Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood Paths Toward Excellence and Equity (2009) / Chapter Skim
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8 The Early Childhood Workforce and Its Professional Development
8 The Early Childhood Workforce and Its Professional Development
Pages 289-328
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teachers or the ECE teaching work force includes all personnel whose primary role is to provide direct instructional services for young children. Included in this category are lead teachers, assistant teachers, aides, and family child care (FCC)
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The early childhood workforce is fairly large, comprising 2.3 million individuals (Burton et al., 2002) and dispersed: About 24 percent work in centers, 28 percent in family child care, and 48 percent in informal family, friend, and neighbor (FFN)
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, is quite low for some segments of the early childhood workforce. In the United States, the average annual salary for preschool teachers, one group of early childhood educators, is $25,800; for child care workers including FCC providers, it is $19,670 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007)
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For example, preschool teachers who work in settings in which teacher certification is required command higher salaries and compensation packages than teachers who work in settings in which lower levels or no certification is required. Setting and its attendant requirements are not the only variable that influences compensation; it also varies by geographic region, with early childhood educators in southern states receiving the lowest levels of compensation (Center for the Child Care Workforce, 2006)
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. Although health insurance data were not collected for the remaining 51 percent of early childhood teachers, some probably received health insurance through a spouse when a spouse was present and had health coverage, purchased it privately, or purchased it through Medicaid (Mark Price, personal communication, January 12, 2009)
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. For example, the Child Care Services Asso ciation (2003)
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compensatory time for training, and (7) paid preparation/planning time (Child Care Services Association, 2003)
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, and awareness of this disparity may influence teachers' educational goals, beliefs, and instructional practices with children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Children coming from low-SES homes, although increasingly enrolled in and benefiting from early childhood education, also require more intensive and appropriate educational interventions in Developmentally appropriate mathematics includes a child-centered and positive non evaluative mathematics environment, developmentally appropriate mathematics activities and manipulatives, and authentic mathematics assessment (as cited in Lee, 2005)
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that they must address. To understand how the early childhood workforce currently views and addresses mathematics, we examine early childhood teachers' beliefs about mathematics, their mathematics knowledge, and how these beliefs and knowledge actually impact what they do in the classroom.
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. It should be noted that, while SES-related differences were found in both early childhood educators' beliefs about instructional practices and their educational goals, the field of early childhood education tends to stress social-emotional development rather than academic subjects.
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The Impact of Teachers' Beliefs and Knowledge on Instruction Given these beliefs and knowledge, we examine how early childhood teachers beliefs and understandings about mathematics impact mathematics instruction. Early childhood educators' beliefs are clearly associated with their teaching practices (Charlesworth et al., 1991, 1993; Pianta et al., 2005; Stipek and Byler, 1997; Stipek et al., 2001)
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. Early childhood educators' pedagogical beliefs direct and constrain their instructional practices, which subsequently shape children's academic and social environments.
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• Credentialing: refers to the process of demonstrating and receiving formal recognition from an organization for achieving a predefined level of expertise in education. The Nature and Quality of Successful Professional Development Efforts An examination of the literature from the fields of elementary education, early childhood education, and early childhood mathematics education reveals some common principles that characterize high-quality professional development experiences.
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Unlike the professional development of most elementary school teachers, which occurs formally prior to their becoming teachers, many early childhood educators receive the majority of their professional development while they are already working. Moreover, for most elementary school teachers, there is a common entry floor into the profession, typically consisting of the achievement of a B.A.
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Scholarship programs, such as the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program, online degree programs at both the associate and baccalaureate levels, better opportunities for working professionals to link or articulate their community-based training, Child Development Associate (CDA) programs, and other degree programs are all having an influence on the ability of early childhood educators to enter the higher education system and to convert their prior professional development into academic credit.
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or whether students are primarily being prepared for work in child care, Head Start, and other settings immediately upon graduation (terminal programs)
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did not examine the course content or rigor of early childhood education programs, which may be related to teachers' knowledge, skills, and behaviors. Thus, available data do not provide a comprehensive investigation of the host of variables that are likely to be related to teacher quality or effectiveness (Early et al., 2007; Kagan et al., 2008)
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. Although some early childhood educators receive a formal education to prepare to work with young children, others obtain preparation through general training.
