Welcome! 2016 Early Learning Public Library Partnership Symposium WiFi name: hhonors WiFi promo code: YKMYA16

Today’s Agenda Our early learning system Kindergarten readiness goals Characteristics of entering kindergartners Highlights from libraries’ work What libraries have to offer in kindergarten transitions How All Aboard for Kindergarten builds on this work Lunchtime panel Different perspectives on kindergarten transitions Diving in: All Aboard for Kindergarten Brainstorming, prioritizing and planning

Pre-Think: Lunchtime Panel What questions do you have for … A fellow librarian? A family support expert? A kindergarten teacher? A candidate for statewide K-12 superintendent? Write your questions on the cards provided, and leave them on the front table.

The Importance of Partnership “To meet the needs of individuals, the community and the nation in the knowledge society, public libraries must be re-invented for a networked world, in which the value of networks grows as more connections are made. Innovations built on the old distributed model of the lending library will not suffice. What is needed is a new level of interdependence that communities and libraries must embrace together.” Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries {From the Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries} http://csreports.aspeninstitute.org/Dialogue-on-Public-Libraries/2014/report

Early Learning in Washington Mixed delivery system Libraries Home visiting Head Start and Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP) Private child care Family, friends and neighbors Preschool

About 80,000 children are born in WA each year Kids who will be in kindergarten in 2020 are already born (September 2014 - August 2015) About 45% of entering kindergartners are assessed as “ready” in all domains About 2,000 families are enrolled in state-funded home visiting About 11,000 kids are enrolled in ECEAP About 75% of kids under age 5 are in the care of family, friends and neighbors

Early Learning Plan Our state’s roadmap for building an early learning system, created with the input of hundreds of Washington residents who told us what was needed to help make sure all children in our state have what they need to succeed in school and life.

Washington Early Learning Partnership Work together to make the state’s 10-year Early Learning Plan a reality

State-to-Local Coordination

Our State’s Goal 90 percent of children assessed as “ready” by 2020 Race is eliminated as a predictor of success

Characteristics of Entering Kindergartners Social-emotional Physical Language Cognitive Literacy Mathematics

Disproportionate outcomes by race State WaKIDS 2015-2016 Data Percentage of Students Entering Kindergarten Demonstrating Skills Typical of 5-6 Year Olds

Opportunity Gap Race is a predictor of success Children of color are furthest from opportunity Kindergarten entry assessments show that children of color are less likely to have the characteristics of entering kindergartners

EQUITY doesn’t mean EQUALITY Image by Craig Froehle, medium.com/@CRA1G

90% Goal and Cluster Analysis Cluster D: Average scores are consistently lower across all domains. Cluster B: Average scores, except 50% below cut scores in Math. Cluster C: Average scores are at/below in all domains. Cluster A: Average scores are consistently high across domains. 90% of children are Kindergarten ready by 2020, as measured by WaKIDS

Getting to 90% Ready: Strategies 2015: 48% of all kindergarteners are ready in 6/6 WaKIDS domains

Getting to 90% Ready: Strategies Fix Dropoff: 53% of all kindergarteners are ready in 6/6 WaKIDS domains Math: 60% of all kindergarteners are ready in 6/6 WaKIDS domains Expand ECEAP: 63% of all kindergarteners are ready in 6/6 WaKIDS domains

Our State’s Goal 90 percent of children assessed as “ready” by 2020 Race is eliminated as a predictor of success

Kindergarten readiness 90% GAP 45% 2016 2020

Thrive Washington Create opportunities for all children in Washington to succeed in school and in life, through partnership, grant-making and advocacy In Washington state, we have a cabinet level Department of Early Learning, and Thrive was created at the same time to be the private nonprofit partner for state and community work. We serve a key role in system-building and state-to-local coordination, which in our state means working with regional and local providers and experts, and making sure what they know and what they learn is heard among state agencies and policymakers. We also partner with state agencies, and help them understand the work happening with families. We blend federal, state and private funding to give out grants for a variety of work in early learning, from intensive home visiting programs to coalition-building, infrastructure work, to special STEM displays at children’s libraries. We also do legislative advocacy. At Thrive, we believe that communities have the solutions to their own problems, and that by building the capacity of people to come together and share learning about the issues to matter to them, and making sure that they are heard by policymakers and funders, we can create high-quality early learning opportunities for every child. One of the parts of Thrive’s work that I’m excited to talk about today is our work with libraries, specifically the Early Learning Public Library Partnership, and I will be talking more about that later on.

