eNotes
March 16, 2018In this Issue:
- Lost Connections in a World of Connectivity Source: Center for Early Learning (CEL)
- States Leading for Equity Source: Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
- Growing Superdiversity among Young U.S. Dual Language Learners Source: Migration Policy Institute
- Transforming the Financing of Early Care and Education Source: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
- A Vision for Early Learning in Oregon with Miriam Calderon (Podcast) Source: Children's Institute
1. Lost Connections in a World of Connectivity
CEL surveyed 907 parents and 617 educators of children from birth through age 8 in 2016, and conducted multiple community roundtable discussions in 2017 with school administrators, researchers, parents and librarians to determine access challenges and attitudes about technological devices in early learning settings. Below are key findings recently released from the study (March 2018):
- 40% of parents reported that challenges with home technology made it difficult for their children to "keep up with their peers in school;" and this was a common perception among Hispanic families
- more educators serving children of higher-income families versus those serving lower-income children believed "that technology should not be introduced early and that technology was leading to a distracted generation"
- not one participant of the 80 people involved in the community dialogue sessions had knowledge of the new media use recommendations released by the American Academy of Pediatrics in October 2016
This is the first study in the U.S. to look at young children's technology use comprehensively at the local level. Visit the full report for more information.
2. States Leading for Equity
Educational equity means that every student has access to quality educational resources across race, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, sexual orientation, family background and/ or family income. The CCSSO in collaboration with the America's Promise Alliance and the Aspen Education & Society Program released this brief (February 2018) to share the progress states have made towards educational equity. See page 13 for state profiles involving high-quality early childhood education (ECE) programs. The progress towards equity is based on the ten commitments outlined in last year's publication, Leading for Equity: Opportunities for State Education Chiefs.
3. Growing Superdiversity among Young U.S. Dual Language Learners
A new report from the Migration Policy Institute (February 2018) explores the "superdiversity" of culture and language growing among U.S. families of young children, and raises concerns for how early education programs can possibly meet their needs. "Little research to date has focused on effective approaches for multilingual and multicultural early childhood classrooms and programs." This means that many affected communities are operating with very little guidance (if any) on effective practices for advancing cognitive and social-emotional development in non-English speakers. Recommendations, data tables and references are also provided.
4. Transforming the Financing of Early Care and Education
A new report from the National Academies (February 2018) provides a financing structure and strategies to support accessible high-quality early care and education for children birth to kindergarten, and is a follow-up study to the 2015 report, Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation. The report gives ten recommendations for supporting "adequate and integrated funding for service delivery, workforce supports, and system supports with mechanisms for accountability and improvement." Flexibility is necessary for decreasing silos and facilitating "efficient coordination of funding streams, standards, and requirements from disparate sources."
5. A Vision for Early Learning in Oregon with Miriam Calderon (Podcast)
A recent podcast (February 2018) of an interview with Miriam Calderon, the early learning system director in the Oregon Department of Education, discusses how equity needs to be a primary outcome for all children, and we need systems more aligned and family-centered. Miriam stressed that early education stakeholders need a "cross-sector strategy" so that all sectors are working together (i.e., early learning support, health, K-12 leaders, and family support). Some examples include: 1) ensuring pediatricians link families to supports early on, 2) having community-based child care centers collaborate with kindergarten educators to help their children transition, and 3) supporting dual language learners way before kindergarten. She also mentioned her department is launching a new web portal for parents on assessing the safety of child care facilities.
The Early Link Podcast highlights national, regional, and local voices working in early childhood education and the nonprofit sector. For other Early Link Podcasts from the Children's Institute, visit: https://soundcloud.com/childrens-institute