We are doing it because we have to!”: Reality of readiness policy in the classroom

This dissertation examined the varied layers of policy construction regarding school readiness, including perceptions of its meaning, the nature of assessment forms at the beginning of kindergarten, and the ramifications of the perceptions of children’s preschool and kindergarten schooling experience. Through a sociocultural perspective, I aimed to understand readiness policy. It is essential to contextualize each layer of the policy process- state, local district, school, and class-, to understand children’s daily learning (McCarty, 2011). Through observations and interviews, this research was situated in specific preschool and kindergarten classrooms within the specific school, school district, and state context. This study aimed to address “who” needs to be ready and “what” they are ready for by capturing children’s daily life. Given that school readiness assessment is a part of school policy in many states, it is critical to investigate these processes of assessment. To this end, this study adopted an ethnographic view to contemplate how the interpretations of readiness policies were orchestrated in practices when children enter kindergarten. Data was collected throughout the year including observations, interviews, and documents. All data was audio-recorded including observations in preschool and kindergarten, informal conversations, and interviews with stakeholders. I initially analyzed through inductive analysis involving open and then focused coding, and, through integrative study of data using those codes, developed themes and assertions. Findings demonstrated: 1) readiness policy created power relations between stakeholders and normative discourses about what right things would improve children’s readiness 2) policy shaped classroom culture and defined children’s learning ideology in preschool and kindergarten; 3) assessment shaped children’s official daily learning. Implications for research and policy are shared along with contextualizing readiness policy to work with teachers and children.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Kim, Jiye

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dyson, Anne Haas
• McCarthy, Cameron R.
• Cortez, Idalia Nuñez
• Corr, Catherine

• Early Childhood Education Policy
• Readiness
• Sociocultural Policy Analysis
• Assessment

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Jiye Kim

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121190

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F121190