1. PreK – 3rd Grade System Design Strategies for Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Your World’s Best Workforce Plan
Bobbie
“Leading for educational excellence and equity. Every day for every one.”

2. World’s Best Workforce - Legislation
“World’s Best Workforce” means striving to:
Have all students meet school readiness goals
Have all third grade students achieve grade-level literacy
Close the academic achievement gap among all racial and ethnic groups of students and between students living in poverty and their more privileged peers as well as students receiving special education services and those that are not.
Have all students graduate from high school
Have all students attain college and career preparedness

3. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PHYSICAL HEALTH SERVICES
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
FAMILY SUPPORT
PARENT EDUCATION
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
PHYSICAL HEALTH SERVICES
0-3
3-5
5-8
Bobbie
Why should public schools be involved with children before kindergarten?
The transition between early care and education needs to be seamless.
Schools have a vested interest in school readiness…WBWF.
Every community has at least one elementary school.
All children have access to public schools.
Schools can and should support child care and Head Start programs.
Child care and Head Start programs can and should support public schools.
EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS KINDERGARTEN-3rd GRADE
Home Visitation Public Pre-K Full-day Kindergarten
Early Intervention Head Start Early Elementary Grades
Early Head Start EC Special Education Before/After School Care
Child Care Child Care Summer Programs
(public/private) Community-based Preschools

5. Plan and adjust instruction
PreK-3 Feedback Loops: Intentional Alignment of Curriculum, Assessments, & Instruction
2nd Grade Data
3rd Grade Data
1st Grade Data
2nd Grade Data
Plan and adjust instruction
for incoming students
Kindergarten Data
1st Grade Data
Preschool Data
Kindergarten Data
Adjust instruction and practices to strengthen alignment for future students
Making a Difference: 10 Essential Steps To Building a PreK-3 System of Support
Linda Sullivan-Dudzic, Donna K. Gearns, Kelli Leavell

6. Minnesota’s Expectations
Ready Children:
According to Minnesota statute, a child is ready for kindergarten when he/she:
Is at least 5 years of age by September 1st of the child’s enrollment year (120A.20)
Has received early childhood screening (121A.17)
Has received medically acceptable immunizations (121A.15)
handout

7. Minnesota’s Expectations
Ready Schools
Ready Teachers
…Schools must be prepared to support and respond to all children’s individual needs because children arrive at kindergarten with a wide range of experiences and competencies.
…Supporting readiness that is inclusive of children’s’ skills and knowledge at kindergarten entry can inform future program planning and teaching.
Reference handout for SR definition
Explain standards linkage and why they aren’t measureable- joke about my stats prof that “almost everything is measureable” but there is a difference when it comes to children’s K entry

8. Key Features of PreK-3rd Grade Programs
Universal access to voluntary, high-quality pre-kindergarten programs for all 3- and 4-year-olds whose parents want pre-K.
Universal full-day kindergarten.
Quality, developmentally appropriate curriculum, standards and assessments aligned from pre-K through third grade.
Qualified teachers with both a bachelor’s degree and specialized training in how young children learn.
Opportunities for teachers to share data, plan together, and participate in professional development within and across grade levels.
Strong leadership committed to providing children with a seamless educational experience.
Opportunities for parent and community engagement.
Source: “America’s Vanishing Potential: The Case for PreK-3rd Education” (New York: Foundation for Child Development, 2008).

9. Universal access to voluntary, high-quality pre-kindergarten programs for all 3- and 4-year-olds
School Readiness
Head Start
Voluntary PreK
Early Childhood Family Education
Early Childhood Special Education
Early Learning Scholarships
Through blending and braiding of current programming…

10. Universal full-day kindergarten
Full-day Kindergarten Practice Briefs
PreK and FDK Regional Professional Learning Communities
KEP Training and Support
Kindergarten Videos
Kindergarten Teacher Leader Institute
K-5 Formative Assessment modules (in process)

11. Quality, developmentally appropriate curriculum, standards and assessments aligned from pre-K 3rd
Revised Early Childhood Indicators of Progress (ECIPs)
Alignment of ECIPs to K-3 Standards
P3 Comprehensive Assessment System
ECSE Outcomes
Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten entry and exit data
School Readiness entry and exit data
Read Well by Third Grade data
Teacher/child interaction measure

12. The move toward Standards Alignment
Parent Information
Curriculum
Assessment
Instructional Practice
Teacher Preparation
Early Learning Standards (ECIPs)
Knowledge and Competency Framework
Program Standards (Parent Aware: Minnesota’s QRIS)

13. Kindergarten Entry Profile (KEP)
KEP, formerly the School Readiness Study, is a voluntary developmental assessment at kindergarten entrance. KEP includes a menu of standards aligned tools which measure children’s cognitive, social-emotional, language, literacy and physical development. Participating districts choose which tool works best for them.
Benefits for participation:
Supports teaching and learning process for kindergarten teachers
Facilitates measurement of progress on World’s Best Workforce goals
Option for subscriptions to online assessment system for kindergarten, including publisher technical assistance and data reporting
FREE training for kindergarten teachers and administrators
Fosters cross-grade & program transition planning
For more information, contact:

14. What does this mean for expectations and WBWF Goal #1?
All tools on the approved menu are aligned to standards
All tools can be used across grades/ages
Each tool has scoring criteria and reliability expectations
Reference handouts with Rausch output

15. Pilot Results
Four tools are included for the Kindergarten Entry Profile
Desired Results Developmental Profile
Formative Assessment System for Teachers
Teaching Strategies Gold
MN Work Sampling System

16. WBWF Early Learning Resources
Choose a tool
Assessment Trainers Available
Modules available for special populations
Participate in Kindergarten Entry Profile
Standard setting process nearly complete
Assessment Data Templates coming Spring 2016

17. Qualified teachers with both a bachelor’s degree and specialized training in how young children learn.
Core Knowledge and Competency Framework
P3 Professional Learning Series
Workforce Package
Parent Aware
Workforce Groups (NGA & McKnight Foundation)

18. Opportunities for teachers to share data, plan together, and participate in professional development within and across grade levels.
P3 Comprehensive Assessment System
P3 Professional Learning Series
Regional Early Learning Professional Learning Communities

19. Strong leadership committed to providing children with a seamless educational experience.
P3 Professional Learning Series
Regional Early Learning Professional Learning Communities

20. Opportunities for parent and community engagement.
PreK-3 Family Engagement Series
Online Course

21. Comprehensive PreK-3rd Aligned
Framing the Supports
Comprehensive PreK-3rd Aligned
System

22. Questions / Suggestions?
Bobbie Burnham Director, Division of Early Learning Services MDE