Reaching for the Stars:Building State Systems for School Readiness

Lead Presenter

Terry Tolan, Executive DirectorKentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood

Co- Presenter

Joe Roberts, DirectorKentucky Head Start Collaboration Office

The BIG Question . . .

If you could have ONE thing to improve Early Childhood Education in your State, what would it be?

Importance to ChildrenYoung minds develop at the earliest stage of life

0-5 Years 5 and older

Language

Sensory Pathways(Vision, Hearing)

Higher CognitiveFunctions

Pre-natal

85% of brain developmentoccurs before age 5

Source: C.A. Nelson from Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2000

Importance to ChildrenYoung minds develop at the earliest stage of life

Each score standardized within observed sample, Using all observations and assuming missing at random. Source: Brook-Gunn et al (2006)

3 5 8 18

1

.5

.0

Mean Achievement Test Scores By ageBy Maternal Education Level

College Graduate

Some College

Less than HS

High SchoolGrad

Importance to ChildrenYoung minds develop at the earliest stage of life

Cum

ulati

ve V

ocab

ular

y (W

ords

)

1200

600

200

16mo 24mo 36mo

Age (months)

College EducatedParents

Working ClassParents

Source: Hart & Risley (1995)

WelfareParents

US Department of EducationAdministration for Children and Families

Race To The Top/Early Learning Challenge

• Integrated state systems

• Cross Sector tiered quality and improvement

system including child care, head start, and

public preschool

• Integrated professional development

• Meaningful family engagement

• Use of assessments to measure child progress

• Integrated longitudinal data system

Race to the Top – Early Learning ChallengePhase One Winners

Race to the Top – Early Learning ChallengePhase One Winners

Race to the Top – Early Learning ChallengePhase One Winners

State AlignmentAll Sectors Moving in the Same Direction

SchoolReadiness

Head StartEarly Head Start

State FundedPre-Kindergarten

CommunityBased Child Care &Home Care

Kindergarten Readiness Screener

TQRIS

Parent Engagement

Professional Development

P-20 Data Collaborative

Early Learning

Standards & Assessments

Improve School

Readiness

Elements of the State System

Our Business ModelEarly Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC)

Children Enter Kindergarten Ready

High Quality Early Learning

EnvironmentsSupportive Families Access to Data

Participation in STARS

A great early childhood workforce

Families understand child health and

developmental needs

Common Kindergarten

Entry Screener

Scholarships & PD Plans

Families are engaged

Children have access to

appropriate services

Data is shared by early childhood

programs

Ready to Grow…Ready to Learn…Ready to Succeed

The five developmental areas for school readiness are: • Approaches to learning • Social and emotional development• Health and physical well being • Cognitive and general knowledge • Language and communication development

In Kentucky School Readiness is. . .

• BRIGANCE® Kindergarten Screener will be used by all Kindergarten programs

• 109 districts implemented the screen in 2012 voluntarily• Participation will be required beginning in the 2013 school

year

• 704 KAR 5:070 provides guidance in the administration and use of data

• Administered within 15 calendar days before the first instructional day and no later than the thirtieth instructional day

Common Kindergarten Entry Screener

Universal Screener

• Screener results – composite screener score – results in each domain– participation rate and number

screened– county score and state score – scores by target population

• Prior settings and dosage where available

• System of Care – STARS-rated centers, – HANDS, First Steps, Pre-K– Program quality, scholarships and

credentials• Demographics Health - low birth

weight rates, poverty • General Information• Contact information for local CECC

Community Early Childhood Councils (CECCs)

… a vehicle for bringing together many community members to

support issues of importance to children and families.

… addresses the unique needs and strengths of local communities related to early childhood.

Priority #1: School Readiness

Changing the community conversation

COMMONVISION

Every Kentucky child will enter school ready to succeed.

Every parent will know what school readiness looks like and what they can do with their child to assure their success

Every community will understand that it takes all of us to get this work done.

Kindergarten Readiness Screener

TQRIS

Parent Engagement

Professional Development

P-20 Data Collaborative

Early Learning

Standards & Assessments

Improve School

Readiness

Elements of the State System

Community Engagement

Assessment

Assessment

Data Systems

STARS for Kids Now

ProfessionalDevelopment

Community Collaboration

You Make the Difference!

Governor’s Office of Early Childhood125 Holmes St.Frankfort, KY 40601502-782-0200

http://kidsnow.ky.gov

Thank You!