Among Programs
Early childhood programs will vary in many ways, and the diversity of the programs can be seen in terms of who is served and what services are offered. Programs can fall into a number of categories, including state agencies, federal agencies (like Head Start), college- and university-run programs (including lab schools), and private for-profit or nonprofit facilities (which include family child care homes and child care centers).
Variations in Terminology
A program marketed as a school is usually a preschool or pre-kindergarten (pre-k) facility existing primarily to provide education services, while a program labeled as a child care center is usually designed primarily to provide care and supervision for infants and young children of working parents. Programs that aim to blend both care and education are often called child development centers. In practice, the terms school and center are often used interchangeably in early childhood education, and both care and education occur in all early childhood settings.
Note that despite their name, early childhood programs labeled as schools are not necessarily part of a larger academic institution. Some may be independent, freestanding programs. For example, Beacon Hill Nursery School is an independent early childhood program in Boston that offers half-day classes for toddlers and preschoolers. Likewise, the Child Care Center of Evanston in suburban Chicago is a full-day preschool program that both cares for and educates the children of working families. However, some early childhood programs are part of a larger public or private school, such as Anne Frank Elementary School in Dallas, Texas, which is a large public school that houses several pre-k classrooms.
Some child care programs are part of a large child care corporation, such as KinderCare Learning Centers or Bright Horizons Child Development Center. Others may be part of community-based human service agencies, such as Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Employers sometimes provide on-site child care, such as the Day Care Center at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, Connecticut, which provides care for the children of hospital employees. Finally, some early childhood schools include federally funded Head Start programs that provide a structured curriculum, which addresses specific learning goals in cognitive and language development.
Home-Based Programs
In addition to schools and centers, most states allow individuals to become licensed to care for groups of children in their homes. While regulations vary from state to state, most licensed providers must set aside a separate space, such as a basement, specifically for child care activities. Many of the administrative concepts and skills described in this book are also relevant to family child care homes, but on a much smaller scale.
Ages Served
One characteristic that may differ from program to program is the ages of the children served. Generally, early childhood education is divided into four age groups:
infants (0–18 months),
toddlers (18–36 months),
preschoolers (3–5 years old), and
school-age (5–8 years old).
Some programs specialize in meeting the needs of just one age group, such as a nursery school that offers preschool classes for children between the ages of three and five. Some programs may link two or more of these age groups, such as infants and toddlers, together, and offer services that extend across both developmental levels. Large early childhood programs may provide services to all four of these age levels, from infant child care up to after-school care for school-age children.
Hours of Operation
Generally, programs can be divided into two categories, part-day or full-day. A part-day program might offer morning classes for preschoolers that run from 9:00 a.m. to noon. In contrast, a full-day program is usually open 10 or 11 hours each weekday in order to provide child care services for working families. Parents might drop off their children in the morning on their way to work, perhaps as early as 6:30 or 7:00 a.m., and pick up their children after work, around 6:00 or 6:30 p.m.
Serving Specific Needs
While many early childhood programs are created to provide broad, general child care or educational experiences, some programs meet a very specific need, such as a program that offers gymnastics and dance classes to 4- and 5-year-olds, a parent group that organizes parent-tot classes and parent support meetings, or a drop-in child care program available for shoppers in a department store.
In some cases, programs primarily serve the needs of parents, providing child care, parent education, or parent support services. In other cases, the purpose of programs is primarily to serve the needs of children by providing educational, social, or enrichment experiences. But all early childhood programs provide some kind of balance, taking into consideration both the needs of parents and of children.
Children With Special Needs
Many early childhood programs that serve a general population of families also enroll children with special needs, such as children with developmental delays or chronic medical conditions. These inclusive programs work to integrate quality programming for all children with the specialized intervention or support services that are targeted to benefit the children with special needs.
Other early childhood programs provide only services for children with special needs. Early intervention programs and therapeutic preschools provide therapy, care, and education to infants, toddlers, and young children with special needs, as well as support services for their families. Programs are designed to respond to the individual needs of each child; for example, a program might provide audiology services to a child with a hearing impairment. Some of these services are mandated and funded through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). More details about administering programs for children with special needs will be provided in Chapter 8.
Government-Funded Programs
Programs that receive public funds are primarily those that provide full-day child care services to working families or those that serve at-risk populations, such as families living in poverty. Government funds or grants for early childhood programs are created when new laws are passed that mandate funding for a specific purpose. Funding levels may change over time, depending upon legislative decisions. The money for government funding comes from tax dollars, usually at the federal or state level.
