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Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scale

The Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scale (NAAEE 2011), authored by Yash Bhagwanji, provides a collaborative tool for educators and others to discuss their early childhood environmental education program goals, consider strengths and areas of needed improvement, and chart a future direction for development. The Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scale is easy to use while also encouraging deep discussions about program philosophy, design and implementation. Building off of NAAEE’s Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence, it is a much welcomed addition to the early childhood environmental education tool kit.

 The Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scale (ECEERS) is a formative evaluation tool designed to assist programs in improving their environmental education curriculum.

Whether you work with a center-based child development or family day care center, this tool can help you make needed improvements in the quality of activities, experiences, interactions, and instruction concerning the world of nature and its value in society. Environmental education centers, too, may benefit through improvements in curriculum that better respond to the abilities, interests, learning styles, and motivations for learning of young children.

 Based on six key characteristics of high quality early childhood environmental education programs (North American Association for Environmental Education, 2010), the procedures for using the rating scale emphasize a collaborative approach in evaluation, through the sharing of differing perspectives (as represented by program board members, administrative officials, teaching staff, family members of the children participating in the program, and community partners), and the development of consensus in the rating of each specific guideline or recommendation. The rating scale is designed as a self-assessment tool requiring open and honest conversations. The process can be personally satisfying for the individual team members involved and, with ongoing evaluation utilizing the rating scale, can lead to program success over time.  Download your copy of the PDF:

Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence

Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scale

The US Department of Education initiated the Green Ribbon Schools program, with 30+ states participating.  2012 is a pilot year for the program that will recognize up to 50 schools across the country.  Each participating state, and the District of Columbia, can nominate up to four schools. Although each state department of education follows US Department of Education guidelines, states create their own program requirements and application form.

The US Department of Education lists useful resources for the Green Ribbon Schools program. We are proud to note that Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning (K-12) was identified as one of these resources.

We are also proud to note that a majority of the states are referencing Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning (K-12) in their application materials, encouraging schools to use the Guidelines as a tool for environmental literacy.  Department of Education application materials that include the Guidelines:

Washington, DC
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)
California
Colorado
Florida
Idaho
Illinois
Iowa
Hawaii
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
New Jersey
New York
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin

Download Your Copy of the Guidelines Each of the Guidelines is posted here as a PDF and available for free downloading. More information on each of the Guidelines is available under its topic.

Excellence in EE: Guidelines for Learning (K-12)

EE Materials: Guidelines for Excellence

Guidelines for the Preparation and Professional Development

Nonformal EE Programs: Guidelines for Excellence

Early Childhood EE Programs: Guidelines for Excellence