Full Description
Children at the Center provides a closely observed account of a decade-long effort to reshape the scope, direction, and quality of the Boston Public Schools' early childhood programs. Drawing on multiple perspectives and voices from the field, the authors highlight the reflective, collaborative, inquiry-driven approach undertaken by the program and share lessons learned.
Boston Public Schools are recognized for embedding high-quality, public preK programs in their system and achieving exceptional results. In this book, the authors outline the core principles that underlie the district's early childhood programs and explore the role of curriculum, professional development, coaching, and data use in supporting these new initiatives. They show how the Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood was able to work with and against the constraints of the current accountability system to create a holistic, child-centered, play-based program that has had a significant impact in narrowing income-based learning gaps.
Written in collaboration with the Department of Early Childhood Education, this account of creating successful preK programs in a diverse urban district will provide a valuable resource for practitioners engaged in similar work across the country.
Contents
Chapter One
Children at the Center
Chapter Two
The Colorful CafÉ: A Visit to a K0/K1 Inclusion Classroom
with Melissa Rivard and Jodi Doyle Krous
Chapter Three
Building the BPS Early Childhood Program
Chapter Four
Pathways to Excellence
Chapter Five
A House for a Dragon: A Visit with a K1 Child
with David Ramsey and Abby Morales
Chapter Six
Redoubled Efforts and New Directions
Chapter Seven
Tamara's Day: A Visit to a K2 Classroom
Chapter Eight
A New Model of Professional Development
Chapter Nine
The DEC at Work
Chapter Ten
Reaching In, Out, and Up
Epilogue
A Park Where Parents Play with Their Kids: A Visit to City Hall
Appendix
The Role of Data, Research, and Evaluation in the Process of Change
by Christina Weiland and Jason Sachs
Notes
Acknowledgments
About the Authors, Contributors, and Collaborators
Index
