Early Learning and Development Standards ELDS Purpose Processes

Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS): Purpose, Processes, Achievements & Challenges For SEAMEO RECSAM Meetings on Basic Education Standards Emma Pearson, Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Overview • Background • Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS) format • How are they unique? • Achievements / Challenges

ELDS Background • Going Global initiative - formal ECCE as a blank slate • What are Early Learning & Development Standards (ELDS)? • Country-specific statements (value) of what young children should know and be able to do (age ranges, within 0 -8 years) • Early Learning Competencies; Goals; Benchmarks; Milestones; Frameworks; Guidelines • Designed to establish and articulate expectations that can be used for programme / curriculum design / review, and as a basis for thinking about “quality” • What ELDS are not • Measures of ability / assessments

What ELDS look like – Multiple Users DOMAIN: Language, Literacy & Communication SUBDOMAIN: Communication Dimensions of development and learning Subsets within a domain STANDARD: Children should be able to listen to and understand spoken language Statement of expectation of what children should know and be able to do INDICATOR: Child is able to follow directions that involve a 2 or 3 step sequence of actions Observable manifestations of advancement towards an intended standard PREPARATORY LEARNING ACTIVITY: Give oral directions and play a game like “caregiver says”. Ask the children to give simple directions to each other

An example from Cambodia (4 -5 year olds) DOMAIN: Moral & Cultural Development SUBDOMAIN: Moral Development STANDARD: Children should be able to demonstrate awareness of expectations for behaviour INDICATOR: Child is able to describe ways to show respect for elders (such as Sampeah, bending head, Baat, Chaas, Orkun, Somtous, Chum reab sour, Sour sdey, Chum reab lear) PREPARATORY LEARNING ACTIVITY: Explain and practice /role play conventions for showing respect to elders

Country-specific Domains For Early Learning And Development: Similar but Different DOMAINS OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT Cambodia (5 -6 year olds) Fiji (0 -6 year olds) Personal Development Vanuatu (3 -5 year olds) X Physical development, Health & Well being X Cognition & Reasoning / Learning Approaches X X Learning to Know X X Living & Learning Together X X X Language & Communication X Social & Emotional Development X Spiritual & Character / Moral Development Moral & Cultural Development X Custom, Culture & Environment Aesthetics & Arts X X

ELDS: A unique writing process • ELDS document prepared • within individual countries (with external support from resource person) by • multi-disciplinary team with emphasis on • Incorporating country-based values and expectations • Validated within countries (to international “standards” but retaining local values and relevance) • Content validation; age validation; predictive validation Lesson Learned: PROCESS IS IMPORTANT FOR MOTIVATION, COMITMEMT & “BUY-IN”

Writing the standards: setting parameters • Principles: The standards should • Align with internationally accepted principles of child development and children’s rights. • • Be comprehensive. • Be culturally relevant. • Reflect contemporary research on learning and development. • Reflect country values and goals for education and development. • Age ranges should be clearly defined. Principles facilitate shared understanding; provide benchmark during the writing process – ensure international (regional) and national relevance

ELDS – Uses Improve instruction Improve public knowledge of children’s development Monitor national progress Develop Curriculum Early Learning and Development standards Evaluate programmes Improve teacher preparation Promote Parenting Education

Relevance • To “other” education sectors: the future • Preparing our children for the future • We can’t address the future by reinventing the past. We have to understand the past and present and use this to envision the future (Riel Miller, UNESCO Head of Foresight) • For SEAMEO (ASEAN) • Regional community of diverse national identities • International developments • Importance of relevance and inclusion in education (Tikly & Barrett, 2010)

Achievements / Benefits • Regional • Framework for shared discussions / planning • East Asia Pacific Early Child Development Scales (EAP-ECDS) • National • Curricula: state-, community- and home-based programmes (research) • Development / enhancement of National Policy (Alignment across policies and departments) • Teacher preparation • Alignment between EC and Primary Curricula • Adapted as tool for measurement of impact of attendance at preschool on school readiness and later school achievement Ownership & Momentum

What helps? (lesson learned) Source: Kagan L. & Britto, P. (2007)

Challenges: Making effective use of standards (disclaimer!) Curriculum Resources Learner Outcomes (school readiness) Teachers Source: http: //howestreet. com/2014/03/the-chicken-comes-before-theegg-why/ Communities

Final thought: Standards, Metrics & Education Quality Potential benefit of this meeting “On reflection, perhaps (LMTF could be strengthened with a stronger focus)……. . to establish the connections between measuring learning and improving learning. ” Archer, D. (February 3 rd, 2014) http: //www. actionaid. org/2014/02/critical-reflections-learning-metricstask-force (Tikly & Barrett, 2010)