Early childhood educators should take advantage of attention on assessment to design appropriate systems. Proper assessments should enable more reflective teaching, honor children's full range of development, and provide safeguards to children from unnecessary assessment or misuse of assessment data. Issues include what standards to measure, what…

Summarizes national studies relating staff education/training to child care quality. Finds that more training/education yields higher quality, but no study identifies the most effective dimensions of training/education for improving teacher behavior or child outcomes. Suggests that a common nomenclature for education/training is needed for…

This paper explores how basic principles of child development can be used to guide the formation and evaluation of educational policies. Child development principles are those beliefs that, predicated on empirical research, have developed over time. They are generally accepted by child development specialists as the minimum elements necessary for…

Examines three challenges facing the field of early childhood education: (1) homogenization of early childhood education; (2) over-scientization of the field; and (3) bureaucratization of early childhood education. (KB)

This paper addresses the rights of children, families, and society regarding the care and education of young children. The paper addresses two basic questions concerning what is meant by the word "right." The first question is, "What is right for young children and families in order to ensure optimal development?" The response…

Outlines a framework for determining the infrastructure cost of universal early care and education for young children and adequate compensation for caregivers. Discusses the nature of compensation and infrastructure, including governance and administration, compensation, professional development, and regulation. Suggests that costs could be…

Explores an anecdote about a parent withdrawing her child from a child care program as a metaphor for the current status of early childhood to illustrate the pedagogical, practice, and policy dilemmas challenging the field. Maintains that pedagogy, practice, and policy are inseparable and that early childhood professionals must be cognizant of…

Considering that the field of American early childhood education and care is at the brink of a major shift in how it views its mission, this paper provides policymakers with ways to help understand the emergent situation, to define excellence in early education and care, and to plan a strategy to improve provision of services. A glance toward the…

Discusses the reasons for the popularity of collaboration in early care and education. Defines the term "collaboration." Discusses results of a national study of early care and education collaborations in terms of the achievements of collaborations and the situations in which they work best. Also offers suggestions for making…

This paper explores, from the perspective of a local practitioner, phases and effects of implementing a national education demonstration project at the local level. The pivotal role of the locality, its history and its economic realities, is emphasized. Drawing from her experience in planning and implementing a demonstration effort in a…