Dear Virginie,
Here are my responses to your questions:
Right now in the U.S. we are learning about and beginning to implement in some states what are called Common Core Standards. These are individual standards for each grade level, that are the same in all 50 states. Standards of course are like a road map that outlines what the students need to know to get to the next grade level. The students in third grade and up take standardized tests to determine achievement of these standards in many cases. I am a big advocate against standardized testing because I do not believe it works to show what students do and do not know. It is slowly finding it's way into the early grades. We have a touch screen computer for testing this year. How the students perform on this will determine 15% of my teacher evaluation score this year. Does the early childhood programs in your country have standards developmental, early learning etc.?
Do you all have any kind of formal assessments?
Early Childhood Education in Azerbaijan for a long time was considered as care, and just recently say during last 5-6 years it started to be considered as education. Even now there is little of understanding that early years-up to 3 years is also education. Early childhood education in Azerbaijan is divided into several periods: early years: 0-3 years, preschool years: 3-5 years, and school preparation: 5-6 years. The most recent education law adopted by parliament –Milli Mejlis identified only 3-6 as education. Now Institute of Educational Problems at the Ministry of Education drafted first curriculum for preschool education (in the text I’ll be referring to preschool education as 3-6 years) which covers 3-6 years. This curriculum is under expert review now, and soon will be piloted and then evaluated. There are no achievement standards for preschool education, but the development and early literacy standards were drafted. So until the pilot results are not evaluated our preschool teachers continue working without testing against standards. Introduction of standards as international trend was recommended by international experts particularly from the US. But no any formal assessment has been and will never be conducted in preschool education, and all local experts have agreed on that.
Right now in the U.S. we are learning about and beginning to implement in some states what are called Common Core Standards. These are individual standards for each grade level, that are the same in all 50 states. Standards of course are like a road map that outlines what the students need to know to get to the next grade level. The students in third grade and up take standardized tests to determine achievement of these standards in many cases. I am a big advocate against standardized testing because I do not believe it works to show what students do and do not know. It is slowly finding it's way into the early grades. We have a touch screen computer for testing this year. How the students perform on this will determine 15% of my teacher evaluation score this year. Does the early childhood programs in your country have standards developmental, early learning etc.?
Do you all have any kind of formal assessments?
Early Childhood Education in Azerbaijan for a long time was considered as care, and just recently say during last 5-6 years it started to be considered as education. Even now there is little of understanding that early years-up to 3 years is also education. Early childhood education in Azerbaijan is divided into several periods: early years: 0-3 years, preschool years: 3-5 years, and school preparation: 5-6 years. The most recent education law adopted by parliament –Milli Mejlis identified only 3-6 as education. Now Institute of Educational Problems at the Ministry of Education drafted first curriculum for preschool education (in the text I’ll be referring to preschool education as 3-6 years) which covers 3-6 years. This curriculum is under expert review now, and soon will be piloted and then evaluated. There are no achievement standards for preschool education, but the development and early literacy standards were drafted. So until the pilot results are not evaluated our preschool teachers continue working without testing against standards. Introduction of standards as international trend was recommended by international experts particularly from the US. But no any formal assessment has been and will never be conducted in preschool education, and all local experts have agreed on that.
The achievement gaps in our country have been on the mend for quite sometime now. Head Start was initiated because of this long before pre-k programs and may other early learning programs. What are the achievement gaps in your country if any? Is there anything in place to help bridge these gaps?
You know first of all access to preschool education in Azerbaijan is so low that discussing achievement gaps between various groups of children is not so much relevant because state can not ensure service provision to all children especially to those who are from rural area. Any formal assessment of gaps available has not been conducted. But according to anecdotal evidences children who enter first grade without preschool education face more difficulties in learning and social life than other children.
Do you think or believe that standards are the key to education equity?
It is difficult question. I believe that standards are needed for policy makers and politicians to justify 1) that public money were spent well and resulted with some measureable outcomes.; 2) standards probably are necessary to assess teachers’ work. I have never thought about linking standards with equity. I’ll think of that
I believe that our children need to learn to socialize and how to play. In early childhood we know these are the basis for learning, it is slowly being taken away. I think if we start with this and build on this we will begin to see educational excellence. Do you have any thoughts about this and are play and socialization important in early childhood in your country?
Play is a quite new concept in our preschool education and has been introduced like 5 -6 years ago. Yes, I agree that preschool education is slowly shifting towards more academic teaching traditions and move away from play. It is true about international trends but it is not so much relevant to our preschool education at present. However there are efforts to shape preschool curriculum like curriculum for primary education, but happily this has not been implemented.
Are there other types of excellence and equity in early childhood that you work with or advocate for in your country?
Public preschool formally provide equity and provide free of charge preschool services to all children. Informally due to lack of public kindergartens and growing competition for free of charge services among parents, and growing women’s employment there hidden inequality in service provision when better offs, better educated and urban families get more services that opposite side.
Are there other types of excellence and equity in early childhood that you work with or advocate for in your country?
Public preschool formally provide equity and provide free of charge preschool services to all children. Informally due to lack of public kindergartens and growing competition for free of charge services among parents, and growing women’s employment there hidden inequality in service provision when better offs, better educated and urban families get more services that opposite side.
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