EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: STARTING THE CONVERSATION Ashley Johns Culminating Project Human Services Capstone, Spring 2015

WHAT IS ECE? According to Head Start- a federally funded Early Childhood Education program ECE is defined as: “A term frequently applied to the education of young children from birth through age 8” ( Head Start, 2014). Most associate it with schooling prior to Kindergarten

WHY? Interest began with internship at the Opportunity Council with their Head Start classrooms and in the Early Learning and Family Services Department Allowed me to see the gaps in ECE Across the country 3 in 10 four year olds are enrolled in a quality ECE program US ranks 25 th in the world in early learning enrollment Every public dollar spent on high-quality preschool returns $7 through a reduced need for spending on other services

STARTING THE CONVERSATION The conversation is beginning since there is recognition that children are not prepared academically, socially, or behaviorally for kindergarten. Bellingham Public Schools- Promise K My mission for this project was to allow people to express their experience with accessing ECE and what they felt about the system as a whole The goal was to get the conversation started…

THE QUESTIONNAIRE I asked the interviewees three simple questions: 1) What has been your experience and/or story when it comes to the Early Childhood Education? (This can be through your own childhood experiences, your children’s, your profession, etc.) 2) What impacts have you seen come from Early Childhood Education or the lack thereof? 3) In your experience, is ECE reaching all children? Why/why not?

THE STORIES Question 1: What has been your experience and/or story when it comes to the Early Childhood Education? (This can be through your own childhood experiences, your children’s, your profession, etc.) Wide range of experience with ECE Some attended ECE themselves, others did not All had their own unique story and view to share

THE STORIES Question 2: What impacts have you seen come from Early Childhood Education or the lack thereof? 92% of respondents say ECE does impact children 8% of respondents did not know if it impacted children 0% of respondents said no it does not impact children

THE STORIES Question 3: In your experience, is ECE reaching all children? Why/why not? 15% of respondents say ECE does reach all children 38% of respondents said it sometimes reaches all children 38% of respondents said no ECE does not reach all children 8% of respondents say they do not know if it reaches all children

THE STORIES Overall respondents saw that there is an importance for ECE and that 76% of respondents said that ECE programs are only sometimes meeting all children or not at all, especially those in lower income brackets “If we don't have people advocating for lower income students or students with disabilities that don't have access to an IEP or a 504 plan then those kids will surely get lost in the hustle and bustle of the busy school system.” Madeline Poston “I think it should be offered to all children and families if they would like to use it. It is especially those lower income families who need it often…” Jeannette Potter “There are still many children who do not go to preschool, or participate in Head Start. During the 22-year course of my professional education career, I have witnessed many youngsters first school experience being the day their parents came in to register them for kindergarten. Unfortunately, most of these students lack the behavioral and educational background to compete with their same age peers who did have the opportunity to go to preschool.” Beth Poston

THE STORIES The quality of education was also expressed to be lacking when it came to ECE “My school failed to teach me how to read which in turn affected the way I processed information. The structured their classes off of one system but failed to understand that I learned a different way.” Sadie Sullivan “Just a plain Jane, sit in front of the TV all day long babysitter is expensive, let alone someone who is qualified and certified in childhood education is not really within reach for middle income families, myself included.“ Krystle Robinson

SUPPORT ECE Through this project I have seen the need to advocate for more funding for ECE programs as well as the need for training current ECE places. By creating greater access to ECE through reduced cost more children may be reached and be ready for kindergarten. This is just the start….

REFERENCES Bellingham Public Schools. (n.d.). Promise K. Retrieved from: Head Start. (2014). What Does Research Say About Early Childhood Education? Retrieved from: system/teaching/eecd/Curriculum/Planning/edudev_art_00421_ html U.S Department of Education. (n.d.). Early Learning: America's Middle Class Promise Begins Early. Retrieved from: