Getting ALL Kids Off to the Right Start: Washington’s New Early Learning and Development Guidelines: How are they new? How do they connect with the Common Core Standards? Kelli Bohanan and Luisa Sanchez-Nilsen Department of Early Learning and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Our goal for today…  Shared learning:  State Early Learning Priorities  Newly revised Early Learning and Development Guidelines  Overview of the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics  Making Connections with the guidelines and standards  Shared reflection:  What does this mean for you, as a parent or caregiver?  What ways can we support families to learn more about this work? 2

Early Learning Joint Resolution Partnership: Our Vision for Early Learning In Washington, we work together so that all children start life with a solid foundation for success, based on strong families and a world-class early learning system for all children prenatal through third grade. Accessible, accountable, and developmentally and culturally appropriate, our system partners with families to ensure that every child is healthy, capable and confident in school and in life. 3

Early Learning Plan: A 10-year roadmap Building an early learning system that: provides all children a solid foundation for success in school and life coordinates the multiple systems that impact children in their earliest years measures results over time for children and families to ensure we invest in what works supports early care and education professionals in offering quality learning environments 4

School Readiness Ready and successful… …children …parents, families and caregivers …early learning professionals …schools …systems and communities 5

Implementing the Plan DEL, Thrive, OSPI’s 2012 priorities: Is it an essential “building block” to the early learning system? Do we have resources (fiscal and human) to get it done? 6

What we tackled in 2011…and continuing for

The 2012 Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines Overview

The Guidelines are… A statewide, culturally relevant resource for everyone who loves, cares for and educates young children. A document that includes information to support and enhance children’s development and learning by area:  About me and my family and culture  Building relationships  Touching, seeing, hearing and moving around  Growing up healthy  Communicating  Learning about my world

The Guidelines are NOT… An exhaustive guide to child development, which is unique to each child. An assessment tool or for use to determine children’s eligibility for programs or services. An instrument to collect statewide data on the overall status of children in Washington. Permanent or unchanging: The Guidelines will be reviewed and updated every five years.

Department of Early Learning, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Thrive by Five Washington led a year-long process to review and revise the 2005 Early Learning and Development Benchmarks. Input from parents, early learning providers, K-3 teachers, principals, advocates and representatives from diverse communities. Broad public outreach from more than 400 individuals and organizations. Key resources considered:  2005 Benchmarks  Other states’ early learning standards  Head Start and ECEAP standards  Washington’s academic learning standards (grade level expectations) for grades K-3 in all subjects. Creating the Guidelines

Reviewed and revised to:  Reflect new brain/child development research.  Extend the guidelines through third grade and align with the K-3 learning expectations, including Common Core Standards.  Celebrate Washington's increasingly diverse population.  Be written in a simpler way that better supports parents as their child’s first and most important teachers. Why the 2012 Guidelines (formerly the 2005 Benchmarks) were updated

How the Guidelines can be a resource for you Parents: Find out more about growth and learning at different ages, and get tips on ways to support development. Caregiver or child care professional: Use as a tool to work with a child’s family, and to reach out to kindergarten and primary grade teachers. Kindergarten through 3 rd grade teacher or school-age caregiver: Use as a tool to help you talk with child care and preschool teachers, and with parents. Health care provider: Use as a tool to talk with parents and caregivers about children’s learning and development.

The Amazing Science

Washington’s Vision for Education Every Washington public school student will graduate from high school globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21 st century. 15 Class of 2011: Bridgeport High School

Washington State Standards Common Core State Standards Highly Interrelated to the Guideline’s Areas of Development 16

Guidelines’ Areas of Development About me, my family and Culture Building Relationships Touching, seeing, hearing, and moving around Growing up healthy Communication Learning about my world 17

Guidelines and Washington State Learning Standards 18 Guidelines Area of Development Early Learning Domains Head Start Framework Washington State Learning Standards 1. About me and my family and culture Social –Emotional; Approaches to Learning Social & Emotional Development; Social Studies Knowledge & Skills; Approaches to Learning Washington State K-12 Health and Fitness Learning Standards 2. Building RelationshipsSocial-EmotionalSocial & Emotional Development Washington State K-12 Health and Fitness Learning Standards 3. Touching, seeing, hearing and moving around Physical Well-Being, Health and Motor Development Physical Development & Health Washington State K-12 Health and Fitness Learning Standards

