For more information or to request additional standards contact:
Anna Lynch
Wright School of Education, Room 1000
Indiana University
201 North Rose Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405-1006
(812) 856-8573
fax: (812) 856-8518
website: www.state.in.us/psb
One of the IPSB charges to the Comprehensive Standards Advisory Group (CSDAG) has been to compile and streamline single documents for teachers in each identifiable school setting along with corresponding developmental level(s) (see Section I, p. 2) in order to provide teachers and teacher education program planners with a useful, concise, and readable document. This document should detail what teachers and teacher candidates should know and be able to do in each performance area.
The current document reflects the CSDAG's attempt to meet this charge. The standards contained therein have been drawn from two sources. They have been drawn verbatim from the IPSB Early Childhood Standards as applicable to the preschool setting, and from the IPSB content standards appendices. The first part of the document provides an overview of both the work of the original advisory group for the given developmental level, as well as an overview of the standards, followed by the standards as they have been currently approved by the Indiana Professional Standards Board (including all performances, knowledge, and dispositions). The second part of the document details the developmentally appropriate content drawn from the IPSB content standards as applicable to the preschool setting. Please note that this document is to be understood in the context of the IPSB Content Standards. Readers should refer to the content standards for in-depth descriptions of performances, knowledge statements, and dispositions for developmentally appropriate content.
| School Setting/s Appearing on a License | Developmental Level Standards Required by School Setting/s | Content Standards Applicable to School Settings |
| PRESCHOOL* | Early Childhood | Generalist Standards for Early Childhood, or Specific Content (which will appear on license as either Preschool Generalist or as specific content area/s).** |
| ELEMENTARY: PRIMARY* | Early Childhood | Generalist Standards for Early and Middle Childhood, or Specific Content (which will appear on license as either Elementary: Primary Generalist or as specific content area/s). |
| ELEMENTARY: INTERMEDIATE | Middle Childhood | Generalist Standards for Early and Middle Childhood, or Specific Content (which will appear on license as either Elementary: Intermediate Generalist or as specific content area/s). |
|
MIDDLE SCHOOL/ JUNIOR HIGH |
Early Adolescence | Early Adolescence Generalist or Specific Content (which will appear on license as Early Adolescence Generalist with two content areas noted or as specific content area/s). |
| HIGH SCHOOL | Adolescence/ Young Adulthood | Specific Content Area/s. |
* It is understood that preschool is pre-kindergarten, and elementary: primary begins with kindergarten.
** The Comprehensive Standards Document Advisory Group (CSDAG) has identified content standards appropriate to the preschool school setting. Additionally, Exceptional Needs has been identified as a specific content area applicable to the preschool setting.
Section I
Table of Contents
Part I: Early Childhood (Preschool Focus)
Developmental Standards
Introduction and Standards I.7
Standard 1: Core Knowledge I.9
Standard 2: Child Growth and Development I.10
Standard 3: Foundations of Education and Learning I.11
Standard 4: Curriculum and Instruction I.12
Standard 5: Family, Culture, and Community I.15
Standard 6: Observation and Assessment I.16
Standard 7: Professionalism I.18
Standard 8: Learning Environments I.20
Part II: Early Childhood (Preschool Focus)
Developmentally Appropriate Content
Content: Mathematics I.25
Content: English/Language Arts I.28
Content: Science I.31
Content: Social Studies I.33
Content: Fine Arts I.35
Content: Health and Physical Education I.37
Content: Foreign Languages I.41
Part III: References I.43
Section I
Part I: Early Childhood (Preschool Focus)
Developmental Standards
Introduction and Standards I.7
Standard 1: Core Knowledge I.9
Standard 2: Child Growth and Development I.10
Standard 3: Foundations of Education and Learning I.11
Standard 4: Curriculum and Instruction I.12
Standard 5: Family, Culture, and Community I.15
Standard 6: Observation and Assessment I.16
Standard 7: Professionalism I.18
Standard 8: Learning Environments I.20
Standards for Teachers of Early Childhood (Preschool Focus)
In order to define more clearly the differences between children at varying ages at the early childhood stage, the IPSB Standards for Teachers of Early Childhood have been divided into two separate documents, each with a different focus. The standards contained in the current document have been drawn verbatim from these early childhood standards as applicable to the preschool setting. The foundation for the eight early childhood standards was the performance-based core standards of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) and the IPSB mission statement. The standards are also consistent with the standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and established standards and quality guidelines from several of early childhood education's learned societies, most particularly the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), and the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE).
(Early Childhood Advisory Group, Standards Introduction, December 18, 1996)
Standard 1: Core Knowledge
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) possesses core knowledge that is extensive and comprehensive and goes well beyond common knowledge.
Standard 2: Child Growth and Development
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) understands typical and atypical growth and development within each developmental domain and possesses the knowledge to facilitate healthy growth and development in all young children.
Standard 3: Foundations of Education and Learning
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) understands the roles of history, philosophy, and educational learning theories as being fundamental to planning curricula that are developmentally appropriate for each of the individual children in a group.
Standard 4 : Curriculum and Instruction
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) understands developmentally appropriate practices and can develop curriculum and implement instruction for all young children.
Standard 5: Family, Culture, and Community
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) understands the influence of the family, community, and culture on the learning and development of the young child.
Standard 6: Observation and Assessment
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) is knowledgeable about methods of assessment and evaluation and uses assessment information to plan appropriate curriculum and to provide feedback for families.
Standard 7: Professionalism
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) embraces and actively models professionalism, ethical behavior, and commitment to lifelong learning.
Standard 8: Learning Environments
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) promotes an environment that nurtures and encourages the physical, emotional, social, moral, aesthetic, language, and cognitive growth and development of all young children.
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) possesses core knowledge that is extensive and comprehensive and goes well beyond common knowledge.
Performances
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. incorporates core knowledge content in classroom experiences and activities.
2. models learning about the world and shares the process involved in that learning.
3. supplements and enriches learning through sources outside the field of education.
4. demonstrates appropriate social and interpersonal relationship skills in a variety of contexts.
5. uses effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques.
Knowledge
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. understands fundamental concepts of fine arts, language, mathematics, science and technology, and social studies.
2. knows importance of relating classroom experiences to core knowledge.
3. understands basic social interaction and interpersonal relationship skills.
4. knows effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques.
Dispositions
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. appreciates the importance and relevance of a well-rounded education.
2. values the process of creating, evaluating, and selecting content and activities from the core body of knowledge.
3. enjoys learning and sharing learning.
4. values all knowledge meaningful to the learning experience.
5. values the need to be flexible in interpersonal relationships in a variety of social contexts.
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) understands typical and atypical growth and development within each developmental domain and possesses the knowledge to facilitate healthy growth and development in all young children.
Performances
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. uses knowledge of how young children differ in their growth, development, and approach to learning to create and modify environments and experiences to meet the individual needs of all young children in an inclusive educational setting.
2. uses knowledge of child development to facilitate the next developmental step for each child in the group and works with developmental specialists and special educators as necessary.
on young children's behavior and performance.
4. recognizes signs of emotional distress, child abuse, and neglect in young children.
5. recognizes typical and atypical growth and development in young children's physical growth, behavior, and performance.
6. sets goals which reflect developmentally appropriate expectations.
7. reports suspected emotional, physical, and sexual abuse or neglect to appropriate authorities.
Knowledge
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. understands the process of development in all developmental domains in all young children from birth through age eight.
2. understands and can critique major theories of child growth and development.
3. knows how children differ in their growth and development and how to meet the individual needs of typically and atypically developing children in inclusive settings.
4. understands how life events and stressors may prevent children from achieving optimal development.
Dispositions
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. values the role of growth and development theories in informing practices with all young children.
2. respects the ways in which growth and development in individual children may differ.
3. commits to fitting the environment to the differing developmental needs of all young children.
4. values the role of motivation in young children's lifelong growth, development, and learning.
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) understands the roles of history, philosophy, and educational learning theories as being fundamental to planning curricula that are developmentally appropriate for each of the individual children in a group.
Performances
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. applies historical, theoretical and philosophical background knowledge, as well as contemporary research, to practice.
2. discusses and shares with colleagues information about current theories and philosophies and their practical applications.
3. adapts various aspects of curricula and program models to the early childhood environment in developmentally appropriate ways for all young children.
Knowledge
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. understands learning theories and child development and knows how to use this knowledge in planning instruction to meet curriculum goals for all young children.
2. knows history, philosophies, and theories of education that have influenced contemporary early childhood education practices and dispositions and is able to critique them in light of current research.
3. understands major education and learning theories as well as major philosophical viewpoints and movements that have shaped education, as well as their strengths and weaknesses in a contemporary context.
4. understands how research and theory influence current practices.
5. knows current research about theories and philosophies of how all young children learn.
Dispositions
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. values the rich history of education in general, and early childhood education specifically, as important to informing current practices with all young children.
2. appreciates the importance of educational and learning theories, along with child growth and development theories, as fundamental building blocks of the curriculum and as the basis for developing one's own personal philosophy.
3. appreciates that developmentally appropriate practices may be demonstrated in a variety of curricula and program models.