Whether a program receives government funding and to what extent the program is funded by government grants will help determine the structure and size of the program. For example, a child care center that serves an economically diverse population of families may choose to expand its services to include infants and toddlers if it becomes eligible for Early Head Start funds.
For-Profit and Nonprofit Programs
A for-profit early childhood program exists for the financial benefit of its owners or shareholders. Examples of for-profit programs include small neighborhood child care centers run by an individual or family, or a large child care chain, such as La Petite Academy.
A nonprofit organization does not have owners or shareholders. The organization exists for the greater good of the community or of society. A nonprofit organization may make a profit, but that profit must be used to further the mission of the organization. Common examples of nonprofit programs include small preschools associated with churches or other congregations, and larger programs associated with national human service agencies, such as the YMCA. A preschool or pre-k program that is part of a public school is a nonprofit program, as is a federally funded program like Head Start (see the Focus On feature box).
Focus On: Head Start
Head Start is a federal program that provides early childhood education to low income children in centers across the United States. Head Start serves children at risk for school failure and includes children, regardless of family income status, who have disabilities. In addition to the educational component, Head Start also provides health, nutrition, and family support services. Funding for Head Start is provided to public and private agencies in the form of government grants.
Head Start was founded in 1965 as a summer school program to help disadvantaged children get ready for kindergarten. It was soon evident that a few weeks of instruction was not enough to support children who were living in poverty and help prepare them for success in school. The program was expanded to year-round preschool for children ages three to five.
In 1994 an infant-toddler component, Early Head Start, was added to serve children from birth through age three. Over the years, more than 27 million children have enrolled in Head Start (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2010).
The broad goals of Head Start are to enhance children's cognitive, social, and emotional development. Head Start provides a learning environment that supports children's growth in the following domains:
language and literacy,
cognition and general knowledge,
physical development and health,
social and emotional development, and
approaches to learning.
Some studies of the outcomes of Head Start have been supportive, some critical, and some mixed. Many children who participate in Head Start still enter kindergarten with below-average skill and knowledge levels. Proponents of Head Start argue that the at-risk population of Head Start students would be at even lower levels without Head Start services (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). The National Institute on Early Childhood Research has more information on research about Head Start.
Sole Proprietorships and Franchises
Among for-profit programs, there are a wide variety of profit-generating businesses models. One category is a sole proprietorship, a business owned by an individual. Family child care providers who run programs in their own homes are often sole proprietors. Another common category is a franchise, a business operated under a license from a larger company. The Primrose Schools is an example of a corporation that licenses its business model in return for a share of the franchise's profits.
Administrative Accountability
For both for-profit and nonprofit programs, an organization must set clear lines of authority for decision making and accountability in order to function efficiently and effectively. Typically, there is one administrator designated as the "director" of the program. There may be other administrators, such as an assistant director or curriculum director, who report to the director. However, the person with the title of director does not necessarily hold the highest authority. The director may report to a board of directors, to a program owner, or to a corporate headquarters, depending on the organizational structure, or chain of command, of the program. That structure is often represented in an organizational chart (Figure 1.1). The chart illustrates to whom each staff member reports and shows who is responsible for supervising other staff members.
In many early childhood programs, the director reports to a board. Although board members are often volunteers, they are legally responsible for the governance, or oversight, of the organization. The responsibilities of board members are named in the board bylaws, a document that describes the rules and structure of the board of directors. Laws vary from state to state, but all corporate boards, both nonprofit and for-profit, must have bylaws to describe how they will be governed.
1.3 The Role of the Early Childhood Administrator
As demonstrated in the discussion of organizational structure, the term administrator covers a broad category of different leadership roles in early childhood programs. Administrators may include center directors and assistant directors, curriculum coordinators, teacher supervisors, and program managers. Most frequently the leader of an early childhood program is the designated authority who holds the title of "director" and is accountable for the supervision of the program. For example,
Muriel is the director of a small independent preschool. Her program offers part-day classes for three, four, and five year olds. Her program is housed in three classrooms in a community center that are rented from the local park district. Muriel's program is small, serving about 50 children. In addition to directing the program, Muriel serves as one of the coteachers of the 3-year-old class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Pam is the director of a large child care center that is part of an urban human service organization. Her center serves about 300 children in full-day programs for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, as well as an after-school program for children in kindergarten through fourth grade. Many of the families served by Pam's program are low income and eligible for publicly subsidized child care. Pam oversees an administrative team that includes an infant-toddler specialist, a curriculum coordinator, and an after-school coordinator.
