14.1 K-12 Education
Learning Objectives
- Describe the importance of early childhood education for development
- Describe the Head Start Program, including successes and failures
- Explain how cultural differences influence education during elementary school
- Identify challenges experienced during the transitions to middle and high school
- Describe the role of secondary education in adolescent development
Early Childhood Education
Providing universal preschool has become an important lobbying point for federal, state, and local leaders throughout our country. In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama called upon congress to provide high quality preschool for all children. He continued to support universal preschool in his legislative agenda, and in December 2014 the President convened state and local policymakers for the White House Summit on Early Education (White House Press Secretary, 2014). However, universal preschool covering all four-year olds in the country would require significant funding. Further, how effective preschools are in preparing children for elementary school, and what constitutes high quality preschool have been debated.
To set criteria for designation as a high-quality preschool, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) identifies 10 standards (NAEYC, 2016). These include:
- Positive and caring relationships among all children and adults are promoted.
- The curriculum supports learning and development in social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive areas.
- Teaching approaches are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically attuned.
- Children’s progress is assessed to provide information on their learning and development.
- Children’s health and nutrition are promoted, while they are protected from illness and injury.
- Teachers possess the educational qualifications, knowledge, and commitment to promote children’s learning.
- Collaborative relationships with families are established and maintained.
- Relationships with agencies and institutions in the children’s communities are established to support the program’s goals.
- Indoor and outdoor physical environments are safe and well-maintained.
- Leadership and management personnel are well qualified, effective, and maintain licensure status with the applicable state agency.
Parents should review preschool programs using criteria such as those set by NAEYC as a guide and template for asking questions that will assist them in choosing the best program for their child. Selecting the right preschool is also difficult because there are so many types of preschools available. Zachry (2013) identified Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, High Scope, Parent Co-Ops and Bank Street as types of preschool programs, approaches, and curricula that focus on children learning through discovery. Teachers act as guides and create activities based on the child’s developmental level.
Head Start
For children who live in poverty, Head