What Makes Us Unique
A highly recognized program among local, national, and international educational communities, EPCS offers an exemplary early education and care to local neighborhoods and the Tufts community, and provides leadership and a wealth of resources to the community of educators and schools. At Eliot-Pearson, we strive to be diverse and inclusive in all identity dimensions (culture, race, language, physical, mental, and social-emotional abilities, learning styles, ethnicity, family structure, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age and socio-economic difference) and to afford an ideal early education setting as a model lab school for children, families, educators and researchers.
EPCS is a teacher preparation site that offers a holistic, practical experience, internship, mentoring and coaching to young and/or novice teachers. The master teachers at the school are seasoned educators with extensive knowledge and experience in the field and provide them with various opportunities to transfer theories, new ideas and cutting age research to practice. EPCS is an innovation hub where children, educators, interns, researchers and administrators dare to explore, experiment and take risks.
As a professional development (PD) school for teachers, EPCS is an institution that brings together collaborative efforts of the school, a college/university, and other institutions in the community to stimulate and promote curiosity, observation and reflection in teachers. The school embodies and nurtures a culture of engaged scholarship and teacher research to guide our teaching practices and is grounded in differentiated and collaborative learning. Our teaching and learning processes are open, responsive and transformational where every member’s (child and adult) voice is heard and respected.
Documentation, as part of our daily practice, ensures authentic assessment, effective and developmentally appropriate teaching practice, and ongoing family and community engagement. Documentation, defined as a method of qualitative research through observation, recording notes, use of a variety of media to understand children’s and teachers’ learning processes, helps shine a light on strengths and areas of growth, and encourages collaboration and partnerships among educational professionals and families that benefit children. EPCS administration and teaching staff actively participate in presentations and publications at Tufts, locally, nationally, and internationally.
EPCS serves as a site for student observations required to complete course assignments and final projects across the university. The school provides the platform for student research that involve classroom and child observations and field experiences. Students enrolled in Tufts University courses are able to observe children first-hand behind observation booths.
EPCS is recognized locally, nationally and internationally as an outstanding lab school, early childhood teacher preparation site, and research center. The school offers guided observation and serves as a learning site for local and international educators and administrators throughout the year.
Special Education Services
We offer high quality, inclusive learning environments with an exceptional student-to-teacher ratio. This allows us to serve classroom groups with an average of 20% comprising of children with mild to moderate special needs, and offer opportunities for children in the public school system who may not be mainstreamed due to lack of resources or expertise.
Collaboration and outreach to the Larger Community
As a laboratory school, one of our goals is to positively impact the quality of children’s education and care in the community. Through participation in local ECE professional groups, as well as, opportunities for dissemination of best practices and professional development and hosting community-wide school events, we strive to remain connected to the local community.