When I first realized that the next course in my doctoral journey dealt with policies and systems, I was excited and apprehensive. Not having very much experience or understanding on how policies and systems work in education, I am especially interested in how it impacts early childhood. By the end of this course, I would like to have a deep understanding of the how systems work, how current trends and hot topics impact decisions made regarding policies, and understand ways to evaluate systems and make improvements in policies. The goals listed below are specific areas that I would like to learn more about in order to grow as a professional early childhood educator.
Goal 1: To gain a better understanding of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems.
While reading the course text written by Kagan and Kauerz (2012), I have some understanding of the different types of analyses (e.g. functional, institutional, and complex adaptive systems). I am not clear as to when or how you would implement QRIS. I would like to rad more about specific cases where an early childhood system has used QRIS. What were the outcomes? How was it implemented? How did QRIS impact teaching and student learning? My understanding of this subsystem is limited. In addition, the authors wrote that, "Also clear, however, are the multiple challenges of making the vision of a system into the reality on the ground," (Kagan and Kauerz, 2012, pg. 83). How does the idea of QRIS become a reality that promotes positive outcomes for early learners?
Goal 2: To understand all of the components of a comprehensive early childhood system that supports linguistic and cultural diversity.
This goal is directly related to my current work in an international school setting. Our ECC has undergone significant changes in educational philosophy in the past five years. Ensuring that we are providing developmentally appropriate practice has been in the forefront in all conversations regarding instructional practices and curricular decisions. However, we are torn between what research tells us about dual language learners and the population that we serve. A bilingual program is not realistic for our population given the number of children that speak languages other than English and Spanish. However, we are not an English immersion program either. We deliver an English curriculum in a culture that speaks Spanish so the exposure our children have to English is limited only to class time. (Children revert to their native language during non-instructional times, which we respect as a culturally responsive school. This also impacts English proficiency for some students.) If I have a better understanding of the components that make up a comprehensive early childhood system that serves our unique population, I may be better prepared to support staff in which direction to grow. I would be able to articulate what we are doing well and identify areas of growth so that we can be confident that we know how to provide best practice for our young language learners.
Goal 3: To learn the information and tools to help promote professional development for early childhood staff.
Professional development is almost nonexistent in my current setting. Because of the policies and systems put in place, the teachers in our early childhood program are not afforded opportunities for growth. The system does not allow for it the way it is currently set up. I see this as one of the main obstacles we have when trying to make changes and improvements to our program. Where do you start? How can you implement a professional development system in a program that does not have sufficient professional development opportunities due to funding and geographic location?
One promising fact that Kagan and Kauerz (2012) included in the chapter on professional development talked about technical assistance offered to teachers that were embedded into their jobs have been shown to be effective. (pg. 108) However, there should be a variety of opportunities offered to teachers. If we invest in teachers' continuing growth and education, the children will reap the benefits. I would like to have the knowledge to propose a plan that would help provide teachers with opportunities to grow.
Reference
Kagan, S. L., & Kauerz, K. (Eds.). (2012). Early childhood systems: Transforming early learning. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
