For this week’s assignment on
the National Institute for Early Education Research, NIEER, I decided to explore
the economics and finance tab of the website, since this has been the majority
topic this week. On that tab, there is an article titled, Investing in Early Childhood Education: A Global Perspective. NIEER
Director Steve Barnett presented the key note address at an international
conference on “Early Childhood: Secure Childhood. Promising Future” at Princess
Nora University in Riyadh, Saud Arabia. Interestingly, the article talks about Public
investments in high-quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) can yield
high economic rates of return. In
contexts where child care needs are already met for most parents through other
private or public options, the primary advantage of new public investments will
be from improvements in child development. Even where there are substantial
benefits from increased parental employment, policy makers should give strong
consideration to the potential benefits to children (NIEER, 2012).
On NIEER’s website, the most recent informational post was
called Panel favors pre-K overhaul
written by Will Sentell of the Capital News Bureau on December 7, 2012. The
article touches on an issue that hits close to home. The article covers the
situation with Louisiana’s top school board and its approval of plans to
overhaul the state’s often-criticized pre-kindergarten system. The issue
sparked mostly positive comments from child-care leaders, and was backed by a
committee of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education without opposition.
From this approval, the plan that won approval is aimed at
revamping what critics call a pre-K system that features uneven quality,
standards and availability. The state will establish early learning performance
guidelines for those from zero to age 3 and academic standards for 3- and
4-year-olds. Pre-K centers and schools will get letter grades, and state aid
will be linked to how the centers perform. The pilot projects are set for the
2013-14 school year (NIEER, 2012).
Although I signed up for the e-newsletter, I still have yet
to receive anything from the site. I would love to see what new information the
site has to offer, however I still have not received anything. I may have to
re-sign up for it to see if that helps.
Resources
National
Institute for Early Education Research. (2012). Investing in Early Childhood Education: A Global Perspective. Retrieved
from http://www.nieer.org/sites/nieer/files/InvestinginEarlyChildhoodEduationGlobalPerspective.pdf
Sentell, W.
(2012). Panel favors pre-K overhaul. The
Advocate - Capital News Bureau. Retrieved from http://theadvocate.com/home/4599940-125/panel-favors-pre-k-overhaul
I found your post very interesting, and I think it is important that early childhood education programs receive positive praise on the great work they are doing to prepare young children for school. I also believe it is important for Pre-K centers/programs to receive specific standards to follow, and if they do receive praise for their outstanding work and are recognized.
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