1. Administrators Summit: Birth to Five
Gayle Stuber, Early Childhood Coordinator
Carol Ayres, Section 619,Part B Coordinator
Janet Newton, PAT Coordinator
Tiffany Smith-Birk, Part C Coordinator

2. Agenda Welcome Early Childhood (Birth to Five) Program Descriptions
Connections: How we get children ready for school
Local Presentation: Community at Work
LUNCH
Small Group Discussion: Your community at work
Next Steps

3. Getting what you need How can a teen parent find support?
How does a family new to the community find out what programs are available for their preschooler?
How can a family find help for a child who has an identified special need—or a child who MIGHT have an identified special need?

4. Early Childhood Options
What are the options at each age group?
Who are the authorizing agencies?
How does a parent get into a program?
How can parents/families find out about options available?

5. Early Childhood at a Glance
Programs have different funding sources, purposes and requirements.
Programs collaborate and coordinate services to meet the needs of families and children.

6. IV. Kansas Early Childhood: Direct Service programs

7. Early Childhood Birth to age 8 Includes ALL children
Focuses on children within the context of their family and community
Focuses on the WHOLE child (all developmental domains)
Language/literacy/communication
Social/emotional
Physical Health and Development
Cognitive

8. Birth to Three programs
Parents As Teachers
Early Head Start
Part C (tiny-k)
Healthy Families
Healthy Start

9. Parents As Teachers
A universal home-based parent education program for families with children Prenatal to Age 3 designed to support parents in their role as their child’s first and most important teacher.
Provides children the best possible start in life
Prepares children for school success
Supports the board mission to ensure that all students meet or exceed high academic standards and are prepared for their next steps by providing a solid foundation early foundation for families.
About 225 USD’s include Parents As Teachers as an effective program in the continuum of education services.
KSDE funds local school districts and consortiums through grants to provide Parent Education Prenatal to Age 3.
Local districts provide $0.65 for every state $1.00 to provide services. ( State $7,539,500).
The statute was expanded in 2008 to include children to kindergarten entry, however, state funding to expand PAT to include 3-5 year olds was not provided. A few local school districts have provided funding or received other foundation or grant funds to provide Parent Education for families with 3 to 5 year olds.

10. quality early education parent education
Kansas EARLY HEAD START is designed to individualize the unique strengths and needs of each child and family. Program services include:
quality early education
parent education
comprehensive health and mental health services, including services to women before, during, and after pregnancy
nutrition education
family support service
child care for families who are employed, attending school or a job training program

11. IDEA Part C, Early Intervention program
Housed at the Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment
37 local early intervention networks provide services to identified children and families.
Growth over the past 15 years with over children and families being served in

12. Part C: Mission
Part C early intervention builds upon and provides supports and resources to assist family members and caregivers to enhance children’s learning and development through everyday learning opportunities.

13. Part C: Key Principles
1. Infants and toddlers learn best through everyday experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar contexts.
2. All families, with the necessary supports and resources, can enhance their children’s learning and development.
3. The primary role of a service provider in early intervention is to work with and support family members and caregivers in children’s lives.

14. Key Principles (continued)
4. The early intervention process, from initial contacts through transition, must be dynamic and individualized to reflect the child’s and family members’ preferences, learning styles and cultural beliefs.
5. IFSP outcomes must be functional and based on children’s and families’ needs and family-identified priorities.

15. Key Principles (continued)
6. The family’s priorities, needs and interests are addressed most appropriately by a primary provider who represents and receives team and community support.
7. Interventions with young children and family members must be based on explicit principles, validated practices, best available research, and relevant laws and regulations.

16. Birth – 3: natural environment
Refers to settings that are typical for infants and toddler without disabilities or delays. Natural environments include:
Families’ homes,
Early care and education programs
Other community settings where families spend the most time with their children

17. Natural environments--
The context for intervention, which is the child and family’s typical and valued activities and events.
Includes parents and caregivers as partners in the child’s communication.
Natural environments refer to “the process”: children learn through participating in their everyday activities and meaningful experiences with their family and caregivers.

