Running head: HIGH SCOPE 1

High Scope: A Curriculum Framework Research

Kim Y. Bailey

Concordia University St. Paul, ECE 526-621

Catherine A. Arentsen, M.A.Ed.

February 21, 2013

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High Scope: A Curriculum Framework Research

The High Scope curriculum is a well-known approach in the early childhood education

field. High Scope was developed in the early 1600’s by Dr. David Weikart. Dr. Weikart created

High Scope to improve education in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Dr. Weikart questioned why children

living in poor neighborhoods were achieving low scores and found that these children were

achieving low scores due to the lack of opportunities. He also found that the early interventions

were the appropriate approach in achieving improvement. The High Scope approach is claimed

to be a good and effective quality preschool curriculum, especially for disadvantage children

(Holt 2007). Due to this claim it is only appropriate that a research framework was created for

the High Scope curriculum. The framework includes key aspects of the curriculum:

The philosophy of which this curriculum is based.

Research to support evidence of effectiveness.

The framework of High Scope (environment, materials, the role of the teacher and

the child).

Evaluation of the whole curriculum in comparison with current standards.

Philosophy

High Scope’s name was chosen because of its meaning. High is the individual level of

achievement, wished for all children. Scope is the range in which support is offered to the

children to be able to reach this level. Dr. Weikart and his team looked at Jean Piaget’s theories

on child development. The team used Jean Piaget’s theories within the curriculum because his

theories support the teams’ belief towards active learning. Jean Piaget’s ideas of child

development (as cited in Schweinhart 2003) see “children as active learners, who learn best from

activities that they themselves plan, carry out, and reflect upon” (p. 1). The basic High Scope

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framework is that “active learning is its core and that children learn through key experiences

gained from the world around them and from their own discoveries (Holt 2007).

In 1970 Dr. Weikart and his team created the High Scope Education Research

Foundation. In creating this foundation, it was created to research, development, training, and do

public outreach for lifting lives with education (High Scope, 2013). The High Scope Foundation

continues to produce materials to support the curriculum to the present (Holt 2007). High

Scope’s mission “is to lift lives through education and envisions a world in which all educational

settings use active participatory learning so everyone has a chance to succeed in life and

contribute to society” (High Scope, p.1, 2013).

Research

High Scope has published over 40 years of research (Holt, 2007). The most popular

research done was the Perry Preschool Project. The Perry Preschool Project led the ground

research work for High Scope. The Perry Preschool Project used the High Scope curriculum

when performing this research. Other researches that were done for High Scope includes

following ups and validations of The Perry Preschool Project.

The Perry Pre-school Project study was designed to follow young children living in

poverty and assign them to a high quality preschool program or to a no preschool group. The

data was collected when the children were in preschool and continued to be collected through

childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. This study consisted of 123 African American children

who were invited to do this study because of location of residency (poor neighborhood) and

because they scored low on the intelligence test at the study entrance. The data was collected

from parents at the age of 3 and15; achievement tests were done annually at ages 7 through 11,

14, 19, and 27. Data was also collected from school, police, and social services records. It was

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found that the High Scope Preschool contributed to the children’s education performance,

economic productivity, and social responsibility (Schweinhart, 2003).

A current study was done using the Perry Preschool Program. The researchers did this by

doing a cost benefit analysis with a follow up study, when the original participants were 40 years

old. There was 97% of the original participants, which was still alive, to do this follow up. There

were two key components that would effectively help with the cost benefits analysis. The first

was the accurate information on the cost of the program and secondly, all of the measures would

be put in financial terms. New data was collected at age 40 to calculate lifetime economic

difference between the High Scope Preschool program and none preschool participants. This

study collected data with their earning profiles, tax contributions, criminal activity, impact on

welfare, and other additional costs (e.g. childcare, savings, etc…). The findings showed that

“preschooling that raises education and skill levels may raise economic well-being through

enhanced employment prospects and does reduce criminal activity” (Belfield, Nores, Barnett, &

Schweinhart 2006). With these findings the cost of the Perry Preschool Program was well worth

it.

Schweinhart and Weikart (1998) assess three distinct preschool curriculum models to see

which may work best. The study worked with 68 children born in poverty. The children are ages

three and four. They were randomly assigned to one of the three groups. The three curriculum

models were:

Direct instruction – which uses a scripted approach, in which teachers’ present activities

and the children are expected to respond to them. The activities used were sequenced

with academic lessons.

High Scope

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Traditional nursery school – child centered approach in which children initiate activities

and teachers respond.

Based on reports, at age 23, the children who attended the traditional nursery school or using the

High Scope had significant advantages over the direct instruction curriculum.

