1. Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS): Purpose, Processes, Achievements & Challenges
For SEAMEO RECSAM Meetings on Basic Education Standards
Emma Pearson,
Universiti Brunei Darussalam

2. Overview
Background
Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS) format
How are they unique?
Achievements / Challenges

3. ELDS Background Going Global initiative - formal ECCE as a blank slate
What are Early Learning & Development Standards (ELDS)?
Country-specific statements (value) of what young children should know and be able to do (age ranges, within 0-8 years)
Early Learning Competencies; Goals; Benchmarks; Milestones; Frameworks; Guidelines
Designed to establish and articulate expectations that can be used for programme / curriculum design / review, and as a basis for thinking about “quality”
What ELDS are not
Measures of ability / assessments

4. What ELDS look like – Multiple Users
DOMAIN: Language, Literacy & Communication
SUBDOMAIN: Communication
STANDARD: Children should be able to listen to and understand spoken language
INDICATOR: Child is able to follow directions that involve a 2 or 3 step sequence of actions
PREPARATORY LEARNING ACTIVITY: Give oral directions and play a game like “caregiver says”. Ask the children to give simple directions to each other
Dimensions of
development and learning
Subsets within a domain
Statement of expectation of what
children should know and be able to do
Observable manifestations of advancement
towards an intended standard

5. An example from Cambodia (4-5 year olds)
DOMAIN: Moral & Cultural Development
SUBDOMAIN: Moral Development
STANDARD: Children should be able to demonstrate awareness of expectations for behaviour
INDICATOR: Child is able to describe ways to show respect for elders (such as Sampeah, bending head, Baat, Chaas, Orkun, Somtous, Chum reab sour, Sour sdey, Chum reab lear)
PREPARATORY LEARNING ACTIVITY: Explain and practice /role play conventions for showing respect to elders

6. Country-specific Domains For Early Learning And Development: Similar but Different
DOMAINS OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Cambodia
(5-6 year olds)
Fiji
(0-6 year olds)
Vanuatu
(3-5 year olds)
Personal Development X
Physical development, Health & Well being
Cognition & Reasoning / Learning Approaches
Learning to Know
Living & Learning Together
Language & Communication
Social & Emotional Development
Spiritual & Character / Moral Development
Moral & Cultural Development
Custom, Culture & Environment
Aesthetics & Arts

7. ELDS: A unique writing process
ELDS document prepared
within individual countries (with external support from resource person) by
multi-disciplinary team with emphasis on
Incorporating country-based values and expectations
Validated within countries (to international “standards” but retaining local values and relevance)
Content validation; age validation; predictive validation
Lesson Learned:
PROCESS IS IMPORTANT FOR MOTIVATION,COMITMEMT & “BUY-IN”

8. Writing the standards: setting parameters
Principles: The standards should
Align with internationally accepted principles of child development and children’s rights.
Be comprehensive.
Be culturally relevant.
Reflect contemporary research on learning and development.
Reflect country values and goals for education and development.
Age ranges should be clearly defined.
Principles facilitate shared understanding; provide benchmark during the writing process – ensure international (regional) and national relevance

9. ELDS – Uses Early Learning and Development standards
Improve instruction
Develop Curriculum
Promote Parenting Education
Improve teacher preparation
Evaluate programmes
Monitor national progress
Improve public knowledge of children’s development

10. Relevance To “other” education sectors: the future For SEAMEO (ASEAN)
Preparing our children for the future
We can’t address the future by reinventing the past. We have to understand the past and present and use this to envision the future (Riel Miller, UNESCO Head of Foresight)
For SEAMEO (ASEAN)
Regional community of diverse national identities
International developments
Importance of relevance and inclusion in education (Tikly & Barrett, 2010)

11. Achievements / Benefits
Regional
Framework for shared discussions / planning
East Asia Pacific Early Child Development Scales (EAP-ECDS)
National
Curricula: state-, community- and home-based programmes (research)
Development / enhancement of National Policy (Alignment across policies and departments)
Teacher preparation
Alignment between EC and Primary Curricula
Adapted as tool for measurement of impact of
attendance at preschool on school readiness
and later school achievement
Ownership & Momentum

12. What helps? (lesson learned)
Source: Kagan L. & Britto, P. (2007)

13. Challenges: Making effective use of standards (disclaimer!)
Learner Outcomes
(school readiness)
Teachers
Curriculum
Resources
Communities
Source:

14. Final thought: Standards, Metrics & Education Quality
Potential benefit of this meeting
“On reflection, perhaps (LMTF could be strengthened with a stronger focus)……..to establish the connections between measuring learning and improving learning.”
(Tikly & Barrett, 2010)
Archer, D. (February 3rd, 2014)