Chapter 7: Evaluation of Early Childhood Education Environments and Professional Development: Current Practices and Implications

Young children’s attendance in early childhood units (preschool and kindergartens) has increased in the recent decades in terms of percentage of participation and hours spent in the preschool environments. The overall percentage of young children attending at least one year in ECEC (early childhood education and care) before the elementary school has reached 95% in 2011 in 13 of the 28 current European Union Member States. The target of the European Union’s educational policy for 2020 has been set at a level of 95% participation for all Member States (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2013).

“ECEC is defined as preschool education and childcare services for children between birth and compulsory school age” (European Commission/ EACEA/Eurydice, 2013 p. 19). Research has shown that high-quality ECEC environments are associated with a wide range of benefits, such as increased academic success and better child well-being (Mullis, Martin, Foy, & Drucker 2012; OECD, 2011, 2012). The attempt to increase the participation rates and to expand access to services without focusing on the quality of ECEC environments cannot guarantee good outcomes for children or deliver long-term productivity benefits (OECD, 2012). The quality of ECEC settings is considered an essential element of young children’s development, learning outcomes, and several teachers’ characteristics (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2013; Mullis et al. 2012; OECD, 2011, 2012; Pianta, Burchinal, Barnett, & Thornburg, 2009).