In recent years, common
core and educational standards have been some of the biggest topics of debate
in education. Many states are putting policies in place to ensure that these
standards are being met and that students are receiving rigorous instruction.
However, the problem lies in that many of these policies and standards vary
from state to state and are not consistent in their measures. There are several
organizations that provide a board set of standards for educators to refer to
and use to help guide their instruction. For example, the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and the National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) offer many standards
and guidelines for educators to use inside and outside the classroom. It is
important to stay abreast with what is current in the field and new strategies,
best practices, and professional development to help enhance instruction and
increase student achievement. With that being
said, many states and school districts are also ensuring that a set of learning
expectations are put into place to guide teacher curricula and instruction in
the classroom.
In Georgia, the most used
resource for early childhood education policies and standards is the Georgia
Department of Education (GADOE). The GADOE is a website that provides policies,
standards, and guidelines for pre-kindergarten to the 12th grade. The Georgia
Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) http://www.gelds.decal.ga.gov is another
useful resource. The GELDS offer a guideline of learning standards that are
research based and high quality. The GELDS are a continuum of skills,
behaviors, and concepts that children develop throughout early education. They
are divided into age groups and serve as a framework for learning (The Georgia Early Learning and Development
Standards, 2016). The GELDS are broken into five main categories of development:
physical, social and emotional, play and learning, language and literacy, and
cognitive development and general knowledge. This is very similar to the NAEYC
learning standards, which are comprised of 10 broader categories, including relationships,
curriculum, teaching, health, families, and physical environment. The GELDS and
NAEYC learning standards are based on educating and teaching the whole child.
They focus not just on academic growth and success, but also a child’s physical
health and environment. Teaching the whole child is important because if a
child is well rounded, the likelihood of his or her academic success, positive behavior
choices, and happier, healthier children. According to Meschke and Bartholomae,
2012 “promotion
of healthy outcomes contributes to the reduction of risk behaviors” (p. 91). However,
the NAEYC standards are much broader because they address a child at any age. On the other
hand, the GELDS have appropriate age indicators and suggestions for proper
academic growth and development. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is
very detailed in its suggestions for fostering healthy development in children.
The standards are very detailed about providing the foundational skills needed
for a child to experience healthy development. Like the GELDS, they cover
numerous areas of learning and foundational skills necessary for proper growth
and development, but they are not as detailed as the GELDS. The GELDS break
down a child’s learning from birth to 60 months and offer learning milestones
in six-month timeframes. It is important that there are guidelines because when
a child is well rounded they are more likely to be successful in school and at
home.
Questions for further research:
What
professional development is being utilized to ensure that best practices are up
to date for teacher to ensure they are providing rigorous instruction and a
strong foundation for future learning?
What
assessments are school systems using to ensure that student’s needs are being met
to in the area of healthy development?
How
do school ensure that teachers and educators are following the guidelines set
forth? What assessments do the use to ensure they are meeting milestones and
standards?
References
The Georgia Early Learning
and Development Standards. (2016). Retrieved December 8, 2016, from
http://www.gelds.decal.ga.gov/.
Meschke, L. L., Peter, C. R., & Bartholomae, S.
(2012). Developmentally appropriate practice to promote healthy adolescent
development: Integrating research and practice. Child & Youth Care Forum,
41(1), 89-108.
National Association
for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2002). Overview of the 10 NAEYC early learning standards. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/academy/files/academy/OverviewStandards.pdf
National Association
for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation.
Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/CAPEexpand.pdf
National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). (2012). Early childhood generalist standards (3rd ed.). Retrieved from http://boardcertifiedteachers.org/sites/default/files/EC-GEN.pdf
