Although the Arizona Department of Education does not endorse any one preschool curriculum, many early childhood programs choose to use a professionally developed curriculum that incorporates child centered, developmentally appropriate concepts with academic standards for literacy and numeracy. Other programs develop their own curriculum that incorporates these principles.
Choosing a Curriculum
When choosing a curriculum consider the following: 1. Refer to your agency’s or organization’s procurement process. 2. Convene a review team that includes at least one preschool teacher and one parent. 3. Provide the review team with information on choosing a curriculum. Such as the: NAEYC Position Paper: http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/CAPEexpand.pdf NCQTL Choosing a Preschool Curriculum: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/teaching/docs/preschool-curriculum.pdf NIEER Preschool Policy Brief: http://nieer.org/resources/policybriefs/12.pdf 4. Choose or create a rubric to use to evaluate the curricula. Click here for a Guideline to Comprehensive Curriculum. Click here for a sample rubric.
Contact Information
Early Childhood Education
Arizona Department of Education
1535 W. Jefferson Street, Bin #15
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Tel: 602-364-1530 Fax: 602-542-2730
Nicol Russell, Deputy Associate Superintendent
