1. Early Learning Challenge: Race to the Top Grant
Vermont’s Path to Realize the Promise of Every Child
Welcome and thanks---this is to update you on the no cost extension—first some context and background

2. OVERview $36.9 million over four years, awarded January 2014
Strengthens the systems that supports early learning and development
Overall goal of grant: Improve school readiness for children with high needs
Four mutually reinforcing components to grant, common across all RTT-ELC grants
In order to improve school readiness, the systems, the foundations, that support children and families need to be better aligned, utilize evidence based practices, collaborate and coordinate with one another. The grant has four mutually supportive components: investing in our workforce, investing in communities, accountability—how do we know we are making a difference?--, and improving quality and accessibility.

3. OUTCOMES THROUGH 2016
Grant provides opportunity to track our collective progress
Outcomes are a result of system-wide efforts, not only ELC projects.
Measures assess the strength of VT’s early childhood system overall, not outcomes of specific projects
Data highlights and Annual Performance Reports are posted on the web
Uniform performance measures across all ELC states nationwide.

4. OUTCOMES THROUGH 2016
2016 APR will be posted when we receive final approval…
Data highlights that show trends over time are here:
c_grant/outcomes/
The following three outcomes were chosen because they are easily recognizable visually. There are many highlights, and you can check out additional info on our website.

5. OUTCOMES THROUGH 2016-- EXAMPLES
Substantial increases of number of regulated programs in STARS
Major increases in programs in higher levels of STARS
Significant increases in numbers of individuals with advanced credentials and degrees in early childhood
A sizable increase in the number of children screened
A jump in number of qualified preK programs as well as the number of children in preK

6. Strategic opportunity: FIFTH YEAR EXTENSION
It was clear early on, due to a delay in funding approval at the legislative level at the start of the grant, that many projects would need a fifth year to complete their deliverables.
And, over time, it seemed very likely that some projects—one in particular--would have remaining funds after meeting their deliverables.
Created a strategic opportunity for us to think more deeply about long term effectiveness and sustainability of projects and how to best position our work to strengthen the system overall in order to improve school readiness for children with high needs.
One of our data systems for which we thought we might get a 90/10 Medicaid match, which would have freed up well over $2M. hat re-allocating funding for the fifth year might result in improved outcomes for the grant and for children and families

7. No Cost extension STATUS
Part I of extension has been submitted. We’ve requested an additional year for all projects that don’t conclude by Dec 2017.
Part II is due July 31, and includes re-allocation of remaining funds.
No new work—must be existing projects.

8. STRATEGIC ProCESS FOR understanding of projects and systems
Embarked on an eighteen month long strategic process including multiple stakeholders
“Deep dive” into four major categories
Reviewed Goal/Result #6 of the Action Plan
Identified projects that needed additional support for fifth year, that were effective, and met our criteria for strengthening the system overall to improve school readiness for children with high needs.
When we realized that a fifth year extension would be needed, we embarked on a year long process to support strategic decision making. Our paradigm was to think of the fifth year extension as a “launching pad” for sustainability.

9. Considering five requests for re- allocation of fundiNG
Help Me Grow
Building Bright Futures
TEACH scholarship program
Early Childhood Higher Education Consortium
Data Governance Program
When we realized that a fifth year extension would be needed, we embarked on a year long process to support strategic decision making. Our paradigm was to think of the fifth year extension as a “launching pad” for sustainability.

10. Projects that have requested re- allocation of remaining funds
Help Me Grow (Project 12)
Whole population approach for finding and connecting all children and their families to existing resources and community-based services across health, education, and human services
Four core system components
Offers a Centralized Access Point through the HMG contact center in partnership with Vermont (dial ext. 6)
Engages families, supports education in developmental promotion and builds collaboration among community providers and services through Community Outreach (BBF Regional Councils)

11. Projects that have requested re-allocation of remaining funds
Help Me Grow (Project 12)
Provides Child Health Care Provider Outreach to train providers in developmental monitoring and screening with timely connection to services for all children, as well as the use of the Universal Developmental Screening Registry
Ongoing Data Collection and Analysis to promote quality improvement, identify systemic gaps, and bolster advocacy efforts

12. Projects that have requested re- allocation of remaining funds
Help Me Grow (Project 12)
Approximately $636K for twelve months
Implement sustainability plans
Strengthen outreach for Help Me Grow contact center initiative including data collection
Increase collaboration between child care, health care and other providers
Expand universal developmental screening and use of the new Developmental Screening Registry
Leverages $870,000 from other funding sources

13. Projects that have requested re- allocation of remaining funds
Building Bright Futures (Project 2)
Approximately $436K for 12 months (50% already granted for January – June because of BBF’s budgeting cycle)
To continue operations, including continued implementation of sustainability plans
A decline of 50% of ELC funding for BBF

14. Projects that have requested re- allocation of remaining funds
TEACH scholarship program (Project 16)
Approximately $317K for twelve months
To maintain scholarship aid for 40 child care practitioners working in private settings to earn AA degrees and for 11 to earn licensure
Carolyn
These are projects that are on track to meet all grant deliverables by December 2017 and will spend down all of their grant budget. All of these projects have made a formal request for additional funds to continue their good work in a 5th year if there were remaining funds that could be reallocated from another project.

15. Projects that have requested re- allocation of remaining funds
Early Childhood Higher Education Consortium (Project 16)
Brings together leaders of Institutions of Higher Education which offer early childhood programs once a month to better understand the educational needs of the early childhood workforce and to create solutions together.
The Early Childhood Summer Institute at Castleton University kicked off today and offers courses from 10 different IHEs to enable educators to advance in their degrees at the associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s level.

16. Projects that have requested re- allocation of remaining funds
Early Childhood Higher Education consortium has requested $67,500 to continue facilitation of consortium by Cheryl Mitchell and support 2018 Early Childhood Summer Institute at Castleton

17. Projects that have requested re- allocation of remaining funds
Data Governance Project (Project 21)
Sets up a system to establish data management and data sharing processes with participating agencies of education and human services to inform policies and practices that support better outcomes for children and families.
Enables us to track longitudinal outcomes that cross agencies, programs and ages
Approximately $95,000 to complete design of early childhood data governance program

18. STRATEGIC ProCESS FOR DECISION-MAKING
At highest level:
To what degree does the request improve school readiness for children with high needs – the overall goal of the grant?
To what degree does it strengthen the early childhood system overall?
How robust and realistic is its sustainability plan?
To what degree is it timely and responsive to the evolving landscape of 2018?
How does it align with the recommendations from November’s State Advisory Council meeting?
Each and all of these are important and worthwhile—how do we decide what to fund, if there are remaining funds? Boiled down months of discussion into these five critical elements.

19. NEXT STEPS
Reliable estimate of remaining funds, based on June 30 numbers
Prioritizing of requests if needed, depending on estimate of remaining funds
Due date: July 31, 2017

20. NEXT STEPS for communicating fifth year extension
Will send update through Building Bright Futures to all
During the fifth year, we will continue to monitor spending and may identify additional remaining funds
Will report back at November ELC State Advisory Council meeting.

21. QUESTIONS or clarifications?
Julie