| Definitions of quality and the role of values drive contemporary evaluation. This study investigates how quality in American early childhood programs has been defined and judged in program evaluations.;A review of evaluation reports from the last 3 decades and an analysis of questionnaire responses from evaluators examined notions of quality in early childhood education. Sets of quality standards increasingly influence perceptions of program quality. "Developmentally Appropriate Practice" and NAEYC accreditation dominated program evaluation and the field.;In interviews, practitioners from a range of early childhood programs emphasized (a) ensuring health and safety, (b) raising independent selves, and (c) implementing developmentally appropriate practices. Their responses revealed (a) a romantic view of childhood, (b) a mix of Piagetian and maturationist developmentalism, (c) an emphasis on independence, and (d) regulation-oriented program operation.;Case studies of two early childhood programs undergoing NAEYC accreditation analyzed how educators interpreted and accommodated to the accreditation criteria. The pressure to meet externally imposed criteria coupled with a lack of information and support frustrated educators. The inability to discuss, expand, and challenge the criteria, as well as internal and external factors that delayed the process presented major challenges.;The theory and practice of evaluation in early childhood education has lagged behind the larger field of evaluation. Needed are ongoing, informed, and democratic discussions of values, with evaluators facilitating discussions of quality and challenging shared assumptions and beliefs. Unless educators can reflect upon and expand their views and values, program evaluations serve mainly bureaucratic and superficial purposes. |