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) understands developmentally appropriate practices and can develop curriculum and implement instruction for all young children.
Performances
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. demonstrates current knowledge of how to implement meaningful, integrated learning and play experiences into curricula which promote the development of the whole child.
2. uses individual and group observation and assessment information to design instruction that meets each child's current needs in their overall development and that leads to the next level of development.
3. facilitates active learning and knowledge construction in the classroom through making choices available that: acknowledge the personal needs and interests of all young children in the environment; are multisensorial; recognize different learning styles, strengths, and developmental levels; provide real and relevant problem-solving situations; and encourage both adult and peer interaction.
4. recognizes factors and situations that are likely to promote or diminish motivation; helps young children become self-motivated; uses individual as well as cooperative activities that help young children develop the motivation to achieve.
5. creates plans that are linked to the needs and performance of all young children in the group, and adapts the plans to ensure and capitalize on progress and motivation, needs and interests.
6. stimulates young children's reflection, promotes critical thinking skills, and encourages methods of inquiry by linking new ideas to familiar ones and to prior experiences; provides opportunities for active engagement, manipulation, and testing of ideas and materials; engages young children in research and hypothesis testing; and develops curricula that encourage young children to see, question, and interpret ideas from diverse perspectives.
7. uses the state's proficiency guide and evaluates resources and curriculum materials for their reliability, accuracy, and usefulness for representing particular ideas and concepts.
8. assesses how to achieve learning goals, how to choose alternative teaching strategies and materials to achieve different instructional purposes, and how to meet the needs of all young children in a group.
9. selects and evaluates topics of study in terms of conceptual soundness, significance, and intellectual integrity.
Knowledge
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. understands that overall development influences learning and instructional decisions for all young children.
2. understands how young children construct knowledge and acquire skills and how to use instructional strategies to create a child-centered environment that promotes student learning.
3. understands how to highlight basic concepts, make connections, and guide the mastery of fundamental skills.
4. knows about areas of exceptionality, different learning styles, and different performance modes and knows how to use this information to design instruction that encourages use of young children's strengths as the basis for growth.
5. understands advantages and limitations associated with various instructional strategies.
6. knows how to enhance learning through the use of a wide variety of resources.
7. knows how to plan instruction to meet the goals in the state's proficiency guide and to create an effective bridge between those curriculum goals and young children's experiences.
8. knows about the process of acquiring a new language and about strategies to support the learning of students whose primary language is not English.
9. knows when and how to ask questions and stimulate discussion in different ways (e.g., helping children articulate their ideas and thinking processes, promoting risk taking and problem solving, encouraging convergent and divergent thinking, etc.).
Dispositions
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. commits to making the curriculum meaningful to the everyday lives of all young children in the classroom environment.
2. believes the teacher's role is one of facilitator who accepts children as they are and affords them opportunities to take risks as they learn.
3. values curriculum planning and delivery of instruction as a collegial activity.
4. believes that young children's growing need for mastery and autonomy is best fulfilled by facilitating mastery of certain concepts and skills.
5. believes in setting limits for young children in such a way as to safely contain disruptive or potentially dangerous behaviors and to help children learn self-regulation while at the same time encouraging free and active exploration.
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) understands the influence of the family, community, and culture on the learning and development of the young child.
Performances
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. integrates authentic experiences that reflect the diverse cultural characteristics, traditions, and viewpoints represented in the community beyond the school in the everyday early childhood environment.
2. models respect for all individuals.
3. involves families in assessing and planning for their young children.
4. communicates in ways that demonstrate a sensitivity to differences in family structure, culture, and gender.
5. accommodates family work schedules and other unique circumstances.
6. links families to community resources.
7. communicates effectively with parents and other professionals concerned with young children's well-being and overall healthy growth and development.
8. develops and implements an integrated curriculum that focuses on young children's needs and interests and takes into account culturally valued content and young children's home experiences (e.g., language, religion, traditions, etc.).
9. demonstrates the ability to involve families in a number of family education experiences (e.g., classes, workshops, conferences, etc.).
Knowledge
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. understands young children's relationship to their families, cultures, and communities, and uses this information as a basis for connecting instruction to young children's experiences (e.g., drawing explicit connections between subject matter and community matters, planning activities that can be related to young children's experiences and cultures, etc.).
2. understands that open communication and partnerships with families are essential to the healthy growth and development of all young children.
3. understands cultural diversity and its impact on education.
4. knows the cultural dynamics of the wider community.
5. understands how gender differences can affect instruction and learning in the environment.
Dispositions
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. respects the values of the families and cultural groups within the community beyond the school.
2. respects the family's goals for their young children and believes in open communication with families about curriculum and children's progress.
