Building Bridges for Pre-K–3: Role of Policy in Districts' Efforts to Align Instruction for Continuity Between Pre-K and Elementary Classrooms

• In Event: 66.086 - MTCC Roundtable Session 29
  In Roundtable Session: 66.086-1 - Policy, Instruction, and Effectiveness of Schools

Abstract

In this paper, we compare data from the central offices of two California school districts to explore how districts, as key actors of instructional reform, promote coherence in PreK-3 pipelines. We find the two districts employ alignment as their preferred policy response to create coherence in a complex state policy context which approaches preK and K-12 systems as distinct. Both districts are modestly successful in their efforts, creating structures and policies to promote alignment along various dimensions of instructional policy. However, alignment has little impact on instructional connections across grades which would support their ambitious instructional visions. We argue that alignment is a necessary but insufficient tool for creating a coherent policy environment for teaching and learning in PreK-3 pipelines.

Authors

• Kelly McMahon, Northwestern University

• Seenae Chong, University of California - Berkeley

• Natalie Jou, Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy Learning Sciences