Early Childhood

The Office of Early Childhood is committed to accelerating student achievement for every child in Mississippi. We accomplish this goal by helping school districts and families improve the readiness and reading achievement of Mississippi students starting in preschool.

Guidelines and Standards

The following are guidelines and standards for the implementation of best practices in early childhood classrooms to meet the developmental needs of young students.

Early Learning Guidelines

• Early Learning Guidelines for Classrooms Serving Three- and Four- Year Old Children (2018)
• Kindergarten Guidelines (2018) 

Early Learning Standards

• Early Learning Standards for Classrooms Serving Infants through Four-Year-Old Children (2018)
• Kindergarten Standards

Teaching Supports

• Becoming a National Board Certified Teacher
• 4 Year Old Teaching Strategies (2015) - Revision in Progress
• Approved Pre-K Curricula (2014) - Revision in Progress

Teacher Requirements

• 2020 Teacher Credential Pathways
• Approved Early Childhood Courses
• Assistant Teacher Requirements

Teaching Profession Standards

• NAEYC Professional Preparation Standards
• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

Effectiveness Evaluation Plan

Schools providing services to prekindergarten (Pre-K) aged children receive an annual evaluation to ensure the effectiveness of services on improving children’s learning and well-being. Evaluation occurs for the Early Learning Collaboratives (collaborative) and other Pre-K classrooms (e.g. Title I, local-funded, tuition-based) in Mississippi public schools. Evaluation consists of two parts: rate of readiness and monitoring which are addressed in the Effective Evaluation for Early Learning Collaboratives and Other Pre-K Classrooms found below.

• Effectiveness Evaluation for Early Learning Collaboratives and Other Pre-K Classrooms - Revision in Progress
• Executive Summary: Effectiveness Evaluation for Early Learning Collaboratives and Other Pre-K Classrooms School Year 2016-2017 - Revision in Progress

Checklists

Checklists have been developed based on the guidelines and standards to support administrators, parents, and teachers in observing best practices in early childhood classrooms and monitoring the developmental growth of students.

Administrator: What to Look For When Observing a Kindergarten and Pre-K Classroom

Parent: What Parents Can Look For When Observing a Kindergarten and Pre-K Classroom

Student:

• NEW! Developmental Checklist for Kindergarten Students
• NEW! Developmental Checklist for Four-Year-Old Students
• NEW! Developmental Checklist for Three-Year-Old Students
• NEW! Developmental Checklist for Infants and Toddlers 

Transition to Kindergarten

Transitioning from Pre-K to kindergarten is a big step for many children. Schools can support the transition by passing along useful information to the kindergarten teachers and by engaging in a variety of transition activities.

• Kindergarten Transition Plan
• Transition to Kindergarten Webinar
• Transition Folder Development PPT
• Transition Folder Checklist
• Child Information Sheet Sample

Early Learning Collaboratives

In Mississippi there are currently 14 state-funded early learning collaboratives comprised of school district, Head Start agencies, child care centers, and private non-profit organizations.

• Early Learning Collaborative Act
• ELC Forum
• Early Learning Collaborative Site List

Professional Development

Professional development provides early childhood professionals the opportunity to learn about and implement best practices in early childhood through training and individualized technical assistance. The Office of Early Childhood offers several trainings specific to individuals who work in Pre-K and Kindergarten each school year. Schools and Early Learning Collaboratives may request technical assistance at any time. 

Professional Development Opportunities

• Technical Assistance Request
• Training Calendar

Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)

The CLASS is an observation instrument developed to assess classroom quality in preschool through third-grade classrooms. For more information and professional development opportunities regarding CLASS, visit Teachstone. For 15-minute in-service suites, visit Head Start. 

Tools and Supports

• Making Adjustments Booklet

  • To create a Making Adjustments booklet, print the document one-sided. Fold the pages at the middle to make a front and back or cut them out individually if preferred. Punch a hole at the top left corner and put pages together with a book ring. Laminating will help booklet last longer.

• Kindergarten Readiness Assessment

• Kindergarten Readiness Assessment: Next Steps for Districts

• Mississippi Accessibility Features and Testing Accommodations for the MKAS2

• Early Childhood Special Education

• School District Pre-K Determination Guidance

• Mississippi Guide to Starting A Title I Pre-K Program

• Vroom - an app to help build your child's brain

Specialized Early Childhood Education Trainings

• 2018 Early Childhood Education Bootcamp

• 2017 Early Childhood Education Bootcamp

Call for Early Learning Activities

• Letter
• Submission Form

NEW! Save the Date

• Early Childhood Specialized Training at 6 locations: June 17 - 28, 2019 (excluding weekend) 
• Early Childhood Conference in Natchez: July 22 -25, 2019