Final Exam Flashcards
Wht is quality? (p. 19)
- Complex to define; measures to achieve, approve & further develop quality are interdependent
- Quality is often defined subjectively
- You have likely been attracted to (or dismayed by) some space in the room or some activity tht
resonated meaning for you, often for subconscious reasons. - Standards for quality must go beyond subjective opinion, to find the basis in concrete & observable phenomena tht can be discussed/explained.
- Term quality refers to extent of which EC settings exceed meeting of minimal standards
- Quality promotes children’s physical & psychological safety and health & their physical, emotional, social, communication, cognitive, ethical & creative development
- Support fam in its role as child’s primary caregiver while maintaining collaborative relationships w/ other community professionals
- Each child treated fairly; enjoys positive relationships w/ children; finds activities interesting/engaging/satisfying; is understood, supported & respected by knowledgable adults
TOP DOWN VS BOTTOM UP QUALITY
TOP DOWN:
The experts perceptive:
• Examines measurable & quantifiable characteristics
• Such as ratios & training
BOTTOM UP:
The children’s perspective: • Quality of life experienced by children • Welcomed • Secure • Engaged • Challenged
INSIDE & OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE
INSIDE:
The Staff Perspective:
• Job Satisfaction
• Retention
• How ECE’s would perceive their work if these components were either present or absent
OUTSIDE/INSIDE:
The Parents Perspective:
• Relationships
• Mutual respect
OUTSIDE:
The Community’s Perspective:
• The relationship b/w the community at large
Wht are the 4 A’s?
Accessibility: flexible & responsive
- Affordability: for all children & fams
- Accountability: data, research & evaluation
- Availability: spaces & range of services
Access to Universal Early Childhood Education is founded on multiple rationales:
- Every child has the right to care, development, & education
- Early childhood is a critical period
- Investing in the early years brings economic & societal benefits
Wht is educational quality? (p. 4)
- All children have right to quality early childhood education
- UN –All children be respected as persons in their own right
- Respecting children’s rights requires shift in public/professional attitudes
- Children not passive recipients of services, are individuals who should be listened to & enabled to contribute
- Edu not viewed solely as investment opportunity or so mothers can enter workforce
- These justifications play important role but are not core rationale for EC policies/services
- Using a rights lens, children recognized for their capacities to communicate & contribute
Wht is social justice? (p. 4)
- Individual & collective well-being
- Rights of all living beings & ecosystem fulfilled equitably
- Equal justice in all aspects of society
- All persons have equal rights/opportunities
Wht is equity? (p. 4)
- Inclusive approach to practice tht creates early learning enviro tht recognizes, values & builds on uniqueness of each child & fam.
Quality Framework for ECEC (Chandler, p. 10)
ACCESSIBILITY:
• All children– Right to live/learn in society tht supports early development, health & well-being
• – Entitled to participate in programs tht enable to reach full potential regardless of barriers
• All families – Entitled to resources to support role as parents in making choices tht optimize children’s healthy development & in being active participants in their children’s learning
ECEC WORKFORCE:
• Well-qualified ECEs whose education enables to fulfill their professional role
• Supportive working conditions, appropriate compensation, respect, pedagogical leadership, tht create opportunities for CPL, observation, reflection, planning, teamwork & cooperation w/ parents
CURRICULUM:
•Based on pedagogical goals, values & approaches tht enable children to reach potential in holistic way
• Curriculum tht requires educators to collab w/ children/colleagues/fams while reflecting on practice
MONITORING & EVALUATION:
• Programs using monitoring & eval systms tht produce info to support continuous improvements in quality of policy/practice
• Monitoring/eval approaches tht are in best interests of children
GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS:
• Stakeholders have clear & shared understanding of their roles/responsibilities & kno tht they are expected to collab w/ partner organizations
• Legislation, regulation & funding tht supports progress toward universal, legal entitlement to publicly funded ECEC
Barriers tht impede on quality: (p. 10-12)
- Inflexible hours to meet irregular parent work schedules
- Lack of services for mildly ill children
