ABSTRACT
The current crises in democracy in the US and around the world are situated within an historical context along with their effect on education and education evaluation. Attention is paid to the testing programs developed and administered by the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD): the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the International Early Learning Study (IELS) (OECD, 2018a; 2018b) as well as the recently articulated goals for the curriculum (OECD, 2018c). In contrast to these measures, components of democratic evaluation are described and analyzed. A way forward is suggested by recommending that members of the National Association of Early Childhood Education (NAEYC), The Association of Childhood Education International (ACEI), Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE), and other professional organizations develop a political platform to use when working with groups and institutions to promote the kind of educational programs and policies that are more democratic and just.
