ELIZABETH BURKE BRYANT MAY 9, 2012 Building a Solid Foundation for Governors’ Education Reform Agendas through Strong Birth-to-3 rd Grade Policies

Recognition that the Achievement Gap Begins Early and Grows Over Time  Begins at birth for children born low birthweight, prematurely, with congenital health problems, affected by prenatal exposure to toxic substances, or other adverse conditions during pregnancy.  Continues between birth and kindergarten: Differences in language development by 9 months. Differences in vocabulary by age to 14 months behind national norms in language and pre-reading skills by kindergarten entry. The readiness gap becomes an achievement gap when children enter school and this gap often persists over children’s school careers.

Closing the Gap: Early Childhood and K-3 o Too many children do not have access to language-rich environments and high-quality learning experiences in their homes and their communities. o Too many children have unidentified and/or untreated social- emotional, physical health problems and learning disabilities that make it difficult to follow directions, take turns, and interact with peers and teachers. o Low-income children are less likely than their middle income peers to participate in high-quality early childhood and preschool programs that prepare them to succeed in school. o Based on latest NAEP, 82% of low-income children are not reading proficiently and 74% are not proficient in math by the end of 3 rd grade. o Too many children miss too much instructional time due to chronic absence and lose ground during the summer months.

Why a Birth Through Eight State Policy Agenda? o For too long we have had separate and siloed early childhood and K-3 systems and policies. o Principles of child development tell us that we need to create a seamless birth through eight policy framework to ensure that children have what they need to succeed at every milestone from birth through eight. o The common goal is closing the gaps and ensuring children’s success by the end of third grade.

Principles that Support a Birth Through Third Policy Agenda o A fully functioning birth through eight system will ensure that children have access to high-quality health care, child development services and early learning opportunities that support their healthy development and educational success. o Policies should intentionally create consistent opportunities for high need children to participate in high-quality programs. o Seamless transitions from one year to the next as children move from the early years to the early grades.

Principles that Support a Birth Through Third Policy Agenda o Clear benchmarks for child outcomes across all domains of child development are required along the birth through eight continuum (birth, age 3, age 5, age 8) with attention to achieving measurable gains for high- need children. o Success will require culturally competent policies and practices that support and engage families, particularly those of high-need children. o Achieving measurable gains requires that there are high-quality teachers and administrators for every child in every setting.

Infant/Toddlers Preschool K-3 Accountability and Quality Assurance Standards and Assessment Human Capital Development and Effectiveness Effective Data Systems Governance, Planning and Financing Sustaining a high-quality, accessible, sustainable learning and development system birth through eight requires the following elements: Key System Elements

Infant/Toddlers Evidence-based Parent-Child Home Visiting Programs High-Quality Infant- Toddler Child Care Preschool High-Quality, Full-Day Preschool for 3- and 4- year olds Preschool Special Ed K-3 High-Quality Full-Day Kindergarten, First, Second and Third Grades High Quality Teaching for All Learning EnvironmentsComprehensive Health and Child Development Services Expanded Learning and Summer Learning Opportunities Early Warning Systems

Comprehensive Health and Child Development Services Prenatal and pediatric health care for families and children:  Comprehensive health services, including physical, mental and oral health and nutrition.  Developmental screening, assessment and services.  Timely, appropriate identification and intervention for behavioral health/mental health issues. Timely, appropriate, referral to, and enrollment in Early Intervention and Special Education.

High-Quality Learning Environments Birth through Third Grade o Evidence-based Home Visiting Programs for the most vulnerable infants and toddlers o High-Quality Infant-Toddler Child Care o High-Quality, Full-Day Preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds o High-Quality Full-Day Kindergarten o High-Quality First, Second and Third Grades o Early Warning Systems, including chronic absence, for Children who are Falling Behind (note: this is tied to state data systems and policies, not just district level) o High Quality Expanded Learning and Summer Learning Opportunities for high-need children

High-Quality Teaching for All Learning Environments  Parents as child’s first teacher.  Effective teacher/workforce preparation programs, professional development, and continuous quality improvement.  Effective instruction for English Language Learners and Children with Special Education Needs.  Aligned Early Learning and K-3 Standards, Curricula and Assessments.  Coordinated Training and Professional Development for Early Learning and K-3 Teachers.  Dedicated time for program, classroom, school and district level planning (state policy focus).