Final Blog Assignment

This week is our last week in EDUC-6162-2,Issue & Trend Early Childhood.2017 Summer Semester 05/08-08/27-PT2 and as I embark on this last blog there are many new ideas I take with me as I proceed toward better communication and understanding within the early childhood field.

As I have shared many times before early childhood education is more than sitting and watching babies it is a reflection of how an adult teaches children to be independent, feel accomplished and learn that practice makes perfect.

In this blog I will share three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for my  professional and personal development . As a professional there are many resources that guide my daily learning, in researching international outlooks I was able to find information that helps create relationships among our undocumented families.

The one website that help me understand how to address certain situations within the community I provide services for is U.S. Department of Education in this website you gain information on the Importance of Integration. Integration is something I recommend within the classrooms it provides a sense of consistency as well as proper planning among the teachers and it also provides families with a new form of learning among other cultures.

This is a piece from the website that shares the importance of integration

Importance of Integration

Currently, there are over 4.7 million foreign born individuals enrolled in pre-kindergarten to postsecondary education, representing 6% of the total student population. Another 20 million students are the children of foreign born parents.

As a nation of immigrants, America has benefited from the vitality and enthusiasm brought to its shores by those seeking a better life. Successful immigrant and refugee integration efforts build the capacity of schools and early learning programs, communities, organizations, and other stakeholders to support the civic, linguistic, and economic integration of immigrants

The programmatic efforts of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) support a number of immigrant populations, including immigrant children (e.g., unaccompanied youth) and the children of immigrants, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) children and youth, immigrant families, adult immigrants (e.g. refugees, asylees), foreign-born professionals, migrant students, teachers of English learners and foreign languages, and receiving communities. ED’s initiatives geared toward learners, teachers, schools and communities support all three pillars of immigrant integration: civic, economic, and linguistic integration.

The next website that encourages learning and child development is known as http://www.tandfonline.com or taylor and francis online this website provides many articles that benefit learning and structure among early childhood education.

One article talks about Cross-cultural interpretations of changes in early childhood education in the USA, Russia, and Finland. The purpose of this article was to see the changes that have taken place in center -based early childhood education (ECE) in the USA, Russia, and Finland between 1991 and 2014. As a provider for 13 years I have noticed many changes within ECE. It is not about play, play is involved because it is how our children learn. We also use tools that allow for children to make decisions process thoughts it is curriculum based. In my school we use the Montessori curriculum along with teaching strategies gold. These two pieces connect by providing materials that are useful in learning to build, count, identify sounds, gross and fine motor involved.  While teachers use observational tools to make sure the children understand how and what they are learning, it is all about consistency of care.

The last website I would like to share is known as http://www.hipatiapress.com. This website shares many different articles based on early childhood the one piece that I emphasize on when working with others is the dialogue we use. In this article the idea is Dialogue and Interaction in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Review.

According to Rocío García-Carrión, Lourdes Villardón-Gallego There is solid evidence that high quality Early Childhood Education (ECE hereafter) have substantial impact on later life outcomes. A growing literature suggests that interventions that develop social competency as well as cognitive, language and academic skills in the earliest years play a role in later educational, social and economic success. Less is known about the most conducive interactions -verbal and non-verbal- underpinning such pedagogical practices in early childhood education. This article aims at reviewing the last decade’s early childhood education with a twofold objective: (a) to describe how dialogue and interaction take place in high-quality early childhood education settings; (b) to identify the effects, if any, on children’s learning and development as a result of implementing dialogue-based interventions in ECE. The studies were identified through systematic search of electronic databases and analyzed accordingly. Several types of interactions given in high quality ECE programs and its short and long-term effects are discerned in this review.

I agree with all of the topics within the websites they share how early childhood is a positive outlook within the community, how it provides services that lead to productive outcomes through out life, they also share how teachers grow and evolve within their  early childhood carrier. How nations come together to identify substantial learning for everyone involved in early childhood it is more than play it is about building relationships among all involved in the child’s learning.

