Integrating Antibias Education Into the Measurement of Early Childhood Education Quality

• In Event: 30.052 - Early Childhood Program Quality and Assessment

Abstract

Early childhood education (ECE) classroom quality has become increasingly important as the link between high quality early learning experiences and future success has become clear. However, the definition of ECE quality does not include indicators that address issues of culture, race, and ethnicity, that may be particularly relevant for our most at-risk children. Anti-bias education (ABE) provides a framework for understanding how to incorporate such themes into classroom practice and policy. The present study developed a measure of classroom that incorporates anti-bias education principles, based on the integration of ABE theory with observations in five ECE centers. The measure contains five domains, with a number of items within each domain.

Authors

• Larissa Michelle Gaias, Arizona State University

• Eva Marie Shivers, Indigo Cultural Center, Inc.

• Larry E Dumka, Arizona State University