Translating the Implementation Gap: Three Versions of Early Childhood Curriculum Leadership

Abstract

Few matters are of more significance to the shaping of young children’s experiences in early childhood classrooms than the content of curriculum and how it is mediated. However, few studies examine teachers of young children as mediators of curriculum. Instead, policies intending to improve the outcomes of early education have generally addressed teachers prescriptively, providing standards and protocol. In response, this study utilized interviews with four K-3 public school teachers to narrate stories of early childhood curriculum leadership. The findings indicate that early childhood curriculum leadership varies based upon people and context. The presented cases describe four distinct versions of curriculum leadership: obedient realism, adaptive conversation, nomadic noncompliance, and ethical fidelity.