3. values all young children for their unique contribution in a diverse society.
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) is knowledgeable about methods of assessment and evaluation and uses assessment information to plan appropriate curriculum and to provide feedback for families.
Performances
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. selects, develops, and uses performance-based assessments which are relevant to learning for the purpose of planning appropriate programs, environments, and interactions for all young children.
2. selects, develops, and uses formative and summative evaluation of the overall curriculum to insure the general appropriateness and comprehensive quality of the total environment for young children, families, and the community.
3. solicits and uses information about children's experiences, learning behaviors, needs, and progress from parents, colleagues, and the young children themselves for the purpose of planning curriculum and for assessing progress.
4. conducts active classroom research and collaborates with colleagues to implement effective assessment.
5. evaluates the effect of the environment on the group as well as individuals.
6. uses self-assessment activities to help the children become aware of their strengths and to encourage them to set personal goals for learning.
7. monitors own teaching behaviors in relation to young children's progress in order to modify instructional approaches.
8. maintains useful records of young children's work and can communicate children's progress in meaningful ways to students, families, and colleagues.
Knowledge
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. knows basic principles of measurement theory and how to select, administer, and interpret assessment strategies and instruments appropriate to the learning outcomes being evaluated.
2. understands the characteristics, uses, advantages, and limitations of different types of assessments (e.g., criterion-referenced and norm-referenced instruments, standardized tests, performance-based assessments, observation systems, artifacts of children's work, etc.).
3. knows how to use informal and formal assessment strategies to ensure the continuous overall development of all young children in the group.
4. is familiar with current research knowledge and recommendations concerning assessment for all young children.
Dispositions
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. values ongoing reflection as essential to the instructional process and recognizes that many different assessment strategies are necessary for monitoring and facilitating young children's learning.
2. commits to identifying young children's strengths through systematic, continuous assessment in order to create optimal learning environments.
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) embraces and actively models professionalism, ethical behavior, and commitment to lifelong learning.
Performances
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. models the legal and ethical principles of the profession.
2. advocates for equal access and the improved quality of programs, services, and living conditions for young children and their families, as well as for enhanced professional status and working conditions for early childhood educator with a preschool focus.
3. reflects on beliefs and practices, articulates a philosophy and rationale for decisions, and evaluates the effects of choices and actions on others.
4. seeks out opportunities to remain current in the field by reading professional literature and by being aware of the available resources and professional organizations in the field.
5. establishes and maintains positive, collaborative relationships with colleagues, other professionals, paraprofessionals, volunteers, and families.
6. protects the confidentiality of all young children and families with whom they work.
7. sets short- and long-term goals for professional growth.
8. contributes to the education profession through involvement in professional organizations and by engaging in activities that expand the early childhood education knowledge base whenever possible.
9. promotes current best practices in early childhood education among other education professionals, policy makers, and the public.
Knowledge
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. knows the legal and ethical principles which govern the profession.
2. comprehends the importance of continuing education and professional growth.
3. knows ways to examine, evaluate, and modify their own behavior.
4. knows sources of assistance to enhance teaching and professional development.
5. understands the importance of contributing to and participating in professional organizations and the professional growth of others.
Dispositions
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. commits to upholding the profession's legal principles and code of ethical conduct.
2. feels a passion for working with and guiding young children.
3. values keeping abreast of current ideas and understandings in the field.
4. commits to the ongoing process of reflection, assessment, and learning.
5. respects the privacy and confidentiality of all young children and their families.
6. values personal and professional growth.
7. values working collaboratively with families and other colleagues.
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) promotes an environment that nurtures and encourages the physical, emotional, social, moral, aesthetic, language, and cognitive growth and development of all young children.
Performances
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. involves all young children in the group in a smoothly functioning learning community in which the children assume responsibility for themselves and one another, participate in decision making, work collaboratively and independently, and engage in purposeful learning activities.
2. implements a consistent yet not rigidly enforced routine that provides dependability and security for all young children in the group.
5. provides boundaries and expectations that all young children in the group understand.
Knowledge
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. understands the relationship of the environment to learning.
2. knows how to be a thoughtful and responsive listener and a careful observer.
3. knows criteria for evaluating the appropriateness of materials, equipment, and physical space.
4. understands how young children's social groups function and influence others in the environment.
5. understands the role of peer and adult-to-child interaction in facilitating the construction of knowledge.
9. knows how to use a variety of media communication tools to enrich learning opportunities.
Dispositions
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
4. values the many ways young children communicate.
7. values an environment that affirms and respects young children's diversity.