18. 3-5 year old Programs Head Start (3-5) Four Year Old At- Risk
Pre-k Pilot (4’s)
Part B, Section 619 (3-5)

19. Head Start
Provides comprehensive services, including early learning experiences to children and families that meet the criteria for participation: poverty
Collaborative partner with many other pre-K programs
3-5 year olds are targeted.
Has performance outcomes and program standards that must be met by programs.

20. Four Year Old At-Risk Program
Initiated in 1998 to provide a high quality pre- kindergarten experience to children who meet at least one of eight at-risk criteria:
Poverty
Single parent families
SRS referral
Teen parents
Either parent is lacking a high school diploma or GED
Child qualifies for migrant status
Limited English proficiency
Developmentally or academically delayed based on validated assessments.
In general, these criteria are based upon research that shows children who have one or more of these risk factors in their lives are more likely to enter kindergarten without the skills they need to be successful.

21. Pre-K Pilot Program
Purpose: Programs collaborate with community partners to provide a high quality early learning experience so that children will enter school ready to succeed. The Pre-K Pilot requires existing programs to work together to meet the needs of young children and their families.
At least 50% of the children participating must be at-risk (meet at least one of the criteria). The collaboration is being done through local early childhood councils/groups. There are 12 sites across Kansas:
Shawnee County
Douglas County
Wyandotte County
Geary County
Riley County
Reno County
Crawford County
Kingman, Greensburg, South Barber (Kiowa County
Finney County
Sedgwick County—2 sites

22. Early Childhood Special Education, Section 619 Part B
Section 619 of Part B of IDEA, defines the preschool program which guarantees a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to children with disabilities age three through five.
Under this program preschool children who have disabilities are entitled to Special Education and Related Services in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
The IDEA Preschool Program (Section 619) supports education services for young children with disabilities when they turn 3.  It addresses individual needs within the context of developmentally appropriate activities, including early learning experiences in language, pre-reading and writing skills, play, and other social emotional areas.

23. EI/ECSE Child Outcomes
Percent of children who demonstrate improved:
Positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships).
Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication and literacy for preschool).
Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.

24. Kindergarten to 3rd Grade
All Day, Every Day Kindergarten
: 80% of Kindergartners attend all-day, every day kindergarten
All Day, Every Day kindergarten is NOT funded for school districts.
Kansas Data show that in all day, every day format:
Teachers use more best practices
Children learn more (KELI) across the year

25. How we get children ready for school
Connections:
How we get children ready for school

26. Plan revisions in 2008 to reflect progress so far and new developments since the original plan was created. Plan is a “living document,” and will be updated as necessary to reflect the progress that we’ve made.
ELCC provided guidance and input, detailed review of the plan and revisions.
Also, Expanding Opportunities group reviewed for inclusive language.
Things to note about the revisions:
Added year of revisions to folders and plan for easy reference
Target Populations was changed to Key Partners
Goals were not changed at all – the framework is unchanged.

27. CONNECTIONS: SPP/APR Every state has to develop on an annual basis:
A State Performance Plan (SPP)
An Annual Performance Report (APR)
Both Part C and Part B have to develop an SPP and APR
Collaboration provides a strong foundation for a better SPP and APR

28. Connections—state and local
Kansas Early Learning Guidelines and Standards provide structure and continuity across early childhood settings—and are aligned with the K-12 content standards.
The Kansas Early Learning Standards provide a common language across all settings and early childhood providers/educators.

29. School Readiness Project
What we know about the skills and abilities of entering Kindergartners
Data driven decisions: Programs using the data to improve child and family outcomes
Over the past few years we have learned a lot about the skills and abilities of entering kindergartners.

30. Instruments Used Child Assessment Classroom Practices
Kansas Early Learning Inventory ( )
Standardized assessments ( )
Classroom Practices
Kindergarten Teacher Practices ( )
CLASS (Classroom Assessment scoring System) ( )
Parent and Family Reports
Administrative Structures Information

31. Top 3 skills of entering Kindergartners
Work habits, Oral communication, Attentive behavior
Oral communication, social emotional skills, work habits
Social emotional, oral communication, work habits

32. Lowest skill area
Entering kindergarten children show the lowest level of skill in written language.
This is appropriate because it is not expected or developmentally appropriate to expect 5 and 6 year old children to write short words.

