Better Support For Young Children With Special Education Needs

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Government is making substantial new investment of $19.5 million over the next three years to provide more, and better support for pre-schoolers and infants with special education needs. The extra funding and support for young children with special education needs is a component of the new Special Education 2000 package. Other details of the package were released in November.

“More children will get more funding to pay for the assistance and support they need to get the best possible start to their learning.”The extra assistance for pre-school children will increase the average level of support per child by a third,” the Ministers said. The new funding increases the average amount of funding per child by 33 percent. It means that more than 12,000 children will be able to receive special education services.

The funding will provide for:

·      Specialist support for parents, whanau and early childhood educators.
·      Direct work with children to help them learn and support them at early childhood centres.

“Children will get better access to specialist and other support services whether they are at home or in an early childhood education setting “There will be increased one-on-one support for those children who need assistance so they can attend an early childhood education setting. This will help the child learn and take care of their personal needs.” The extra funding will help children with high and moderate needs. Currently funding pays for a range of services for children with disabilities, speech-language problems, behaviour and learning problems, or who are deaf or hearing or vision impaired.

The Ministers said that helping these children at the earliest time has substantial long term benefits. It vastly improves their education opportunities, and reduces their dependency on more extensive services later in life. “This is an area where we need more research.  We need to find out more about the best level and mix of services in this age group to make sure the youngsters get the most benefit.  This funding will provide the additional support and assistance while more work will be done on this
issue.” The Ministers said details of the new proposal would be sent to early childhood education and special education providers,  and other sector groups over coming weeks.

 

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ARTICLE: Does High Teacher Pay = High Achievement? A Study Says No!

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A new, in-depth report takes a look at how states spend education money and finds that the most cost-effective ways of increasing student achievement are by reducing pupil-teacher ratios, providing more prekindergarten programs, and providing teachers with discretionary classroom resources — not by raising teacher pay.For states that want more bangs for their education buck, a recently released report advises, raising teachers’ salaries generally isn’t the most cost-effective way of raising student achievement. The authors speculate that the traditional compensation system rewards both high- and low-quality teachers.

According to the study, spending money on lowering pupil-teacher ratios in the lower grades, providing widely available prekindergarten programs, and providing teachers with discretionary resources for the classroom are better uses of education dollars, particularly in states with disproportionately high numbers of minority and disadvantaged children. The 271-page study, Improving Student Achievement: What NAEP Test Scores Tell Us, based its findings on U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) tests given between 1990 and 1996.

                    SMALL CLASSES AND PRE-K IMPORTANT

“When we started our study, there was uncertainty whether education reform was actually working,” said David Grissmer, lead researcher of the study and senior management scientist at RAND. RAND, a nonprofit institution headquartered in Santa Monica, California, conducts research and analysis to help improve public policy. “The main message of the report is that public education is reformable and reform efforts have made a difference. We looked at the education investment: Does teacher salary
and experience make a difference, especially for disadvantaged students?”

U.S. Education Secretary Richard W. Riley said the report highlights the areas the Clinton administration has focused on to improve education. “The factors that this report point out as making a difference in higher achievement scores — smaller class sizes, early childhood education, and improved teaching resources — are the priorities that this administration and the U.S. Department of Education have been emphasizing for the past eight years,” Riley said in a written statement.

                    MORE FEDERAL SUPPORT NEEDED

Grissmer and his colleagues found that it’s not where the kids live in a state that puts them at a disadvantage but which state the children live in. Grissmer, Ann Flanagan, Jennifer Kawata, and Stephanie Williamson examined the test results of 2,500 fourth- and eighth-grade students from 44 states. More federal funding is needed, Grissmer told Education world. “Some states are limited in what they can spend. Certainly our study would support the expansion of Title I spending,” he said. “This is a federal problem.” Title I is a federally funded program that provides additional funds to schools with low-income students.

States with the highest student math scores — North Carolina, Texas, Michigan, Indiana, and Maryland — posted gains nearly twice the national average. High-performing states were compared with low-performing states that were demographically similar. For example, Texas and California are close demographically but had very different test results. Texas outscored California in reading and math by 11 percentage points. The report attributes lower pupil-teacher ratios, more prekindergarten, and better teaching resources as the primary reasons Texas students performed so much better than California students did. The researchers also found that teacher turnover in California probably had a significant effect on student achievement.

