Early Childhood Education
21st Century Curriculum Design in ACPS Content and Program Areas: Early Childhood Education
By participating in quality Early Childhood Education programs, students should develop the foundations for becoming effective life-long learners. All pre-K students will have a range of opportunities that prepare them to be playfully engaged, curious, and self-regulated learners. They should also be effective problem solvers, decision makers, and competent socially. Overall, effective early childhood education programs ensure a solid and sustainable beginning for learners as they move into their life-long learning process.
Key Curriculum Design and Learning Principles for Early Childhood Programs:
- Schools should be ready for students and capable of recognizing the uniqueness and individual needs of every learner.
- All early childhood programs should include opportunities for children to initiate learning activities, solve problems and respond creatively and appropriately to teacher-posed questions and tasks.
- As a result of participating in quality early childhood programs, students are exposed to a rich language environment and develop the skills necessary to effectively communicate with others.
- Adults in early childhood programs expand on the vocabulary and oral language of children, enhancing their ability to acquire literacy skills such as phonological and phonemic awareness, language comprehension, and an appreciation for written language.
- Through quality early childhood programs, all learners develop the foundation of life-long intellectual dispositions, including such habits of mind as creative, critical, and self-regulated thinking and learning.
- Learning is active in quality early childhood programs, offering naturalistic and authentic experiences that provoke students' innate imagination and inclination toward investigation and inquiry.
- Opportunities exist for early childhood pre-K teachers to communicate and interact with Kindergarten teachers in order to ensure an alignment and cohesiveness as children transition between the pre-K programs to ACPS.
Exemplary Programs in Early Childhood Education Reflecting These Principles:
- Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS): The Commonwealth of Virginia is adopting a Quality Rating and Improvement System which is a tool to assess, improve and communicate the level of quality in early care and education settings that families consider for their children. In Alexandria, early childhood community programs receiving Virginia Preschool Initiative funds are participating in the QRIS, as well as the early childhood special education and Title I programs within ACPS.
- Head Start: Head Start operates 22 Early Head Start and Head Start classrooms throughout the city that are primarily located within Alexandria schools. Head Start participated in the QRIS rating process in the spring 2009 and received good to excellent ratings.
- Early Childhood Special Education Programs: Alexandria City Public Schools provides quality early childhood programs for children ages 2 to 5 who demonstrate developmental delays or disabilities. Children are found eligible for these programs through a multi-disciplinary evaluation process.
- Title 1 Early Childhood Program: An early childhood class is offered at Jefferson-Houston Elementary School for students within that attendance zone. This program is offered through Title I funds and is intended for children who qualify as at-risk.