eBooks: Education

An Age of Accountability highlights the role of test-based accountability as a policy framework in American education from 1970 to 2020. For more than half a century, the quest to hold schools and educators accountable for academic achievement has relied almost exclusively on standardized assessment. The theory of change embedded in almost all test-based accountability programs held that assessment with stipulated consequences could lead to major improvements in schools. This was accomplished politically by proclaiming lofty goals of attaining universal proficiency and closing achievement gaps, which repeatedly failed to materialize. But even after very clear disappointments, no other policy framework has emerged to challenge its hegemony. The American public today has little confidence in institutions to improve the quality of goods and services they provide, especially in the public sector. As a consequence, many Americans continue to believe that accountability remains a vital necessity, even if educators and policy scholars disagree.  

A powerful book comprising stories of anti-racist action by higher education scholars including researchers and teachers at various stages of their careers. Aimed at and relevant for anyone in education, it encourages reflection on the tolerance of racist structures and strategies to help enact positive change. An edited volume, each chapter discusses the author's experiences of racism, including how they became part of anti-racist teaching activism through a growing understanding of the impact of racism in education. Common themes are highlighted throughout so readers can engage with relevant ideas and issues to draw inspiration for their own anti-racist action. The book draws attention to the idea that while discussion is welcome, it should be a pre-cursor to focused action. It shows exactly how university lecturers, teachers and anyone involved in education can contribute in a meaningful way to the change that is needed. To promote critical thinking, each chapter includes challenging questions and suggested additional readings/resources.

Uses a cross-national comparison of Los Angeles, New Delhi, and Hong Kong to develop strategies universities should employ to strengthen democracy and resist fascism. Bronze Winner, 2021 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in the Education Category Democracy and higher education are inextricably linked: universities not only have the ability to be key arbiters of how democracy is advanced, but they also need to reflect democratic values in their practices, objectives, and goals. Framed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing crisis of structural racism, Higher Education for Democracy explores academe's role in advancing democracy by using a cross-national comparison of Los Angeles, New Delhi, and Hong Kong to develop strategies that universities can employ to strengthen democracy and resist fascism. William G. Tierney argues that if academe is to be a progenitor in the advancement of democracy, then we need to consider five areas of change that have been significant across national contexts amid both globalization and neoliberalism: inequality, privatization, the public good, identity, and academic freedom. Taking a comparative approach and drawing on scholarly literature, archival research, and interviews, Higher Education for Democracy aims to understand these changes and their implications and to position higher education in defense of democracy in a globalized economy framed by fascism.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented the field of early childhood education with several challenges, including the need to shift early childhood instruction online. The effect of COVID-19 and social distancing regulations were experienced differently by families, teachers, teacher educators, early interventionists, and program administrators. These differences were exacerbated by socio-economic status, cultural backgrounds, and diversity in children's developmental trajectories and disabilities. Theoretical assumptions guiding the early childhood education field propose that learning is an active process fostered by an environment that supports exploration, manipulation, social interactions, and play. These foundations lay at the core of the early childhood education field. These past years, covering education in the time of COVID-19, have represented a time for readjustment and learning for those attempting to meet the needs of young children in several capacities. This book integrates perspectives of early childhood educators, higher education early childhood preparation programs, families, administrators, and early interventionists while taking into account the district roles of socioeconomic status, differences in developmental trajectories, disabilities, and cultural backgrounds. This book synthesizes the many lessons learned during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic and puts forward recommendations for the future of early childhood education in times of rapid and continuous change in the world and the field. This book should prove especially helpful for practitioners, educators, families, and policymakers looking for a source that integrates the knowledge gathered in past unprecedented years. The field of early childhood will never be the same, and this book attempts to capitalize on the experiences lived during these challenging times.

Explore the power of play-based culturally relevant curriculum in early childhood classrooms! This teacher resource provides practical strategies that create playful learning opportunities for diverse students. From authors Nadia Kenisha Bynoe and Angelique Thompson, this book serves as a comprehensive guide to using play-based learning experiences to introduce curriculum content. With these useful strategies and tips, educators can create equitable learning environments that support the diverse needs of learners and speak to multiple identities and lived experiences. Engage children in purposeful learning that is designed to provoke thought, curiosity, and wonder with the help of this book!

Children are the heart of meaningful family engagement.  Children are the inspiration for positive family-provider relationships that are essential for promoting healthy child development and learning.   School-to-Home Connections is bursting with ideas for early childhood educators. Inside, you'll find simple ways to explain developmentally appropriate practice to parents, ideas on partnering with them on their child's journey to school readiness, and tips for nurturing families' active involvement in the school community. Along the way, you discover information on: Understanding the power of play Encouraging children's individuality and uniqueness Celebrating diversity Supporting children's development across key domains Nurturing in nature Addressing challenging behaviors Transitioning to a new class or school Each chapter includes suggestions for connecting parents with the classroom, the program, and the wider school community. When parents and teachers partner, children thrive! 

Based on census and population data, it is likely that one or more gender-expansive or LGBTQIA+ child is enrolled in every early education program in the country. Guidance for Supporting Gender Diversity in Early Childhood Education is a starting point--a primer--for early educators who are interested in learning more about working with and supporting young gender-diverse children and their families. With a focus on understanding children?s gender development, this groundbreaking guide reflects the voices of those you are learning about and connects readers with useful resources to improve teaching and programs. Explore new ways of thinking about gender. Expand your understanding of genderidentity development. Discover practical strategies to navigate conversations about gender with confidence. Help support families who have children who are gender creative. Set the values and tone for a classroom culture that ensures all children feel welcome. Supporting gender diversity in the classroom should be a regular part of best practice for early educators. Begin your journey of learning today!

Together, the voices of early childhood educators, scholars, and professionals can sound the call to advance the profession toward more equitable educational experiences, systems, and practices for all children. This book showcases many of these voices from across the field of early childhood education and invites you to think about and discuss ways you can add your own voice to that call. Expanding on recommendations from NAEYC's "Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education" position statement, the contributors to this invaluable resource navigate difficult and complex topics and offer guidance on how to apply more equitable pedagogical practices. Grounded in theoretical frameworks and current research, the chapters look at both the history of inequity in the profession and what the future of education can mean for all children. Inside, you'll read the voices of Teresa Acevedo Jennifer Keys Adair Rosemarie Allen Garnett S. Booker III Barbara T. Bowman Dina C. Castro Jie-Qi Chen Stephanie M. Curenton Felicia L. DeHaney Louise Derman-Sparks Lillian Durán Tonia R. Durden Isauro M. Escamilla Belinda Bustos Flores Janelle Beth Flores Ximena Franco Mimi Gray Socorro Herrera Zeynep Isik-Ercan Debbie LeeKeenan Junlei Li Daniel R. Meier Jen Neitzel John Nimmo Iliana Reyes Shubhi Sachdeva Hilary Seitz Dorothy L. Shapland Carla Thompson Payton Alandra Washington Dana Winters Brian L. Wright . . . and many more!