Six percent from the traditional nursery school and High Scope students needed support

with emotional impairment or disturbance treatment during school; as opposed to direct

instructions with 47%.

43% of High Scope and 44% of nursery school engaged in volunteer work; as opposed to

11% who attended the program using direct instruction.

High Scope had further advantages compared to direct instruction:

Only 10% of the group using the High Scope curriculum were arrested compared to 39%

of the direct instruction group

70% of the High Scope group planned on graduation from college compared to 36% of

the direct instruction group

Nursery school had two additional advantages over direct instruction:

The nursery school group only had nine percent arrested for felony at ages 22-23, while

direct instruction had 34%.

None from the nursery school group was ever suspended from work; whereas 27% of the

direct instruction group had been suspended.

Framework

High Scope has five basic areas that the curriculum follows. The tool used is called The

High Scope Preschool Wheel of Learning. The High Scope Preschool Wheel of Learning is a

simple way of communicating some of the key elements of the High Scope curriculum. The

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Wheel of learning includes five different areas; there are important details within each area to

make sure the approach is appropriate. These details are:

1. Active learning

Children engaging in learning

2. Adult-child interaction

Interaction strategies

Encouragement

Problem-solving approach to conflict

3. Learning environment

Areas

Materials

Storage

4. Daily routine

Plan-do-Review

Small-group time

Large-group time

5. Assessments

Teamwork

Daily anecdotal notes

Daily planning

Child assessment

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Active Learning

Active learning is placed in the middle of the wheel because of its importance to the

children’s learning. Children use their senses to explore and seek out their own answers to

questions. Adults still continue to support children in solving their own problems. Hohmann and

Weikart (as cited in Holt, 2007) states that “active learning is defined as learning in which the

child, by acting on objects and interacting with people, ideas and events, constructs new

understanding”.

Adult-child interaction

Adults and children work together respectfully to focus on the children’s strengths. High

Scope distinguishes that in “active learning” children “initiate” activities of interest. The children

get to choose where they are interested in spending their day. “Control” is shared between the

student and teacher rather than “controlled” by child or teacher (child-directed or teacher

directed). In the High Scope setting children are encouraged instead of praised. High Scope

believes comments should be specific to the child’s actions. When children are praised, there is

room for comparison and competition. However, through encouragement, children are in control

and can make evaluators of their own work (Holt 2007).

When there is a conflict that arises, the High Scope approach uses this opportunity as a

learning opportunity. The role of the adult is to follow the six steps to conflict resolution when

working with children. The six steps to conflict resolution are (Holt, 2007):

1. Approach the situation calmly – watch what is going on and try to be positive. Get to the

child’s level and use a calm voice. Reach out to the upset child by allowing him or her to

come to you.

2. Recognize the child’s feelings – e.g. you look sad, Amy or you sound angry Sam

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3. Gather information and restate the problem – listen to both children and ask questions to

understand what is going on.

4. Ask for solutions or ideas – support and encourage children to talk to one another.

5. Retell any suggested solutions – Acceptance of children’s suggestions for solutions.

6. Support children to act on their decision - encourage children to resolve their own

problems and be near to clarify the decisions if needed.

Learning environment

Active learning is a key factor to the children’s success. The learning environment is set

up so that the children can play alone or in small groups. The areas that are included in the

classroom are classified as sand and water, creative and art area, block and construction area,

music and movement area, book and writing area, and toy and small world area. Areas are

divided by many things (e.g. shelves and furniture). Using shelves as dividers provide storage for

items and toys. The items used for the dividers are kept short enough for the teachers to see over

them to supervise the children. There is a good amount of variety in the materials so the children

can explore. The areas also reflect its community. Cultures are respected and shared within the

classroom. The areas are well labeled and have meaning to the children. Labels can consist of the

names, pictures, or example of items.

The learning environment is also very important to the support of children’s active

learning. There are five basic ingredients to support active learning through the environment

(Holt 2007):

1. Materials – items are for children to play with. There is a variety available for the

children’s use. These items may include every day object (e.g. pots and pans), natural

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materials (e.g. stones and leaves), tools (e.g. scissors and mops), messy items (e.g. water

and soap), large heavy items (e.g. big blocks), and smaller items (e.g. Lego and buttons).

2. Manipulation – opportunities offered to children for exploration and work in their own

way.

3. Choice – children are given a choice to choose their own materials and decide how to use

them.

4. Language – children talk about what they are doing or have done, they get a chance to

reflect about their learning and build relationships with others.

