All About HighScope (continued)

1. Approach calmly, stopping any hurtful actions or language-A calm manner reassures children that things are under control and can be worked out to everyone's satisfaction.
2. Acknowledge feelings-Children need to express their feelings before they can let go of them and think about possible solutions to the problem.
3. Gather information-Adults are careful not to make assumptions or takes sides. We ask open-ended questions to help children describe what happened in their own words.
4. Restate the problem-Using the information provided by the children, the adult restates the problem, using clear and simple terms and, if necessary, rephrasing hurtful words.
5. Ask for ideas for solutions and choose one together-Adults encourage children to suggest solutions, helping to put them in practical and concrete terms. We accept their ideas, rather than impose our own, thus giving children the satisfaction of having solved the problem.
6. Give follow-up support as needed-Adults help children begin to carry out their solution, making sure that no one remains upset. If necessary, we repeat one or more steps until all the children return to their play.

How can families use High/Scope at home?

Many of the activities that High/Scope teachers offer in their programs can also be done by families at home. For example, parents can provide many different learning materials, often using everyday objects that cost little or nothing. Parents can encourage children to make plans, carry them out, and talk about what they have learned from their experiences. They can try to be more predictable in their routines so children know what to expect. And they can use the steps of conflict resolution to help children resolve disputes with siblings and friends. High/Scope classrooms welcome visits from parents and encourage them to participate in field trips and other special events. We are especially eager for parents to share things about their families and culture so they can be incorporated into the program's daily routine. In addition, staff hold regular workshops to help parents understand child development and how it is fostered at school and home. Teachers and caregivers conduct at least one home visit and two conferences with parents each year to share what is happening in the program in general and with their child in particular. In sum, High/Scope regards parents and teachers as partners in promoting children's learning.

How does High/Scope assess children?

High/Scope assesses children's development with comprehensive observations rather than narrow tests, using the High/Scope Preschool Child Observation Record (COR). Observing a broad range of behaviors over several weeks or months gives us a more accurate picture of children's true capabilities than tests administered in one-time sessions. Using the key experiences as a framework, teachers record daily anecdotes describing what children do and say. Two or three times a year, they review these anecdotes and rate each child at the highest level he or she has demonstrated so far on 30 items in six areas of development: initiative, social relations, creative representation, movement and music, language and literacy, and logic and mathematics. Children's COR scores help teachers design learning opportunities tailored to their level of development. The COR is also used to explain children's progress to parents during conferences. Instead of only giving parents abstract scores, teachers share anecdotes illustrating what their children are doing now and how they will continue to grow. High/Scope has also used the COR in state and national research projects to investigate the effectiveness of our educational approach and to compare it to other curriculum models.

How does High/Scope evaluate programs?

A proven model can only benefit children if it is implemented with high levels of fidelity. To guarantee that programs claiming to do High/Scope are indeed using our educational approach, we certify teachers and trainers, and accredit programs with the second edition of the Preschool Program Quality Assessment (PQA) Trained evaluators observe in the classroom and interview program staff to record objective notes and complete ratings on 72 items in seven areas: learning environment, daily routine, adult-child interaction, curriculum planning and assessment, parent involvement and family services, staff qualifications and staff development, and program management. The PQA is also an excellent tool for staff development, because detailed examples of "ideal" implementation are built into the scoring system. Like the COR, the PQA is also used in state and national evaluation projects to assess the impact of training and examine the relationship between program quality and children's development.

Is High/Scope compatible with standards for which programs are held accountable?

High/Scope key experiences and assessment tools can be aligned with the teaching standards and child outcomes required by states, school districts, and federally funded programs. For example, the Preschool COR assessment instrument aligns with specific indicators in the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework, and computer versions of the COR will generate reports documenting child progress in terms of Head Start Domains, Elements, and Indicators.. Similarly, the Head Start User Guide to the PQA (included in the Administration Manual of the second edition of the Preschool PQA) connects each PQA item to the relevant criteria in the Head Start Performance Standards. The High/Scope educational approach can also be cross-mapped with the early childhood standards of virtually every local school district or state department of education. As a whole, the High/Scope curriculum and teaching approach are compatible with the best developmental practices recommended by respected practitioner groups. The High/Scope Demonstration Preschool is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). In developing specific content areas, High/Scope also takes into account the standards and guidelines of relevant professional organizations such as the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).