For Immediate Release
June 16, 2004
State Education Board Adopts Illinois Early Learning
Standards
Springfield, Ill. -After receiving input and review by
early childhood teachers and specialists, the Illinois
Early Learning Standards were adopted by the Illinois
State Board of Education Wednesday.
The Illinois Early Learning Standards were developed
with the assistance of hundreds of educators and first
introduced in draft form in 2001. The Standards were finalized
following a period of awareness, review and feedback activities
from members of school-based and community-based early
childhood programs. An aggressive training agenda brought
them to early childhood classes in a variety of settings
across the State.
"These Early Learning Standards are aligned to the
Illinois Learning Standards and outline what young children
need to know in order to be successful learners at the
elementary level and beyond," said State Superintendent
Robert Schiller. "The Early Learning Standards are
very content oriented and we have spent a year offering
training to teachers and listening to their suggestions
for improvements. We are very pleased with the finished
product."
Teachers of pre-kindergarten students can use the standards
to choose or develop curriculum, assess children's progress,
and share progress information with parents. The Standards
and their accompanying pieces can be viewed at http://www.isbe.net/earlychi/pdf/early_learning_standards.pdf.
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