Section I
Part II: Early Childhood (Preschool Focus)
Developmentally Appropriate Content
Content: Mathematics I.25
Content: English/Language Arts I.28
Content: Science I.31
Content: Social Studies I.33
Content: Fine Arts I.35
Content: Health and Physical Education I.37
Content: Foreign Languages I.41
It is clear that real world applications provide a primary reason for learning mathematics. Being educated in mathematics is essential to leading a productive life. Being educated in mathematics is having good number sense and being able to estimate computations, being able to recognize when a calculator's computation is off by a magnitude of ten. It is developing spatial sense that helps to visualize how shapes can be taken apart and reassembled; it helps to estimate how much paint you'll need for your house without measuring every alcove and every dormer. Being educated in mathematics means understanding the use of data to evaluate information, to determine whether or not you are likely to benefit from a new pain-relief medication based on information from clinical trial. Being educated in mathematics means understanding functions that allow you to compare adjustable and fixed-rate mortgages to determine the conditions for a better borrowing plan. These are a few examples which represent the real world situations that call for the application of mathematics.
The study of mathematics must extend beyond the ways in which we quantify the current world. Mathematics is often the means for exploring new problems and meeting the challenges of the future. The continued development of mathematics will provide the basis for seeking new solutions to previously unimaginable problems, encountered in the next century.
The content and teaching standards presented in this document provide a vision of mathematics instruction that will develop mathematical literacy for the 21st century. This vision is predicated on the belief that all students are capable of learning and applying mathematics. Teachers who share this vision will help ALL students develop mathematical power through problem solving, communication, reasoning, and connections as described by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards. The standards of teacher knowledge, dispositions, and performances are essential to adopting this vision of mathematics instruction.
(Mathematics Advisory Group, Draft Standards Introduction, July, 1996)
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
develops a knowledge of mathematics through the following critical linkages:
IV. Mathematical Connections
Foundational knowledge in mathematics is essential for those teaching mathematics at any level.
With regard to specific content preparation, the mathematical education of early childhood teachers should include the following:
Teachers should have a well-developed numbers sense (including mathematics, estimation, and reasonableness of results) and an understanding of the use of number concepts, operations, and properties (including basic number theory), of the role of algorithms, and of place value. In setting the view of these ideas in the curriculum, teachers should be able to extend the number systems from the whole numbers to fractions and integers, and then to rational and real numbers, while including a discussion of the extension of the operations, properties, and ordering. Notions of fractions, decimals, percents, ratio, and proportion should be developed through problems with an applied flavor.
Teachers should understand how geometry is used to describe the world in which we live and how geometry can be used to solve real-world problems. Analysis of two- and three-dimensional figures should include the study of tessellations, symmetry, polygons, polyhedra, and curved shapes. Synthetic, coordinate, and transformational geometry should be used to provide opportunities for teachers to solve problems and to hone their skills in building justifications and coherent arguments for the plausibility of conjectures. Throughout the experience, spatial visualization should be emphasized.
The concept of measurement needs to be understood from the perspective of its historical development. The attributes of what we measure include length, area, volume, capacity, time, temperature, angles, weight, and mass. Teachers should understand that the units to record measure are different from the process of measurement itself. These ideas should be reinforced through varied experiences, using both standard and nonstandard units where teachers learn to estimate lengths, areas, and so on. Of particular importance should be an understanding of the System International d'Units (the metric system). Derivations of the formulas for the perimeter, area, and volume of common figures should be approached through meaningful explorations. Indirect measurement and its many applications should be studied.
Teachers should have a variety of experiences in the collection, organization, representation, analysis, and interpretation of data. Key statistical concepts for all teachers include measures of central tendency, measures of variation (range, standard deviation, interquartile range, and outliers), and general distributions.
Representations of data should include various types of graphs, including bar, line, circle, and pictographs, as well as line plots, stem-and-leaf plots, box plots, histograms, and scatter plots. Probability of simple and compound events and its use in quantifying uncertainty should be built into these experiences.
Teachers should have opportunities to explore empirical probability from simulations and from data they have collected and to analyze theoretical probability on the basis of a description of the underlying sample space. Probability trees and simulations using objects such as spinners, dice, slips of paper, and so on should be used to solve problems.
Teachers need to experience the development of mathematical language and symbolism and how these have influenced the way we communicate mathematical ideas. Also, experience in representing and solving problems requiring the use of variables is important. To build bridges for their students to the mathematics that comes late in the school curriculum, teachers must have a basic understanding of the concepts of functions and their use in the growth of mathematical ideas. Understanding different representations of functions (tabular, graphical, symbolic, verbal), how to move among these representations, and the strengths and limitations of each is fundamental. The distinction between continuous and discrete approaches in the solution of mathematical problems should also be a part of the experiences provided by these teachers and should be introduced initially at an intuitive and informed level.