It is true when literature states that  it takes a village to raise a child.  I see it everyday and hold it as a reflection of the learning that teachers provide to their students and the passion parents have when they return and become part of the school environment.

My Personal Development

  While learning and understanding more on early childhood education I have learned that patience and passion are two things that must connect when working within the early childhood field. I grew up among many boys and always had to be assertive and take control as I grew older I continue to care for my cousins and sibling, I was teaching from very young and did not realize until I began in the field as an assistant teacher for children with special needs. As I took courses and learned what special needs was I was able to identify two of my cousins and my brother with learning disabilities, where as before I would ignore it or tell them to stop if they did something embarrassing. In learning about them I learned about myself and made it my goal to make sure everyone can learn no matter what their delay may be. The three men I am proud to call my own have excelled many expectations. They each followed their dream jobs and live fulfilling lives two work for the city of New York and one is a chef. In helping them I have grown to feel that the harder your work and the belief within yourself provides many opportunities to grow and learn.

I will continue to provide for the unspoken, the poor, undocumented and the one who doesn’t see their potential. My goal is to lead by example and provide a better environment for all the children of the world.

Thank you

I would like to take this time to say Thank you for your post and providing me with long lasting connections it has been a blessing to read and learn about so many wonderful people who strive for success among themselves and the children they work with.

Continued Success to us all the best of luck in your future endeavors.

 

References

U.S. Department of Education

http://www.tandfonline.com

http://www.hipatiapress.com

 

 

 

Professional Goals, Hopes and Dreams

In this week’s post my focus will be on the following, 1- Issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed where you live and work? 2-What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist? 3-What are some of your professional goals? and 4- My  professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?

Living in New York there are many issues that connect quality in the early childhood field, today I am going to focus on the top 10 critical issues with regard to quality care in ECE.

According to education week.org Critical issues are those issues that are important to education. They are the barriers that get in the way, or the important elements that we need to focus on in order to move forward and offer better opportunities to our students.

Here are the top ten

Common Core State Standards – 46 states may have adopted the standards but around a dozen states are backing out or considering backing out of using them. Regardless of how people feel about the Common Core they have led to many hot debates about education, and will continue to do so in 2014.

As an early childhood provider the goal is to help children meet their educational goals, yet the core standards can deter that when we focus on the child the goal is for the child to transition well, enjoy learning, be able to develop his own thoughts, for myself the core standards is more about testing and making certain the children memorize rather than learn and be engaged.

The debates will never cease when it comes to standards, we use teaching strategies gold, work sampling and observations to confirm that our students are reaching their full potential.

The following are the other points within early childhood education

Student Learning – Student learning is everything from different pathways to graduation, encouraging student voice in student learning, and encouraging them have a place at the table for larger conversations about their education (Lisa Nielsen’s Innovative Educator blog that focuses on student voice). So often we focus on teaching, but it’s learning that matters most.

Technology – Even after all of these years technology is still a hot button issues. Some people love it and use it flawlessly every day, while others hate it and don’t see why they need to be forced to use it at all. In addition what makes it complicated is that some schools seem to have endless resources, while other schools have to use what wealthier schools disregarded as old. Whether its MOOC’s, iPads, gaming or BYOD, technology will still be a critical issue to discuss in 2017.

Social Media – Twitter has exploded over the past few years. More and more educators are joining and finding members to their Professional Learning Network (PLN). What’s even better is that they are sharing resources to use in their classrooms, buildings and districts, and they are also using it to connect for professional development (i.e. Twitter chats, EdCamps, etc.). Social media will be, and should be, part of a huge discussion in 2017.

Politics – Politicians have long mentioned education in their speeches but the past two years it seemed to have happened more than ever. Many politicians seem to focus on how schools are failing, and their only solution is standardization, accountability and high stakes testing. Many governors, like Andrew Cuomo, are running for re-election this year and education will no doubt make or break their campaigns. How many politicians, like Cuomo and Christie, have spoken about teachers is deplorable and this is the year when teachers continue to take control over that conversation.

