1. The Preschool through Grade Three Continuum
Shirley Esau, Principal, Kingsburg Elementary Charter School
Wilma Hashimoto, Director of ECE, FCOE
Whit Hayslip, Assistant Superintendent – Retired, LAUSD

2. Background Percent of Fresno County 3rd Graders
BELOW Proficient in English Language Arts:
CST 2012)
57% of All 3rd Graders
66% of “Economically Disadvantaged”
84% of “English Learners”

3. Bridging the Gap Between
K-12
ECE

4. it was an age of foolishness.
It was an age of wisdom
it was an age of foolishness.
Charles Dickens

5. Birth – 3rd Framework
Overarching Goal: Increase the percentage of students who are on grade level by 3rd grade utilizing a birth-3rd learning continuum of quality systems, quality educators, and increased family and community involvement.
Desired Outcome 1: Develop and implement an aligned and developmentally appropriate system of learning standards, student outcomes, curriculum, assessment, and support for children from birth-3rd grade.
Desired Outcome 2: Utilize disaggregated child health, development, and related educational data to inform effective birth-3rd practices and interventions.

6. Birth – 3rd Framework (cont.)
Desired Outcome 3: Identify and utilize existing public agency funding streams (school and non-school based) to meet the needs of children birth-3rd grade.
Desired Outcome 4: Increase levels of collaboration aimed at improving outcomes for children among/across school districts, public agencies, and community organizations.
Desired Outcome 5: Identify and document policies and practices that hinder students performing on grade level by 3rd grade; develop, advocate for, and implement solutions.

7. Pieces of Wisdom
Early Childhood Education starts at birth.

8. Wisdom Re: The Early Years
We have an amazing body of research about development in the first three years, and especially in the first 18 months.

9. Brain Research
Social Emotional
Language
Cognition

10. Babies are Linguistic Geniuses!
Dr. Patricia Kuhl Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences University of Washington

11. LANGUAGE IS THE FOUNDATION OF LITERACY

12. Hart and Risley (1995) conducted a longitudinal study of children and families from three groups:
Professional families
Working-class families
Families on welfare

13. Cumulative Language Experiences

14. How do we help children and families address this inequity?

15. Pieces of Wisdom
2. Early Childhood Education doesn’t stop at preschool.

16. And, a large share of those children come from poor and minority homes
Right now, all over the United States, we are leaving too many children behind in reading— NAEP Results (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
And, a large share of those children come from poor and minority homes
Percent of Students Performing Below Basic Level - 37% 25 26
White
Black 59 59
Although, as a country, we do quite will in comparing our average reading levels to those of other industrialized countries, we have a huge disparity in achievement based on race/ethnicity and SES in our country. For example, on the most recent NAEP test, (then go through the results)
I’ve posted New yorks results next to the national results, so you can see that New york is doing quite well overall, compared to the national average, but there is still a very large gap of children from racial/ethnic minorities and differences in SES.
Hispanic 56 54
Poor 54 56
Non-poor 23 25

17. How Do We Address this Gap?
Preschool Programs alone are not a “silver bullet” to solve the achievement gap.
Evaluations including the National Head Start Impact Study have raised questions about sustaining the gains made in high-quality PreK programs.

18. What Are the Pieces of Wisdom Telling Us?
Every Year Matters

19. What Are the Pieces of Wisdom Telling Us?
In human development, the successful completion of each stage enables us to move on to the next.

20. What Are the Pieces of Wisdom Telling Us?
We need to improve the learning opportunities at each stage, starting with babies.

21. We worry about what a child will be tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.
--Stacia Tauscher

22. What Are the Pieces of Wisdom Telling Us?
We need to create better connections between each stage to support continuity of learning and development for
each child.
5-8
3-5
0-3

23. What Are the Pieces of Wisdom Telling Us?
There is increasing recognition that Third Grade is a crucial turning point in educational trajectories.

24. Birth – 8 Prenatal - 3rd Grade P - 3
This recognition of 3rd Grade as a turning point is leading to a national emphasis on:
Prenatal - 3rd Grade
P - 3

25. How can we support the 0-8 Progress?
Shirley ???

26. Why P-3 From A State & District Perspective ?
The need to reach children prior to kindergarten
The need to build a strong foundation and a strong system of support, birth to third grade and beyond.
Critical period of development with Implications for teaching and learning
Early Intervention and prevention

27. How 3rd Grade Reading Skills & Poverty Influence High School Graduation
“One in six children who are not reading proficiently in 3rd grade do not graduate from high school on time, a rate 4 times greater than that for proficient readers.”
“The rates are highest for the low, below-basic readers: 23% of these children drop out or fail to finish high school on time, compared to 9 percent of children with basic reading skills and 4% of proficient readers.”
“Overall, 22% of children who have lived in poverty do not graduate from high school, compared to 6 percent of those who have never been poor.
Hernandez, D. J. (2011). Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation. New York: The Annie E. Casey Foundation and The Center for Demographic Analysis, University of Albany, State University of New York.