State policies involving standards, assessment, and accountability implemented during the late 1980s and early 1990s also made a difference. Students in both Texas and North Carolina showed significant improvement in math, the researchers wrote. The researchers warn policymakers not to take credit for the gains or put blame on current policymakers in states that did not post gains. Achievement results reflect policies and practices from the early 1980s through 1995, they wrote. The researchers also advise that the full effects of reform policies take a long time to be realized and may not be reflected even in these scores. They point out that education researchers and development specialists have not tested policies and practices that could guide policymakers and educators toward more effective practices.

Sandra Feldman, president of the American Federation of Teachers, agrees with the report that Texas is reaping the benefits of investments made many years ago. “We know what works, and we know good schools don’t come on the cheap,” Feldman said in a written statement. “California, which fared poorly in the report, is an example of what happens when you take away investment from public schools,” Feldman added. “California’s public schools once were a source of great pride — before they were starved of resources. Today, the state is finally investing again in sensible, targeted reforms, such as reducing class size in the early grades, and the schools are improving.”

The RAND report advises that policymakers need more research in order to make sound decisions about improving student achievement. “Without a critical mass of high-quality research, policymakers lack the key process required to improve education systematically,” the report stated. “Without good research and development, progress in education or any other area will be slow, uncertain, and inefficient.”

 

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State-by-State Comparison

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A review of compulsory attendance laws across the nation shows that requiring young children to attend school may be largely unnecessary. Only nine states require attendance of 5 year olds, and seven of those nine allow exemptions for parents to withhold their children from school until age 6. The other 41 states allow parents to wait until their children are 6, 7, or even 8 years old before beginning formal education.13

During the 2001 legislative session, nine states attempted to lower the school entrance age. Five of these bills would have lowered the age of entrance to 5. The District of Columbia even contemplated a bill which would have required a child to be enrolled in some type of school setting if the child turns 3 on or before December 31. Thus, even some 2 year olds would be subject to DC’s compulsory attendance law.

In any case, testimony in the 1998 Connecticut hearings estimated that only 3-9% of the state’s eligible children were kept out of kindergarten by their parents.14 It seems unnecessary for a state to spend so much time and money compelling attendance on what arguably may only be 3% of the state’s 5 and 6 year olds.

This is especially true when considered in the light of the results from recent National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) tests administered to school children in all 50 states. Scores of children from states that have low compulsory attendance ages (5-6) did not score any higher than children from the other states, and in some subjects their average was actually lower.15 The NAEP scores demonstrate that no real academic results have come from a lowered compulsory age, and therefore the higher cost of early education is not justified.

 

 

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Research

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Speaking as an adoptive parent, I have asked particular teachers and my kids schools, to be sensitive to some issues regarding my children as adoptees.  As an example my oldest son has no baby photos or any other photo or item from his childhood prior to age approx. 10.  We don’t know what age 5 of our kids were when they learned to walk, lost their first teeth, and learned to speak.  There are big gaps or no information whatsoever regarding their babyhood and infancy.  I have asked teachers to bear this in mind so we do not again face situations where one of my kids may be the only child in the class who is unable to bring in a baby photo when the class is studying child development, or is unable to complete an assignment on biology and heredity as he cannot trace hair and eye colour through his family.  As their teachers were aware and sensitive to some of these things, they altered assignments so that my kids did not need to feel different to their peers.

Adoption in the United States is on the risenational estimates indicate that 1 million children live with adoptive parents (Stolley, 1993). As the number of adopted children in classrooms continues to rise each year, early childhood programs must begin to educate teachers about adoption issues. Adoption awareness will help teachers support young children who are trying to understand, and adjust to, their adoptive status.

Celebrating individuality, fostering self-esteem, and developing self-confidence in the world beyond the family are socioemotional goals that receive top priority in high-quality early childhood programs. Multicultural materials are provided in many classrooms, and activities are planned to heighten childrens awareness and sensitivity to all families (Derman-Sparks, 1989). Amidst the attention given to recognizing the value and uniqueness of each family represented in an early childhood class, teachers will want to consider the special needs of children who have been adopted. Careful curriculum planning combined with adoption awareness, genuine concern, and sensitivity will insure a positive early education experience for these children. This Digest provides suggestions for teachers who may have children in their classroom who were adopted.