- Lack of inclusive settings for children with extra support needs
- Poverty; Regulated care is unaffordable for many
- Fee subsidies fail families due to long waitlists & antiquated eligibility lvls
- Lack of access to info abt ECEC services
- Services not always responsive to diversity or relevant for all communities
- Language barriers
- Children from lower income/educational qualification families less likely to be enrolled
STRUCTURAL VS PROCESS QUALITY
STRUCTURAL:
• Variables enforced by legislation & regulation
• Concrete & objective
PROCESS:
• Warmth and quality of pedagogical relationship b/w practitioners & children
• Interaction b/w children
• Developmentally appropriate curriculum
Quality Assessment that is intentional but open-ended? (p. 19)
- Contemporary forms of assessment measure narrowly defined goals
- Alternatively, Moss suggests a system approach that is intentional but also leaves room for experimentation & unexpected
- The “unknown” leaves room for children to express their own ideas
- From this perspective, what constitutes quality is determined collaboratively
- This perspective does not negate need for goals & purpose
- Rather, contends tht direction can be altered & fluid rather than fixed and inflexible
CCEYA & QUALITY
Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 Licensing Standards:
- Licensed child care centres must meet/maintain specific provincial standards
- These standards address items that affect quality in a licensed child care centres, such as staff/child ratios, physical enviro, staff qualifications, & children’s health/wellbeing
- Prior to CCEYA, ELCC programs were expected to follow DNA
- CCEYA is improvement & important step in our history
- Quality in the CCEYA viewed as more then checklist & now “advisors” will be evaluating not only objective items (measurable) but also looking at how relationships, pedagogy & curriculum is part of overall systm
Transition from DNA to CCEYA
- Areas outlined in HDLH provide starting point in developing program statement; Ideas & approaches in HDLH are broad & can complement varied philosophies
- Program statement must include goals to guide programming/pedagogy & approaches tht will be implemented in program to:
- Promote the health, safety, nutrition & well-being of children;
- Support positive/responsive interactions among children, parents, child care providers & staff;
- Encourage children to interact/communicate in positive way & support ability to self-regulate;
- Foster children’s exploration, play & inquiry;
- Provide child initiated & adult-supported experiences;
- Plan for & create positive learning enviro where each child’s learning/development supported;
- Incorporate indoor/outdoor play, active play, rest/quiet time, into day, & consider unique needs of children;
- Foster engagement & ongoing communication w/ parents abt program & children;
- Involve local community partners & allow those partners to support the children, their families, & staff;
- Support staff/others who interact w/ children in relation to CPL;
- Document/review impact of strats on children & fams
Chandler- elements needed for effective EC programs? (pp. 21-27)
- EQUITABLE ACCESS
- DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCE, KNOWLEDGE & ATTITUDES OF EC PROs
- SUPPORTIVE WORKING CONDITIONS, INCLUDING PRO LEADERSHIP THT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFLECTION, COLLAB, PLANNING & TEAMWORK
- WELL-DESIGNED CURRICULA BASED ON PEDAGOGICAL GOALS/APPROACHES
- EXPANDED CULTURAL/LINGUISTIC RESPONSIVENESS
- QUALITY ADULT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS
- INVOLVEMENT OF FAMS
- MONITORING/EVAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE TO SUPPORT IMPROVEMENTS IN QUALITY POLICY & PRACTICE
Wht are internal barriers and some examples? What can we do to face these barriers?
- One hardship tht impedes quality of care we offer young children
- Most of our barriers are external but sometimes these barriers come from within
Ex: • A fear of taking risks • A scarcity of mentality • A feeling of powerlessness • A limited worldview
How to face:
- Take risks and think big
- Form alliances
- Think beyond the status quo
- Learn from other countries
- Feel empowered
Wht are some examples of exterior barriers?
- Shared spaces
- Licensing/ fire marshal regulations
- Funding tied to high scores on rating scales
- Time to discuss & work on enviro
- Lack of resources for improved facilities & materials
Summary of why quality matters:
- ELCC programs can have positive effects if services are high quality
- Poor quality programs may even have negative effect
- Positive relationship b/w childcare quality & virtually every facet of children’s development tht has been studied, is one of most consistent findings in developmental science.
