Measuring Child and Family Outcomes Conference Crystal City, VA July 30, 2010 Jacqueline Jones, PhD Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Early Learning 1

It will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education from the day they are born to the day they begin a career... we know that the most formative learning comes in those first years of life. President Obama February 24,

Agenda ED’s Early Learning Agenda Interagency Collaboration Early Learning in ESEA Early Learning and Child Outcomes 3

The Early Learning Goal … improving the health, social- emotional, and cognitive outcomes for all children, especially high-need children from birth through 3 rd grade. 4

from Cradle to Career 5 Goal: All graduates have opportunities for success in the 21 st century economy. Goal: All students graduate high school on time prepared for at least one year of post- secondary. Goal: All students enter middle school with foundational skills to tackle advanced subjects. Goal: All kindergarten students arrive ready to succeed and remain on track to 4 th grade. Elementary (Grades K-5) Secondary (Grades 6-12) Post- Secondary Early Learning (Birth-grade 3

Four Assurances and Early Learning 6 Raise standards and improve assessments. Recruit, retain & support effective educators, and ensure equitable distribution. Build robust data systems that track student progress and improve practice. Turn around low-performing schools, focusing on dropout factories and their feeder schools.

Interagency Collaboration  Interagency Study Groups  Listening and Learning about Early Learning  Early Childhood 2010: Innovation for the Next Generation 7

Interagency Study Groups  Program Standards  Early Learning Standards/Assessment  Workforce and Professional Development  Family Engagement  Health Promotion  Data Systems 8

Listening and Learning about Early Learning Materials from the tour now posted at April & May 2010  Washington, DC—Understanding P-3 Structures  Denver, CO—Workforce and Professional Development  Orlando, FL—Family Engagement  Chicago, IL—Standards and Assessments 9

Early Childhood 2010: Innovation for the Next Generation Attendees: Early learning grantees across ED and HHS  Focus on improving collaboration across early learning programs and services  State teams 10

Early Learning in ESEA …to promote a continuum of early learning programs and services from birth through 3rd grade across the six core areas. 11

Core Areas for ESEA Reauthorization 12 Accelerating Achievement & Ensuring Equity Effective Teaching & Learning Excellent Instructional Teams Educating Diverse Learners Supporting Student Success Fostering Innovation & Success

Accelerating Achievement & Ensuring Equity ● High-quality preschool as a central component of education reform ● Use of Title I funds to support high-quality preschool programs ● Developmentally appropriate comprehensive early learning assessment systems 13

Excellent Instructional Teams ● Joint professional development for elementary school and preschool staff ● Preparation and professional development for administrators about child development and appropriate early learning strategies 14

Educating Diverse Learners ● Inclusion and improved outcomes of children with disabilities (in addition to IDEA funds that serve young children) ● Support unique needs of young Dual Language Learners and other traditionally underserved populations 15

Effective Teaching & Learning ● High-quality Literacy instruction and strategies from preschool through grade 12 ● Encourage comprehensive high-quality Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) instruction and strategies to students from preschool through grade 12 16

Supporting Student Success ● Promise Neighborhood - effective community, family and educational supports for children and youth from birth through college and to a career ● Encourage environments that lead children to become safe, healthy, and successful 17

Fostering Innovation & Success Race to the Top - Comprehensive education reforms: 2010 includes invitational priority for prekindergarten through third grade projects Investing in Innovation (i3) - promising and proven educational practices: 2010 includes competitive priority for birth through 3rd grade activities 18

Assessment and Child Outcomes 19

Major Goals Improve Outcomes For Children: Health Social-emotional Educational Raise quality of early learning programs Support ongoing workforce development Increase access to high quality programs 20

Assessment The ongoing process of collecting evidence in order to make informed judgments. 21

Comprehensive Assessment System Contains information about the process and context of young children’s learning and development and includes:  Screening and referral  Formative assessments  School readiness assessments  Measures of classroom quality  Program evaluation 22

Screening and Referral All children are screened using high-quality screening tools and referred for services, as indicated. 23

Formative Assessments On-going developmentally appropriate assessments to monitor children’s progress and guide and improve instructional practice. 24

School Readiness Assessments Evaluation conducted upon kindergarten entry to provide a benchmark of how children are developing across a broad range of domains, State-wide. 25

Measures of Environmental Quality and Adult-Child Interaction Indicators of the overall quality of early learning environments and of the quality of interactions between teachers/service providers/caregivers and children. 26

Program Evaluation Data are systematically collected and used for program improvement purposes: includes descriptive data on program resources, elements of program quality and child outcomes. 27

Thank You  Early learning programs under IDEA are critical to the Administration’s early learning agenda  Part C and 619 outcomes work will help lead the assessment discussion 28

Thank You  ED supports:  comprehensive assessment system  data-based decision-making for all early learning programs  Continue to share your experiences and expertise with other early learning programs and services in your State 29

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