As federal and state policies about standards and assessment for young children assume increased prominence, it is also increasingly important to create a common language about early learning standards and assessments--linked to the language used with respect to the education of older children and yet capturing relevant differences in how these terms are conceptualized and defined for young children's lives.

This lexicon was developed as a tool to help stakeholders "begin on the same page" when discussing issues related to early childhood education standards and assessment, and conceived as an essential foundation when building a system for successful early learners.


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