 | | MESPA Home > Resources for Principal Leadership > Early Childhood |  | | MESPA Home > Resources for Principal Leadership > Early Childhood | | | Early Childhood | | Leading Early Childhood Learning Communities
Click on the Early Childhood Standards for Principals PDF link (below) to download a 20-page executive summary of this
"guide for those who care about creating and supporting quality in
schools." The guide was researched and co-created by the National
Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and Collaborative
Communications Group. It stands firmly behind the knowledge that
high-quality early childhood education is not just an ideal; it's an
essential investment.The Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative,
of which MESPA is a member, is "a campaign for our youngest children."
Its members include business, education, and government -- united in an
overarching goal "to ensure that every young child has the best
possible start toward a healthy life of learning, achieving, and
succeeding.
Excerpt:
"As schools work to ensure that all children develop as proficient students, they need to include three- and four-year-olds in pre-kindergarten experiences, provide rich full-day kindergarten programs and build new connections to the many early childhood educators across communities.
"Early childhood education does not need to be based in a school but should be connected to local schools. Elementary school principals understand how many children start school unprepared, and they are in a key position to define school readiness.
"That’s why NAESP believes that elementary school principals should be at the forefront of discussions and activities that reach beyond the elementary campus. Everyone involved in pre-K programs should understand what it takes for students to be ready to succeed on the first day of school."
Ready for K
About Ready for K: "Our mission is to assure that every young child in Minnesota enters kindergarten encouraged, supported, and fully prepared for learning success. We are a nonprofit group of people who want to give our youngest citizens a strong start. We are community leaders, parents, early childhood professionals, and anyone else who wants to improve school readiness in Minnesota. We are a grassroots campaign committed to an early childhood public policy agenda based on a comprehensive, integrated and accountable system for supporting early childhood development and learning readiness."
Minnesota Early Learning Standards
Click on the MN Early Learning Standards PDF link (below) to download a 68-page collection of early childhood indicators of progress. These indicators, provided by the Minnesota Department of Education, create a framework for understanding and communicating a common set of developmentally appropriate expectations for children in the preschool periods of ages three to five, presented within a context of shared responsibility and accountability for helping children meet these expectations. The responsibility for early childhood learning is shared by family members, teachers and caregivers, community members, and policymakers.
Indicators for early childhood learning standards are divided into six categories:
Social and Emotional Development, Approaches to Learning, Language and Literacy Development, Creativity and the Arts, Cognitive Deveopment, and Physical and Motor Develoment.
Excerpt from the Introduction:
"A large and growing body of research supports the critical relationship
between early childhood experiences and successful learning outcomes. The responsibility for providing support systems and resources that result in positive outcomes for young children is a shared one. Families, early childhood teachers and caregivers, community members, and policymakers all contribute to the wellbeing of children.
"The Early Childhood Indicators of Progress document recognizes the importance of this shared responsibility and accountability in order to achieve positive outcomes for children. This document stresses the importance of collective efforts among families, early childhood education and care, communities, and policymakers in supporting the learning and development of children. The efforts of each and every one of these groups are vital in the process of developing healthy, well-functioning children."
|
EarlyChildhoodStds for Prin.pdf
MN_Early_Learning_Stds.pdf
|
| |
|
| |
| Mission: The Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association is dedicated to promoting and improving education for children and youth, strengthening the role as educational leader for elementary and middle level principals, and collaborating with partners in education to assist in achieving these goals.
Leading schools toward excellence through the MESPA vision to be the premiere resource for preparing today's principals for tomorrow and a strong leading voice for public education.
Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association
1667 North Snelling Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
651.999.7310 MN toll free 800.642.6807
Fax: 651.999.7311 E-mail: mespa@mespa.net |
|
| |