Select Curriculum Activities and Materials That Represent Diverse Families Teachers can help young children develop an awareness of and appreciation for the many kinds of family structures in todays society. Because adoptive families are becoming more prevalent, it would be appropriate to represent them in class discussions and activities. Specifically in cases of transracial and international adoptions, teachers can strive to provide curriculum materials and experiences that “celebrate diversity, complexity, and the interrelatedness of cultures” (Wardle, 1990, p. 46) by including images of families whose
members do not necessarily share similar physical or other characteristics.

The overall emphasis can be placed on the “belongingness” definition of a family, rather than on the circumstances surrounding a particular childs birth. Children might enjoy compiling photographs to make books about their individual families, or they may be interested in cutting pictures from magazines to make a family collage or bulletin board. Either activity could be used as an introduction or summary for thematic experiences planned to help children understand the many kinds of families and ways families are formed.

Teachers can be sensitive to adopted childrens feelings in the selection and planning of family-themed activities. “Family related assignments stimulate thought about who we are and where we come from, bring our feelings about our families to the surface, help us to look at our families from a different perspective, and make our families more visible to others” (Edwards & Sodhi, 1992, p. 13). For children who have been adopted, this reflection may result in confusion, raise questions that cannot be answered, and underline differences between these children and their peers. For example, a teachers request for newborn photographs needed as part of a bulletin board display would be inappropriate, and perhaps disheartening, for a child who was adopted at the age of 2 years.

Reconsider “Adopt-a” Projects The phrase “adopt-a” is frequently used to preface the name given to specific projects within classrooms, schools, or communities. It is difficult for adoptive parents to explain adoption to their child when his class is involved in an adopt-a-whale or an adopt-a-road program. The obvious reason for the phrase being problematic is the manner in which it devalues the concept of adoption and adoptive parenthood; in the above examples, adoption is considered a temporary commitment dependent upon annual monetary renewal or trash removal. “Adopt-a” programs may result in “adopt-a-confusion” (Johnson, n.d.). Because young children are not abstract thinkers, they may struggle with the task of sorting out the differences between adoption of people and adoption of animals or other objects. Teachers do not need to eliminate these types of commercial projects or sponsorships, but they might want to consider a more appropriate name.

Listen Carefully to Childrens Questions
Childrens questions can help teachers gain an accurate understanding of what the child wants to know. If a childs question deals with the concept of origin, the teacher should not assume that the child is asking about adoption; the child who asks “Where did I come from?” may simply be looking for an answer to give his friend who has said “I was born in Chicago.” In such cases, an appropriate response to the childs question might be “What do you mean?” This response gives the child an opportunity to clarify his question and identify exactly what information is needed as an answer. Similarly, a question such as “Do I have two mommies?” could be given a reflective response such as “Is that what you think?you have two mommies?” This type of response opens the door for dialogue that may give the teacher insight into the childs evolving understanding of adoption.

Preschoolers and kindergarteners who were adopted as infants or toddlers rarely display any adoption-related adjustment problems; they have little understanding of reproduction and, therefore, cannot really understand what adoption means (Smith, 1993). Through sensitive discussions and simple, honest explanations, however, teachers can help children understand that (a) every baby grows inside a womans body, and (b) after a baby is born, he may live with the woman who gave birth to him, or he may live with other parents (Melina, 1989a). Emphasis should be placed on helping children develop an understanding of adoption as a way families are formed and an inclusive concept of “family” that refers to people who care about each other independent of their biological parentage.

Avoid Bias toward Adopted Children
Some adoptive parents are reluctant to share information about their childs origin with classroom teachers; they are concerned that teachers may not understand the confidential nature of the information and may treat their child differently from other children in the classroom who have not been adopted. They may further believe that teachers may start looking for problems because the child is part of a nontraditional family (Melina, 1989b). Teachers, like many other people, may react to societal stigmas and stereotypes of adoptedness that paint a less than accurate portrait of an adopted child.

Generally, teachers make a conscious effort to treat all children equally. Specifically, they should maintain consistent academic and behavioral expectations that are independent of a childs adoptive status. Teachers may especially want to examine the degree of leniency used in situations involving an adopted child, because research suggests that teachers are more lenient with a preschool child who has been adopted (Kessler, 1987).