5. Support – adults join in play and ask “real questions” about what the children are doing.

Daily Routine

High Scopes daily routine is consistent and flexible at the same time. The daily routine

offers consistency for children and creates security (children to understand what is coming next)

and flexibility for unplanned learning. An important tool used for the daily routine is the plan-do-

review. The plan-do-review is used daily. The children get to plan what they want to do during

the day. They do it. Then at the end of the day they reviewed what they did (Holt 2007).

Assessment

Assessment is very important in the High Scope curriculum. Observations are done by

using the Child Observation Record (COR). COR is used to accurately record observations of

children and in doing so provide knowledgeable information on individual development and

ability in children. The adult interacts with children and at the same time they are making

anecdotal notes about the children during play. The anecdotal record is then transferred to the

COR at a later time. Teamwork is very important because anyone can write an anecdotal note on

a child. The COR is completed and shared with parents three times a year. Since the COR give

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the adult the understanding where the child is planning can be made for individualization for the

child (Holt 2007).

Training

It is important to understand that the High Scope Foundation does offer trainings and

workshops for teachers and administrators to learn how to effectively implement the High Scope

approach. High Scope also offers conferences and events for educational purposes to the

community. Teachers can be certified through High Scope to provide high-quality education

using High Scope. Programs can also be certified through High Scope but must meet the proper

requirements (High Scope 2013).

Evaluation

With the lens of a reader, High Scope’s curriculum framework seems to overall have

effectiveness in its promotion for early childhood education. Stebbins, St. Pierre, Proper,

Anderson and Cerva states (as cited in Schweinhart and Weikart, 1999) that “children who

experienced High/Scope had significantly higher achievement test scores than other students

did” (p. 78). Evaluation is important to see the success or unsuccessfulness of High Scope’s

curriculum. A comparison with the National Association for the Education of Young Children

(NAEYC) Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP), NAEYC’s Curriculum Evaluation,

and Tools of the Mind (Tools) will be shared to show overall effectiveness of High Scope.

NAEYC’s DAP of Curriculum

NAEYC is one of the most trusted and respected leaders in the field for children.

NAEYC has principles of DAP specifically related to curriculum and instruction and practices.

NAEYC (2009) states that “the profession’s responsibility to promote quality in the care and

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education of young children compels us to revisit regularly the validity and currency of our core

knowledge and positions, such as this one on issues of practice” (p.1).

NAEYC (2009) states that there are three core considerations in DAP. These three core

considerations are needed for everyday decisions. With this, teachers need to keep in mind the

children’s individual goals and be intentional in achieving these goals. The three core

considerations of DAP are:

1. Knowledge of child development and learning- teachers who are knowledgeable can

make broad predictions about developmentally appropriate practices towards children’s

ability individually and in groups.

2. Individualization – teachers must use variety of methods (e.g. observations, clinical

interview, examination of child’s work) to get to know a child’s abilities within a group

well.

3. Social and cultural contexts - respecting and understanding of what parents and families

consider to be appropriate, their values, and expectations.

In comparison with High Scope and these three core considerations in DAP, High Scope

does meet its standards. High Scope provides training and certification on how to appropriately

embed the curriculum. Teachers use the COR to see where the children are individually and

attain this knowledge through anecdotal records. Teachers are respectful and include community

awareness within its curriculum as well.

NAEYC’s Curriculum Evaluation

NAEYC (2003) states that implementation of curriculum needs to be “thoughtfully

planned, challenging, engaging, developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically

responsive, comprehensive, and likely to promote positive outcomes for all young children” (p.

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2). NAEYC (2003) has the following indicators for determining the effectiveness of a curriculum

(p.2):

Children are active and engaged

Goals are clear and shared by all

Curriculum is evidence-based

Valued contend is learned through investigation, play, and focused, intentional teaching

Curriculum build on prior learning and experiences

Curriculum is comprehensive

Professional standards validate the curriculum’s subject-matter content

Curriculum is likely to benefit children

In comparison with NAEYC’s curriculum evaluation, the High Scope curriculum does

meet all of its indicators for effectiveness. High Scope believes that children learn through active

investigation and play. High Scope’s curriculum has over 40 years of research data that does

show proof of the benefits to children. High Scope’s Preschool Wheel of Learning and its

contents show evidence that all indicators of effectiveness are met.

Tools

Tools follow Vygotsky’s theories, while High Scope follows Piaget. Although their

theories may have differences, they have similarities as well. Due to these similarities, Tools and

High Scope have similar beliefs.

Insight on Development thought process

o Piaget – center of child development is cognition.

o Vygotsky- mostly focused on developmental thinking (wanted to add emotion but

died at early age).