High Stakes Testing – Not sure if you have heard of this before but schools across the country have to give high stakes tests to students. Some start it in kindergarten, while others begin in 3^rd grade. In most states they are tied to teacher/administrator evaluation and that will no doubt continue to be a big debate this year. There need to be different methods used to assess student learning, and none of it should be “high stakes.”

School Leadership – If you go on Twitter, you will find hundreds of school leaders who consider themselves “Lead Learners.” This is very important because they see the important part they play in the lives of their students, teachers and staff. In addition, school leaders understand that they can have a positive or negative impact on their school climate, and too many still have a negative impact.

Pre-service Teaching Programs – How can we get the best teachers into our classrooms when so many politicians and policymakers cry that schools are failing? Under those circumstances, who would want to go into the profession? Additionally, pre-service programs need to improve because many of the graduates do not seem prepared for the profession. The real question for 2014 is how can K-12 schools work with these programs to build a community of learners who are prepared for the profession? A little less accountability tied to testing would go a long way to improve this issue.

We provide workshops based on what is happening within early childhood and how we can do better or how we can justify the changes that are occurring, these workshops provide teachers with better outcomes for themselves when preparing their lessons.

School Climate – A few days ago Secretary Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder announced new guidelines to stop the school to prison pipeline and improve school climate. This critical issue is not just about bullying, but about creating an inclusive school climate where all students can achieve their maximum potential.

My program provides inclusive classrooms this form of teaching gives a better understanding of help among all children and that all children can learn no matter the need we also provide services for two years with the same teachers this is known as consistency of care.

Poverty – We know around 22% of our students are living in poverty. We also know that many children who live in poverty come to kindergarten hearing 1/8^th of the language (vocabulary) that their wealthier peers experienced. Many of the schools that try to educate these students lack the proper resources, and the communities where children in poverty live often lack the same resources that wealthier towns have. Poverty is an issue that is one of the most critical issues of our time, in and out of schools.

In the end there are many factors that deter how a child’s learns as well as how a teacher focuses on the needs of the child, I work with low income families and poverty is a struggle and when you are trying to teach and a child is in your class hungry because there is no food in the home, as a teacher your focus is to find ways to help this family.

Early childhood education is about the family and making certain that we all come together for the children, I will always advocate for proper education as well as health and safety for all involved in early childhood education.

Part 2

2-What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?

My program promotes higher learning by linking with a university that provides a discount to the teachers, we also provide child development associate classes to all teachers during work hours.  In our job description all teachers must have a certification in Montessori, once the teacher gains employment she is given two years to complete her certification which is conducted once a week during work hours. Once complete teachers do receive an incentive.

Teachers who are pursuing  their graduate degrees receive school leave when they have to do anything outside of their studies, such as student teaching or exams. They do not loose pay because it is a requirement by the school board.

We also conduct monthly training’s for all involved in the program from our cooks to our record clerks, everyone is held accountable for our children we must always keep them safe and help them pursue their educational goals.

Part 3

3-What are some of your professional goals?

As a recent director my goals are to complete my graduate degree through Walden, pursue certification and make my program the best quality and effective early childhood program for years to come.

My  professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?

My professional hopes are for everyone  to understand what Early Childhood education is and the importance of being involved in your child’s education. As parents you give your children the tools to come to school as educators we help them use them.

My dreams are to help all families no matter their status and to get legislators to understand that our children are our future and the importance of having their families around allows for them to develop and gain stability in and out of their environment.

My Challenges

I hate to get political but we are all immigrants and we build each other up ,how we got here shouldn’t be the issue it is what we do when we get here that shows who we are. We can not blame a culture for one person. Once we work together in all areas then education and quality of life will go hand in hand.

This is something I go by everyday, as a child of parents and grandparents with limited education my goal is to help children reach their fullest potential and teach parents that learning can be done no matter how old you are, as I am pursuing my degree many family member are completing theirs. My grandfather learn to read and write before his passing two years ago. My cousin decided to go to college, my partner gained his associates and is pursuing his undergrad, my mother is completing her undergrad, so proud that we can share in this moment we push each other to be great at what we do.

