David Weikart
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David P. Weikart (August 26, 1931 – December 9, 2003) was an American psychologist and founder of the HighScope Curriculum, an
early childhood education Early childhood education (ECE), also known as nursery education, is a branch of Education sciences, education theory that relates to the teaching of children (formally and informally) from birth up to the age of eight. Traditionally, this is ...
program. Weikart was born on August 26, 1931, in
Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...
. His parents were Hubert and Catherine Weikart. One of four children, he had an older sister and two younger brothers. Weikart's parents were social workers and teachers with a deep commitment to helping others – a commitment their son embraced as his own. He attended public school in Youngstown, graduating from South High School in 1949. He enrolled in
Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...
,
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, in the fall of 1949 and graduated in 1953 with a major in psychology and a minor in zoology. Throughout the college years, he worked at a
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camp in
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, as a counselor and program director. In the fall of 1953 Weikart enlisted in the United States Marine Officer Training Corps and graduated as a lieutenant. He was honorably discharged in December 1955 after serving as a platoon commander in Korea and Japan. During the spring of 1956, Weikart taught English and biology at Canfield High School in
Canfield, Ohio Canfield is a city in central Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. The population was 7,699 as of the 2020 census. It is a suburb surrounded by Canfield Township located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 62 and 224. It is part of the Youn ...
, and also attended
Youngstown University Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...
, taking courses in education. In the fall of 1956 he enrolled in a
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
joint
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program in
Education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
and
Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
sponsored by the School of Education and Department of Psychology. At the University of Michigan, Weikart met his future wife, Phyllis Saxton, then a master's candidate in the Department of Health and Physical Education. They were married in the summer of 1957 in
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,
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. In the fall of 1957 Weikart began working part-time as a school psychologist for the
Ypsilanti Ypsilanti ( ), commonly shortened to Ypsi ( ), is a college town and city located on the Huron River in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north ...
Public Schools in Ypsilanti,
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; he began full-time work there the following year. In 1962, Weikart collaborated with a committee of elementary education leaders (including Charles Eugene Beatty) to create the Perry Preschool Project. He and his colleagues designed this project to find the causes and cures of academic underperformance of students in Ypsilanti's poorest neighborhoods. The committee studied the teaching methods and curriculum choices for these students and zeroed in on creating a program for three- and four-year-olds to prepare them for success in elementary school and beyond. Weikart and his colleagues implemented this preschool program at Perry Elementary School in Ypsilanti. Perry Preschool's program focused on each child's intellectual maturation and supported the child's development through a process of active learning. The HighScope Perry Preschool Project was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial of 123 low-income children to examine the long-term effectiveness of the type of curriculum used in the Perry Preschool (now known as the HighScope Curriculum). The HighScope Preschool Study concluded that a high-quality program for young, at-risk children contributes positively to their school success and economic outcomes and decreases their teen pregnancy rate and involvement in criminal activity.Schweinhart, L. J
"The HighScope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40"
In 1970, Weikart left the Ypsilanti Schools to establish the HighScope Educational Research Foundation to continue his work on the preschool approach that he and his colleagues developed during the Perry Preschool Project. In addition, Weikart and his wife worked as staff in leadership positions at several summer camps until they founded HighScope Camp in 1963. The couple had four daughters, all born between 1959 and 1964. Juggling full-time work, summer camp activities, a new family, and work on his PhD, Weikart received his degree from the University of Michigan in 1966. In 1991 Weikart received an honorary
Doctor of Science A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...
degree from Oberlin College in recognition of his achievements. He died December 9, 2003, from leukemia.


References

*HighScope Educational Research Foundation


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weikart, David P 1931 births 2003 deaths Deaths from leukemia Oberlin College alumni Founders of educational institutions People from Ypsilanti, Michigan Weikart, David P. University of Michigan alumni Youngstown State University alumni 20th-century American educators Educators from Ohio Educators from Michigan