Assignment:
Program Planning as a Leader
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Where We Stand on Curriculum, Assessment, and Program Evaluation.
The word "program" in early childhood education refers to "the planning of the curriculum, which also includes the instructional practices, the daily schedule, the routines for caring for children, and the recreational activities, such as outdoor play" (Gadikowski, 2013, Section 4.1). Educational administrators are the instructional leaders of their schools and centers primarily in the planning of curriculum. For this assignment, you will choose a particular age group (infants, toddlers, or preschoolers), and design (outline) a program that is developmentally appropriate.
Please review the following web pages for examples:
- Primrose School at East Lake
- Bright Horizons at Hunter's Green: Our Curriculum
In your paper,
- Describe the role of the early childhood administrator as an instructional leader implementing high-quality program models, theory, and curriculum into your early childhood program.
- Briefly describe the learning and developmental needs of your chosen age gro
- Analyze how your program will address the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of children in this age group (give specific curricular ideas for each area of development), as well as classroom management, individual assessment, and the daily schedule.
- Explain how your program aligns with the philosophy, vision, and mission statements you created.
- Discuss how your program aligns with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) indicators of effective curriculum, as outlined in Chapter 4, and found in the position statement Where We Stand on Curriculum, Assessment, and Program Evaluation.
- Discuss a plan of professional development to train staff on how to implement high-quality program models, theory, and curriculum into their specific environments.
The Program Planning as a Leader paper
Must be three to four double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center's APA Style.
Required Resources
Text
Gadzikowski, A. (2013). Administration of early childhood education programs.
1. Chapter: The Business Side of Early Childhood Education: Policies, Procedures, Financial Management, and Marketing
- This chapter introduces characteristics of the policies and procedures that administrators use to manage early childhood programs.
2. Chapter: Planning the Program
- This chapter presents an overview of programming, the actual content of the services provided by an early childhood program.
Web Pages
Bright Horizons. (n.d.). Our curriculum
- This web page provides information about an early childhood education program in Tampa, Florida. This page provides four different curriculum examples for different age groups and will assist you in your Program Planning as a Leader assignment this week.
Primrose Schools. (n.d.). Primrose School at East Lake
- This web page provides information about an early childhood education program in Marietta, Georgia and provides an example of curriculum for different age groups and will assist you in your Program Planning as a Leader assignment this week.
Supplemental Materials
Cengage. (n.d.). Sample budget form
- This resource provides an overview and example of a budget form that could be used in an early childhood education program will assist you in your Financial Decisions Scenario discussion.
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1995). Quality, compensation, and affordability
- This resource from National Association for the Education of Young Children outlines best practices for maintaining affordable and high-quality child care programs. This article provides information about budgeting and will assist you in your Financial Decisions Scenario discussion.
National Association for the Education of Young Children and National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education. (n.d.). Where we stand on curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation.
- This joint position statement from the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education discusses the key components of high-quality early childhood education programs.
This resource provides information about high-quality programs and will assist you in your Program Planning as a Leader discussion.