Guidelines and Washington State Learning Standards 19 Guidelines Area of Development Early Learning Domains Head Start Framework Washington State Learning Standards 4. Growing up healthyPhysical Well-Being, Health and Motor Development Physical Development & Health Washington State K-12 Health and Fitness Learning Standards; Washington State K-12 Educational Technology Learning Standards 5. CommunicatingLanguage, Communication and Literacy Language Development; English Language Development Literacy Knowledge & Skills Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics Washington State K-12 World Languages Learning Standards

Guidelines and Washington State Learning Standards 20 Guidelines Area of Development Early Learning Domains Head Start Framework Washington State Learning Standards 6. Learning about my world Cognition and General Knowledge Logic & Reasoning; Mathematics Knowledge & Skills; Science Knowledge & Skills; Social Studies Knowledge & Skills; Creative Arts Expression Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics Washington State K-12 Learning Standards in: Science Integrated Environmental and Sustainability Social Studies Arts

Washington State Learning Standards 21

Common Core State Standards 22  State-led and developed standards for K-12 in English/language arts and mathematics  Initiative led by Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and National Governors Association (NGA)

Why the Common Core State Standards? Previously, every state had its own set of academic standards and different expectations of student performance. Consistency Common standards can help create more equal access to an excellent education. Equity All students must be prepared to compete with not only their American peers, but also with students from around the world. Economic Opportunity Clear and coherent standards will help students (and parents and teachers) understand what is expected of them. Clarity Common standards create a foundation for districts and states to work collaboratively. Collaboration 23

24 Key Cognitive Strategies Key Learning Skills and Techniques Problem Formulation Research Interpretation Communication Precision & Accuracy Structure of Knowledge Challenge Level Value Attribution Effort Key Content Knowledge think: know: Ownership of Learning Learning Techniques act: Postsecondary Awareness Postsecondary Costs Matriculation Career Awareness Role and Identity Self-advocacy go: Key Transition Knowledge and Skills E LEMENTS OF C OLLEGE R EADINESS Source: Dr. David Conley, Educational Policy Improvement Center Elements of College Readiness

English Language Arts The 3 Shifts 25 Emphasis on non-fiction Attention to text complexity What Students Read Reading and writing are grounded in evidence from the text Evidence Regular practice with vocabulary like “synthesize” and “correspond” Academic Vocabulary

Let’s take a look! 26 “During circle time, we shared a story about a canoe. We talked about the water, how we interact with water, how if you take care of it, it will take care of you. The children had fun sharing their own experiences: ‘I was on a canoe.’ ‘I got a button blanket.’ ‘I went to my first fish ceremony.’” Rebecca Kreth, manager of the Native American Early Learning Program, Puget Sound Educational Service District

Math Shifts concepts focused on deeply in each grade Focus Concepts logically connected from one grade to the next and linked to other major topics within the grade Coherence Fluency with arithmetic, application of knowledge to real world situations, and deep understanding of mathematical concepts Rigor

Focusing attention within Number and Operations 28 Operations and Algebraic Thinking Expressions and Equations Algebra  Number and Operations— Base Ten  The Number System  Number and Operations— Fractions  K High School

Opportunity 29 “As a teacher, I’ve embraced a whole-child approach to learning, with that learning embedded in social studies, arts, and sciences. These Guidelines will help me share strategies with teachers, parents, and providers. The work is done! I don’t have to reinvent the wheel!” Kristi Thurston, Director Student Support Services, Cheney

Let’s take a look! What stands out for you with this new document? – What opportunities do you see for using the Guidelines? What suggestions do you have for sharing/disseminating the Guidelines? What other supports would be useful to you for utilizing the Guidelines? 30

For more information and to get copies To download: To request hard copies (five per organization):

Washington State Learning Standards 32 Opportunities and Resources CCSS Professional Learning Opportunities – Digging Deeper -Offered through all 9 ESDs -Will also be offered in CCSS District Implementation Network Pilot Project Grantee Workshops -Workshops will be replicated regionally during Summer and Fall 2012 Statewide Conferences Support for Identifying Quality Instructional Material and Resources -Achieve 20+ State Consortia -Access to and application of existing and emerging rubrics as connect to CCSS Access to Examples of Quality Demonstrations of Instruction -Videos and resources from other states/organizations

Thank you ! 33 Contacts: Luisa Sanchez-Nilsen, Elementary Reading Specialist, OSPI Teaching and Learning Kelli Bohanon, Assistant Director for Partnerships and Collaboration, Department of Early Learning