33. Are there differences in skill level at Kindergarten entry?
Children from low-income families, those who speak English as a second language, and those with IEPs do not have as high a level of skills in all domains of learning.
Children who attended preschool for a greater number of years prior to Kindergarten scored higher on many of the more academic areas.
Children who were read to by an adult (before Kindergarten) every day had higher literacy scores ( ) and scored higher on all academic achievement areas ( ).

34. Early Childhood Special Education makes a difference
Children with diagnosed disabilities (EX: autism, ED, hearing impairment) who received ECSE services score higher in academic areas than their peers who are identified during the Kindergarten year.
ECSE programs have a positive effect on children’s entry level skills in the following areas:
Symbolic development
General knowledge
Written language
Math skills

35. Parent Survey: 3 year results
Most children were in some sort of child care during the year prior to their Kindergarten year.
Approximately 1/3 of parents indicated it was either somewhat or very difficult to find quality child care.
Approximately 2/3 of parents reported that they read to their children at home every day
52-60% of the children who attend preschool or child care, received at least 1 or 2 years of care.
Most results based upon 3 years of data collection, but some were based upon 2 years.

36. Parent Involvement Makes a Difference
The more home literacy practices, the better the children did on all KELI domains.
Read to child
Talk with child about activities
Child pretends to read
In general, children whose parents read to them on a daily basis had
higher literacy scores and scored higher on all measures of academic achievement in Kindergarten.
Higher 3rd grade reading scores

37. Parent Involvement Makes a Difference
The more transition activities the parents used, the better the children did on all KELI areas.
Contacted school for Kindergarten information
Met with Kindergarten teacher
Participated in Roundup activities
Took child to school before first day
This is for the first two years of the study.

38. Parent Education Makes a Difference
27-28% of parents indicated that they participated in the Parents As Teachers program.
More than one year in PAT positively impacted Symbolic Development, Math Concepts, Written Language, and Oral Communication .
Parents who participated in PAT were more likely to read to their children.
Children who are read to every day enter Kindergarten with higher literacy skill levels.

39. Preschool Experiences: 2007-08
Parents were asked if their child participated in Early Head Start. 23% of children attended.
Early Head Start (23%): Significant differences on all scale scores on all KELI domains.
Academic domains
Social domains

40. Preschool Experiences: definitions & % of children (2007-08)
Formal (33.3%)
Center-based
Preschool (including Head Start)
Informal (19.3%)
Family Child care
Relative Care
Mixed (24.5%)
Both Formal and Informal
No Experiences in child care (22.8%)
For the data collection, preschool experiences were defined as above.
About 1/3 of the parents said their child was in a center or preschool (formal)
Almost 20% put their child in family child care or relative care (informal)
Almost 25% of the children had both formal and informal child care experiences.
Just under 23% of children were not in child care during this year.

41. Formal Preschool Experience Makes a Difference
Children (58%) who were in either formal (preschool or center-based) or mixed (formal and informal), were rated significantly higher in the academic areas on the KELI than children (42%) who only participated in informal care (family child care, relative care) or were not in child care at all.

42. Preschool Experiences: # of Years
Children attending preschool or childcare for a greater number of years prior to Kindergarten tended to score higher on Math, Written Language, and General Knowledge.
Children attending a fewer number of years of preschool & child care tended to score higher on the Attentive Behavior scale.
For all three years, preschool supports higher skill levels in the academic areas: Mathematical knowledge; literacy; writing; general knowledge. In general, all children scored quite high on oral communication.
We are still figuring out the reason for second statement-not as much one-on-one? Developmental readiness???

43. Preschool attendance
Greatest effects were found for children attending preschool or child care for 4 or more years.
Prior experience with preschool or child care did NOT promote skills in the areas of social emotional development or work habits (06-07).
NOTE: in , prior experience did not promote skills in attentive behavior also.

