Alignment and Coordination Between K-12

and Preschool ReadinessDr. Susan Tave Zelman

Ohio Superintendent of Public

Instruction

National Governor’s AssociationGovernors Forum on Quality

PreschoolDecember 15-16, 2003

Early

Opportunities

to Develop

Young Child’s

Brain

Fourth-graders stumble on proficiency tests

Goals 2000 plan: all

children ready for school

State of the State – Ohio

Ohio Head Start expands to serve 23,000 children

Standards-Based Education in Ohio

1. Raise Expectations

2. Build Capacity

3. Focus on Results

Ohio’s Approach

• Standards

• Curriculum models

• Assessments

• Accountability

• Teacher Quality

Closing achievement gaps: an issue of equity

– 63% of children under age five in out-of- home care (400,000 children)

– 25% of children under age five living in poverty (100,000 children)

– 6,000 licensed centers and 11,000 family child care homes

– 50,000 staff with varying levels of competence

– 42% yearly staff turnover rate

Readiness and closing achievement gapsReadiness is the match between the readiness of the child and the environments that serve them.

(Kagan & Rigby, 2003)

Equity through an Aligned P-12 Educational System

• 10-year framework: Building an Early Learning System for Ohio’s Young Children

Raise expectations: aligned academic content standards

• Early learning standards now developed for pre-K in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.

Raise expectations: aligned academic content standards

• Continuum of Learning (slide is available )

• Shows alignment of Pre-K , K, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3 Indictors

Raise expectations: aligned assessments

• Working with Jobs and Family Services to identify what would be a good standardized measure to be used in all settings that would inform instruction

• ELCO project: assess child, assess program, assess conditions and environment for learning

• School readiness screener: indicator of how children are doing when they enter K

• K-2 diagnostics

Build capacity of aligned system

• Professional development in early literacy with Department of Jobs & Family Services so we can focus on language development, child care, etc.

Build Capacity

• Investment in Preschool Teachers– ODJSFS, tiered licensure. Ohio requires

our teachers in state-funded preschool programs to have an AA degree by 2008.

– Create tiered licensure and compensation plan to deploy and provide training for child care, Head Start, Pre-K.

Build capacity of aligned system

• Investment in Financing the Preschool System– Universal Financial Project: Rick

Brandon– Blue Ribbon Task Force on

Financing Student Success

Accountability

• Set statewide school readiness indicators for children: KIDS COUNT project.

• Standardized preschool assessment in all settings

• K-2 diagnostics

Aligned policies

• Policy Matters, Lynn Kagan, Improving the Readiness of Children for School

• Audit against policies, set goals, create a strategic plan

Aligned Policies

Audit: Improving the Readiness of

Children for School

Strategic Plan PlanUniversal Financial Project

Blue Ribbon Task Force

Abraham Lincoln

• “A Child is a person who is going to carry on what you have

started. He is going o sit where you are sitting, and when you are gone, attend to those things which you think are important. You may adopt all the policies you please, but how they are carried out depends on him. He will assume control of your cities, states, and nations.He is going to move in and take over your churches, schools, universities and corporations. All your books are going to be judged, praised or condemned by him

The fate of humanity is in his hands…”

---Abraham Lincoln