ED480816 PS031554
Title:High-Quality Preschool: Why We Need It and What It Looks Like. NIEER Preschool Policy Matters, Issue 1.
Author(s): Espinosa, Linda M.
Pages: 13
Publication Date: November 2002
Notes: Produced by Rutgers National Institute for Early Education Research.
Sponsoring Agency: Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia, PA. (BBB28123)
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
Availability: National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), Rutgers, The State University, 120 Albany Street, Suite 500, New
Brunswick, NJ 08901. Tel: 732-932-4350; Fax: 732-932-4360; e-mail: info@nieer.org; Web site: http://nieer.org. For full text: http://
nieer.org/resources/policybriefs/1.pdf.
Language: English
Document Type: Opinion papers (120); Reports--Descriptive (141)
Geographic Source: U.S.; New Jersey
Journal Announcement: RIEMAY2004
Target Audience: Policymakers
Research has consistently shown that 3- and 4-year-olds who attend a high-quality preschool are more successful in kindergarten and beyond-both academically and socially. But the majority of preschool programs in the United States are not judged as good, with many rated far below that. Many of our most vulnerable children attend the lowest quality programs, and children who are at risk for school failure are more strongly influenced by the quality of preschool. Noting that momentum is building across the country to develop more preschool programs, this policy brief provides a vision of what high-quality preschool programs look like, and offers recommendations for improving quality. The brief uses the latest research findings and best practices recommended by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) to describe the process and structural features of a high-quality preschool program in terms of what is critical for the child, family, teacher, curriculum, and classroom. Based on these indicators of quality, the brief's policy recommendations are as follows: (1) develop state standards for all preschool programs; (2) increase teacher salaries and benefits to levels similar to those of comparably qualified K-12 teachers; (3) develop valid measures of early educational quality that incorporate the recent research on early literacy, mathematical, scientific and social-emotional learning; (4) provide continuous training and quality improvement efforts to all preschool teachers and programs; and (5) work together at federal, state, and local levels of government to establish a coordinated system of high-quality education and care for all 3- and 4-year-olds. (Contains 20 endnotes and a list of 32 additional resources. (HTH)
Descriptors: Agency Cooperation; Change Strategies; Compensation (Remuneration); *Developmentally Appropriate Practices; Educational
Environment; *Educational Quality; High Risk Students; Outcomes of Education; Parent School Relationship; Performance Factors; Preschool
Children; *Preschool Curriculum; *Preschool Education; Staff Development; State Standards; Teacher Qualifications; Teacher Student
Relationship
Identifiers: *Program Characteristics; *Quality Indicators