Yvonne is the director and owner of a suburban child care center located near a commuter train station. Her program offers full-day child care for about 100 children between the ages of three and five. In addition to child care services, Yvonne's program offers enrichment programs such as dance classes and art lessons. Yvonne started the program as the only administrator. As the center grew, she added an assistant director and a bookkeeper to her staff.
Leadership Styles
Having courage and confidence and being articulate and assertive are characteristics often associated with strong leadership. But the repertoire of skills and abilities needed for effective leadership in an educational environment may be somewhat different from those needed in other contexts. For example, leaders in early childhood programs must be flexible and resourceful in order to manage and respond to the ongoing changes in the educational environment.
It is easy to say good leaders must be flexible and resourceful, but it is more difficult to identify the specific behaviors and actions that demonstrate effective leadership. What does good leadership look like? Recent research that follows successful leaders in educational settings reveals some key leadership behaviors: establishing clear goals and expectations, using resources strategically, and ensuring an orderly and supportive work environment. Furthermore, good leaders promote and participate in the teaching and learning process (Fullan & Boyle, 2010). This research suggests that a successful leadership style in an educational setting is one that is collaborative and participatory.
Responsibilities
The work of an early childhood administrator includes a very diverse mix of responsibilities. Challenges vary from day to day and from season to season. Most of an administrator's tasks can be categorized into three groups: responsibilities related to people, responsibilities related to resources, and responsibilities related to information.
People
The broad purpose of any early childhood program is to serve children and families, which means that working with people is at the heart of the administrator's job. The three primary groups of people administrators work with are families, staff, and community members.
Administrators respond to parent inquiries, lead parent tours, enroll children, and welcome families. They hire, train, and supervise staff. Early childhood administrators also work with community members such as neighbors, donors, business leaders, public school principals, or park district board members. Responsibilities related to this group might include attending neighborhood meetings or writing thank you letters to donors. Among these three groups—families, staff, and community members—administrative responsibilities are quite varied, yet all involve communication and building relationships.
Resources
Managing, which means directing or overseeing, resources is another important category of administrative tasks. Resources include physical things, such as the facility, the materials and equipment, and supplies, including food. Administrators carry out a broad range of duties related to managing these resources, such as supervising the janitorial staff, making safety inspections, and ordering snacks or meals. In addition to these tangible, concrete things, another important resource is the staff, the human resources. Responsibilities related to managing human resources include creating and managing staff schedules and documenting payroll.
Information
Any administrative role in an early childhood program requires a great deal of documentation or paperwork. In the 21st century, the term paperwork now also includes managing a wide range of digital information as well as hard files. Responsibilities related to information management may include updating the program's website, reviewing online child assessment portfolios, and completing the forms required for the annual renewal of the program's liability insurance policy.
Setting Administrative Priorities
Tackling the broad range of administrative tasks necessary to run an early childhood program can be overwhelming, and the ability to set priorities is key. Each day administrators must make wise choices about which tasks are most important to accomplish right away, such as responding to a parent concern, while still budgeting time for long-term projects, such as revising a staff handbook. Often the key to managing priorities is finding a balance between different kinds of tasks.
For example, administrators who spend most of their time and energy in classrooms, observing teachers and talking with staff members, may neglect some of the important organizational tasks, like overseeing tuition payments. At the same time, administrators who spend most of their time and energy at their desks, managing finances and paperwork, may risk losing touch with what is happening inside the classrooms. All these tasks are important and require regular, balanced attention for a program to be successful.
A Day in the Life
What is it like to balance so many different roles and responsibilities? Let's look at an example of a typical day in the life of an early childhood administrator.
Suppose you are the director of a large child care center. Your work day may begin before you even leave home, with a call from a teacher who is ill and won't be able to come to work. You quickly place a call to a retired teacher who has offered to be on call as a substitute and arrange for her to cover the shift.
Once you arrive at the center, you unlock the door and welcome the first shift of teachers and caregivers as they arrive to set up their classrooms. As you turn on your computer, one of the morning teachers informs you that the sink in the toddler bathroom is not working. You briefly meet with the toddler teachers and create a plan for the toddlers to share one of the preschool bathrooms until you can get the sink fixed. You make a quick call to the local plumber and arrange for a service call later that morning. Meanwhile, families are starting to arrive and drop off their children for the day. You greet the families and answer a few questions about tuition balances and an upcoming parent meeting.
The remainder of the morning is spent in an orientation session with a new preschool teacher. You review the employee handbook with the teacher and help her complete the necessary paperwork for the employee files. You introduce the teacher to the rest of the staff and spend some time with her in the classroom, demonstrating important health and safety practices. While you were working with the new teacher, the plumber arrived and fixed the toddler sink.