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Professional Development and Mathematics Education for Young Children The Joint Position Statement of the NAEYC and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) on Early Childhood Mathematics
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Early childhood educators need preparation in mathematics for several reasons. Unlike their elementary school counterparts, most early childhood teachers, including those with degrees in early childhood education, have received no prior preparation in teaching mathematics (Copple, 2004; Ginsburg et al., 2006b)
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Given that, until recently, teachers may not have had to teach mathematics in early childhood settings, that few have received professional development in early childhood mathematics education, and that many early childhood educators have limited professional preparation in general, researchers and professional organizations have recommended that professional development address teachers' knowledge of mathematics (National Association for the Education of Young Children and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2002)
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This work has also led to the development of an array of early childhood mathematics curricula. However, little research has been done to date on the best methods to prepare educators to support children's mathematical development or how to best provide training on mathematical curriculum implementation.
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Two early childhood mathematics curricula, which include in-service professional development, that have been rigorously evaluated are SRA Real Math Building Blocks (Clements and Sarama, 2008) and Pre-K Mathematics (Starkey, Klein, and Wakeley, 2004)
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. Each is a research-based curriculum that has been evaluated using randomized control-group designs, and both curricula have met the What Works Clearinghouse criteria for inclusion, demonstrating their effectiveness in meaningfully improving child outcomes in mathematics (What Works Clearinghouse, 2007)
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It seems, then, that early childhood educators must have a deep knowledge of mathematics as it applies to young children and must have their learning periodically reinforced. Research on mathematics preparation at the early elementary level also provides some useful implications for early childhood education, because the research is particularly focused on professional development itself, rather than on training as a component of curriculum implementation.
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To date, there are few if any empirical data sets that examine effective practices in pre-service preparation of early childhood teachers in mathematics. We consider data about the range of existing approaches to providing preparation in mathematics based on a preliminary review, which was conducted for this report, of recent college program submissions for accreditation with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
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the ways in which other related credentialing systems can support the needed changes at the pre-service level for adequately preparing teachers in early childhood mathematics. Issues affecting pre-service preparation for early childhood teachers. Before focusing on the role of mathematics in pre-service teacher preparation, we examine some more general and potentially relevant trends and issues that affect early childhood educators' pre-service preparation.
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Associate's and bachelor's degree programs may require one or more general mathematics course, such as college algebra, while others offer students the choice of selecting a course in mathematics or in science as part of their degree requirements. For mathematics education coursework, both associate's and bachelor's degree programs use a range of approaches, such as requiring one or more courses in teaching early childhood mathematics, embedding mathematics education in a general early childhood curriculum course, or combining mathematics and science education.
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Research is clear that effective approaches to professional development in early childhood mathematics require opportunities to practice and use new knowledge and skills and to receive meaningful feedback. Role of credentialing systems in preparing teachers in early childhood mathematics. To ensure that future degreed teachers have the knowledge and skills that they need to promote early childhood mathematics in the classroom, providers of pre-service preparation programs are likely to need to make changes to their offerings and requirements in early childhood mathematics.
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The CDA is obtained through a combination of fieldwork, coursework, and other reading, writing, and conferencing requirements and is the most frequently required qualification for child care center directors (National Child Care Information Center, 2005)
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While no data on the effects of pre-service mathematics programs on later teaching and outcomes exist, data from effective in-service preparation indicate the content and types of experiences in early childhood mathematics that lead to positive outcomes -- specifically, to be prepared to teach mathematics to young children, teachers need knowledge of mathematics, mathematical development, effective pedagogy, including the use of curriculum, and assessment, as well as opportunities to use this knowledge in early childhood classrooms. In addition, beliefs that may hinder the acquisition and application of this knowledge should be addressed.
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This requires collaboration from administrators, teachers, parents, and children, as well as those from the outside helping to bring about change. While few data are available regarding effective approaches to preservice education in early childhood mathematics, the range of approaches to providing this preparation that currently exists demonstrates that many program graduates leave with minimal preparation to teach early childhood mathematics.
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. Caregiver training and classroom quality in child care centers.
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. Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes in Child Care Centers Public Report.
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. Learning to think about early childhood mathematics education: A course.
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. Cost, quality, and child outcomes in child care centers: Key findings and recommendations.
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American Educational Research Journal, 39, 133-164. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Network Early Child Care Re search Network.
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. Within and beyond the classroom door: Assessing quality in child care centers.
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Child Care Teachers and the Quality of Care in America. The National Child Care Staffing Study.
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. NAEYC Accreditation as a Strategy for Improving Child Care Quality: An Assessment by the National Center for the Early Childhood Workforce, Final Report.
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