Entries for 'Alison'

This recently completed report by CCSSO in an overview of the Educare Program, geared to leaders in the public education community.

Twenty-two governors mentioned early care and education in their 2012 state of the state addresses.  The excerpts from the speeches related to early care and education, along with links to the entire speeches, are provided below. (Seven states have not had, nor are they scheduled to have, state of the state addresses.)  All of the state of the state addresses are available at here.

In 2010, Head Start served more participants than the previous year. Families continued to seek Head Start services at a high rate and nearly all children had health insurance at the end of the program year. Challenges still exist as teachers' salaries remain stagnant and the percent of teachers with degrees decreased slightly from 2009 to 2010.

In 2010, Early Head Start (EHS) saw the largest increase in enrollment in its history. EHS families continued to access services at a high rate and children continued to be connected to medical and dental services. Challenges continue to exist, though, as teachers' salaries remain stagnant and a smaller percentage of teachers had an associate degree or higher in 2010 compared to 2009 and 2006.

BUILD and the QRIS National Learning Network, in collaboration with the Early Learning Challenge Collaborative, are pleased to share this brief written by noted consultant Louise Stoney.  The brief explores the ideas and trends related to QRIS that state leaders included in their RTT-ELC applications.

A new study was released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) that describes steps being taken toward improving early care and education workforce data and enhancing workforce quality. Using a variety of state and federal interviews and data sets, the GAO examined:  (1) current information about the composition, education, and income of the ECE workforce and how these characteristics relate to quality of services, and (2) what activities and initiatives are underway by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education, and in the states that finance the improvement of worker quality?

Winter2012
Latest addition of Child Tends The Child Indicator, a periodic newletter about the major developments within the child and youth social indicators field.

CLASP and the National Women’s Law Center are pleased to announce the release of our collaborative report: A Count for Quality: Child Care Center Directors on Rating and Improvement Systems, based on interviews with a diverse group of child care center directors participating in QRIS in several states. 

This NAEYC report is a highlight of state developments, categorized by issue areas. It highlights selected enacted legislation; new initiatives approved by the state executive branch; major funding increases, decreases, or level-funding; and additional significant fiscal or policy changes that impact early childhood education for Fiscal Year 2012.

CLASP is pleased to announce a new resource on promoting access to comprehensive screenings. Promote Access to Early, Regular and Comprehensive Screenings is one of CLASP’s 15 policy recommendations in our “Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care” project, an ongoing effort by CLASP to link research to policy ideas to help states make the best decisions for infants and toddlers in child care.

The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) announces the release of this new research report which draws upon a case study of two early childhood B.A. completion cohort programs in order to illuminate the limitations of current ways of conceptualizing and studying early childhood teacher education.

Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRISs) commonly offer on-site technical assistance (TA) and coaching to help early care and education settings achieve quality improvements and a higher QRIS rating. In surveys of administrators overseeing statewide QRISs, almost all states reported the use of on-site TA and coaching in both center-based and home-based settings.

“From Crib to Classroom: Developing Language and Skills for Reading”, is a fact sheet based on a presentation by Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University Lefkowitz Professor of Psychology and Director, Infant Language Laboratory.

This piece from the Center on the Developing Child, bridges the disconnect between science and policy in the realm of early childhood development.

CLASP has updated their Data Tool intended for state advocates and policymakers to use as they work to develop state early childhood agendas.

NAEYC's annual brief covers major state efforts on early care and education policies addressing issues such as governance, special education, health services, and education and care programs for infants through kindergarteners.

According to the latest annual report released by the Data Quality Campaign, while states have made strong progress increasing their capacity to build and use data systems, they are not yet helping teachers, parents, and other education stakeholders use the data to inform decisions to improve student achievement.

Quality, stable child care arrangements support the healthy development of infants and toddlers. This presentation from the 2011 NAEYC Annual Conference describes how state subsidy policies can support retention of child care subsidies and continuous care for infants and toddlers.

This annual report from the National Women's Law Center reveals that families were worse off in 37 states than they were in 2010 under one or more child care assistance policies.  Families are not only worse off in 2011 than they were in 2010, but are also worse off than a decade ago. 

Learn how to make the most out of the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC).  BUILD, The First Five Years Fund and The Birth to Five Policy Alliance have joined forces in creating the Early Learning Challenge Collaborative.

