Anne Douglass

Transforming professionalism: Relational bureaucracy and parent-teacher partnerships in child care settings

Dramatic shifts in early childhood policy in the US are increasing the bureaucratic nature of early childhood programs and influencing the field’s definition of professionalism. Despite the many benefits of professionalizing the child care field, the current trend toward formalization and standardization may have unintended negative consequences for parent–teacher partnerships, a key dimension of child care quality. This article employs an interdisciplinary lens to explore the conflict between family-centered practice and bureaucratic organizational systems, and suggests an alternative hybrid organizational model that transforms conventional notions of professionalism and bureaucracy. Effective partnerships with families in formal child care settings may depend on this ‘relational bureaucratic’ organizational context.

The Strengthening Families Initiative and Child Care Quality Improvement: How Strengthening Families Influenced Change in Child Care Programs in One State

Research Findings: This study investigated how the Strengthening Families through Early Care and Education initiative in Illinois (SFI) influenced change in 4 child care programs. Findings indicate that SFI influenced quality improvements through 4 primary pathways: (a) Learning Networks, (b) the quality of training, (c) the engagement of program directors, and (e) the organizational climate at programs. SFIs multilevel model of implementation was key to its effectiveness. Two barriers to improving family partnership practices were identified: lack of cultural competence and a negative organizational climate. Practice or Policy: First, quality improvement and professional development efforts are likely to be more effective in promoting real change when they target multiple levels of the context in and around child care programs. SFIs multilevel implementation approach is a model. Second, quality improvement efforts in the area of family engagement may be more effective when specific attention is given to strategies for creating a supportive organizational climate and collegial relationships among staff. Relationships within programs set the tone for relationships with families. Third, cultural competence requires increased attention to efforts to improve the quality of family partnership practices. A focus on organizational cultural competence may provide the workplace environment necessary to support culturally competent practice among program staff.

Resilience in change: Positive perspectives on the dynamics of change in early childhood systems

Change is a central feature of the early care and education landscape today. Much of the research on educational change focuses on the negative or challenging aspects of change. This study employed a critical theory framework from the organizational sciences field, positive organizational scholarship, to offer a new way of thinking about change in the early care and education field. This article examines the positive dynamics of change and collective resilience in the implementation of a new early care and education professional development system in one US state. Data sources included 60 in-depth interviews with professional development providers and state education agency staff, meeting observations, and document review. This positive organizational scholarship lens revealed multiple positive processes, including compassion, mutual support, and participants’ ability to make sense of, adapt to, and positively contribute to change. Furthermore, results show how specific communication structures fostered relationships among participants that enabled these positive change dynamics. The article suggests ways that change efforts can be designed to intentionally enable positive change and strengthen collective resilience in the early care and education field.

Lessons From an Urban School Readiness Initiative: Including Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care Providers

ABSTRACT Research Findings: Using a structured qualitative case study method, this study examined one urban school readiness initiatives efforts to identify and engage family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care providers to promote school readiness in underserved and immigrant communities. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 23 FFN providers, 14 parent leaders, and 35 community partners in five urban neighborhoods. Results show that 1) a community-organizing approach was the primary method of engaging FFN providers, 2) FFN providers self-reported positive impacts of their engagement for both themselves and the children in their care, and 3) the inclusion of FFN providers elicited many strong feelings among partners about potential benefits and liabilities of supporting FFN care, which in some cases acted as a barrier to successful engagement of FFN providers. Practice and policy: Results highlight key strategies and potential benefits of engaging FFN providers in comprehensive school readiness systems. The tensions that arose regarding the engagement of FFN providers point to the importance of addressing misconceptions of FFN care and its value to children, families, and communities in order to ensure a shared commitment and understanding of the value and possible benefits of such a strategy.

Sound Bites Won’t Prepare the Next Generation: Early Childhood Teacher Education Policy Public-Private Divide in Massachusetts

The political emphasis on early education speaks of growing expectations for equal access and the need to ensure quality—by way of standard accountability measures—on behalf of all young children. A central element in the improvement of early education focuses on teacher quality. In this article we examine and discuss the challenges related to finding and retaining highly qualified early childhood teachers, how this may impact preschool program quality, school readiness, and the ensuing academic achievement gaps among students of diverse backgrounds. Through a case study involving one state, we examine its agencies overseeing early education and care, teacher credentialing, and early childhood teacher education programs. Insights provided are useful for those concerned with children’s equitable access to highly qualified teachers in states with policy inconsistencies that appear to unintentionally but factually perpetuate the income-achievement gap.