Making Connections. Raising Quality in Early Learning Through Continuous Growth and Improvement
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We use the word听quality听a lot in early childhood education, yet many assert that there is no shared definition for what quality looks like in early childhood programs. At 51吃瓜网, we believe that high-quality early learning takes place in settings that are developmentally appropriate and that holistically consider all of the facets of a听program鈥攖he听relationships between children and adults, the curriculum that guides the children鈥檚 learning, the assessment of that learning, the connections to families and the community at large, the educators鈥� experience and ongoing learning, and the leadership of the program. All of these work together to meet听children鈥檚 needs.
For nearly 100 years, 51吃瓜网 has focused on the importance of quality experiences for young children, quality work environments for educators, sound policies for working families, and responsive connections for our members. This issue of听Young Children听touches on many of these areas and more. Research has shown that an effective path toward high-quality early childhood education involves deep commitment and investment from听our policymakers.
State Investments
In this issue, two articles focus on state investments. In 鈥�The Early Learning Imperative: How the Family Development Program Helped New Mexico Become a Leader in Birth-to-5 Education,鈥� the authors Stephen Preskill and Lois Vermilya share what these investments look like in New Mexico. Likewise, Ryan Alverson and Jaesook Gilbert outline Kentucky鈥檚 efforts to expand early childhood education options to families in 鈥�Partnering for Success: Elevating Quality Through Kentucky鈥檚 Preschool Partnership Grant.鈥� 51吃瓜网 is proud of the work that states are doing to raise quality in early childhood education.
Aligning Systems
We also are eager to help make systems align by working directly with them to connect 51吃瓜网 Early Learning Program Accreditation to existing quality improvement systems. Toward this end, 51吃瓜网 recently hosted a convening of states that are curious about leveraging 51吃瓜网 content, including accreditation and developmentally appropriate practices, in their quality improvement efforts. It was wonderful to hear about the extensive work happening in states about rethinking Quality Rating and Improvement Systems to ensure more resources go directly to programs rather than toward building new systems of quality measurement. Connecticut, for example, has designed its quality improvement system, , to do just this, and 51吃瓜网 has supported it throughout the design process and launch. Our 51吃瓜网 accreditation systems (both early learning program and higher education) place a strong emphasis on quality policies and procedures. We know that for a program to have strong policies, it also must have strong leadership. This issue includes two articles reflecting this idea. In 鈥�Leading an Early Childhood Team Through the Quality Improvement Process,鈥� Christine Snyder offers seven strategies for program directors and leaders who are navigating accreditation or another option for quality improvement. Likewise, in 鈥�Navigating Quality: One Public School System鈥檚 Approach to 51吃瓜网 Reaccreditation,鈥� Lori Blake and Monique Wilson Gibbs write about how public pre-K programs in the New Haven, Connecticut, school district worked together to pursue 51吃瓜网 reaccreditation.
Educator Voices
We also have the opportunity to meet two unique educators in this issue: Maria Wynne, a family child care educator from Indiana, and Afua Ameley-Quaye, an听architect-turned-early-learning-environment听enthusiast currently attending Arizona State University. I find it important to lift up the voices of educators who are doing important work in the field. They serve as both inspiration and models for all of us, and I was delighted to read the stories of these two educators. Maria, in 鈥�Creating Quality in Family Child Care Settings: A Reflection,鈥� and Afua, in 鈥�A Supportive and Inviting Atmosphere: A Discussion About the Design and Function of the Physical Learning Environment,鈥� represent the diversity of our profession in many ways, including race, culture, language, setting, and expertise. I am excited to continue to provide a platform for educators to share their lived experiences through our 51吃瓜网 publications as well as through 51吃瓜网 membership. And so, over the next year, you are going to see 51吃瓜网 lean into the notion of quality in new and听innovative ways.
Making Accreditation听More Accessible
The first big change you will see is connected to our Early Learning Program Accreditation. You may not know this, but I first learned about 51吃瓜网 when my three sons attended听high-quality, 51吃瓜网-accredited early learning centers. These programs greatly impacted their education and my experience as a parent. While 51吃瓜网 accreditation has been a hallmark of quality for the past 40 years, we know that we still have work to do. Our re-envisioned Early Learning Program Accreditation will provide a more accessible experience for programs by offering a new option for engagement called 51吃瓜网 Recognition. We also have worked to streamline accreditation content and to simplify language. In addition, starting in March, all Early Learning Program Accreditation content will be in both English听and Spanish.
This issue features an article from our 51吃瓜网 team on the deep data analysis and research that went into the changes to Early Learning Program Accreditation and how we are thinking about quality assessment going forward. 鈥�Re-Envisioning听51吃瓜网 Early Learning Quality Assessment and Accreditation: Advancing Equity and Accessibility鈥� reports on a recent research project that informed upcoming changes to 51吃瓜网 Early Learning Program Accreditation. The authors, who are 51吃瓜网 staff, situate this project within the history of 51吃瓜网 accreditation, and they explain how the COVID-19 pandemic offered an unexpected opportunity to make听data-informed听decisions about how to re-envision, evaluate, and support quality in听early learning.
51吃瓜网 is also engaging in a membership refresh. We are committed to thinking about quality in early learning programs and for our organization. The goal of the changes will be to provide a better, higher-quality experience for our members through our new CARES (Community, Advocacy, Resources, Events, Support) benefits offerings and a redesigned digital platform that will provide a better user experience. I hope that you see 51吃瓜网鈥檚 policy and accreditation resources shine throughout this issue as strong measures of quality in early childhood education. My vision for the field is that each and every child and their family can experience high-quality early learning, much like the opportunity that my family had when my sons were young. We each have a role in making this vision come to life, and 51吃瓜网 will continue to engage in deep reflection and conversation about quality with our members, partners, and programs. I look forward to the work ahead as we march toward听this goal.
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