The Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework: Promoting Positive Outcomes in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children 3-5 Years Old

N

28

HHSP233201000415G

Federal Programs; Early Childhood Education; Preschool Children; Disadvantaged Youth; Low Income Groups; School Readiness; Progress Monitoring; Alignment (Education); Preschool Curriculum; Student Diversity; State Standards; Federal Legislation; Educational Legislation; Child Development; English Language Learners; Bilingualism; Disabilities; Child Health; Physical Development; Health Education; Psychomotor Skills; Social Development; Emotional Development; Interpersonal Relationship; Self Concept; Self Efficacy; Thinking Skills; Learning Strategies; Language Acquisition; Receptive Language; Expressive Language; Literacy; Mathematics Skills; Science Achievement; Art Activities; Social Studies

This report presents a revision of the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework (2000), renamed The Head Start Child Development and Learning Framework: Promoting Positive Outcomes in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children 3-5 Years Old. The Framework outlines the essential areas of development and learning that are to be used by Head Start programs to establish school readiness goals for their children, monitor children's progress, align curricula, and conduct program planning. It can be used to guide curriculum, implementation, and assessment to plan teaching and learning experiences that align to school readiness goals and track children's progress across developmental domains. The Framework is organized into 11 Domains, 37 Domain Elements, and over 100 Examples. The domains and domain elements are organized in a similar way to the original Framework to facilitate a transition to the revised one. The changes to the revised Framework are designed to provide more clarity to the domains and domain elements of the original Framework and do not create new requirements for Head Start grantees. The early childhood field has changed dramatically. The population of children served by Head Start and other early childhood programs continues to grow more diverse. New research has improved the Office of Head Start's understanding of school readiness, and the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 has increased the Framework's role in Head Start programs. In addition, almost every state now has early learning standards. Also, new reporting systems have emerged at the state level and through the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within the U.S. Department of Education. The Framework is revised in light of these realities. [This report was prepared by the Head Start Resource Center.]

ERIC

2014

ED547179