Introduction
The purpose of these standards, along with those standards developed by other English/Language Arts (ELA) concerned groups, is to help to move teachers and learners away from too much practice and toward a classroom filled with real, authentic language use. In accordance with the charge from the Indiana Professional Standards Board, the ELA Advisory Group drafted the following statements of performance-based standards including areas of knowledge, dispositions, and performances which may help to move more classrooms away from the above scenario. These standards may serve as operational statements for beginning ELA teachers, and they can apply to teachers who are currently practicing in the profession. They were not constructed to be a curriculum and instruction guide. Instead, they were developed to serve as discussion points for teacher preparation programs, state and local professional associations connected with the teaching of English/Language Arts, and P-12 teachers and administrators in public, private, and parochial schools in the State of Indiana.
The English/Language Arts Advisory Group acknowledges, as background to these recommendations, the review and use of ideas from the following professional groups: INTASC English/Language Arts Principles, National Council of Teachers of English/International Reading Association's Standards for the English/Language Arts, Speech Communication and American Association of Theater Education Certification and Preparation Standards, and International Reading Association's Standards for Reading Professionals.
(English/Language Arts Advisory Group, Draft Standards Introduction, August, 1996)
should have a literacy content background derived from the ELA standards. This background should enable them to assist the growth of oral and print literacy development in students in the Early Childhood. Teachers at these levels must themselves have strong oral and literacy abilities including:
Early childhood ELA teachers must be able to assist students in becoming literate and orally proficient. Early childhood ELA teachers must be proficient in:
2. Teachers of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
should have a content background that includes:
Literature and Reading
Writing
Language and Media
Speaking, Listening, Nonverbal
For this developmental level, and for this level of schooling, teachers of early childhood (preschool focus) should have pedagogical and liberal arts backgrounds that build from the assumption that the English/Language Arts is an integrated whole that includes reading, writing, speaking, and listening and that is grounded in thinking. Pedagogy should model:
Where this specific area on content for the Early childhood teacher are taught, a modeling of the wholeness and integration of the ELA throughout these formative content experiences would best serve the learning of the content and would reinforce the intent of the ELA standards.
Science understanding and ability also will enhance the capability of all students to hold meaningful and productive jobs in the future. The business community needs entry -level workers with the ability to learn, reason, think creatively, make decisions, and solve problems. Furthermore, concerns regarding economic competitiveness stress the central importance of science education that will allow us to keep pace with our global competitors.
Standards are intended to be criteria to judge the quality of what teachers know and are able to do, the quality of the science programs they design and implement that provide students the opportunity to learn science, the quality of science teaching, the quality of the system that supports science teachers and programs, and the quality of assessment policies and practices. These science education standards provide criteria to judge progress toward a vision of learning and teaching science that will assure an excellent education in science for Indiana youth and hopefully serve as a banner around which science education reformers can rally.
At the state level, Indiana has moved towards defining what students should know and be able to do. The State Science Proficiency Guides, published by the Indiana Department of Education, the Core 40 Competencies of the Commission for Higher Education and the Indiana Department of Education, and the SCANS competencies incorporated into the work of the Workforce Proficiency Panel of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development all seek to provide educators with a clear set of expectations for the students of Indiana Schools. The document builds upon this philosophical base by defining what it is that a teacher of science needs to know, the dispositions they must possess and the performances of which they must be capable of executing.
Early childhood teachers are generalists who teach most, if not all, school subjects. A primary task for these teachers is to lay the experiential, conceptual, and attitudinal foundation for future learning in science by guiding students through a range of inquiry activities. To achieve this, early childhood teachers of science need to have the opportunity to develop a broad knowledge of science content in addition to some in-depth experiences in at least one science subject. Such in-depth experiences will allow teachers to develop an understanding of inquiry and the structure and production of science knowledge. That knowledge prepares teachers to guide student inquiries, appraise current student understanding, and further students' understanding of scientific ideas. Although thorough science knowledge in many areas would enhance the work of an early childhood teacher, it is more realistic to expect a generalist's knowledge.
Additionally, teachers of science at all levels must possess an understanding of what content is appropriate for students to master at certain levels, and what content is appropriate to be introduced at certain levels.
(Science Advisory Group, Draft Standards Introduction, September, 1996)
Teachers of early childhood (preschool focus) must have a strong, broad base of scientific knowledge which is extensive enough for them to:
This broad base is outlined in more detail in the IPSB Standards for Teachers of Science.
