Preschool in New Jersey

New Jersey Department of

Education

Division of Early Childhood Education

March 3, 2009

Agenda

Where we started

Where we are

Where we are going

Abbott v. Burke, 1998

“Intensive preschool and full-day kindergarten enrichment programs are necessary to reverse the educational disadvantages these children start out with.”

Early learning standards and program guidelines;

Evidence-based curricula;

A certified teacher and assistant in each class;

Maximum class size of 15 students;

Critical Program Components

Program Components

Full-day (6 hour educational day), 180-day program;

Support for English language learners;

Support for potential learning difficulties;

Professional development for key staff.

In the beginning …

Piecemeal curricula

Low enrollment- 19,000 out of an estimated 54,000

Few certified teachers

Low classroom quality

Monitoring Progress

Continuous Improvement Cycle

Analyze and Plan

Measure and Assess Implementation

MakeModifications

Levels of Evaluation

Child

Classroom

District

Statewide

Child

Screening of all preschool children upon entry

Performance assessment to drive instruction

Tracking children’s progress

Classroom

Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised

Supports for Early Literacy Assessment

Preschool Classroom Mathematics Inventory

Supports for English Language Learners Classroom Assessment

Curriculum Implementation Tools

District

Self Assessment Validation System (SAVS)

District administered classroom evaluations

Self Assessment Components Administration and Fiscal

Recruitment and Outreach

Staff Qualifications

Family Involvement

Community Collaboration

Curriculum and Program

Professional Development

Self Assessment Components Program Evaluation

Transition

Intervention and support

Inclusion

English language learners

Head Start

Child Assessment

Statewide: (the 31 Abbott Districts)

Analyze district self-assessment data

Annual snapshots of classroom quality

Watch the numbers

Follow children’s progress

Where we are …

Enrollment (general education preschool children)

17,331

22,020

28,228

34,36935,674

37,16838,329 37,63838,81840,463

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09

Percentage of Children by Age Group:

74% of 3-year-old children

87% of 4-year-old children

Where children are served:

65% are in provider settings

35% are in school district buildings

Inclusion of children with disabilities in all settings

Teacher Qualifications All teachers have a bachelor’s degree (BA)

and appropriate certification.

As of December 2007, the Praxis for the P-3 Certificate was required.

Classroom QualityThe Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (Harms, Clifford and Cryer)

1= Inadequate

3= Minimal

5= Good

7= Excellent

Classroom QualityThe Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (Harms, Clifford and Cryer)

In 2000, the average the preschool program was 3.86

In 2008, the average for the preschool program was 5.20*

*No difference between providers and indistrict classrooms

Space & Furnishings designed for access (5.03)

Personal Care Routines to support independence and learning (4.29)

Interactions that extend Language & Reasoning (5.46)

Ample time with developmentally appropriate materials and Activities (4.85)

Warm, responsive Interactions support social skills (6.44)

Program Structure/schedules that maximize learning and minimize transitions (5.41)

Opportunities for Parent Involvement & Staff Development (5.59)

How are the children doing?

Children who attended the program performed significantly better on language and math measures than those who did not.

The Future …

Preschool Expansion All at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds to attend

high-quality preschool programs.

Universal preschool programs:3- and 4-year-olds in “A” and “B” districts & “CD” districts with at-risk concentrations of at least 40%.

Targeted preschool programs:All at-risk three- and four-year-olds in all other districts

Preschool Expansion

◦Universal preschool programs = 1st grade times two

◦Targeted preschool programs = 1st grade times two times % of free and reduced (k-12)

Goal

◦30,000 more children, bringing preschool enrollment to 70,000 children over 5 years

◦Reach at least 90% of the eligible population in all districts.

Expansion Estimates

Universal programs:◦117 districts, 57,000 enrollment

Targeted programs:◦366 districts, 16,000 enrollment

Program Elements (N.J.A.C. 6A:13A)

Full day, 6 hours, school calendar

Mixed delivery system/local agreements

For 3’s and 4’s

One certified teacher and teacher assistant for every 15 children (max)

Program Elements A comprehensive curriculum and assessment

Classroom observation tools to drive improvement

Transition activities from entry through grade three

An annual self-assessment of the preschool program