Getting It Right From the Start

Marjorie J. Kostelnik began her career in early childhood education as a Head Start teacher and has been involved in educating children and teachers ever since. She was on the faculty at Michigan State for 22 years, serving 12 years as program supervisor of the Child Development Laboratories and then as chair of the Department of Family and Child Ecology. During her time in Michigan, she worked with early childhood educators in more than 100 programs developing curriculum, enhancing children’s school readiness, and working with teachers to develop positive child guidance strategies. An author of 16 books, Kostelnik arrived at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2001, where she is now serving as dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences. A former vice president of NAEYC, Kostelnik currently serves on the Lincoln Public Schools Community Learning Center Advisory Board and the State of Nebraska Early Childhood Interagency Coordinating Council. She received her master’s degree and doctorate in human development and family studies from Penn State. Marilyn L. Grady, is professor of educational administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). She is the author or coauthor of 23 books, including From Difficult Teachers to Dynamic Teamwork (2009) with Brock, Getting it Right from the Start (2009) with Kostelnik From First Year to First Rate (2007) with Brock, 194 High-Impact Letters for Busy Principals (2006), 20 Biggest Mistakes Principals Make and How to Avoid Them (2004) and Launching Your First Principalship (2004) with Brock. Her research areas include leadership, the principalship, and superintendent-board relations. She has more than 175 publications to her credit. She is the editor of the Journal of Women in Educational Leadership. Her editorial board service has included Educational Administration Quarterly, International Studies in Educational Administration, International Journal of Learning, Rural Educator, Journal of At-Risk Issues, Journal of School Leadership, Advancing Women in Leadership On-Line Journal, Journal for Rural School and Community Renewal, International Journal of Learning, and Journal for a Just and Caring Education. She is the recipient of the Stanley Brzezinski Research Award, NCPEA’s Living Legend Award, the Donald R. and Mary Lee Swanson Award for Teaching Excellence, UNL’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and UNL’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Status of Women.Grady coordinates an annual conference on women in educational leadership that attracts national attendance and is in its 24th year. She has been an administrator in K-12 schools as well as at the college and university levels. She received her bachelor’s degree in history from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, and her doctorate in educational administration with a specialty in leadership from The Ohio State University.

"In one relatively small volume, the authors have organized information on just about everything a school leader needs to get a well-designed program off the ground and to make sure it will get better as time goes on. A particular strength of the book is its effectiveness in defining the years of preschool through third grade as a cohesive unit within the school. This is especially evident in the extensive chapter on assessment. The book will have value for both current practitioners and those preparing to become elementary administrators."

• PrefaceAbout the Authors1. Early Childhood Education: An Expanding Enterprise!Increasing Family DemandEarly Learning ImperativesChildren at Risk of School FailureReducing the Achievement Gap: Starting EarlyEarly Childhood Education: A Sound InvestmentPrincipals’ Roles: Laying the Groundwork2. Quality Makes ALL the DifferenceThe Corrosive Impact of Poor QualityHigh-Quality DefinedLeadership and High QualityBecoming an Early Childhood LeaderPrincipals’ Roles: Achieving High Quality3. Breaking New Ground: Getting Involved in Early Childhood EducationWhat Exactly Is Early Childhood Education?Becoming Familiar With Early Childhood CultureSchool Principals as Culture BrokersPrincipals’ Roles: Getting Involved in Early Childhood Education4. Early Childhood Education: StakeholdersIdentifying the StakeholderCollaborationGive Voice to StakeholdersActions and ConsiderationsPrincipals’ Roles: Working With Stakeholders5. Developmentally Appropriate PracticeFundamental Principles of DAPDevelopmentally Inappropriate Practice (DIP)Applying DAP Requires JudgmentThe Sounds of DAP!Empirical Support for DAPCommon Questions About DAPPrincipals’ Roles: Supporting DAP6. The Principal’s Guide to How Young Children Develop and LearnThe Essential Nature of Young ChildrenHow Young Children DevelopHow Young Children LearnWhat Children Are LearningPrincipals’ Roles: Supporting Child Development and Learning7. Early Childhood CurriculumWhat Constitutes the Early Childhood Curriculum?‘Goodness of Fit’ Between Early Education and Later SchoolingImplementing the Early Childhood CurriculumActivities to Look for in Early Childhood ClassroomsPrincipal’s Roles: Curriculum8. Learning Centers & Classroom RoutinesTypical Learning Centers for Young ChildrenSkills Teachers Need to Run Effective CentersHow Classroom Routines Support Curricular GoalsA Typical Day for ChildrenPrincipals’ Roles: Centers and Routines9. Early Childhood AssessmentKey ConsiderationsAuthentic AssessmentStrategies to Guide Learning and Improve InstructionStrategies for Identifying Children’s Special NeedsAssessing Early Childhood Programs and Learning ContextsPros and Cons of Standardized AssessmentThe Principals’ Roles: Promoting Authentic Assessment10. Early Childhood Education: Family InvolvementThrough the Eyes of the FamiliesLooking Inside and Looking OutsideSuggestions for FamiliesThrough the Eyes of TeachersParents Want Communication With the SchoolFamily RolesPrincipals’ Roles: Family Involvement11. Early Childhood TeachersTeachers MatterThe Critical Function of PrincipalsCharacteristics of ‘Good’ TeachersFormal Teacher QualificationsTranslating Teacher Standards Into PracticePrincipals’ Roles: Supporting Early Childhood Teachers12. Finding and Keeping Good TeachersShortage of Qualified Early Childhood TeachersLooking for Teachers to Support Diverse Children and FamiliesReducing Staff TurnoverPrincipals’ Roles: Hiring and Retaining Good Teachers13. Physical Environments That Support Early LearningEnvironmental PropositionsHow Physical Environments Influence Child Development and LearningFundamentals of Environmental PlanningPhysical Requirements of Activity-Based InstructionEquipping Early Childhood ClassroomsThe Great Outdoors!Principals’ Roles: Creating Optimal Early Learning Environments14. Early Childhood Education: FundingFunding SourcesHistory of Federal FundingState FundingLocal FundingStart-Up CostsAdministrator VoicesPrincipals’ Roles: Funding15. Action SummaryTool A. Learning Center ChecklistTool B. Key Instruments Used Nationally for Evaluation of Children in ECE ProgramsTool C. Daily Literacy Checklist P3Tool D. Daily Numeracy Checklist P3Tool E. Guidelines for Structuring Informative On-Site ObservationsTool F. Sample Interview Questions for Teacher CandidatesTool G. Early Childhood Safety & Health ChecklistTool H. Physical Requirements of Small Group Activity CentersTool I. ECE Classroom Equipment ListTool J. Indoor Environment ChecklistReferencesIndex