28. Requires a Systems Approach
P-3 Standards
(CC Standards & EC Guidelines)
Assessments
Instruction & Curriculum
Community & School Response based on the students and families they serve
Classroom
Responding to the needs of students.
Professional Development
Gradual Release

29. Established a P-3 Leadership Team
Common Goals
Common Curriculum
Shared Language
Shared Resources
Assessment Loop
Aligned Instruction
and
Professional Development

30. P-3 Leadership Team Goals and Vision Policies and Procedures
Funding and Resources
District and School Systems
Assessment and Data
Professional Development and Instructional Practices
Core Curriculum and Supplemental Materials
P-3 Leadership Team

31. Beyond Just Connecting Why Do This Work?
Strong Foundation Birth to Third Grade
Early Intervention
Changing Lives

32. Alignment &Problem Solving How is P-3 Part of Your System?
Standards
Assessment
Instruction

33. School District /School & Community Planning
Data/Assessment Need & Growth?
How? What worked? What did not?
District/School Community and other factors
Resources
What are the tools, materials, and PD you need to do this work?
P-3 Plan

34. P-3 Instructional Model
P-3 Core Instruction
Additional Practice Opportunities & supports
Interventions & Special Education

35. Aligning and Maximizing Resources PreK-12 (General Education, Special Programs & Special Education ) School wide and District wide
Head Start
Early Head Start
State Preschool
Faith Based
Non Profit
Special Ed B-3
Special Ed
Title I
Title II Instructional
Coach
Special Education
Girls and Boys Club
Transitions
Professional Development
Family Advocates
& Interventionist
Mental Health Services
Summer Services
Library
Child Care
Parks and rec
* Summer School
* Jump Start
* Commitment and alignment of resources

36. Challenges & Considerations for Decision Making & Change
Multiple measures
Prevention versus intervention
Community, school wide and district systems
Value added
Supplanting
Student achievement & family support
Significant growth versus investment
Impact (number of students, number of teachers and leaders)
Use of Para pros versus teachers
Increase quality of special education and decrease adult dependency

37. Professional Development
Shared Resources
Professional Development
Head Start
Title I
Special Education
Community & State
How?

38. P-3 Instructional Leaders
P-3 Development & Standards What children need to know and be able to do How Young Children Learn AND How to Match Instruction P-3 Instruction What does quality instruction look like based on how young children learn ? P-3 Assessment How do you know if children are on track? Prevention & Early Intervention
Principal & Leadership P-3 Institute Making a Difference Inc. (360)
Linda Sullivan-Dudzic, Donna K. Gearns, Kelli Leavell

39. Strength Based Inventory What Quality Looks Like
Marin Co. January 2013
Systematic Strength-Based P-3 Alignment Process
Strength Based Inventory
Planning Guide
What Quality Looks Like
Assessment Loop

40. Systematic Strength-Based PreK-3 Alignment Process
Strength Based Inventory
Planning Guide
What Quality Looks Like
Assessment Loop
Marin Co. January 2013
Systematic Strength-Based
PreK-3 Alignment Process
What are you doing now?
Make agreements about what quality teaching and learning will look like in your PreK-3 system.
Record agreements on the What Quality Looks Like
Identify assessments needed based on the type of data and information you will share in our Assessment Loop
Make agreements as a group regarding instructional tools and activities.
Record agreements on the Planning Guide
What do you need to add/revise?
Determine what quality teaching and learning looks like .

41. PreK-3 Data Uses Identify Strengths and Support Areas Establish Goals
Identify Professional Development Needs
Inform Instruction
2nd Grade Data
3rd Grade & Beyond
1st Grade Data
2nd Grade Data
Plan and adjust instruction for incoming students
Kindergarten Data
1st Grade Data
Adjust instruction and practices to strengthen alignment for future students
Birth-PreK Data
Kindergarten Data

42. PreK-3 System Data Analysis
District
School
Grade
Class
Group
Student
System Level
Individual Level

43. Instructional Process
Determine need based on data
Develop goal(s)
Determine how goal will be measured (which assessment / data collection method will be used?)
Monitor and chart progress
Evaluate progress across
multiple levels of your system
Make adjustments as needed

44. Parents Are the Best Advocates for a Cohesive Educational System
They see their children as they are today……
and tomorrow…
Whit
and tomorrow…

45. We are moving ahead together
0-8 Initiatives are being supported by:
U.S. Department of Education
CA Department of Education
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Foundation for Child Development
New School Foundation
Kellogg Foundation
National Association of Elementary School Principals
Harvard University
…and many more

46. The Process
District Teams Attend 1 of 3 General Information Meetings
Interested Districts Respond to Request for Applications to participate in Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
4-8 Districts selected to participate. Districts will receive a stipend for release time in PLC’s.
Challenge Districts create implementation plans, which can be submitted for funding

47. Developing Implementation Plans
Dialogues with experts
Access to research resources
Opportunities to share/reflect/ plan with peers
Professional
Learning
Circles
Challenge
Districts
Evidence-based practices
Alignment with 0-5
Restructuring existing funding mechanisms
Intensive
Guided T.A.
Developing Implementation Plans
Individualized support
Targeted connection with initiative partner agencies

48. What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must be what the community wants for all its children.
John Dewey

49. Fresno County is Moving Ahead
A Fresno County B-3 Initiative is being supported by:
First 5 Fresno County
Fresno County Office of Education
Fresno Regional Foundation
David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Wilma

50. Fresno County Birth – 3rd grade Initiative
Contact:
Shirley Esau –
Wilma Hashimoto –
Whit Hayslip –
Add Kingsburg’s Logo please
Fresno Regional Foundation