Evidence Brief: Ideal Learning Environments
Scientific evidence supports key principles of early learning environments Many studies have demonstrated that early childhood is a critical time…
Report
Educator Development
IL Practice
Public Policy
- Status
- In Progress
- Makeup
- Project Grant
- Organization
- Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Program (MECLP)
Purpose
Early education leaders are paramount to creating the programs and conditions that enable young children to thrive. However, leaders administering early childhood programs need to have a deep understanding of high-quality early learning environments. To address this issue, Trust for Learning is working with the Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Program (MECLP), a program of the Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities at UMBC, who partner with The Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation (IEELI) at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, to introduce and expose ideal learning content into the learnings of Cohort members through course work, Community of Practice conversations, webinars, Leadership Institutes, and field trips. This initiative will provide early childhood leaders with access to early childhood experts and materials that reflect the principles of ideal learning, which they can use in their work with state and local partners.
The Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Program seeks to develop and support strong leaders who will catalyze positive change and significantly improve school readiness and related outcomes for early learners, particularly disadvantaged and vulnerable children and their families. Currently, Leading for Change in Early Childhood Education is a 12 month, hybrid (face-to-face sessions and online readings and activities) 3 credit graduate post-Baccalaureate course designed to build the leadership skills, knowledge, and dispositions of early childhood professionals. MECLP is currently developing a second 3-credit post-Baccalaureate course which will emphasize concepts of equitable public policy and advocacy in early learning and evidence-based practices in the classroom for early educators in infant to third-grade settings. For cohort “fellows” who pursue the second 3-credit post-Baccalaureate course, MECLP will have developed a 6 graduate credit pathway to earn an Endorsement in Early Childhood Leadership from UMBC.
