History

HighScopes's History

HighScope is an active learning educational approach with over 50 years of experience and research that is constantly updated by several research projects based on HighScope schools throughout the world.

This approach was created in the USA by David Weikart, psychologist and visionary. Seeing children’s school failure in a poor neighborhood in Detroit, he understood the impact of the teaching-learning process and how it could be determinant to each child’s success throughout their lives.

In 1970, David Weikart established HighScope Educational Research Foundation. This foundation had a fundamental impact in pedagogical research and practice. Initially, by focusing on pre-school, elementary, and complimentary programs, later on with ages 0-3 as well.

David Weikart was interviewed shortly before passing and left essential milestones for pedagogy. Click here to view.

The HighScope name refers to the idea of a broad-spectrum coverage with high quality.

Perry Preschool Study Perry Preschool Project – HighScope marked HighScope’s impact in the world and altered education’s trajectory. As a rigorous and grounded longitudinal study, it made it possible to observe and verify the approach’s impact in children/adult’s lives.

HighScope
Portugal’s History

The HighScope Portugal Association was established in 2011
and corresponds to one of David Weikart’s dreams.

This association has supported the development and implementation of the HighScope Portugal implementation in Portugal and Portuguese speaking countries such as Brazil, Mozambique, and Cape Verde. This intervention occurs both with institutions and professionals who go through it on an individual level.

Today,  the HighScope Portugal Association develops its work in Portugal and supports the HighScope Foundation in the training and implementation to be carried out using the Portuguese language around the world.

HighScope is approached and studied in several Portuguese universities within education and pedagogy programs. Students interested in the possibility of interning in this approach can do so to emerge their practice.