As this document defines the knowledge, dispositions, and performances expected of Indiana teachers of science, the Indiana Science Proficiency Guide defines what students are to know and be able to do in science. By defining the skills and knowledge base expected of students at the Primary, the Upper Elementary/Intermediate, the Middle/Junior High, and the High School grades, the Indiana Science Proficiency Guide makes explicit what understandings and skills in science are appropriate for students at certain developmental levels.
By using the proficiencies to guide his or her understanding of what students can master at certain levels, the teacher of science will know what subject matter should be introduced at a particular level, and what portion of that subject matter can be mastered at a particular level. Specifically this means that the early childhood teacher will be working to ensure that students attain the proficiencies defined for the Primary grades while working to introduce some or many of the ideas that students will be expected to attain at the Intermediate grades.
Through this process, the teacher will be part of a larger curriculum process that provides continuity in how skills and concepts are being taught. Without this continuity, a school system cannot ensure that students are being exposed to subject matter which is appropriate for their developmental level, thereby setting students up for failure before they even begin. The teacher of science should be committed to being part of a system where students have the opportunity to learn content that builds upon what they already know and prepares the foundation for what they will learn in the future.
Developmentally Appropriate Content-Early Childhood
What is Social Studies? The Social Studies Advisory Group (SSAG) initially struggled with this question since some individuals think of the field of study as a single discipline while others think of it as multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary. The first decision of the SSAG was to adopt the definition of social studies approved in 1992 by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), the primary membership organization for social studies professional educators.
"Social studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. Within the school program, social studies provides coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences. The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world."(1)
The SSAG recognizes nine content strands and standards for the preparation of social studies teachers. Each standard is supported by an accompanying set of knowledge statements, disposition statements, and statements of performance. Together, they form the operational standards for teachers of social studies. The Social Studies Proficiency Guide from the Indiana Department of Education was very helpful and instructive to the work of the SSAG.(2)
(Social Studies Advisory Group, Draft Standards Introduction, September, 1996)
Early childhood teachers (preschool focus) must have a strong, broad base of social studies knowledge extensive enough for them to:
1. understand the various content strands and foundation proficiency statements as delineated in The Indiana Social Studies Proficiency Guide,
2. understand the fundamental facts and concepts in the major social studies disciplines,
3. be able to connect the various social studies content strands so that students can understand the interdisciplinary nature of social studies,
4. use inquiry skills as evidenced by the following teaching tasks/standards: instructional resources/technology, learning environment, assessment, and reflection, and
5. use social studies knowledge and inquiry skills when dealing with personal and societal issues.
While this breadth of knowledge is essential for all teachers, the depth of social studies content required(3) varies according to the developmental level of the students(4). Teachers of early childhood students usually are generalists who teach most, if not all, subjects, often using a thematic approach. This approach would allow teachers to follow the premise that social studies is an integrated study of the social sciences and the humanities. To achieve this, early childhood teachers should have the opportunity to develop a broad knowledge of social studies content.
The types of learning environment and professionalism advocated in this document are based on the belief that integrating music, visual arts, theater arts, and dance (fine arts) within the entire curriculum enhances and enriches learning experiences for all students. Achieving this kind of learning environment requires collaboration between all classroom teachers and all teachers of music, visual arts, theater arts, and dance. The standards listed below describe what all classroom teachers should know and be able to do to collaborate with fine arts educators and to integrate the fine arts into the curriculum. It must be clearly understood that these teacher standards do not suggest or imply that classroom teachers should at any time be considered the primary instructors of any of the fine arts disciplines.
(Fine Arts Advisory Group, Draft Standards Introduction, November, 1996)
Performances
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
Knowledge
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
1. has a basic, functional knowledge of the elements and symbols of music, visual arts, theater arts, and dance.
7. knows that the fine arts (music, visual arts, theater arts, and dance) are avenues for self-expression and for developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Dispositions
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
The most specific call for action concerning the potential effects of health education and physical education on children and youth has been directed at public school programs (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1991). In order to address the training of teachers who will meet the objectives of Healthy People 2000, the advisory committee on health education and physical education has developed standards which will ensure that teachers are prepared to successfully enter the teaching profession. Teachers of these two fields will teach all learners including those with varying needs, abilities, and limitations. Collaboration with others, including special education staff and providers of related services, will assure that the needs of all learners are addressed.
(Physical and Health Education Advisory Group, Draft Standards Introduction, September, 1996)
Content
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
The most specific call for action concerning the potential effects of health education and physical education on children and youth has been directed at public school programs (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1991). In order to address the training of teachers who will meet the objectives of Healthy People 2000, the advisory committee on health education and physical education has developed standards which will ensure that teachers are prepared to successfully enter the teaching profession. Teachers of these two fields will teach all learners including those with varying needs, abilities, and limitations. Collaboration with others, including special education staff and providers of related services, will assure that the needs of all learners are addressed.