Consider Using Bibliotherapy
Although a number of books for young children deal with the topic of traditional adoption, not all of these stories portray the same process. Teachers need to carefully select adoption books that not only relate a contemporary story but also parallel a particular childs adoption history. For example, The Chosen Baby (Wasson, 1977) describes a couple who easily adopts a baby boy, and later a baby girl, through the services of an adoption agency. Although this delightful story is classic in its charming explanation of the
adoption process, it does not describe the means by which many, if not most, adoptive families are formed today. However, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to find books that do fit a particular childs adoptive situation; a published book about a single woman adopting an infant through a notice in the newspaper would be a rare find indeed. In this and similar less common situations, making a book or a scrapbook might be suggested as a way for parents to relate their childs adoption story. In fact, the best storybook to use in talking to a child about adoption is one made by the adoptive parents themselvesa loving, sensitive, factual description of their child and their adoption experience just the way it really happened (Melina, 1989b).

Conclusion
The familial landscape of our nation is ever changing. No longer can early educators assume that all children in the same classroom share a common traditional family structure. “The reality is that children living in non-traditional families now represent the majority in the classroom. Their undeniable presence challenges our traditional definition of family and demands that we create a more sensitive and inclusive environment that supports children regardless of their family configuration”

 

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Proposed Research for FMS and CFS ??

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Has the NIH research come up with the number of people who have contracted CFS or FM or both?  Also how many are on disability due to these diseases? It seems to me that number of those afflicted would be very high.  In terms that gov’t officials and corporation leaders can understand, that is a LOT OF MONEY in sick day wages, sick benefits used and lost production; and there is the cost of gov’t support for the disabled in the way of income, housing, food and medical.  I think the need is obvious to increase research for these diseases.  I really enjoy writing my officials.  One in particular is such a jerk when it comes to health care, the environment, education, etc.  If he weren’t so young and fairly good-looking, he would never have been elected.

There was one bit of encouraging news in the NIH grant.  Drs. Staud and Vierck received the first clinical research award on FMS from the Nationnal Institutes of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS).  As recently as 1997, NINDS was complaining that FMS was “not their problem”, meaning there were no neurological abnormalities in FMS so why should any of “their” funding have to support research into it?  

I was discussing this with my neurologist (who treats me for migraines, not fibro) last week, and he said that the neurologists just don’t want the illness.  They either don’t believe it’s real, or they believe it is, but know how hard it is to treat since there has been very little research.  My doctor said that someday, someone will find the neurological/immunological/rheumatological connection, and the FMS field will be full of neurologists because from the other side of the desk, it’s a fascinating illness.  Remember that MS is an autoimmune disease, but once it was proven to involve the brain neurologists pretty much took over from the rheumatologists.  My neuro sees a similar thing happening with fibro, including decent funding that diseases like MS get, but only after someone finds a connection to the brain that NINDS and the practicing/researching neurologists can’t ignore.  Rheumatologists will still be involved in treatment (trigger point injections, PT stuff, etc), but fibro will be thought of as a mostly neurological illness.  I think he’s right and I’ve already written my representatives to complain about the skimpy funding.

 

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Outcome of House Vote on IDEA cuts

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The House voted on the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill for FY 1996 and it passed 219 – 208.  There were no amendements from the floor, so all cuts to IDEA in special education research and teacher training remained.  The Senate taks up the issue when it returns from August recess.

To reiterate, this bill does not cut from IDEA funding to States to support special education services, but eliminates all funded research in areas like early childhood and severe and profound disabilities. Many of the leading researchers in this area rely on these funds as their primary source of funding to conduct research and develop programs.   Here are some of the currently funded programs that would be cut: An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Staffing Patterns for Young Children Attending Natural Group Environments for Early Intervention (Dr. Mary Beth Bruder, Univ. of Conn) the project will expand current knowledge and practice in the effects of receiving early childhood intervention in natural group environements.

Efficacy of Early Intervention:  Long Term Effects (Dr. Carl Dunst, Western Carolina Center): project will produce a database on the effectiveness of early intervention. Differential Characteristics and Effects of Family-Oriented Approaches to Early Intervention (Dr. Jackqueline Epstein, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) Examine the best ways to approach family-oriented early intervention services.