Webinar recording hosted by Spitfire Strategies.  The topic covered was Discovering the Activation Point and was presented on September 27, 2011. 

This report from National Conference of State Legislatures, presents an analysis of overall trends in early care and education budget decisions and actions in child care, prekindergarten, home visiting and related early childhood investments.

A presentation by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D. of Temple University given at the Annual Birth to Five Policy Alliance National Meeting and Peer Advocate Roundtable.  July 19, 2011 in Chicago, Il.

Produced by Spitfire Strategies, this toolkit compiles communications materials from the Birth to Five Policy Alliance, First Five Years Fund, and Spitfire Strategies including tip sheets, templates for outreach and media tools, and other messaging materials.

• Erika Beltran, Senior Policy Analyst, National Council of La Raza.  To email Erika please click here.
• Hannah Matthews, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).  To email Hannah please click here.
• Reyna P. Hernandez, Research and Policy Associate, Latino Policy Forum.  To email Reyna please click here.

• Presentation
   
• Written by Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen.   Early Education Programs and Children of Immigrants: Learning Each Other's Language.  This paper was written for the Urban Institute's roundtable on Young Children in Immigrant Families and the Path to Educational Success, held on June 28, 2010. It discusses the federal and policy landscape for serving young children of immigrants in early care and education and includes policy recommendations for improving access for immigrant families.
   
• Written by Hannah Matthews.  Support a Diverse and Culturally Competent Workforce.  Ensure the diversity and cultural competence of infant and toddler providers and caregivers in order to meet the needs of the state's children under three and their families.
   
• CLASP DataFinder is a custom, easy-to-use tool developed to provide select demographic information as well as administrative data on programs that affect low-income people and families.
   
• Written by Erika Beltran.  Responding to the Needs of Young Latino Children: State Efforts to Build Comprehensive Early Learning Systems.  Recent federal and state policy developments and investments in early care and education reflect a renewed commitment to improving the shcool readiness and, ultimately, the school success of young children.
   
• Written by Erika Beltran and Sarah Dolan, New Leaders, New Directions: Tools for Advancing an Early Childhood Agenda for the Latino Communty.  As Latino children enter the American school system in increasing numbers, it is imperative that they enter ready to learn and be successful. Unfortunately, this is not currently the case. Young Latino children face many challenges in accessing high-quality early care and education (ECE) programs.
   
• Written by Patricia Foxen, America’s Future: Latino Child Well-Being in Numbers and Trends.  This data book offers a comprehensive overview of the state of Latino children by integrating a range of key factors and outcomes in the areas of demography, citizenship, family structure, poverty, health, education, and juvenile justice. It provides an overview of current national and state-level trends for Latino children under age 18 relative to non-Hispanic White and Black children, documenting both regional variations and changing trends since the year 2000.
   
• NCLR, Census 2010: Hispanics in the U.S.
   
• Click here to read the Proposed Early Childhood Bilingual/English as a Second Language Staff Qualifications in Illinois.
   
• RFP Recommendations Summary IELC Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Committee.  The Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Committee recommends the following additions to the current Preschool for All Children Request for Proposals.  These recommendations were discussed with Kay Henderson and members of her staff in May, and were later submitted to ISBE in written form in August.
   
• Click here to read the Illinois Early Learning Council Joint Workforce Development/Cultural & Linguistic Diversity Work Group Recommendations.
   
• Click here to read the RFP recommendations summary.  Recommendations offered on behalf of the Linguistic and Cultural committee for the FY 1- Preschool for all 3-5 Request for Proposals and the infant and toddler committee for the prevention initiative RFP.
   
• Click here to read public comment on proposed rule changes to 228 and 235 of the Illinois Administrative Code.
   
• Click here to read the Illinois office of the governor state advisory council on early childhood education and care application narrative.
   
• Click here to read the Illinois state board of education meeting minutes from June 24, 2010.

This fact sheet was recently developed by the California Alliance team for use in legislative visits and other advocacy work during the Spring of 2011.  The achievement gap begins to show as early as 18 months of age in vocabulary differences between children who have high vs. low exposure to a rich language environment.  These early vocabulary differences predict reading scores in third grade.

