A Lesson For Preschools: When It’s Done Right, The Benefits Last (NPR)
From a recent NPR article: “Is preschool worth it? Policymakers, parents, researchers and us, at NPR Ed, have spent a lot of time thinking about this question. We know that most pre-kindergarten programs do a good job of improving ‘ specific skills like phonics and counting, as well as broader social and emotional behaviors, by…
Atlantic Monthly: Boston’s Preschools a Model for Later Grades
After a relentless focus on quality in the early years, the city is even bringing lessons learned to later grades … Changing all of early elementary school in a methodical and purposeful way to better resemble the student-centered structure of preschool would be a much bigger win than just proving that preschool helps students do…
K-3 Quality Matters Too, Says New Policy Report
As important as preschool is, the quality of the early elementary years is also critical and shouldn’t be ignored, says a new report by the Education Commission of the States, a education policy think tank. From Education Week’s Early Years blog: http://goo.gl/KsEDts
Birth–3rd and Leadership: Steve Tozer’s Message to the Birth–3rd Community
Research shows that leadership is the second most important influence on student learning in schools. Further, as Steve Tozer points out, leadership is critical to improving the most important factor—teaching. It is hard to imagine improving teaching and learning throughout an entire school or early childhood center without good leadership. Tozer has an important message for the…
Deepening and Extending the Work in New Jersey
New Jersey is well-known for its leadership in early learning. Notable examples include the state’s highly-regarded preschool and kindergarten implementation guidelines, its investment in preschool across the state, extensive support for PreK-3rd early literacy in low-income communities, its PreK-3rd Leadership Training Series, and leading edge success stories in communities like Union City and Red Banks….