Teach one reach one

Never too late to be your best

References

10 Critical Issues Facing Education

By Peter DeWitt on January 23, 2014 8:49 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing Web Resources

This week’s blog focuses on the following areas

 

• Thoroughly search one area of the site. What do you find?
• If you receive an e-newsletter, follow a link related to one of the issues you have been studying. What new information is available?
• Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead?
• Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education?
• What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and/or the e-newsletter?

My goal is to answer these questions with a better insight of the web resources I have been learning from in order to understand the  relevance of early childhood around the world.

As I have shared in past post the resource I have been using lately is based largely on what is occurring these days and the population I work with. The site is know as http://www.migrationpolicy.org. This site provides information on what is happening across the world.

The one piece that I found to be reliable and applicable to what is happening now has to do with refugees, why refugees because many of them are children who seek asylum but also peace and comfort. These children are displaced or suffering and have no voice.

What is a Refugee

A refugee, generally speaking, is a displaced person who has been forced to cross national boundaries and who cannot return home safely. Such a person may be called an asylum seeker until granted refugee status by the contracting state or the UNHCR if they formally make a claim for asylum.

In this next piece I will share a bit of what the newsletter contains and how it help me understand early childhood and the excellence in care it speaks on.

The current research on the benefits of high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) leaves little doubt that early interventions have both short- and long-term advantages. Quality ECEC can have substantial positive impacts on young children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and language development, with long-term effects on educational achievement, occupational success, and health. These advantages are particularly critical for children with certain risk factors, such as those who belong to low-income families and have parents with limited English proficiency (LEP) and/or low educational attainment.

Forced to flee their homelands, frequently in the midst of violence, many refugees spend years in refugee camps under extremely harsh conditions, with little opportunity for educational or occupational development. Very few have the opportunity to resettle in the United States and, when they do, refugees typically arrive with few resources. For those groups at highest risk, access to ECEC programs can be particularly critical to their children’s successful adjustment and future opportunities.

This report describes a mixed-methods research project exploring collaboration between Head Start and refugee resettlement services as a strategy to increase the enrollment of newly arrived refugees’ children in Early Head Start and Head Start (EHS/HS) programs. The authors conducted quantitative and qualitative research in two sites where refugee resettlement and Head Start programs were working together: Syracuse, NY, and Phoenix, AZ. Together, the qualitative and quantitative results demonstrate that increased refugee participation in Head Start is possible through collaboration between EHS/HS programs and refugee resettlement agencies.

Part 2

• Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead?

In this piece I will share some outside links that provide more research in early childhood education based on different factors within the community.

This piece is retrived from http://www.tandfonline.

Cross-cultural interpretations of changes in early childhood education in the USA, Russia, and Finland

Janniina Vlasov School of Education, University of Tampere, Tampere, FinlandCorrespondencejanniina.vlasov@uta.fi
& Eeva Hujala School of Education, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

Pages 309-324 | Received 26 Jun 2015, Accepted 11 May 2016, Published online: 26 May

2016

This paper shares changes of education through out the years from different areas. Study was done from 1994 – 2014.  Its composition is based on social economics, family dynamics, and cultural differences.

If there is one thing about education the change is that education has evolved through out the years a child who began school in 1994 will not receive the same education now. Strategies in education changed things can become easier and things can become harder. this piece shares how ECE has impacted the way children learn as well as the way educators provide the information within their lessons.

• Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education?

This research based paper reflects ece and its goals across all areas there hypothesis answers the following : (1) the changed role of parents as customers, (2) the change in external factors and regulations affecting the services, (3) the change in the pedagogic orientation, and (4) the changed role of the director.

The one piece that I can not agree with is parents as customers, I understand that ece is all about children and funding as a provider I see parents as the first teacher and I encouraged them to be a part of the enrollment, for myself they are what keeps early childhood education a float, without parents where would we get children to become successful through out life. Parents are the driving force in ece.

Part 3

• What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and/or the e-newsletter?

The following piece talks about a few articles that provide a better understanding of early childhood trends that incorporate children and parents as a team and not as customers.