After returning a few phone calls and email messages, you take a few minutes to complete a grant proposal to a local community foundation. As the teachers eat lunch with the children in the classrooms, you eat a sandwich at your desk and type up an agenda for the weekly preschool team meeting. Once the preschoolers are settled for their afternoon nap, you meet with the preschool teachers and address a variety of issues, from a discussion of concerns about a very quiet child who is reluctant to speak to adults, to a debate about what should be the curriculum focus for the next planning period.
Following the preschool team meeting, you complete attendance reports, observe the new teacher in the preschool class, and greet families as they arrive to pick up their children. As you put on your coat at the end of the day, you see the child who has been having trouble speaking to adults. She is leaving the center with her mom and waving to the new preschool teacher. The child calls out, "Bye! Bye, Teacher!" You smile to yourself as you turn out the lights and lock the front door.
1.4 Philosophy, Vision, and Mission
Suppose, similar to Lindsay in our opening scenario, you've just been hired to develop and administer an early childhood program in your community. Or suppose you've been hired to build a new program from scratch. How would you begin? Before you start making changes in an existing program, or before you start ordering furniture and hiring teachers for a new program, it will be helpful to take a step back and ask yourself some important questions. What are your hopes for this program? How will this program help children learn and grow? How will it contribute to the community? These questions are related to how you will understand and follow or develop and define the program's philosophy, vision, and mission.
Program Philosophy
The vision and mission statements of an early childhood program often reflect the organization's philosophy, that is, its beliefs about how children best learn and develop. A program's philosophy represents the core values and culture of an organization and determines the roles staff members and parents will play in the care and education of the children enrolled there. The philosophy is used to guide classroom practices, curriculum development, the hiring of teachers, and the recruitment of families.
For example, a program that follows the Montessori philosophy might emphasize the presentation and organization of classroom materials, while a program based on the Waldorf philosophy might emphasize children's participation in creative activities such as music and dance. When parents read about the program's philosophy in a brochure or on a website, they can get a sense of whether or not that program will be a good fit for their family.
The same is true when seeking a good fit in the hiring of teachers: Potential candidates for teaching positions can read about the program's philosophy and decide whether their individual beliefs about teaching will match the program's. Questions about philosophy during the interview process also reveal whether a candidate's ideas about teaching and learning are aligned with the program's philosophy.
Here is an example of how an early childhood program that's based on the techniques of the Montessori method might describe its philosophy:
Montessori Garden Preschool, White Plains, New York
At the Montessori Garden our goal is to nurture and expand the minds of young children by providing a safe and peaceful environment. We believe in the Montessori philosophy, which supports the child's cognitive, social emotional and physical development. We value cultural diversity and our teachers are dedicated to supporting and encouraging the growth of each individual child.
A basic idea of the Montessori philosophy is that carried unseen within each child is the person that child can become. To develop his or her physical, intellectual and spiritual powers to the fullest, the child must have freedom achieved through order and self-discipline.
Dr. Montessori developed what she called "the prepared environment." Among its features is an ordered arrangement of learning materials in a non-competitive atmosphere, which helps each child develop at his/her own rate. Dr. Montessori also recognized that self-motivation is the only valid impulse to learning.
Used by permission of The Compass School.
Early Childhood Theory
The philosophy of an early childhood program is usually aligned with a specific school of thought about how children learn and grow, ideas based on research and child development theory. Current information about what is considered "best practice" in the field of early childhood education can be found in the position statements and publications of professional organizations, such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Generally, high-quality early childhood programs today take a philosophical position that embraces constructivism. The main idea behind a constructivist approach is that children build their own knowledge through hands-on experiences. The constructivist philosophy was developed and endorsed by theorists such as Jean Piaget, who believed that young children develop their own intellect through exploring their physical environment (Piaget & Inhelder, 1969), and Lev Vygotsky, who believed that children develop intellect through their social interactions with other children and adults (Vygotsky, 1978).
Creating a Vision
While the program philosophy informs practice on a daily basis, a vision is an image or idea of the best possible outcome for an organization and the people it serves. The vision is what you want your students and school to become. A vision can be inspirational, a dream or hope for the future. An early childhood administrator must have an understanding of where the organization wants to go in order to move the organization forward.
An organization's vision may be represented by a vision statement, which is a sentence or paragraph that describes what the organization hopes to accomplish. One leader, such as the program director, may write the statement, or a team of individuals involved in the organization may create it collaboratively to increase support for the idea.