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure and Social Development of Young Children (Dr. Scott McConnel, Univ of Minnesota).  Examine effective strategies for education of children exposed to cocain in utero. Investigations of Early Motor Procedures (Dr. Gerald Mahoney, Kent State).  Investigates the relative effectiveness of two motor intervention approaches (NDT and Peabody Developmental Motor program) fo children with Down Syndrome and children with cerebral palsy. Proactive schooling:  Preventing Dropout in Highest Risk Adolescents (Dr. Katherine Larson).  Examining procedures to prevent dropout among Hispanic students in the LA area.

Transition to adulthood for students with developmental disabilities: The role of Siblings (Dr. Russell Gersten, Eugene Oregon)  examine ways that siblings influence educational outcomes. And, I would be less than forthcoming if I did not confess that one of our very own projects will be cut: Is there a causal relationship between self-determination and positive adult outcomes for youth with mental retardation?  A follow-up study part of the work we are doing in self-determination for youth with mental retardation.

I give you these to provide a sense of the types of research that is impacted.  I don’t think I have to illustrate the difficulty in recruiting and retaining good teachers in special education if the personnel training funding disappears. Nothing is more effective than a family member telling his or her Senator that these cuts are impact their son or daughter.  It puts a face to those budget cuts.  The Senate takes their appropriations bill up in Septemeber.  Contact them at their home office during the recess and let them know that these cuts represent a failure on their part to support the nations responsibility to educate all students.

 

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JOB OPENING – RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN VERMONT

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title:  Research Assistant Professor – Early Childhood Special Education. The University Affiliated Program of Vermont, University of Vermont

Qualifications: Background in early childhood special education.Three years work experience with young children with disabilities and their families in inclusive early childhood settings.  Focus upon community-based, integrated service delivery to families of children birth through five.  Experience teaching graduate courses, superving students, working with public school administrators and teachers and related community service agencies, particularly experience providing training and consultation, is highly desirable.  Ph.D. preferred.

Responsibilities: Teaching graduate courses, supervising student teachers, advising students, collaborating with the Childcare Division of the Agency of Social and Rehabilitative Services, coordinating off-campus training activities and other grant related activities.  To work with other project staff as part of the Early Childhood Team in the development, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of model practices in early childhood special education/early intervention.  Responsibilities to these projects will include the development, validation, and dissemination of model instruments, materials, and guidelines; provide training and technical assistance to early childhood programs and related agency personnel; collecting and analyzing evaluation data; and disseminating project findings through written and oral presentations.

 

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DC Proposes Mandatory Schooling at Age 3

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

D.C. Council member Kevin P. Chavous (D-Ward 7) plans to introduce a bill today that would lower from 5 to 3 the age at which schooling is compulsory, part of a push among school and elected officials to expand early childhood learning. If the legislation passed, the District would be the first jurisdiction in the country to mandate school attendance or home learning for all children at such a young age, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

But although D.C. officials offered support yesterday for the concept behind Chavous’s bill, they said the hurdles in designing and funding a universal program for 3- and 4-year-olds would be significant. The bill would require a child to be enrolled in a public, private or parochial school or in “private instruction” if the child turned 3 before Dec. 31 in that academic year. Chavous, chairman of the council’s education committee, said that home schooling by parents would qualify as private instruction. But it is unclear in the bill what guidelines stay-at-home parents would be required to follow and how they would document those efforts to the school system.

Chavous said his proposal is consistent with national efforts to lengthen the school day and the academic year and with research demonstrating the cognitive benefits of early childhood intervention. “It would force the school system to take charge and responsibility for every 3- and 4-year-old in the city to make sure they are prepared for kindergarten,” he said. The bill envisions a pilot program in fall 2003 and full access to public schooling by 2004. But the source of funding — estimated by the school system at up to $51.6 million in the first year of full access and $32 million a year after that — is unclear.

Joan Logue-Kinder, communications director for Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), said the mayor agreed with the need for expanded early learning. But given limited resources, she said, “the primary purpose is to solidify our base and give the students we presently have the best possible education.” School officials estimated they would need to provide 10,000 slots for 3- and 4-year-olds, compared with the 4,200 slots they currently provide for children of that age enrolled in optional programs. City officials have long been worried about the low enrollment of low-income children in pre-kindergarten classes, Head Start and subsidized child care.

