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An ad hoc committee will research and analyze pre-K curriculum quality for children ages three through five. The study will result in a final report, including findings and recommendations to guide policy makers, early childhood administrators, educators, and other stakeholders.
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·2024
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Forum for Children's Well-Being hosted an implementation summit on June 13, 2024, titled "Implementing a New Vision for High-Quality Preschool Curriculum." This event brought together a diverse group of thought leaders, researchers, pol...
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Description
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene an ad hoc committee to conduct a study on pre-k curriculum quality for children ages three through five, with special attention to the needs of Black and Latinx children, dual language learners, children with special needs, and children experiencing poverty. The study will support equitable curriculum development, state and center-level pre-k curriculum selection, and local curriculum implementation. The committee will review research on early childhood development, including research on access to contemporary early learning opportunities, and consider the lived experience of diverse young children, their families, and early childhood educators.
The committee will make recommendations aimed at creating a new vision for high quality pre-k curriculum, including:
• The fundamental assumptions, principles, and definitions that should guide the content, development and use of high-quality, equitably-driven curriculum for prekindergarten children.
• The components, criteria, and/or features of high-quality pre-k curriculum that support equity and learning and development of all children. Special considerations that may be needed for Black and Latinx children, culturally and linguistically diverse learners, children with special needs, and children experiencing poverty.
• How the components, criteria, and/or features of high-quality, equitable curriculum should be used by state and local preschool program directors to make curricular decisions for diverse learners and guidance needed to facilitate selection of curricula.
• Curricular supports and professional development opportunities needed by diverse early childhood educators in diverse pre-k settings to enable the effective and equitable implementation of high-quality pre-k curriculum.
• Funding mechanisms, state and federal policies, and new innovations that can support the selection and use of effective and equitable pre-k curriculum.
• Research that is needed to address current gaps in understanding of components, criteria, and/or features of high-quality pre-k curricula.
Contributors
Committee
Co-Chair
Co-Chair
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Rebekah Hutton
Staff Officer
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
The conflict of interest policy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi) prohibits the appointment of an individual to a committee authoring a Consensus Study Report if the individual has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the task to be performed An exception to this prohibition is permitted if the National Academies determines that the conflict is unavoidable and the conflict is publicly disclosed A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual's actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.
Dr. Douglas Clements has a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the Committee on A New Vision for High Quality Pre-K Curriculum because he is a co-author of two pre-K curricula—Connect4Learning®, published and sold by Kaplan Early Learning Company and Building Blocks™ PreK, published and sold by McGraw Hill.
The National Academies has concluded that in order for the committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, its membership must include at least one person who has current experience in the creation, implementation, and evaluation of pre-K curricula. As described in his biographical summary, Dr. Clements is one of the foremost leaders in childhood education and curriculum development, including the development of the Connect4Learning®, a research-based and classroom tested interdisciplinary prekindergarten curriculum, and Building Blocks™ PreK, a prekindergarten mathematics curriculum. Dr. Clements has current experience conducting efficacy studies for the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences and other sponsors on the effectiveness of early childhood intervention programs. Through this work, Dr. Clements evaluates learning trajectories and preschool curriculum to identify features that make them more effective.
The National Academies has determined that the experience and expertise of the individual is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who does not have a conflict of interest Therefore, the National Academies has concluded that the conflict is unavoidable.
The National Academies believes that Dr. Clements can serve effectively as a member of the committee, and the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the study.
Sponsors
The Gates Foundation
Staff
Rebekah Hutton
Lead
Amanda Grigg
Lead
Amy Stephens
Meredith Young
Libby Tilton