• Barbara Merrill, Executive Director, Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children and Program Manager, T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood (R) IOWA
• Tom Rendon, Iowa Head Start State Collaboration Office, Iowa Even Start State Coordinator, Iowa Department of Education
• Darlene Ragozzine, Executive Director, Connecticut Charts-A-Course
• Sarah LeMoine, Director of State Workforce Systems Policy, NAEYC

• NAEYC’s Early Childhood Workforce Systems Initiative’s purpose is to assist states in developing, enhancing, and implementing policies for an integrated early childhood professional development system for all early childhood education professionals working with and on behalf of young children. The website resources include a state policy blueprint and guide, a database of example state policies, web seminars, and additional related resources. 
   
• NAEYC’s Workforce Designs: A Policy Blueprint for State Early Childhood Professional Development Systems focuses on the policies that connect professional development activities and that support and make possible an effective implementation of a state system of professional development. It highlights policy principles and essential policy areas that build or sustain an integrated system—a system that ensures quality in all settings in which early childhood professionals work. These principles and highlighted policy areas look beyond the status quo; they are aimed at the development and retention of a competent and stable early childhood workforce—a skilled cadre of effective, diverse, and adequately compensated professionals.
  • Click here to access the full report.
  • Click here to access the brief.
     
• NAEYC’s State policy blueprint planning guide
  • Companion environmental scan recording tool
  • Companion plan recording tool
     
• Building an Early Childhood Professional Development System: an NGA Center for Best Practices Issue Brief, written in partnership with NAEYC and based on the NAEYC blueprint.
   
• A Policy Framework for an Early Childhood Iowa Professional Development System:  Early Childhood Iowa's integrated system plan, a state adaptation of the NAEYC blueprint.
   
• Connecticut Charts-A-Course, statewide professional development, program improvement and Registry system for early care and education.

State Advisory Councils must conduct periodic statewide needs assessments on the quality and availability of early care and education programs and services.  What kinds of demographic, policy and outcome data are available to help states draw the picture of early care and education programs and services in their states?  What methodologies are being used to link data from state needs assessments to plans to improve access to higher quality programs?

Speakers:

• Danielle Ewen, Director, Child Care and Early Education, Center for Law and Social Policy

Resources:

• Session Recording.  Part I.  Part II.
   

• Presentation
   

• NCCP:  Demographics Wizard test users create custom tables of national- and state-level statistics about low-income or poor children under the age of six.
   

•  NCCP:  Young Child Risk Calculator provides state-specific graphs on incidence of individual risks that are known to increase the chance of poor health, school, and developmental outcomes for young children.  The calculator also produces the incidence of young children with multiple risks, who are exceptionally vulnerable.
   

• NCCP:  Improving the odds for Young Children provides state-specific, regional, and national profiles that integrate data about an array of policies that affect early childhood development.
   

• Children in Newcomer and Native Families presents a large number of indicators reflecting the characteristics of children from birth through age 17 in immigrant families by country or region of origin and in native-born families by race-ethnicity.
   

• FRAC's Federal Food Programs State Profiles include information on state demographics, poverty, food insecurity, participation in federal nutrition programs, and state economic security policies.
   

• ZERO TO THREE:  Baby Matters is a searchable data base of state policies and initiatives impacting infants and toddlers.

  
  State Examples
   

• Pennsylvania Reach and Risk Assessment provides information about how well the commonwealth is reaching its young children with quality early learning services, with special attention to at-risk children for fiscal year 2009-2010.

• Connecticut Commission on Children 2010 Results-Based Accountability Report and Annual Report identifies indicators and monitors trends to promote the health, safety, and learning of children in the state.

State profiles created in partnership with the NGA Center and the Department of Health and Human Services.  Each profile provides an overview of a state council, including its administering agency, history, membership, activities, and priorities for the ARRA grant, and communication strategies.

This glossary by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) is intended to serve as a guide for states to adapt and adjust as needed.  The definitions are also designed to provide common understandings, or starting points, for research and national or cross-state discussions.  The definitions were developed for those who provide professional development, state policy makers, early education advocates, and program administrators working to connect professional development activities and initiatives into an integrated system.

This planning tool from ZERO TO THREE guides communities through the process of creating new or expanding existing home visiting services that meet their unique needs.  The guide helps communities use data to identify thier strengths, needs, and gaps in current home visiting services.

Recent policy brief from ZERO TO THREE focuses on strengthening systems that support professional development for the multidisciplinary infant-toddler workforce.