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Child development is a series of qualitative changes that cannot be viewed as merely an

expanding repertoire of skills and ideas (Bodrova & Leong, 2007, p. 29)

Children are active in their acquisition of knowledge.

o Cole and Wertsch, 2002, (as cited in Bodrova & Leong, 2007) explain it as a

vessel, waiting to be filled with knowledge (p.29).

o It was noted it is different from behaviorism – which learning is determined

primarily by external (environmental) variables and stimuli.

Both theories describe construction of knowledge in mind. They both agree that children

construct their own understanding – with age and experience these understandings are

restructured.

Elements of theories are similar

o Piaget- formal thinking includes abstract, logical, reflective and hypothetical

o Vygotsky- higher mental functions includes logic, abstract thinking, and self-

reflection.

Bodrova and Leong (2007) state that "mental tools" is something that helps us solve

problems. Vygotsky believes (as cited in Bodrova & Leong (2007) that "mental tools” plays a

very important role in the development of the mind (p. 4). Children who are taught with

intentional direct teachings with facts and support for enhancing skills, children will be able to

achieve learning with self-directions. Children will be able to take some responsibility for their

own learning because they can take learning as a self-directed activity. In High Scope the Plan-

Do-Review can also help achieve learning in self-direction. The children do take some

responsibility for their own learning through their own investigations through active learning.

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Instructional strategies are intentional teaching strategies teachers use to scaffold children

(Bodrova and Leong (2007). In order for the teacher to engage in instructional strategies a

teacher must know his/her children individually (Arentsen, 2013, p.1). A list of strategies (as

cited in Arentesen, 2013) is:

Acknowledgement

Encouragement

Giving specific feedback

Demonstrate

Create or add challenge

Ask questions

Give assistance

Provide information

Give direction

High Scope meets all of this intentional teaching guidance within its Preschool Wheel of

Learning.

Conclusion

High Scope has proven to be an effective curriculum through this research framework

evaluation. High Scope meets current standards and the children benefit from its approach. High

Scope has over 40 years of research to back up its claim of validity. High Scope is a strong

curriculum and supports children’s individual and group growth of development. The Plan-do-

Review helps children learn how to self-regulate with decision making and enhance children’s

cognitive growth. High Scope also supports family engagement and respect diversity.

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If I was to choose a curriculum to embed into my classroom; by using this information I

have gained from this evaluation. I would definitely use this curriculum because of the strong

research that backs up its validity. I would not change any information and teaching strategies

because High Scope has been proven to achieve great developmental growth in children. High

Scope also supports family engagement and I applaud this method of support for families.

Just a note to the side: When comparing the High Scope to the current curriculum I am

using in my classroom; I would not choose High Scope. I believe as an educator, I must be able

to feel compatible with a curriculum to appropriately apply its practices and follow through on

its approach. I am currently very compatible and comfortable with the current curriculum I am

using and it also meets Minnesota State Standards, DAP, and NAEYC’s curriculum standards for

requirements in preschool settings.

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Resources

Arensten, C. (n.d.) Considering instructional strategies. Concordia University. Retrieved from

https://blackboard.csp.edu/webapps/portal

Belfield, C. R., Nores, M., Barnett, S., & Schweinhart, L. (2006). The High/Scope Perry

Preschool Program. Journal Of Human Resources, 41(1), 162-190. Retrieved from

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Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. J. (2007). Tools of the mind: The Vygotskian approach to early

childhood education. (2 Ed). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson

HighScope Educational Research Foundation (High Scope) (2013). High Scope inspiring

educators to inspire children: About us. High Scope. Retrieved from

http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=761

Holt, N. (2007). Bringing the High/Scope approach to your early years practice. New York, NY:

Routledge

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (2009). Developmentally

appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age

8. NAEYC. Retrieved from https://blackboard.csp.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-174045-dt-

content-rid-2426852_1/courses/20132023781/NAEYC%20Position%20Statement

%20on%20Developmentally%20Approriate%20Practice.pdf

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (2003). Early childhood

curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable

system in programs for children birth through age 8. NAEYC. Retrieved from

https://blackboard.csp.edu/b bcswebdav/pid -174045-dt-content-rid2426853

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_1/courses/20132023781/ NAEYC%20 Position%20Statement%20on%20

Curriculum%2C%20Assessment%20and%20Program%20Evaluation.pdf

Schweinhart, L. J. (2003). Validity of the High/Scope preschool education model. High/Scope

Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.highscope.org/file/Research/highscope_

curriculum/preschool_validity.pdf

Schweinhart, L. J., & Weikart, D. P. (1999). The Advantages of High/Scope: Helping Children

Lead Successful Lives. Educational Leadership, 57(1), 76. Retrieved from

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Schweinhart, L. J., & Weikart, D. P. (1998). Why curriculum matters in early childhood

education. Educational Leadership, 55(6), 57. Retrieved from

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