Boosting Brains by Building a Parent Nation
It takes a village to raise a child, the old proverb tells us. But we need to expand our perspective, according to pediatric surgeon, social scientist and mom Dana Suskind. In her heartfelt work, Parent...
Published by CounciLINK on May 23, 2019
This blog is reprinted from newamerica.org and underscores the value of teachers’ educational background and how it impacts the quality of teaching in the classroom. Credentials such as the CDA give teachers the core competencies they need to establish quality learning environments.
By Elise Franchino
As a former early educator, I want to emphasize that learning environments matter. For young children, the environment is the structure through which learning comes alive. Setting up my pre-K and kindergarten classrooms was a task that I simultaneously relished and treated with great thought and respect. I learned how to successfully accomplish this task in my undergraduate early childhood education program, where I developed knowledge and competencies to create effective early learning environments.
A recent American Education Research Association (AERA) meta-analysis synthesized the abundance of research examining the relationship between teachers’ academic backgrounds and the quality of the early learning environments they create. Forty-five studies were selected, each conducted in a child care center between 1980-2015, and each comparing educators with varying educational attainment. Studies used ITERS or ECERS as the Environmental Rating Scales (ERS) to measure quality. The Infant and Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS) and the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) were the measures of classroom quality which guided my pre-service learning as well.
The seven ITERS and ECERS indicators that researchers analyzed were space and furnishings, personal care routines (i.e. hand washing and diapering), language and reasoning (i.e. formal and informal communication), activities (i.e. mathematics, fine motor, dramatic play), interaction (i.e. supervision and discipline), program structure (i.e. scheduling and accommodations for students with special needs), and parent engagement.
Indicators related to the quality of teachers’ instruction and students’ social-emotional support, such as activities, language-reasoning, and interactions, relate closely to the widely used Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS).
All seven quality outcomes correlated positively with educators’ academic background, though teaching degrees (or lack thereof) had the least impact on space and furnishings and personal care routines. Both of these indicators are more related to structural quality than process quality, and therefore less likely to be predictive of children’s learning outcomes than the other five indicators. On the whole, researchers found the positive correlation they were seeking.
To read the complete blog, go to newamerica.org.
It takes a village to raise a child, the old proverb tells us. But we need to expand our perspective, according to pediatric surgeon, social scientist and mom Dana Suskind. In her heartfelt work, Parent...
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The CDA Advisory Committee was created to provide insights, perspectives, and best practices to the CDA community and other early childhood professionals. Established during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the members’ first-hand experiences...
Where can you connect with CDA® holders and the wide range of folks who serve them? Turn to the Council Alumni Network (CAN), an online community that brings together current and past CDA earners, CDA...
Chief Operations Officer
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
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