Administrators Gain Tools to Support Teachers of Young Children

This past summer California Education Partners partnered with Stanford’s Graduate School of Education to offer elementary school principals and district administrators a deep dive into the world of early childhood education. 

With the expansion of transitional kindergarten and the increased number of preschools on elementary school campuses districts now have more very young children in their schools who require a different learning environment than older children. Developmentally appropriate education for children that are 4 and 5 years old is playful and addresses all dimensions of children’s development, not just academic achievement. The Principals Institute was created to help school leaders ensure young children’s strong and long-lasting foundation for future learning and academic success. 

Participants spent two days in July at Stanford Univeristy learning about developmentally appropriate and playful instruction in language and literacy, with a focus on multiple language learners, assessment, supporting social-emotional development, minimizing and addressing behavioral challenges, engaging families as partners, and school structures that are needed to support effective teaching  practices and  to build coherence across the early grades. District administrators learned about how to support principals in their roles as instructional leaders who effectively support teachers of young children. 

The Institute is designed to give school district teams an opportunity to learn from other districts and to plan next steps based on what they are learning.  Participants will continue to meet quarterly on zoom throughout this academic year.