OP-ED: Preschool is not a numbers game; teacher-training, community count
By Lora Bailey, associate professor, AU College of Education
 Some may argue that having too much of a good thing is fine, and, for some things, it might well be.
However, recent considerations by the state of Alabama to increase the number of preschool programs in the name of expanding services to reach more preschool children and families may not be fine. This is especially true if such an expansion does not incorporate the emphasis on quality curricula or on the need for qualified teachers.
The focus of any increase should be clearly on increasing school readiness for Alabama's preschool-aged children.
Recent research regarding school readiness shows that there is indeed a direct correlation between teacher and program quality and school readiness. In fact, teacher quality and an appropriate early childhood curricula are the pillars of an effective preschool program.
Regardless of how teachers earn certification, it is incumbent upon teacher educators and teacher education programs to equip future teachers with the ability to understand how children grow and develop. No matter what route early childhood teachers take to earn early childhood teaching credentials, we must be assured they begin their teaching careers as highly qualified and capable of developing high-quality programs suitable for preparing the children they teach for school success.
Characteristics that denote teacher quality include advanced levels of content knowledge and the appropriate use of teaching methods. For early childhood teachers, this content and pedagogy is related to how children grow and develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, culturally and physically. Regardless of preschool teachers' level of certification or the route they choose to earn early childhood credentials, teacher education programs must help teachers understand how children learn. Preschool and primary level teachers must understand how children grow and develop across these domains.
In college, future teachers learn how children construct new knowledge and how they grow and develop. In order for early childhood teachers to design environments and curricula suitable for children at that age, these teachers must understand best practices. These are practices which require appropriate knowledge about early childhood educational content and pedagogy.
Recent research related to advancing teaching and learning in early childhood settings focuses on the use of an integrative approach to designing curricula. There is much evidence that this is the most effective method for assuring that children will experience high-quality instruction.
Schools of education, universities and teacher trainers must focus on helping new and experienced teachers weave preschool subject matter together in a level appropriate for each child's education if these teachers' efforts are to lead to increased learning and school readiness. This is especially important for effective teaching of preschool and primary grade children, especially those who lack access to high-quality programs.
Thus, there is a need to focus teacher training on research-based methods such as integrative curriculum to improve the quality of new and existing early childhood teachers.
There is also a need for parent training to help families become more involved in student learning. While increasing teacher quality is important, there is also a need to develop a nucleus of support for young children and their families.
Reform initiatives must be centered on connecting schooling efforts to informal home learning activities already in place. We must establish a system for connecting families with existing state and private sources of help. School administrators, higher education institutions, parents, families and communities can and should work collaboratively to advance student learning and increase school readiness.
There is no guarantee that simply increasing the number of preschool programs in a given state increases overall school readiness. Neither is there a guarantee that simply increasing funding to early childhood programs assures better education. Poor students suffer when per-child spending is inadequate, and they suffer if funds are misused. However, the likelihood of improving the quality of preschool programs and school readiness improves markedly when two conditions are met. First, funds must be used to increase teacher quality using practices grounded on sound research. Equally important, funds must be spent to establish sources of support for children and families.
If we are to move our state in a direction where school readiness is no longer an issue, we must give an equal amount of attention to preparing highly-qualified teachers and high-quality programs with community involvement as we do to increasing the number of programs in the state.
Note: The views expressed are those of the contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of the college or university.
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