(Physical and Health Education Advisory Group, Draft Standards Introduction, September, 1996)
Content
The teacher of early childhood (preschool focus) ...
In carrying out its charge to recommend "standards that will serve as the basis for the preparation and licensure of foreign language teachers," the Foreign Language Advisory Group has sought to be both realistic and visionary. We were guided in our work by knowledge of model foreign language programs at various levels, by the experiences of master teachers who have consistently inspired a high level of student achievement in foreign language learning, and recommendations from the Indiana Department of Education as well as from professional associations at the national level.
Foreign language study no longer involves learning language, grammar, and structure for its own sake, but rather for real-world communication. Realistically, we acknowledge that the transition to communicative, proficiency-based foreign language instruction that began some fifteen years ago in the USA is progressing at different rates in different school districts. We also acknowledge that, for most students in Indiana, foreign language study does not begin until high school. However, the examples of model programs and master teachers at different educational levels show us that our vision, as reflected in the IPSB Standards for Teachers of Foreign Languages, is not only realistic but it is also desirable, if Indiana schools are to offer the best possible education to our children.
Foreign languages must no longer be taught as an isolated discipline unrelated to other disciplines. The standards reflect how teachers must reinforce students' knowledge of other disciplines through foreign language study, emphasizing the value of using the foreign language both within and outside of the school setting.
(Foreign Language Advisory Group, Draft Standards Introduction, February, 1997)
The young learner needs contextual input of the language. The very fact that the younger learner has not developed the ability to consciously comprehend certain linguistic concepts such as parts of speech or syntactical and morphological rules means that any kind of grammatical explanation is useless during instruction and will not contribute to the child's ability to use the language. Thus, foreign language teachers must not only be aware of the ways in which children learn at various developmental levels, but they must understand and be able to apply in their instruction the appropriate techniques based on second language acquisition theory.
References
Bredekamp, S. (1996). 25 Years of Educating Young Children: The High/Scope Approach to Preschool Education. Young Children, 51(4), 57-61.
Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (1997). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in early childhood programs. Washington, D. C.: NAEYC.
Carnegie Corporation. (1996). Years of promise: A comprehensive learning strategy for America's children. NY: Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Carnegie Corporation. (1994). Starting points. NY: Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Elkind, D. (1996). Early childhood education: What should we expect? Principal, 75(5), 11-13.
Elkind, D. (1986). Formal education and early childhood education: An essential difference. Phi Delta Kappan, 67(9), 631-636.
Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, National Council for the Social Studies, 1994.
Head Start (1995). Comparison of current versus proposed Head Start program performance standards. (Unpublished document). Washington, D.C.: Head Start.
Indiana State Training Plan Core Competency Sub Committee. (1986). Core competencies and standards: Four-year early childhood programs. (Unpublished document). Indiana: author.
Kagan, S. L. (1992). Readiness past, present, and future: Shaping the agenda. Young Children, 48(1), 48-52.
Marcon, R. A. (1994). Doing the right thing for children: Linking research and policy reform in the District of Columbia Public Schools, Young Children, 50(1), 8-20.
Matsumotot Low, J. & Shironaka, W. (1995). Letting go: Allowing first graders to become autonomous learners. Young Children, 51(1), 21-25.
Morrison, G. S. (1995). Early childhood education today. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (1995). Guidelines for preparation of early childhood professionals: Associate, baccalaureate, and advanced levels. A Position Statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1995.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (1996). NAEYC and developmentally appropriate practice under attack. The Affiliate, 23, 1-8.
National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (1996). Guidelines for preparation of early childhood professionals. Washington: NAEYC.
National Black Child Development Institute (1995). Best practices for black children. Prepared for the Child Development Issues Forum, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Education: Considerations from the Cultural and Political Context of the Black Child, Part II, September 29, 1995.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (1995). Study of Early Child Care in the 1990s. Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Indianapolis, Indiana, March 30, 1995.
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1993). A conceptual framework for early childhood professional development. (Unpublished document). Washington, D. C.: NAEYC.
Shultz, T. & Lombardi, J. (1989). Right from the start: A report on the NASBE Task Force on Early Childhood Education. Young Children, January, 6-10.
1. Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies,National Council for the Social Studies, 1994.
2. The Social Studies Proficiency Guide an Aid to Curriculum Development 1996 Edition.
3. The Social Studies Proficiency Guide an Aid to Curriculum Development 1996 Edition.
4. The Social Studies Proficiency Guide an Aid to Curriculum Development 1996 Edition.