How Principals Conceptualized Early Childhood Education Programs and What They Need to Support Them and Their Teachers

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Ten
  In Roundtable Session: Instructional Leadership Supports for System Coherence and Achievement (Table 1)

Abstract

Interest in creating access to and expanding systems of early childhood education continues to be a politically important issue. A significant factor to ensuing early education classrooms are successful in this mission are elementary school principals. Yet, few studies explore how principals make sense of and integrate these programs into their schools. This exploratory case study investigated how a sample of principals conceptualized early childhood programs in general and what they contended needs to be done to support them and their early childhood teachers. Examining the findings of this study creates the opportunity to consider how policies at the state and district level may be designed to support principals and their teachers so that all students receive an equitable education.

Authors

• Christopher P. Brown, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author

• Pedro Reyes, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sarah L. Woulfin, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author

• David E. DeMatthews, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lauren C. McKenzie, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author