Children at the Center

Children at the Center provides a closely observed account of the decade-long effort to reshape the direction and quality of the Boston Public Schools' early childhood programs. Drawing on multiple perspectives and voices from the field, the authors highlight the reflective, collaborative, inquiry-driven approach undertaken by the program and share lessons learned. Boston Public Schools are recognized for embedding high-quality, public preK programs in their system and achieving exceptional results. In this book, the authors outline the core principles that underlie the district's early childhood programs and explore the role of curriculum, professional development, coaching, and data use in supporting these new initiatives. They show how the Department of Early Childhood was able to work both with and against the constraints of the current accountability system to create a holistic, child-centered, play-based program that has had a significant impact in narrowing income-based gaps. Written in collaboration with the Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood Education, this account of creating successful preK programs in a diverse urban district is a resource for practitioners engaged in similar work across the country.--Provided by publisher.