This article is based on Immigrants parents and their children, I always go back to this piece because of the reflection in my school.

A Profile of U.S. Children with Unauthorized Immigrant Parents

This article talks about risk as well as barriers the families face daily, this next piece is from the article.

The research literature finds that growing up with unauthorized immigrant parents places children—nearly 80 percent of whom were born in the United States—at a disadvantage. These children are more exposed to a number of risk factors than children of immigrants generally and all U.S. children, including lower preschool enrollment, reduced socioeconomic progress, and higher rates of linguistic isolation, limited English proficiency, and poverty.

Lower preschool enrollment occurs when the schools don’t engage in the neighborhoods, at my program we make it a priority to go into the neighborhood and recruit families no matter their status.

 

Another Article that poked my interests

New Data Resources Can Help Improve Targeting of State Early Childhood and Parent-Focused Programs

The following is what this article shares on families and early childhood

The Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy recently published a report that details the key design elements of a range of two-generation programs that are working successfully with immigrant and refugee families. The report finds that while immigrant parents possess many strengths that serve as protective factors for the long-term success of their children, many also face challenges—such as limited proficiency in English or low levels of formal education—that can constrain their ability to move up the economic ladder and position their children to do the same.

 

In understanding early childhood education you receive a substance of information that provides the ideal atmosphere of ece, it is up to educators and families to come together and understand that children will receive better outcomes by engaging with one another.

My goal is to justify early learning and make everyone understand the key to a brighter future is a head start and that it begins within the community. No one is alone, it is more than no child left behind it is about families gaining power and overcoming all odds.

References

http://www.migrationpolicy.

http://www.tandfonline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issues related to excellence and equity in the early childhood field

This week’s blog is based on the Early Childhood field and how quality in care make for a better program. I chose to read about community based solutions and how to link early learning and early grades.

The reason that I chose this article is to justify why early learning is more than play or babysitting as some parents like to say we are. In early childhood education there are many curriculum’s that are followed. In the head start program I provide services for we follow two curriculum’s (Montessori ) which teaches independence and ( Spark) that provides a set of services and supports designed to increase school success. I feel both of the programs go well together because they both share the same beliefs which is quality care and a lifetime of success.

This next piece is based on success within spark and Montessori and how they interlock.

School Readiness is the primary goal that we look for when gaining parents into our program, we prepare  the children yet as Dr. McCarty has shared the school should be prepared for the child, I feel that the linkage between Montessori and Spark provide the classroom ready for the child by preparing teachers to think as a child. We provide a two year program where teachers learn how to think and work as a child, this is done to prepare teachers  in providing the best possible care for children.

The next piece is based on success these programs provide parents and children with school readiness materials and opportunities. The key is to develop and provide parent  friendly materials to use at home. This is known as consistency it helps create parent child programs where literacy, math and transition into kindergarten guarantee positive outcomes for all involved.

This last piece is based on the article working globally and three new ideas or insights I  gained about early childhood systems around the globe. In analyzing this article there are many pieces that come together for the sake of the children.

The following shares how the centers come together to benefit quality care among all children.

• Coordinated strategies to support child development can multiply the effects of investments in child survival, health, education, and economic development.
• We need to protect children from significant adversity, in addition to providing them with enriched learning opportunities.
• The early childhood years are critical building blocks for lifelong health, not just school readiness.

Working Globally promotes innovation in Brazil, Canada, and Mexico, as well as across a broader international platform.

In these three pieces the focus is strategies, protection and readiness  for all children.

As an early childhood provider support for children and families provide a better outlook of what is needed in order for a program to grow. Working globally helps many children in ways that they would have never received were it not for people and agencies coming together to encourage and guide families towards success.

I agree building blocks for lifelong opportunities are much more than school readiness it is more than academics it is making sure children and teachers enjoy what and how they are teaching and learning, also for adults to listen to children and not just hear them.

