Abstract
As concerns about the quality of early childhood care and education have increased globally, so has the need for reliable and valid tools to help administrators and teachers design new programs and better understand the quality of existing programs. In recognition of this worldwide need, the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) developed the ACEI Global Guidelines Assessment (GGA), designed to help early childhood professionals examine and improve the quality of their program services, particularly in developing countries (ACEI 2003, 2006, 2011; Barbour et. al. 2004; Sandell et al. 2010). The GGA is based on the Global Guidelines for Education and Care in the twenty-first century developed by the World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP) and the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI/OMEP 1999). Washington, DC: Association for Childhood Education International.). A study designed to examine the psychometric properties of the GGA, including its reliability and validity for assessing program quality was conducted in four different countries. There were 336 participants in 168 programs from China, Guatemala, Taiwan, and the United States. Overall, the results suggest that the GGA is a viable option for helping participants understand and improve program quality. Future studies with larger samples in additional countries are currently underway to provide greater insight for measuring program quality of ECCE programs on a global scale.
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Bergen, D., Hardin, B. (2013). Cross-Cultural Collaboration Research to Improve Early Childhood Education. In: Clark Wortham, S. (eds) Common Characteristics and Unique Qualities in Preschool Programs. Educating the Young Child, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4972-6_2
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