Getting to common ground about early childhood education: Head ...

By: Dr. Marvin Hogan,

Executive Director Friends of Children of Mississippi, Inc.

The conversations surrounding early childhood education and Head Start resonate loudly no matter where you find yourself rooted in the dialogue. Whether you?re defending their effectiveness or elaborating on shortcomings, any utterances of government interference, parental involvement, federal and taxpayer dollars, and return on investment can send anyone into a tailspin of communication disconnects. Yes, I too, am tempted to share numerous reports and statistics that indicate early childhood education and Head Start works by providing long-term educational, economic, health and law enforcement benefits. But, the facts would still be moot if we can?t at least agree to discuss chapters from the same book.

I?m inclined to believe that our frame of reference about what early childhood education and Head Start really are and their intent is misplaced. In order to have a healthy dialogue, it is critical that we get to common ground. So, let?s start with terminology. I?ve noticed that day care and Head Start are often used interchangeably when referring to early childhood education. ?Day care? and ?Head Start? are not the same by definition, design or function. Day care is a type of child care service?provided to parents, typically (but not always) in exchange for monetary payment of those services. Day care may not be a viable means of early childhood education because education might not be embraced or stressed by the day care provider.

Furthermore, day care is regulated through local legislation, and some states don?t require their day care programs to be licensed or certified. This means there are no set standards for assessing, measuring or monitoring a child?s performance and aptitude in the day care environment. Head Start is a national early childhood comprehensive program that is comprised of Head Start and Early Head Start. It serves primarily at-risk children and their families and provides a range of education, health, mental health, nutrition, disabilities, as well as family and community support services and programs. The services are free to children and their families where the income is at or below the federal poverty level.

Unlike day care, Head Start programs must comply with national program performance standards and are monitored to ensure that they are meeting those performance standards. Next, I?d like to extend the dialogue to communicate that early childhood education is critical to the development of intelligence, personality and social behavior in children. We might be able to agree on this as long as I don?t stipulate where children attain that education and from whom their influences are drawn. At the forefront, we should all want children to be successful?to become well-rounded, inquisitive, independent and self-confident individuals who aspire to make a positive impact and meaningful contributions in society. How do we get there? Parents should be the primary educators of their children, not just in early childhood education, but throughout their children?s lives.

Parents who have the means to provide their children with the best educational opportunities (whatever they may be) will do so. The children of less fortunate parents, especially those who live in poverty could be left behind unless they receive assistance?an opportunity to merely get on the learning path. For these children, Head Start is that opportunity. Now, I?d like to explain how Head Start is a vital part of early childhood education as a school readiness program. Public Law 110-134 ?Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007? clearly states that the purpose of Head Start is to promote the school readiness of low-income children by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development.

This is accomplished in a learning environment that supports children?s growth through the provision of health, educational, nutritional, social, and other necessary services for the children and their families, and using scientifically-based and developmentally-appropriate education performance standards related to school readiness that are based on The Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework: Promoting Positive Outcomes in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children 3?5 Years Old. The Framework is a description of developmental building blocks and is comprised of 11 domains that represent and promote the overarching areas of child development and early learning essential for school and long-term success. Head Start uses the Framework to establish school readiness goals for their children, monitor children?s progress, align curricula and conduct program planning.

While 10 of the 11 domains listed below apply to all children, the English language development domain applies only to children who speak a language other than English at home, also referred to children who are dual language learners.

I?m encouraging you to visit the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (A Service of the Office of Head Start) web site (www.eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov) to download a copy of the Framework. Use it as a reference to continue your conversations about Head Start assessment and measurement tools. Head Start programs address the domains in an integrated way, using intentional instruction and scaffolding-type learning throughout the day. For example, dramatic play can promote language development, literacy and math skills.

And, children can learn about science and social studies concepts through literacy activities, creative arts and outdoor play. The Framework encourages learning outside of the traditional role of teaching rote skills, thereby guiding children through a well-orchestrated path of how to learn. It fosters the skills children will need to matriculate through school and life. From this stance, we can probably agree that as a nation, we are all responsible in some capacity for our children?s educational and life outcome successes. Parents must first teach their children, and head start emphasizes and provides services and programs that strengthen parental involvement?at home, in the classroom and in the community.

Head Start teachers, staff and volunteers are responsible for supporting children?s growth using the Framework, as well as through meeting the health, nutritional and social needs of the children and their families. Continuous educational success is also the responsibility of kindergarten teachers, elementary school teachers, intermediate school teachers and high school teachers. Reinforcement from all?parents and the schools?are pivotal. I must reiterate, though, that Head Start is a school readiness program?a starting point?for kindergarten readiness in the early childhood education system. As I have communicated above, Head Start is just one component in the many levels of responsibility for which children are assessed and measured throughout their entire educational experiences.

Unfortunately, when the early education system is perceived not to work, more likely than not, Head Start becomes the scapegoat of the entire system failure.Still getting to common ground and to propose one of numerous remedies . . . I believe we need to ensure that early childhood education testing compares apples to apples when measuring the impact of Head Start. For this, it?s necessary to assess children continuously at appropriate levels. First, establish the test and control groups before children enter kindergarten (at age five): Measure the skills of Head Start children when they complete the Head Start program, children who didn?t attend any early childhood education program, children who attended a day care or home care program. Upon completing kindergarten, measure all of these children again?at least through the third grade, which is where most opponents believe Head Start children don?t fare any better than the children who received alternative or no early childhood education.

From here, we can simply interpret the numbers. As I wrap up, I?d like to challenge you to discover the benefits of early childhood education and Head Start through what seems to be unorthodox methods: ? Go to a Head Start facility. Talk to the teachers and staff about the services and educational opportunities that we provide to children and their families. ? Speak with the parents of children who attend Head Start. They can offer their first-hand accounts and experiences of the advantages of a Head Start program. ? Attend a Head Start parent county council and/or a policy council meeting. These meetings are excellent opportunities to ask questions about how Head Start impacts children, families and communities. And remember: Working together, we can make a positive difference in the lives of children and families.

Source: http://www.jacksonadvocateonline.com/?p=5666

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