executive office on early learning pacific theater education council december 4, 2013
TRANSCRIPT
EXECUTIVE OFFICE ON EARLY LEARNING
Pacific Theater Education CouncilDecember 4, 2013
RECENT LEGISLATION
Creation of Executive Office on Early Learning [Act 178, 2012]
Change in Kindergarten Entry Age [Act 178, 2012]
Creation of School Readiness Program [Act 169, 2013]
Constitutional Amendment Question [SB 1084, 2013]
EXECUTIVE OFFICE ON EARLY LEARNING
Established by Act 178 (signed into law by Governor Abercrombie, June 2012)
Cabinet-level authority
Charged with developing a comprehensive and integrated statewide early childhood system
HOW WE WORK: EOEL STAFF
We have a small staff of 6 people Funded through state, federal, and private funds
We each have a different responsibility within EOEL:Directing EOEL Efforts, GG WeisenfeldContract Management, Deanne GoyaHead Start Integration , Chris JacksonEOEL Office Management, Kalei KeolanuiLegislative Liaison, Wimmie Wong LuiCommunity Engager and Facilitator, Kerrie Urosevich
STRATEGIC PLAN
6 Focus Areas6 Focus Areas
The mission of EOEL is to coordinate efforts to help ensure a solid foundation for Hawaii’s young children, prenatal to age five, by working with partners, families, and communities, and aligning policies and programs in relation to health, safety, and school readiness and success.
CHANGE IN K ENTRY AGE!
Visit our website!
Effort started August 23, 2013, with a meeting with wide representation
Workgroups were formed to support: Programs currently serve 4’s [curriculum needs for serving late-borns]
DOE staff who might get asked questions Families – reminding them of change… via materials such as flyers, FAQs for various groups, and resources on websites.
KINDERGARTEN CUTOFF DATES: NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
States with a September (or before) Cutoff Date: 1975 2010
Source: Education Commission for the States, Kindergarten Entrance Ages: A 35 Year Trend Analysis(Updated May 2011)
SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM
Focus: help 4-year-olds attend preschool with supplemental state funds
Result:
$6.1 million for DHS to expand Preschool Open Doors [~900 children depending upon subsidies]
$315,000 for EOEL to: Support DHS in meeting new POD requirements Identify other program types and funding gaps for 4-year-olds Continue early childhood policy work beyond school readiness for 4-year-
olds
Constitutional Amendment - OVERVIEW
SB 1084 [January-May 2013]
Bill developed that explains the 4’s program if the Constitutional amendment passes [October-December 2013 ]
Public campaign; EOEL’s role is to explain the implications of the Constitutional amendment [December 2013-November 2014]
VOTERS decide! [November 2014]
Securing of state funding [January 2015-May 2015]
Administrative rules developed [NOW-May 2015]
Constitutional Amendment - SB 1084
Proposes an amendment to Article X, Section 1, of the Hawaii State Constitution to permit the appropriation of public funds for private early childhood education programs to help the State meet its goal of providing an early learning system for the children of Hawaii.
Bill passed by the 2013 Legislature, with two-thirds majority in both houses.
Question to appear on the November 2014 ballot:
Shall the appropriation of public funds be permitted for the support or benefit of private early childhood education programs that shall not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex or ancestry, as provided by law?
Constitutional Amendment - NEW BILL
Program delivered through several vehicles (purpose language):
Center-based, GCCH, and FCCH programs, including those run by faith-based providers as far as state and federal laws allow;
Programs on DOE school campuses; and Family-child interaction learning programs.
Participating providers required to incorporate quality indicators in their programs, such as:
Positive teacher-child interactions; Use of individual child formative assessments; Family engagement; and Alignment with the Hawaii Early Learning and Development Standards.
3RD GRADE READING SUCCESS
We often talk about the importance of 3rd grade reading scores, but why?
WHY 3RD GRADE TEST SCORES MATTER
First time we can accurately measure a child’s success and academic potential
3rd grade reading scores linked to 9th grade GPA
Students who are not reading by grade level by 3rd grade are six times more likely to drop out of high school
Fewer than 20% reading below grade level in 3rd grade go on to attend collegeSources: Lesnick, Goerge, Smithgill & Gwynn, 2010; Hernandez, 2011
HOW DO WE ACHIEVE 3RD GRADE READING SUCCESS?
