“P-3 Reform in Vision and Practice” by Kate Tarrant
The Build Initiative has published a report on the impact of the US DOE’s Race to the Top–Early Learning Challenge (ELC) in states around the country. The report, “P-3 Reform in Vision and Practice,” was written by Kate Tarrant and is a chapter in the Build Initiative’s E-Book, Rising to the Challenge: Building Effective Systems…
Birth–3rd Policy Developments in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts team that participated in the National Governors Association early learning policy academy reports several new developments: The Boards of the Department of Early Education and Care and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have created a joint birth through grade 3 sub-committee that will include representatives from both boards. The team has released…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Quality and Family Engagement
The political dynamic seems to have changed since this Washington Post article was published almost a year ago, but see Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s discussion of preschool quality and wraparound services for parents as he describes his administration’s work on early education in Chicago. Too many Republicans today ridicule the value of early education. That would come…
Not To Be Missed: Chris Martes in Commonwealth Magazine
Don’t miss the recent article in Commonwealth Magazine by Chris Martes, president and CEO of Strategies for Children: “A Chance to Lead on Early Education.” As Martes says, From the White House to business boardrooms to the offices of scores of Republican and Democratic mayors, governors, and members of Congress, we’re seeing historic momentum on…
Understanding Last Week’s News
In addition to the good coverage over at Eye on Early Education, see EdCentral’s Early Ed Update for a helpful round-up of commentary on the White House Summit and the Preschool Development Grants.
Joint Sub-Committee on Birth–3rd Alignment Approved Last Night
Last night at a joint meeting of the Boards of the Department of Early Education and Care and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Boards approved motions to create a joint sub-committee on Birth-3rd Alignment. The Sub-Committee will focus on alignment and coordination and include two members from each Board and one staff…
Kindergarten-Readiness Tests Gain Ground
This Education Week article discusses new kindergarten-readiness assessments, including advances and concerns. See comments by Kyle Snow and Libby Doggett in the excerpts below. All 3,500 kindergarten teachers in Maryland are using a new readiness assessment this year that rests on teachers’ observations of children’s work and play to build a detailed picture of what they…
Revised Foundational Competencies and Essential Experiences, Birth-3rd
Massachusetts has issued a revised version of its Foundational Competencies and Essential Experiences document and is seeking feedback by the end of this week. From the website: Massachusetts has embarked on an exciting journey – the development of a comprehensive birth through grade 3 policy agenda – that will result in the implementation of innovative…
CAYL Institute’s 10th Anniversary and Related Resources
Congratulations to Dr. Valora Washington and the CAYL Institute on its 10th anniversary. Its community of practice now includes over 600 fellows. I attended the anniversary celebration a couple of weeks ago, where the strength of its fellows network was very much in evidence. See the summaries of the keynote speakers comments in the newsletter below. In addition to links in the newsletter to MassBudget’s Children’s Budget site and the Subprime Learning reports, see these resources from MassBudget and the New America Foundation:
Building a Foundation for Success (MassBudget)
Report Finds Limited Support for Early Ed in School Turnarounds (New America Foundation)
School Year Begins, States Enhance PreK-3rd Continuum with Race to the Top Funds (New America Foundation)
Click for the CAYL Institute’s Special Newsletter …
Expanding Prekindergarten, Not Forgetting Kindergarten
Is New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio’s method for expanding Pre-K a model for other cities? Six experts’ views on the implications of NYC’s PreK expansion for other cities. The View from 3 Feet 4 year-old experts talk about the value of preschool in this video, a project of the Massachusetts-based Schott Foundation’s National…