Early Childhood Education

The purpose of the proposed research is to develop an "ideal" early childhood school for students from two to eight years of age (Prekindergarten to third grade). The designed school will be based on the current literature on school reform and change at the early education level. All aspects of the design will be based on research findings demonstrating success in the area of student learning and/or organizational efficiency. In this way, the "ideal" will be grounded in the real.

The school design will include the following elements: (1) a vision statement (the philosophic mission of the school); (2) a statement of the conceptual beliefs about children, education, and schools upon which the school design will be based; (3) a description of the planned school organization and administrative structure; (4) a description of how students will be grouped;

(5) a delineation of the processes that will be used to develop and organize curricula; (6) a compilation of teachers' work schedules; (7) a description of methods that will be used to assess student learning; (8) a specification of managerial and governing functions; (9) a description of personnel roles; and (10) a description of the role of support personnel in the school.

The study's purpose can be characterized as the design of an early childhood school derived from information obtain

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d the school the skills and concepts taught in the classroom. (Toch, 1994, p.ix) In other words, the American school system is in need of educational reform. A pivotal conceptual assumption of this study relates to this need. This assumption is based on Ornstein and Hunkins' (1993) notion that the heart of educational reform is to provide students with an "ideal" learning environment. This environment is defined by the authors as one that encourages the development of complex thinking and upholds the American values of individuality, freedom, and moral empowerment. According to Orstein and Hunkins (1993), we live in a society that is changing at a rapid rate. The authors characterize this change by noting that someone born in 1940 witnessed the following changes: (1) tele- communications became virtually instantaneous; (2) a millionfold increase in information processing; (3) a millionfold increase in population growth; (4) jet aircraft, radar, space missiles and space satellites became common; (5) great advances in organ transplantation; (6) the landing of men on the moon and of space equipment on Mars; (7) development of genetic engineering; (8) replacement of a good deal of money with plastic cards such as
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Ornstein Levine, Study Schlechty, Borg Gall, Research Questions, Ornstein Hunkins, STUDY Statement, Orstein Hunkins, Organizational Reforms, Remainder Proposal, LITERATURE Introduction, proposed study, school design, student learning, successful schools, design plan proposed, suited school, design plan, ideal school, suited school design, plan proposed study, school design plan, plan proposed, change reform, complex thinking, ornstein levine 1990,
Approximate Word count = 3466
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page)

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