美国州学前教育横向管理体制的优化及启示

On Optimization of State Horizontal ECEC Governance Systems in the USA and Their Implications

多年来,美国的早期教育与保育因政出多门而造成政策交叠、资金碎片化和低效率、学前教育质量参差不齐等诸多问题。为此,联邦政府和各州政府对州儿童早期教育与保育的横向管理体制进行了优化。在新公共管理模式的影响下,网络化治理模式的早期教育与保育商议委员增进了利益相关主体的沟通和交流。部门间合作协议的签订以及协调合作组织及其运行机制的建立,加强了跨部门的协调和合作。同时,调整治理关系,将主要行政权力集中到教育部门或新设的专门机构也是提高管理体制运作效率的重要策略。

Because of the fact that several sectors involve in governing early childhood education and care （ECEC） system, problems, including overlapping policies, fragmental and inefficient funding, and quality disparities, have been witnessed in the United States for decades. To solve these problems, both the federal government and local governments have taken steps to optimize the horizontal ECEC governance systems at the state level. Influenced by the movement of New Public Management, network governance has been utilized to set up early childhood education and care advisory councils, which promotes the communications of stakeholders. Inter-agency agreements and cross-agency coordinating structures are established to facilitate the coordination and cooperation across sectors. Meanwhile, the governance relations have also been adjusted： The primary responsibility to govern ECEC services is generally reallocated to the department of education or a stand-alone agency newly created.