Some examples of what each program provides

Brazil

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The collaborative Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância (NCPI) includes the Center on the Developing Child, Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal (FMCSV), the Medical School of the University of São Paulo, Insper, Sabará Children’s Hospital, and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard. This partnership has been highly successful in creating a science-driven early childhood movement in Brazil.

 

Canada

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The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI) shares our strong belief in the power of translating the science of child development to inform public policy.

 

 

1. supporting research in early brain and biological development, mental health, and addiction, and
2. translating that research for policy makers, healthcare communities, and the general public.

 

 

Mexico

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The Aceleradora de Innovación para la Primera Infancia, one of the Latin American Innovation Clusters, is anchored in Monterrey at the Universidad Regiomontana, a pioneering institution at the forefront of an extensive urban revitalization effort. A strong interest in adding a human development focus to their work led the Monterrey team to connect with the Center and learn more about our strategy for enhancing child outcomes through adult capacity building.

 

Across Countries: Saving Brains

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A partnership led by Grand Challenges Canada, Saving Brains seeks to improve outcomes for children living in poverty through interventions that nurture and protect early brain development in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. The Center on the Developing Child supports a dynamic learning community of Saving Brains innovators to help them advance the impact and scale of their work in countries around the world.

 

These pieces are what each program has to offer, in reading the one piece that stands out is care for children and making sure that they receive the quality education they deserve no matter their living situation.

 

In reviewing these articles I have learned and come into agreement with Dr. McCarty that as adults we should make the school ready for our children as well as make our children ready for a lifetime of success. This creates substance and harmony among families and teachers.

We can all achieve goals with the right structure and guidance.

Quotes that help me understand why early childhood education is more than play it is a head start towards a lifetime of success

 

References

Working Globally

ecs@ecs.com

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Spark program

Montessori

 

 

 

 

My Web Resources( Week 4-Part 2)

This week we are to write about certain information that is relevant to our professional development. In reviewing my source http://www.migrationpolicy.org, there were many pieces that help me understand why I continue to work in Early Childhood education and the importance of helping families become successful and feel relevant in their goals.

As I have shared in my past blogs many of my families are undocumented and at times feel discouraged with what is happening around them. Migration Policy .org shared the following

New Brain Gain: Rising Human Capital among Recent Immigrants to the United States

Some narratives in the current debate about immigration suggest that the “quality,” or human capital, of newcomers, has been low and continues to decline. Under this view, immigrants represent a burden, and the U.S. immigration system should shift to “merit-based” admissions.

However, striking new findings reveal the little-noticed shift in composition of immigration flows over the past decade, with immigrants’ human capital rising sharply. Most notably, 48 percent of recently arrived immigrants to the United States (those coming between 2011 and 2015) were college graduates—compared to just 27 percent of arrivals a quarter-century earlier.

This increase in the share of college graduates, accompanied by greater levels of English language proficiency and bilingualism, is correlated in part with a shift in flows to Asia. It is also reflective of increasing educational attainment across the world; a rise in secondary and postsecondary education offered in English; and the fact that English has become the global lingua franca, especially in business, international trade, science, education, and entertainment.

My Thought

When reading and understanding this information, I can say that it is true most of  us derived from immigrants and the older generation that made the path for us to come and flourish always implement education as the most important thing that no one can take from you.

The next piece of the newsletter that made me think of certain issues pertaining to immigration and early childhood education was the article from March 2017 titled

Trump and DeVos: What Could the New Administration Spell for English Learner and Immigrant Students?

This  piece really  stood out when the person chosen to make decisions for our children’s well being is not as focused on the children as you would like.

Betsy DeVos was narrowly confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Education on February 7, 2017 despite widespread concerns ranging from her lack of experience in public education to worries about her beliefs regarding vouchers and charter schools, religious education, and accountability for the education of traditionally underserved children. Her selection and President Trump’s immigration enforcement-focused executive orders have left many parents and educators wondering how the new administration’s policies will impact students from immigrant families and the schools that serve them. The simple answer is: It depends on the actions of state and local policymakers where those students live.

