This paper provides a snapshot of how student achievement data are being used in teacher evaluation systems today and illuminates the issues causing states and school districts the most struggles. Most states are using one or some combination of three evaluation approaches: student learning objectives, shared assessments, and shared attribution; each of these approaches carries …
With a strong focus on PreK-3rd grade, Union City Public Schools overcame the crippling effects of poverty and prejudice to close the achievement gap between its low-income Hispanic students and their wealthier peers across New Jersey. The district overhauled its curricula to emphasize critical thinking and reasoning, extended classtime, and increased teacher training. The district also …
This teaching case study describes the evolutionary process undertaken by the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute and the Ounce of Prevention Fund in creating professional learning communities (PLCs) to create a true Birth-to-College model in their state. These PLCs are teacher-led, inclusive of family support staff, multidisciplinary in their focus of inquiry, and reflective …
Building a Birth-to-College Model: Professional Learning Communities Read More »
Increasingly, classroom observations are becoming a prevalent approach to data-driven improvement: observations are used to better understand classroom interactions, teacher effectiveness, time use in classrooms, and more. This paper examines lessons learned from observation in early childhood education that may be helpful as K-12 systems begin implementing more rigorous observation protocols in PreK-3rd grade classrooms. These …
A growing number of policymakers are searching for new approaches to identify good teaching, promote it, and reward it. In the birth-to-five world, many states have developed Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) that identify, rate, and enhance the quality of programs based on a wide array of criteria, such as adult-child ratios and how …
This report provides guidance for policymakers and education practitioners alike on how to purposefully connect instructional approaches from PreK to the early years of elementary school. As the authors note, “simply stating that there is a need for continuity from the preschool years to the early years of elementary school is not enough. Continuity can mean continuing poor educational practices, …
Current preparation, licensure, and hiring systems are not designed to produce and place adequately trained teachers in PreK-3rd grade classrooms. The preparation of early grade teachers must couple the best aspects of traditional elementary and early childhood preparation programs and infuse early childhood development coursework with frequent experiences working with children.
The efforts to reform the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, led by then-Superintendent Jerry Weast, produced five key lessons for PreK-3rd grade practitioners: (1) establish a clear and compelling district-wide goal that maps back to early learning; (2) craft integrated district-wide early-learning strategies to meet the clear and compelling goal; (3) align early-learning programs and …
Lessons for PreK-3rd from Montgomery County Public Schools Read More »
This brief articulates why effective teaching matters for student outcomes; indicates how schools can organize to sustain effective teaching in every classroom; and describes, briefly, what quality looks like in PreK-3rd grade classrooms.
This guide was designed to be a major resource and tool for early education professionals, using both updated research and long-standing best practices to provide a comprehensive framework of teaching and learning in PreK and Kindergarten. A central tenet of the document is the importance of learning centers as the major vehicle to organize a …
