Practices and Policies in Aligned Preschool-Through-Third-Grade (P-3) Systems: Comparative Case Studies of a Suburban and a Rural School District in Washington

• In Event: A Cross-Case Analysis of Preschool Through Third Grade (P–3) Alignment: Effective Practices and Policies at State, District, Municipal, and School Levels

Abstract

Objective:
Our overarching research question was: What are the meaningful practices and policies in small school districts’ aligned P-12 systems?

Perspective
In the United States, early childhood and K-12 have different languages, cultures, policies, and funding sources, making implementation of a coherent P-12 system particularly challenging. Barriers to coordination between the systems exist as people tend to favor the groups to which they belong (Cadinu & Rothbart, 1996; Smith & Henry, 1996; Tajfel, 1981) and have a positive bias towards members of their own organizations (Codol, 1976; Jourden & Heath, 1996; Taylor & Doria, 1981). Our study identifies the practices and policies in communities that overcame these barriers to align across early childhood and K-12 systems.

Methods
We studied two communities where the local school district and early education providers created an aligned and coordinated P-3 system: suburban Bremerton and rural Nooksack Valley, in the state of Washington. We relied on qualitative inquiry, incorporating interviews, focus groups, field notes, and document review into a case study design (Yin, 2003). To analyze the data we used a constant comparative method, both across sources within each community and between the two communities, to identify common themes (Merriam, 1998; Glaser & Strauss, 1967).

Data Sources
Secondary data sources included documents from websites, newspapers, and other electronic-print sources, as well as planning and implementation materials (e.g., literacy guides, assessment frameworks, and accountability reports) from the P-12 education systems in Bremerton and Nooksack Valley. Primary data sources included field visits and semi-structured interviews with district superintendents, school principals, community agency heads, literacy specialists, and other P-12 leaders. We also conducted focus groups with early childhood and elementary school teachers.

Substantiated Conclusions
We identified four major categories of practices and policies in the aligned P-3 systems of Bremerton and Nooksack Valley: leadership, assessment and data, curriculum and instruction, and professional development. In terms of leadership, both sites had an “instigator” who established a sense of urgency and formed a core team of people committed to P-3. In addition, the superintendent, principals, school board members, and teachers all played critical leadership roles in maintaining a coherent P-3 system. Both communities used assessments and data extensively to align the goals and processes in the early childhood and K-12 systems, to drive funding and policy decisions, and to inform and improve daily instructional practices. The two sites’ curricula and instructional practices were viewed as living systems with alignment being an ongoing and inclusive process. Finally, early childhood and K-12 teachers engaged in shared professional development that was research-based and embedded in their day-to-day work.

Significance
Our findings help define the on-the-ground policies and practices in communities with small school districts that have aligned and coordinated P-3 systems. Our findings will inform practitioners and policy-makers as they work to sustain the developmental momentum children gain during their early education. Further, our study pushes scholars towards more refined research questions about the alignment and coordination of P-3 education systems.

Authors

• Geoff Marietta, Harvard University

• Celia Gomez, Harvard University