A vision statement should be written in a way that can be easily understood by staff, families, and community members; and its meaning should be broad enough to include all the functions of the organization. An example of a very brief vision statement might be "Early education for all." Or "A community of lifelong learners." A longer example is, "The vision of Oak Street Child Development Center is to create a diverse community of young learners where every family feels welcome and valued."
A vision statement may include additional details or bullet points that describe more specific components of the program such as, "Staff will serve as role models for the children by demonstrating a lifelong love of learning." The vision statement can then be used internally to help direct and motivate the staff. The vision statement can also be used to support the administrator's work externally by helping the administrator present the essential qualities of the program to the public, including potential funding sources.
Defining a Mission
In addition to a vision, an organization also needs a clearly articulated mission statement, which describes why the organization exists, what it does, and who it serves. While a vision statement inspires dreams, a mission statement inspires action. A good mission statement is functional and concrete and helps staff members prioritize and focus their efforts. It should be concise, it should focus on the important outcomes the organization works to achieve, and it should be broad enough to include all the main goals of the organization.
A mission statement is an essential tool for an administrator leading and supervising the work of an early childhood program. It can be used to drive hiring practices, create or revise policies, guide budget planning, and make decisions about program growth and expansion. In a successful and efficient organization, every activity is aligned with and reflects the mission statement.
Here are three examples of strong mission statements from early childhood programs:
Flagstaff Cooperative Preschools, Flagstaff, Arizona
Our mission is to develop the intellect, personality, body and heart of each child by creating an environment and experiences in tune with individual characteristics and family backgrounds. We promote interactive experiences while at play, and support the development of every child's self-esteem, self-reliance and positive view of life through family and community involvement.
Used by permission of Flagstaff Cooperative Preschools.
This mission statement explicitly names family and community involvement as an important characteristic of its program, and the use of phrases like "body and heart" of each child emphasizes the program's holistic, developmental approach to early childhood education.
The mention of "play" here suggests that learning through play is a significant part of the program's philosophy.
The Compass School, Cincinnati, Ohio
The mission of The Compass School is to provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes your child's depth of knowledge while inspiring a life-long love of learning.
Used by permission of The Compass School.
This mission statement is brief and direct. Unlike the previous example, this statement does not use the word "family." However, the phrase "your child" implies that the statement has been written specifically for families. The phrase, "depth of knowledge" emphasizes academic learning, while adjectives like "safe and nurturing" soften the statement.
Rockford Public Schools Early Childhood Program, Rockford, Illinois
The mission of the Rockford Public Schools Early Childhood Program is to empower all young children to become effective, enthusiastic, and socially competent learners by creating a bond among children, their families, the school and the community.
Used by permission of Rockford Public Schools.
This mission statement is also brief and direct. The words "empower" and "competent" emphasize the child's active role and responsibility in learning. The final phrase in the statement ("among children, their families, the school and the community") explicitly names all the important stakeholders in the school's mission.
|
Table 1.1: Philosophy, Vision, and Mission as Administrative Tools |
||
|
Tool |
What is it? |
How do administrators use this tool? |
|
Philosophy |
Beliefs about how children best learn and develop that represent the core values and culture of an organization. |
Administrators describe the program philosophy during the enrollment processto let families know what to expect; in the hiring process to determine a good fit between teachers and program; and to shape curriculum development. |
|
Vision statement |
A sentence or paragraph that describes what the organization hopes to accomplish. |
An administrator uses the vision statement to inspire staff members and volunteers to strive for the best possible outcomes for their organization and to build consensus ,collaboration, and commitment for the work of the organization. |
|
Mission statement |
An organization's statement of purpose. |
Administrators use the program mission statement to determine program goals and to assess how well the program's outcomes match the purpose of the organization. |
Writing the Mission Statement
Program administrators usually do not create mission statements by themselves. A mission statement is often developed or revised by a team of people, such as a board of directors, as part of a strategic planning process. The process usually begins with an information-gathering stage in which leaders conduct discussions or focus groups with key stakeholders, such as staff members, parents of enrolled children, and community members, such as neighborhood associations, park district boards, and local business owners. Participants may be asked questions such as, "What do you see as the major purpose of our organization?" "What do you think are the major strengths of our organization?" or "In what ways do you think our organization could improve?"
The team of leaders uses this information to discuss and draft a mission statement. All parties involved then consider the draft of the mission statement and make comments or suggestions for the final version. This type of process, in which many opinions and perspectives are considered, is called a consensus-building process. Though time consuming, consensus building often results in a stronger and more lasting outcome than a decision that is made quickly by just one or two people.
Reference