Where Has Choice Gone? Pre-K in the Shadow of Accountability

• In Event: 16.060 - Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: 16.060-11 - Early Childhood Education Policy, Program Quality, and Quality Rating and Improvement Systems

Abstract

While most states have public preK programs, critics contend that the focus on using these programs for academic readiness is leading to academic pushdown, and a constriction of teacher and child activity. This paper reports the findings of a case study of the enactment of public preK in multiple sites across 2 states. Analysis of data collected through weekly classroom observations and interviews with key stakeholders including children revealed that regardless of the emphasis of standardization in state policy, teachers and children’s choice making was limited. Even in choice time, teachers and children were constrained by academic and administrative demands. The resources available in a site also dictated how much freedom teachers and children had to shape the curriculum.

Authors

• Sharon Ryan, Bank Street College of Education

• Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Graue, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Kaitlin Northey, Rutgers University - New Brunswick/Piscataway