Leaders in the State of Oregon is focusing on early childhood education due to its many benefits to children. Studies have found that children with disabilities are less likely to be fully included in early learning programs. Researchers at Oregon State University will help provide training and support for the early education workforce on how to best include children experiencing disabilities in classroom activities. Additionally, children who are Black, Indigenous and certain Hispanic populatiins are more likely to be suspended or expelled from these early childhood programs.
Children enrolled in at least one year of pre-primary education are more likely to develop the critical skills they need to succeed in school and less likely to repeat grades or drop out. UNICEF states that as adults, children having had early education contribute to peaceful societies and prosperous economies. Evidence of the ways in which pre-primary education advances development exists around the world.
Oregon State will partner with the Oregon Department of Education and the Early Learning Division in a holistic approach to enhance early education statewide. In 2021, the Early Learning System Initiative was developed to increase early access to high-quality, professional learning opportunities and technical assistance for the early education workforce in Oregon. The collaborative will be funded by $4.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
There is a collaborative aims to reduce suspensions and expulsions from the program. The method will be through training and supporting staff who work with infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Researchers at OSU’s Hallie E. Ford Center for Children and Families will research the current state of inclusion, and then develop a strategic plan to guide future work.
Together the collaborative effort will produce modules for regional trainers who will coach educators on the new methods. Training will begin in the fall of this year. Being excluded from general education at a young age, either through discipline or restricted access, affects children as they go through the school system, according to data collected by Portland State University. These experiences can have “dramatic impacts” on their social and mental health, as well as their educational and economic outcomes.
