美國聯邦政府的幼教方案與幼兒入園狀況：Quality Counts 2015的調查報告

Early Childhood Programs and Children Enrolled in Preprimary Programs in the US: A Review with the “Quality Counts 2015”

在美國政黨政治的競爭環境裡，支持幼兒教育發展是當前政黨競爭環境下少見的共識所在。美國聯邦政府從廿世紀陸續推出許多幼教方案，直到今日的Obama政府亦然，伴隨而來的巨額經費補助，不僅資助幼教發展，同時左右幼教的走向。提升弱勢幼兒入園率與教育品質，是近年美國教育發展的主軸方向，幼兒入園是否能消除背景因素的影響，便成為各方關注的焦點。本研究採文件分析法，首先，分析美國聯邦政府廿世紀以來實施的幼教方案，探討美國幼教政策發展的梗概；其次，以2015年《教育周報》（Education Week）出版《教育品質衡鑑2015》（Quality Counts 2015）年度教育特刊所進行的幼教調查為依，輔以美國教育部「教育統計中心」（National Center for Education Statistics）的統計結果，探討最新幼兒入園及其相關影響因素的調查結果；最後，解讀前述教育政策發展與調查結果，析論對於我國幼教發展的教育蘊義。依據前述分析結果，本研究歸納出五項解讀重點，並依據探討結果提出七項對我國幼教發展的蘊義。本研究的探討結果有利於瞭解美國幼教政策發展脈絡與幼兒入園資訊，所得的結果將可供我國進行幼教研究與發展幼教政策的參考論據。

In the competitive bi-partisan political environment of America, supporting the development of early childhood is a rare consensus between democratic and republican parties. The federal government has launched a number of early childhood education program since the beginning of 20th century, accompanied by huge financial subsidies and directing the policy orientation. Raising the enrollment rate of disadvantaged children, improving the quality of early childhood education and facilitating the equity of education have been main aims of educational policy in recent years. This study has three purposes. First, to analyze the early childhood education programs implemented by federal government since the 20th century and asses their impact. Second, to analyze the early childhood education survey conducted by “Education Week” published on "Quality Counts 2015" and the survey conducted by Education statistics National Center of Department of Education, discuss the findings and the accordance between them. Finally, to inquire into the meanings behind the above analyses and to conclude with the meaningful findings on early childhood education. The study is beneficial to understand the policy development and status quo on early childhood education in America, and the findings and the following hints will benefit the ongoing research and policy analysis of early childhood education in Taiwan.