Did My Daughter Go To A Quality Preschool?

I really have no idea. I chose my daughter's preschool, which she attended last year, because of family and friend connections to the school. My sister went to the same preschool 25 years ago (and she turned out OK)! Many moms I know who sent their children there had nothing but positive things to say about the school. The director of the school has been there for 20+ years.


I felt good about the environment and the staff when I took my daughter for a visit. So, that was enough for me. But did that all mean she was in a quality setting that was giving her a strong foundation for school and beyond? According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, elements of quality early childhood education programs include: relationships, curriculum, teaching, assessment of child progress, health, teachers, families, community relationships, physical environment, and leadership and management.

In measuring my daughter's school against this critiera, it stacked up pretty well. She loved the school, her teacher, etc. and is now doing really well in kindergarten (I'll take some credit for that too. OK, so should my husband).

But I wonder, do parents truly know what to look for in making decisions about early childhhood child care and education? The advice and guidance we receive, in my opinion, doesn't directly address quality characteristics. It would be great, in fact, if parents didn't have to think about it at all -- that the school or child care setting could tell you what level of quality they are providing, based on universally accepted and evidence-based standards.

Quality early childhood care and education should be the norm, not the exception.