44. School Readiness Project: 4 year At-Risk & Pre-K Pilot
Three years of data on Four year Old At- Risk program
One year of data on Pre-K Pilot
Three years from Children’s Cabinet
Use data to:
Help develop Kansas Preschool Program
Use to develop training and professional development

45. Preliminary: Four Year Old At-Risk (2006-08)
FALL
Lower Skill areas
Social emotional
Symbolic Development
Oral Communication
Written language
Higher skill areas
General knowledge
Attentive behavior
Work Habits
SPRING
Lower Skill areas
General Knowledge
Math
Symbolic Development
Higher Skill areas
Social Emotional
Written Language
Oral communication
Work Habits

46. Impact of Four Year Old At-Risk Program
Children (325) from Kindergarten cohort who attended at- risk program.
Matched for risk factors with children (440) who did not attend at-risk program
ESL
Poverty (data proxy—free/reduced lunch)
Migrant status

47. Results: Comparison of entry/exit scores
Children who attended at-risk program scored higher at Kindergarten Entry in all areas but General Knowledge.
Children who attended at-risk program continued to be significantly higher in several areas:
Oral communication
Work habits
Attentive behavior
Social development

48. Evidence-based Classroom Practices
Best Practices that research suggests should be used on a daily basis.
Use of centers
Availability of more hands-on materials
Multiple instructional methods
Student choice
Time is allowed for children to complete tasks and to show learning
Time is allowed to learn through play exploration
From the list of classroom practices, research suggested that 20 were ‘best practices’ that should be found in the kindergarten classroom on a daily basis. The frequency of the practice as seen in the classroom made an impact on child learning

49. Using Centers Makes a Difference
Kindergarten classrooms that use centers on a daily basis promoted greater learning (greater change scores) across the Kindergarten year in math, general knowledge, symbolic development, and written language than those classrooms that did not have centers.

50. Best Practices Makes a Difference
Best practices are more frequently seen in full day kindergarten classrooms
Best Practices have a significant positive effect on:
literacy skills, writing skills, and oral communication
and a marginal positive impact on math and general knowledge.
Together--Best Practices and Full Day schedule have a significant positive effect on all academic areas of learning.
BEST PRACTICES TAKE TIME!!!

51. Kindergarten Makes a Difference
All domains of learning improved scores across the Kindergarten year.
Children in full-day/every day Kindergarten classrooms had higher spring scores in academic areas.
All children improve over the year, but the gap between those who come in with lower skills and those with higher levels of skills, while narrowing, does not disappear.

52. Teacher Training Makes a Difference
Teachers provide strong emotional supports to the children in their classroom.
Teachers are reasonably good at organizing their classroom instruction: behavior management, productive time (on task)
Teachers need training and support for more in- depth instructional strategies:
Concept Development
Language modeling
Providing specific feedback
In 2008, 40 classrooms were observed using a research-based Observation tool: CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT SCORING SYSTEM. This tool looks at teacher-child interactions—a critical piece of quality early learning programs.

53. 3rd grade State Assessment
Children who enter Kindergarten with high skills levels, maintain that higher skill level in comparison to peers.
Children who entered Kindergarten with higher literacy levels maintained that higher level on 3rd grade reading assessment.
For both 3rd grade math and 3rd grade reading scores, the academic scores on the KELI are better predictors of results than the social skill scores.

54. The vision for early childhood in Kansas is simple:
Make high-quality, early learning programs and services available on a voluntary basis for all families with children under the age of five. It is our responsibility to ensure that these services are part of a comprehensive system that results in improved results for young children and their families. We know that such factors as poor nutrition, infections and drugs are serious threats to a child’s developing brain. We must ensure they have access to high-quality environments from birth to the day they start school.
Dr. Alexa Posny, Kansas Commissioner of Education (2009)

55. Quality Early Learning Experiences
Provided by knowledgeable, trained teachers/providers
Focus on the WHOLE CHILD
Provide opportunities for active learning and positive interactions with caring adults
Children learn best when their physical needs are met and they feel psychologically safe and secure.

56. Early Childhood Improve teacher and provider quality through
Collaborative professional development on topics of mutual interest
Aligning standards, curriculum, assessments and child outcomes across settings and programs.

57. Early Childhood in Kansas
Use data to change practices by promoting evidence-based practices
Analyze data jointly
Require evidence-based and research-based practices to be used across settings
(2005) Prepared for Kindergarten: What does ‘readiness’ mean? NIEER

58. Early Childhood in Kansas
Promote coordination at the state and local levels
Sharing data through a joint data system
Include Early Childhood professionals on state and local teams
Ready Schools
Community collaboration
Sharing of community resources and supports

59. LUNCH

60. Your Community at Work Improve teacher and provider quality
Use data to change practices by promoting evidence-based practices
Promote coordination at the state and local levels