The arts disciplines (visual arts, music, theatre, and dance) merit and require formal study. Policy makers should support studies in the arts as core disciplines, as specified in the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)," the federal legislation that sets policy and appropriations for public education. The arts merit and…

The paper presents the social capital as the essential element of success of the Reggio Emilia preschools known for their unique approach to the early childhood education. The collaborative effort is introduced through examples of the currently ongoing "Reggio Narrates" project of Reggio preschools, the "Dialogue with the…

This report is a series of interviews with fifteen citizens experienced in school community relations at five different sites across the nation. A background section presents the rationale for and the design of these interviews and introduces the participants. The greater portion of the report presents a summary of and commentary on the interviews…

A presentation by Walter Gilliam (2007) at the First Annual Leadership Symposium on pre-kindergarten education in the United States outlined the explosion across the 50 states in enrollment and public spending for pre-kindergarten programs (including Head Start). Although the majority of these programs are in public schools, most states rely on a…

Early childhood education and care (educare) combined with community development presents a unique opportunity to stimulate the disadvantaged and oppressed sectors of the population towards improved economic status, increased self-confidence and self-esteem, and human development. The three main elements of this approach are the community,…

High quality preschool programs that bring long-term benefits for children can be achieved by cooperation with the community to determine what is appropriate for local children. Existing programs must be evaluated for information and to avoid similar problems and children's "burn out" from tightly structured approaches. (CJH)

The Head Start program has survived two decades of fiscal and policy challenges because of its multi-faceted character. Head Start sits astride an intellectual divide, contradicting both liberal and conservative social policy dogma. (Author/GC)

Reviews developments pertinent to services for Australian children of preschool age. Emphasis is placed on the influence of school personnel, in league with the community, in the development of services for preschool-aged children. Focus is directed toward establishing standards to minimize developmental risks in children. (Author/DB)

Since most black communities in South Africa have been made powerless because of race and poverty, there is a pressing need to empower the individuals of such communities to take charge of their own destinies, especially in the area of early childhood education and care (educare). Current educare projects are often completely or partially…

There is a pressing need to empower the individuals of dispossessed communities in South Africa to take charge of their own destinies, especially in the area of early childhood education and care (educare). Current educare projects are often completely or partially controlled by organizations or people outside of the community. A prime task of…

Education, in many countries, is in a state of contraction due to declining enrolments and to economic factors which cause a high rate of unemployment even among the educated. To prevent closing or consolidation, the maintenance of many rural schools by the community seems likely in the future to depend on widening their activities beyond the…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The paper reviews the literature defining "mainstreaming," notes that mainstreaming is not the wholesale return of exceptional students from…

Discusses the role of community nurseries and preschools, within the context of Brazilian popular movements and social policy of the last 15 years. States that the experiences of these organizations reveal great complexity in terms of social, political, and pedagogic mobilization. Concludes that for all involved there are several levels of…

In 1988, the Head Start Bureau envisioned a system fostering collaboration among Head Start, child care, and early childhood community to meet the needs of eligible preschoolers not being served by Head Start. The National Head Start Association encourages the Head Start community to develop such collaborative programs. Programs in Missouri,…

Intended as a plan for action, this report provides a wide array of recommendations for improving the education of children and adults in Kentucky. Chapter I discusses teachers and teaching in terms of classroom and school conditions for teaching, continuing professional growth and development, professional advancement and evaluation, and teacher…