Certain discrete skills we can teachSet the stage for learning
Children need to feel safe to take risks and be curious
Students need to know how to behave within a group
Wanting to readVocabulary acquisition
WHEN DO WE START TEACHING READING?
Stanford researchers have found that by 18months of age children from low-income households are already several months behind in language acquisition than toddlers from higher income households.
Source: Fernald, Marchman, Weisleder, 2013
STRATEGIES TO HELP
Individual Kindergarten Entry Assessment
DEFINITION
The Hawai`i Early Learning and Development Standards (HELDS) are a set of research-based milestones that identify expectations of knowledge and behavior for children through a chronological continuum [birth through kindergarten entry].
HELDS ORGANIZATION
Cognition and General Knowledge (GK)
Physical Well-Being, Health, and Motor Development (PHM)
Approaches to Learning (AL)Social and Emotional Development (SE)
English Language Arts and Literacy (LA)
Based on National Education Goals Panel
ALIGNED WITH ALL 3 HIDOE K STANDARDS:GLOS, COMMON CORE, HCPS III
DEVELOPMENT OF THE HELDS
Based on national research and other states’ work
Developed by local Hawaii educators & researchers [several
years]
Vetted throughout the state via focus groups [Summer 2012]
Endorsed by the Governor [Fall 2012]
HELDS
The HELDS help teachers know if development is not on track [Early Intervention]
They allow kindergarten teachers to see skills and development on a continuum
They allow early childhood teachers to see skills and development on a continuum
They allow teachers to individualize the curriculum
WHAT IS A KINDERGARTEN ENTRY ASSESSMENT (KEA)?
A systematic process for collecting data related to children around the time that they enter kindergarten
States with KEAs vary on the timeframe for data collection Just prior to kindergarten entry Within approximately the first 60 days of kindergarten entry Over the course of the kindergarten year
States vary in terms of what and how data are collected Parent surveys/reports Teacher surveys/reports Teacher observations and portfolios Direct assessment
Source: Scott-Little (2012)
COMMON PURPOSES OF KINDERGARTEN ENTRY ASSESSMENTS
To provide data on children’s experiences and characteristics that can be used to look back at the early childhood systems
Data-based approach to identify strengths and gaps in services for children before kindergarten entry
Improved use of resources to support children and families before kindergarten entry
To give kindergarten teachers a “starting point” that they can use to guide their work with the children in their classroom/an individual child
Quick assessment of where children are Tool to engage families early in their child’s transition to kindergarten
Source: Scott-Little (2012)
KEAS ARE INCREASINGLY COMMON 43 states have a KEA or have plans for a KEA
34 states described plans for a KEA in their RTT-ELC applications 9 states that did not submit a RTT-ELC application have some type of KEA
There is variability in the assessment instruments used, how data are used, and areas of children’s learning that are assessed
One commonality: the person responsible for collecting the data is typically the kindergarten teacher
Source: Bruner, & Hanus (2012); Stedron & Berger (2010); Scott-Little (2012)
HAWAII P-3 PILOT: CONSIDERATIONS
INDIVIDUAL Kindergarten Entry Assessment Align with Common Core Align with HELDS Web-based [SLDS linkages] Research-based [linked to 3rd grade reading success] Valid Inter-rater reliability Ease of use Continuum Formative assessment Currently being used in preschool settings Training/support available
TEACHING STRATEGIES GOLD
Teaching Strategies GOLD is a formative assessment
organized around 10 areas of development and learning
38 objectives
used in DE, NJ, MO, CO, WA, MA as Kindergarten Entry Assessment
web-based
aligned with Common Core
can be used for SPED
fulfills the requirement in Danielson that a teacher uses a child assessment in instruction (3D)
parent/family reports
TS GOLD IN HAWAII
Some Hawaii preschools currently use it:
HCAP Head Start PACT Head Start KCAA preschools Kama‘aina Kids
First round of training [October 2012]
Pilot [July 2013] 140 K teachers Statewide 40 elementary schools
KEA FUTURE
Growing pains DOE decision but with support from early childhood4’s plan NGA Policy AcademyGovernor’s SymposiumPosition statementPrincipal Training/New TeachersPDERI courseECE Director support
CONTACT INFORMATION
GG Weisenfeld, Ed.D.DirectorExecutive Office on Early Learning --------------------------------------Hawaii State Capitol, Room 415
Phone: 808-586-0001Cell: 808-286-6357Email: [email protected]