In April of 2002, President Bush announced his proposals to strengthen early childhood education in his policy document, Good Start, Grow Smart. One of the goals put forth by the President was to encourage States to set quality criteria for early childhood education.

In the upcoming months, the U.S. Department of Education will host four regional Early Childhood Educator Academies to share research on early childhood instructional practices and professional development that promote cognitive development. The Academies will also provide guidance on developing or strengthening early childhood voluntary guidelines.

*Please note change in dates previously listed.

Attendees will include representatives from the various Federal and state agencies and their partners who serve preschool children and their families. The Head Start and Child Care Bureaus at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have been involved in the planning of the Academies and encourage early care and education policymakers to attend. Good Start, Grow Smart directs Federal and State agencies to work together to ensure that every child enters school with the pre-reading skills necessary to succeed.

Academy Format

The Academies will span two full days with sessions devoted to:

• Voluntary State guidelines for children ages 3 to 5
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Professional development

The goals of the Early Childhood Educator Academies are to:

• Develop an understanding of high quality voluntary state guidelines in early literacy and numeracy
• Create a common base of knowledge about scientific research based instructional practices, professional development and assessment
• Promote inter-agency collaboration across the field of early childhood education

Audience

The Early Childhood Educator Academies are targeted toward key decision makers in the field of early childhood education. If you do not receive an invitation, you can be put on a waiting list.

You may place your name on the waiting list to attend one of the Academies by going to: http://eceacademy.rmcres.com/. If space is available, you will be notified after November 1, 2002.

How to Register

• Invitations will be emailed or faxed by October 22, 2002
• Directions for online registration will be included
• Once you receive your invitation, you will be able to register for the academy of your choice

Additional Information

• More information on the President's early childhood proposals
• Teaching our Youngest, a valuable guide for preschool teachers & child care & family providers
• Other valuable Early Childhood Resources from the U.S. Department of Education
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Child Care Bureau
• Office of Head Start

This page last modified—May 2, 2003 (edg).