All About HighScope (continued)

How does High/Scope train people to use the educational approach?

High/Scope trains administrators, curriculum specialists, teachers, and child care providers in the High/Scope approach. We also prepare them to work directly with parents. Training is held at individual program locations and at Foundation headquarters in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where we operate a Demonstration Preschool visited by hundreds of educators each year. In the past 30 years, High/Scope has conducted training in every state and in more than 20 foreign countries. We hold an annual international conference on education in Michigan as well as several regional conferences throughout the year.

To accommodate different training needs and schedules, High/Scope offers a variety of courses and workshops ranging from one day to multiple weeks spread over several months. Training combines theory with practical application. High/Scope curriculum courses cover all aspects of understanding and implementing the educational approach with children and youth. Adult training courses enable those in supervisory positions to train and support staff at their own agencies as they use the High/Scope model. In addition to these basic courses, High/Scope also offers an ever-expanding roster of advanced workshops and seminars on such topics as reading, assessment, conflict resolution, visual and performing arts, and staff supervision.

The Foundation has collaborative arrangements with institutions of higher education, enabling participants to earn undergraduate or graduate credit for attending training. Successful completion of High/Scope course work also results in teacher or trainer certification, or program accreditation, based on rigorous evaluation criteria including assessment with the PQA. Individuals and agencies who are certified or accredited, respectively, become members of the High/Scope International Registry. Anyone with an interest in High/Scope can also join the High/Scope Membership Association to receive updated information about Foundation activities as well as free periodicals and discounts on Foundation conferences and products.

How did High/Scope get its name and what does it mean?

The late David Weikart, High/Scope's founder, relates how High/Scope got its name in his memoir How High/Scope Grew.. High/Scope was originally established as a camp program for talented adolescents. Weikart relates that the name was chosen by the camp's founders "at the end of a long evening of heady and serious discussion about [the program's] purpose and goals." They chose "high" to signify their aspiration level and "scope" to describe the breadth of vision they hoped to achieve. The slash was added later by a graphic artist, who in designing a logo, needed to bring the two words together.

For a more comprehensive overview of the High/Scope educational approach, see All About High/Scope, a ten-part series written for teachers, parents, and program administrators (Cat.# N-P1166).

You can also learn about the above topics in greater depth with these High/Scope Press publications: the curriculum and its implementation—Educating Young Children (N-P1178); Tender Care and Early Learning (N-F1046); Supporting Young Learners (Vols. 1–4, N-P1278SET); The Teacher's Idea Books series (Nos. 1–6, N-P1249SET) and Models of Early Childhood Education (N-R1039); training—Training for Quality (N-R1033); research—Lifetime Effects (N-R1063), Significant Benefits (N-R1034); and Lasting Differences (N-R1057); early reading—Growing Readers Early Literacy Curriculum (N-P1250SET); Preschool Readers and Writers (N-P1224); Fee, Fi, Phonemic Awareness (N-P1190); and Letter Links; conflict resolution—You Can’t Come to My Birthday Party (N-P1171); art—Supporting Young Artists (N-P1192); and working with parents—You and Your Child newsletters (N-P1167SET) and Helping Your Preschool Child Become a Reader (N-F1059).

For a history of High/Scope as an organization, see How High/Scope Grew: A Memoir (N-P1228).

For information on these products or High/Scope training and evaluation services, visit the online store on our Web page at www.highscope.org, or e-mail us at training@highscope.org