The article provides information that all parents have the right to know I will share a bit of it, don’t want anyone to feel overwhelmed

Right to enroll. Longstanding federal court rulings uphold the right of all students to a free, public education (as affirmed by the Supreme Court in Plyler v. Doe) and the requirement to provide English Learners (ELs) with supplementary services that enable them to access meaningful instruction (as affirmed in Lau v. Nichols). The Plyler ruling has led to policies intended to encourage families to feel safe enrolling their children in school, including, most notably, the prohibition on school officials asking about immigration status. However, there are many schools and districts where those policies are not consistently communicated, especially to front-office staff who are the first point of contact for enrollment.

As teachers we focus on the children and providing the best for them yet we need to listen to our parents and children when they share their ideas, in order for a school to succeed everyone must be involved.

This next piece focuses on funding which incorporates economists view on education.

Funding. Education advocates have also voiced concern that the Trump administration will cut or change the nature of federal education spending. The federal government’s overall contribution to education revenue is fairly small—8.7 percent in 2013-14. However, deep cuts to or a restructuring of Title I, which sends supplementary funds to districts with high percentages of low-income students and is the largest component of the federal K-12 education budget, could impact schools serving large numbers of immigrant and refugee students. Federal Title III funds for the education of ELs (the majority of whom are U.S. born) and recent immigrants play an important role in ensuring that districts have targeted funds for activities such as teacher professional development, instructional materials, and extra instructional time after school or in the summer. Therefore, ELs could be directly affected by cuts to the annual appropriation for Title III state grants, which has averaged about $737 million annually in recent years.

The critical importance of federal funds notwithstanding, when it comes to everyday instruction for ELs, states and localities provide the greatest share of funding, and therefore play the most important role in ensuring that adequate resources are in place to meet student needs. A recent Migration Policy Institute report described the nature of such funding, noting that dollars for ELs are frequently allocated without adequate cost consideration and that EL education is also affected by the larger context of inequitable and inadequate funding for public schools. It is worth noting that funding inequities plague states that are traditionally Democrat-led, such as New York State, which has still not fully complied with a decade-old legal ruling declaring its funding system unconstitutional.

The Migration Process

I have been sharing about undocumented families and how we can help them succeed and place their children in quality education. According to New Data.

Children in immigrant families comprise one-quarter of the U.S. population ages 0-8, and even larger shares of the young-child population in many states and localities. An extensive body of research tells us that the future potential of these immigrant-background children to contribute to the economic, civic, and social life of the United States is largely shaped by their early childhood experiences. At the same time, experts promoting two-generation strategies point to the value of addressing the needs of parents and children together in order to equip at-risk families to move out of poverty and into family-sustaining jobs.

The Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy recently published a report that details the key design elements of a range of two-generation programs that are working successfully with immigrant and refugee families. The report finds that while immigrant parents possess many strengths that serve as protective factors for the long-term success of their children, many also face challenges—such as limited proficiency in English or low levels of formal education—that can constrain their ability to move up the economic ladder and position their children to do the same.

Other Insights In Early Childhood Education

Poverty ( Always at the top when wanting to learn and understand more about families)

All of the 30 states analyzed have significant shares of households headed by an immigrant parent: in 15 they comprise 20 percent or more of parents with young children, and they comprise at least one in ten in an additional 13 states. Not surprisingly, the fact sheets show that family characteristics relevant to two-generation approaches differ, sometimes widely, by state. For example, family poverty—a top risk factor for children’s academic and longer-term success—is far higher among immigrant-led families generally and more prevalent in certain states. Southern states have the highest shares of immigrant families with young children living below the federal poverty level, led by New Mexico at 40 percent; rates in Arizona, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Georgia range from 35 percent to 30 percent. The lowest poverty rates for immigrant families among the 30 states are found in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, ranging from 11-18 percent in Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

Dual Language Learners in Head Start: The Promises and Pitfalls of New Reforms

Head Start’s vision is rooted in the idea that high-quality early childhood experiences require broad consideration of the social, emotional, health, and cognitive needs of young children. It was conceived as a comprehensive program, and many of its social, health, and family engagement innovations remain essential components of early childhood programs. These diverse services are delivered locally by 1,700 public, private, and nonprofit agencies, which receive grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The specifics of individual program models vary depending on local needs, although services must be provided for at least six hours per day for Early Head Start and either half day (four hours) or full day for Head Start.

