As preschool access expands, a crucial gap remains. Many preschoolers lack access to high-quality early learning experiences and curricula. Further, many early elementary classrooms fail to build on children's earliest learning experiences. New evidence-based curricula spanning Pre-K through second grade (P-2) could provide that missing rigor and continuity—but schools have been slow to adopt them.
Ford School of Public Policy professor Christina Weiland, researchers from the Education Policy Initiative (EPI), and faculty at the U-M School of Education, Harvard, Northwestern, and Temple University, aim to demystify how to implement aligned P-2 curricula at scale with a new policy brief focusing on Maine.
The brief is the second in a series of case studies that show how educators and leaders initiated, communicated, and navigated change at state and local levels. The briefs outline barriers and facilitators to adoption and implementation of high-quality early childhood curricula including how teachers and administrators were able to build buy-in and support over time, as well as areas of future sustainability and growth—lessons for other localities that wish to make changes to their P-2 curriculum.
Since 2017, Maine's Department of Education (DOE) has worked with local school districts and individual schools to develop, pilot, and implement For ME, an open source curriculum adapted from Boston Public Schools' evidence-based curriculum, Focus on Early Learning. For ME operates in Pre-K through second grade classrooms. Maine's history of local control emphasizes district and teacher autonomy and has shaped adoption of the new curriculum.
The researchers' conversations with Maine stakeholders revealed there was a growing desire for curricular change that helped spur the new programming. They also found that professional learning opportunities, incremental implementation, and administrative support were key facilitators of positive change.
Key findings include:
- Adapting curricula to the local context can strengthen implementation. Although For ME was based on Boston's Focus curriculum, administrators adapted the curriculum to fit Maine's unique environmental and historical characteristics—including by adding an outdoor learning component to take advantage of Maine's natural resources and providing resources focusing on indigenous studies—to ensure the curriculum was relevant to local communities.
- Piloting a curriculum first can provide useful feedback before a broader rollout. Before moving to develop aligned P-2 curricula, administrators tested For ME in 14 Pre-K classrooms across the state. Based on positive feedback from teachers and administrators and valuable curriculum insight, Maine's DOE decided to expand the curriculum beyond Pre-K and into second grade classrooms using the same pilot first model.
- Flexible implementation within classrooms can reduce teacher overwhelm. Despite buy-in from teachers, 65% of interviewees expressed feeling overwhelmed by transitioning into the For ME curriculum. To address this, the state allowed teachers to implement For ME at their own pace and to decide which components to start with—an approach multiple interviewees felt was helpful in the implementation process.
- Providing ongoing professional development, prioritizing teacher collaboration, and supporting administrators can facilitate and sustain implementation. The Maine DOE provided fully-funded summer curriculum trainings and professional learning opportunities, as well as monthly trainings throughout the school year to build and maintain program buy-in and support high-quality implementation.
- Teachers and administrators should plan for common challenges, such as variability in teacher needs, logistical challenges, and insufficient professional development support. While the For ME curriculum was largely well-received by educators, several interviewees experienced challenges associated with its implementation. One educator described needing to embrace "a really huge mind shift" in order to effectively implement the curriculum, while others experienced difficulty finding time to learn, prepare, and administer the curriculum during already limited school hours.
When asked what biggest difference is between states, Weiland said it comes down to context. Mississippi mandated the Pre-K curriculum, while Maine used an opt-in method. "Both have advantages and disadvantages, but the curriculum is working pretty well in both places," Weiland said.
The research team is currently examining key themes, and comparing the advantages and disadvantages of curriculum implementation approaches.
Read EPI's case study from Mississippi, "Implementing High-Quality Early Learning Curriculum: Lessons from Mississippi," here.
More news from the Ford School