An Analysis of Irish Pre-school Practice using the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales

1. Parish Pedagogies An Analysis of Irish Pre-school Practice using the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales Gerardine Neylon Mon 13th October Westport co Mayo Ireland

2. ECERS-R Based on observation 7 sub-scales: Space and furnishings Personal care routines Language reasoning Activities Interaction Programme structure Parents and staff Harms, Clifford & Cryer (1998) ECERS-E Based on observation 4 sub-scales: Literacy Mathematics Science and environment Diversity Sylva, Siraj-Blatchford & Taggart (2003) Two Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales

3. ECERS/R/E Irish Research. Ethical Approval Second researcher came on board (findings shared across two PhD’s) Training - use of the instrument Pilot study X 2 ECERS-R/E To get cohort of 26 as a random sample applied Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Pre-school services only visited, one in each county. Data collated

4. Method: Application of the International Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales - Revised and Extended • Researchers observe pre-school practice from greeting to departure. • Within each of the 11 categories there are sub-categories (61) in total. • Sub-categories are rated as inadequate (1), minimal (3), good (5), or excellent (7). • Scores are based on the situation observed.

6. “quality of care” What was know of ECEC Assessment? • The term Quality has proved harder to define than one might expect. • “ECERS rating scale is an Imperfect but useful way to measure ECEC” Kathy Sylva • Pre-school inspectorate - Inspection reports (26) • Pre-school HighScope Program Quality Assessment (PQA) (5) • Registration guidelines for Montessori schools – includes Self and Assessor assessment (1)

7. Context: December 2009 – ECERS data collection began – finished May 2010 • April 2009 - Supplementary Budget Free Pre-school Year (FPSY) announced • Great uncertainty, concerning payment rates, accreditation levels? • Strong feelings of lack of consultation with the sector • FPSY was welcome in some settings depending on their circumstance: existing pre-school charges/rent/accreditation etc… • Observed 8 children's ‘first day’ in pre-school – mid-term.

8. United Kingdom (Ex N.I) 2004 Northern Ireland 2006

9. The study cohort findingsInadequate (1-2), minimal (3-4), good (5-6), excellent (7)

11. Family inclusion: Parents, Personal and Professional Development, Staff Interaction, Evaluation & Opportunities for Professional Growth

12. Parent Involvement in Early Learning • A lot easier said than done - Questions of power and openness - Parents often unsure of their role both at home and at school Findings • ECEC services are assuming an increasingly important role in supporting families. • ECEC as a parenting support measure needs to be embedded in training, practice and policy at local, regional and national levels. • Greater recognition in pre-service and in-service training – good ECEC can reduce stress in families and lives and enhances child outcomes. • ECEC practitioners need to be knowledgably about community resources so as to support learning at home & in the neighbourhood. • Research Skills (International Child Development Initiatives ICID, 2012 Bernard Van Leer Foundation,)

15. The Graduate Led Practitioner = Automatic Quality = Myth Mixed Market – Mixed Messages Practice managed at a distance by owner without training - Set the routine Trained ECEC staff taking direction from manager • Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care (CoRe) (2011) • Importance of a graduate led workforce combined with local, regional and national systems to support educators.

16. Early Childhood Educators as an Emerging Profession The ECEC workforce: Carers or Educators? Or Family Support Workers?

17. How did Mayo come to have first-rate quality pre-schools where other counties have failed?

18. The success of HighScope makes a strong case for … • Those working on delivering quality in ECEC - City and County Childcare • Committees, Family Resource Centres, and TUSLA to explore HighScope • HighScope fits well with National Early Years Learning Framework, Aistear. • The Mayo services run under the National Free Pre-school Year Scheme • One drawback is that payment to staff is paid only for contact time with children. Time spent preparing and working on family support is, at the moment, unpaid work. The reliance on unpaid work is a worrying sign if this project is to be extended nationwide. And is central to the debate concerning the professionalising of the Early Years Sector. • In 1968, writer John Healy published No One Shouted Stop: Death of an Irish Town –Charlestown, Co. Mayo was devastated without regional and national support. • 25 years later In 1993 A group of dedicated professionals and community members shouted start, by building on existing pre-school services, introducing the HighScope model. • This research indicates that these services offer better quality services than available elsewhere

19. bibliography Collins K (2014) Evaluation of HighScope in Co-Mayo Harms, T. Clifford, R. and Cryer, D. (1998) Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale – Revised, New York: Teachers College Press Harms T (2006) Video Observations for the ECERS-R [DVD], Teachers College Press Melhuish, E. Quinn, L. Hanna, K. Sylva, K. Sammons, K.I. Siraj-Blatchford, I. and Taggart, B. (2006) Effective Pre-school Provision in Northern Ireland Sylva, K. Siraj-Blatchford, I. and Taggart, B. (2006) Early Childhood Environment rating scale (ECERS-E) Extension (ECERS-) Four Curricular Subscales, Staffordshire England: Trentham Books Sylva, K. 9 February 2009 Imperfect but useful ways to measure quality: research findings using the ECERS-R, ECERS-E and the CISDepartment of Education, University of Oxford University of East London Van Leer Foundation (2012) International Child Development Initiatives ICID Bernard Parent Involvement in Early Learning A review of research, poicy and good practice

20. Bibliography Environment rating scale (ECERS-E) Extension (ECERS/E) Four Curricular Subscales, Staffordshire England: Trentham Books.

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