Located primarily in centers, schools, or home-based child-care operations, Head Start programs encourage family participation, including classroom volunteering and active involvement in decision-making and governance. The programs are also required to be responsive to the cultural and linguistic needs of the families and communities they serve. The Office of Head Start offers resources to program providers to help develop culturally and linguistically responsive services, including resources specific to DLLs and immigrant and refugee families.

Despite some evidence that early gains in Head Start fade after elementary school, most evaluations have shown Head Start improves both the short- and long-term social and educational outcomes of the children it serves. For example, a recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research indicates that Head Start enrollment leads to significant gains in receptive vocabulary and early literacy and numeracy, with some of the greatest gains evident with Spanish-speaking children and those with limited English proficiency. Furthermore, a 2016 Brookings Institution study found that the Head Start program has significant long-term benefits for enrollees, including greater likelihood of graduating from high school and college (particularly among Hispanic students) and stronger social, emotional, and behavioral development into adulthood.

This piece was not new but spoke volumes of the importance of family, teacher and child interactions within early childhood education. In the program I work for we teach in English yet we provide materials for all families in their native language, our goal is to prepare the children for kinder garden while helping the families understand the children and what they are learning. When a child begins the program if they do not speak English we teach them in their native tongue until they are comfortable to express themselves.

New Insights from Dual Language learners that help me better understand the policies behind dual programs

New Program Standards and Potential Implications for DLLs

From the inception of Head Start, school readiness has always been central to its mission. The form its programs take and the ways in which their impacts are measured, however, continue to evolve. Head Start has not been immune to the increasing demand for greater accountability and measurable standards seen in the K-12 education space, most notably with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and subsequent policy initiatives to improve teacher quality, turn around underperforming schools, and create a more competitive federal grants system. Indeed, the push to expand early childhood programs and improve the quality of existing ones stems from the same anxieties about global economic competiveness and longstanding achievement gaps that have shaped recent K-12 policies.

An additional factor at play here is the growing body of evidence showing the significant influence early childhood programs have on lifelong academic and economic success. As a result, Head Start’s goals have become increasingly aligned with broader educational efforts to ensure college and career readiness. As proponents of early education seek to expand policymaker support for preK programs, the pressures to align K-12 grade standards to postsecondary preparation (such as the Common Core State Standards) have also seeped into efforts to improve preK programs. Although initiatives to ensure quality have long played a part in Head Start—including efforts dating back to the early 1970s to improve professional standards for early childhood workers—recent measures to raise standards and ensure accountability have dramatically altered the policy landscape.

Policy changes that improve the quality of early childhood and Head Start programs have the potential to positively impact DLL children. New regulations from the Office of Head Start, the Program Performance Standards, promise both improvements and opportunities to more effectively meet the needs of the growing DLL population. These regulations explicitly recognize bilingualism as a strength, require culturally and linguistically appropriate screening and assessment tools, and urge programs to engage with families and communities—all moves in line with Head Start’s traditional leadership in early childhood education and in step with the program’s shifting demographics.

Early childhood is more than play it prepares children and families for future transitions it is a stepping stone towards a lifetime of success. Some people agree with early education while others see it as a baby sitting environment it is up to the educators to let parents know why we make their children learn to write, clean up their mess, line up straight, wait their turns. It is for their own self worth when children feel accomplished they do more and enjoy learning.

References

1. Batalova, Jeanne and Margie McHugh. 2010. Number and Growth of Students in U.S. Schools in Need of English Instruction, 2009. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute
2. Bauer, Lauren and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach. 2016. The Long-Term Impact of the Head Start Program. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution
3. Espinosa, Linda. 2013. Early Education for Dual Language Learners: Promoting School Readiness and Early School Success. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute

4. http://www.migrationpolicy.org/-

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