Leadership and Management

Early childhood administrators need to be well-versed in standards set by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Having comprehensive knowledge of these standards will help to ensure a quality early childhood program. Review the article, "Overview of the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards" with particular attention to Standard 10: Leadership and Management.

Rationale:

Excellent programming requires effective governance structures, competent and knowledgeable leadership, as well as comprehensive and well-functioning administrative policies, procedures, and systems. Effective leadership and management create the environment for high-quality care and education by:

a. Ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and guidelines

b. Promoting fiscal soundness, program accountability, effective communication, helpful consultative services, positive community relations, and comfortable and supportive workplaces.

c. Maintaining stable staff; and

d. Instituting ongoing program planning and career development opportunities for staff as well as continuous program improvement.

Application:

You are the director of your own childcare center. Using Standard #10 in "Overview of the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards" as a guide, create an eight- to ten-slide PowerPoint presentation to share with your staff, demonstrating the following NAEYC points:

a. Effective communication

o Explain how you will effectively communicate with your staff.

b. Comfortable and supportive workplaces

o Describe how you will create a comfortable and supportive workplace for your staff.

c. Career development opportunities for staff

o Discuss how you will create professional development opportunities for your staff.

d. Hiring and retention

o Explain how you will attract and retain quality staff members.

Your eight- to ten-slide PowerPoint presentation (in addition to your title and reference slides) should:

• Creatively address the material including graphics, visuals, charts, graphs, and/or sound;

• Be designed to clearly and concisely address the material;

• Be formatted according to APA style, including the title slide, reference slide, and in-text citations;

• Utilize the notes section of the PowerPoint to expand on the presented points. These notes would be your talking points when presenting this to your staff; and

• Use at least one scholarly source in addition to the course text.