Early Learning Regional Coalitions Strengthen partnerships, build capacity, broaden reach, and focus local early learning mobilization efforts

Statewide Library Network Ensure that public libraries are full, essential partners in the early learning movement in Washington state Initially, the ELPLP was established to ensure that The public libraries are recognized by early learning professionals, decision makers, and the public for their work in early learning. Public libraries are members of local and statewide early learning coalitions throughout Washington State. Public Libraries will continue to grow for early learning services resources and influence in Washington State Early Learning Community. Now, the ELPLP goals are: Public Libraries influence early learning policy Strengthen the Early Learning Public Library Partnership Establish the Public Library as the go-to place for literacy resources and family and community engagement early learning supports

Early Learning Public Library Partnership Influence policy Strengthen network and connections Raise visibility

Libraries and kindergarten transitions

Kindergarten readiness 90% GAP 45% 2016 2020

Small-Group Discussions Please record your notes on sticky notes. These will be helpful in the afternoon session. What are ways that you already see libraries playing the role of supporting families in kindergarten transitions? What are some of the best resources and programs that help support kindergarten readiness? What are barriers for libraries to play this role?

Concept: All Aboard for K What does it mean to be ready for kindergarten? Explain what kindergarten readiness means and what it looks like every day. It’s information that parents need to know that they're not going to get anywhere else or find on their own. Don’t reinvent the wheel. There are major implications for our society if kids are not ready for kindergarten, including lower academic achievement and increased need for social services, impacting the economy, the jobs market, the health care system, and other key components of our country’s infrastructure. -parents don’t understand what's required -don’t know the domains -explain what this means and what it looks like every day -what will help them have a great kindergarten year -here's what you can work on -if they're really behind, here's how to involve the parents   Why it's important for us to be doing this Things that parents need to know that they're not going to get anywhere else or find on their own --what's literacy vs. language --what's cognitive abilities Don't reinvent the wheel Want librarians and parents to really understand what it means to be ready for kindergarten Pierce County block program Mary Ellen's website Manipulatives Set up a series of programs for different domains? Guiding Principles: Keep it simple; Less is more; Don’t reinvent the wheel! Collaboration is key; One language, one message: Jargon-free; Non-judgmental; Flexible (can flow and change to better help partnerships); Consistent; Communication, communication, communication! Who, What, How, When – and Did it Make a Difference?: Who: Know your audience; Identify information gatekeepers; Partnerships, partnerships, partnerships! What: Create a consistent, joint language for messaging – keep it simple – and short! Use existing programs/initiatives for message content – There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. How: Deliver the message in language that is friendly and supportive; Deliver the message in language that is easily understood by its intended audience; consider: Reading levels of parents/FFN; Language used by parents/FFN. Deliver the message in a format that is easily accessed by its intended audience; consider: Digital literacy skills (or lack thereof); Access to technology (or lack thereof); Visual and physical impairments: Braille/Talking Book; Daisy file format; Large print; Other considerations? When: Scheduled release: Monthly? Quarterly? Coordinated among early learning partners. Did it make a difference? Assess effectiveness of program: Keep it short; Keep it positive – don’t stigmatize.

All Aboard, Partners! Libraries Key source of early learning information and resources Statewide, in almost every community Accessible to families furthest from opportunity and available to all families, including those who don’t use other services, such as child care, preschool or home visiting Can help close the opportunity gap with an intentional effort on kindergarten readiness What are the implications for not being school-ready? -Business -Military -James Heckman/ROI -Casey series on cost of early learning vs. later on expenses Amount of time children spend in formal learning environments

All Aboard, Partners! Washington State Library Brings vast knowledge of public libraries Brings a strong communication network Early Learning Public Library Partnership Brings librarians and library staff committed to enhancing early learning Brings resources and tools that libraries already use to support early learning Thrive Washington Brings connection to early learning system Brings experience providing training and technical assistance on family engagement

Libraries: Right People, Right Place, Right Time Most of us are more likely to absorb information or adopt behavior when we experience it (“show, don’t tell”) Libraries have the respected staff and high-quality resources that could generate those experiences We know that what builds resilience in families and communities is shared knowledge and trusted networks Libraries are in every community and have the trusted messengers to share valued information about early learning and kindergarten readiness that could generate those experiences Librarians throughout the state have already developed family engagement tools and programming that families love The ELPLP is positioned to spread that knowledge and offer free, accessible learning opportunities throughout the state More families need to be acquainted with the importance of early learning and kindergarten readiness, and what it looks like Thrive and the Washington State Library have the partnerships and tools to increase public awareness and offer free, accessible learning opportunities throughout the state

In Practice: All Aboard for K Name what works Share learning Build awareness

Group Discussion How does this concept land with you? What are important considerations for All Aboard? Where do you see this going with the support of the Early Learning Public Library Partnership? How do you think All Aboard for Kindergarten will affect your library system? Or how do you think this will fit into to your library system’s future plans?