Superintendent Paul L. Vance said he supported the proposal, citing research pointing to the positive benefits linked to early childhood learning. “The earlier you can get these youngsters to make social and cognitive impressions, the better your chances of having productive learners,” he said. “I’d like to get all of these youngsters in school as early as possible.” But D.C. Board of Education President Peggy Cooper Cafritz raised the issue of funding. “Theoretically, it’s fabulous, but to enact such a piece of legislation without an appropriate appropriation is disingenuous and totally bamboozling us,” she said.

School officials said that in addition to increased operating costs, they would face higher capital costs associated with more classroom space. The long-range master plan for school facilities also would need to be revised. They also said they would need to provide transportation to 3- and 4-year-olds if Chavous’s proposal were enacted. The school system currently buses only special education students, and that service is often late and irregular.

Education analysts said the proposal also is likely to raise thorny questions of parental choice. School officials “would need to do some hard calculations and have to make sure they provide generous options for parents,” including home instruction, said Sharon Lynn Kagan, co-director of the Center for Children and Families at Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Barbara Willer, deputy executive director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, said her group supports expanding early childhood education programs, but she raised the question of whether such programs should be mandatory. She said that compulsory attendance would pose the specter of a “Big Brother-type approach” and could be seen by some families as an intrusion.

 

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Lack of Results in International Early Education Programs

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Early education is a growing concern to many countries around the world. Much of this concern has been centered in Europe, where governments provide care and schooling for children as young as 1. Billions of dollars are spent on these programs, which are designed to give children a head start in their education and socialization. But is there documentable evidence that early education has made a difference in the academic progress of these children?

This question can be answered by a recent study that compared the academic scores of children from many of the industrialized nations of the world. In 2000, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) was conducted, which tested children from 32 nations in the areas of reading literacy, mathematics, and science.5 The results showed that children who have to start school at a very young age did not consistently do better than those who can start later. A similar assessment, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), revealed comparable results.6

The country of Finland was a standout in both of these international assessments, ranking near or at the top in all tested subjects. These impressive results were achieved despite the fact that school attendance in Finland is not compulsory until age 7, later than almost any other European country.7

Japan, Korea, and Singapore also had some of the highest scoring students in the PISA and TIMSS assessments, but none of these countries have fully developed early education programs. Japan’s early education is probably the most comprehensive out of the three, and even there, substantial numbers of children do not attend any school before 1st grade. Singapore does not have any publicly funded early education.8

Some of the lower scoring countries in PISA were Sweden and Greece, which both emphasize early education. Sweden has some of the most comprehensive childcare in Europe, with the vast majority of children ages 1-12 having a place in a publicly funded child-care center. Even with this emphasis, however, Sweden ranked among the average countries in the PISA test, and Greece was among the five worst nations in all three subject areas.9

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Building knowledge for better early childhood learning

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Additional funding of nearly $2 million will see three new early childhood education Centres of Innovation next year, Education Minister Trevor Mallard announced today. “These new centres, in addition to the six begun last year, will strengthen quality in early childhood teaching and share knowledge of what works best for New Zealand children,” Trevor Mallard said.

“This government is committed to lifting participation in early childhood education and to improving children’s learning and development in these critical years which set the foundation for future learning.” “By being better informed about quality teaching practices we can provide our children with the best possible learning opportunities.”

Trevor Mallard said the Centres of Innovation are supported for three years through assistance and funding to research and develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Centres of Innovation support continuous improvement in early childhood education, encourage provider collaboration, facilitate networks of learning support, build research capability, share information, develop leadership and strengthen quality teaching and learning.

“Centres of Innovation are a significant way of improving quality in early childhood education, one of the key goals in Pathways to the Future: Huarahi Arataki, the early childhood education strategic plan, launched in 2002. “The ECE Centres of Innovation programme has shown how vibrant and innovative the early childhood education sector is and reflects its commitment to developing the best teaching practice to support effective learning for children.

The first six centres focused on innovations in the use of ICT, improved links between services, and quality practices in M=E4ori and Pasifika bilingual and immersion services. The Ministry of Education is currently analysing the focus for the next three centres and the selection process would get underway later in the year.

 

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