2009 SUPERINTENDENTS’ CONFERENCE MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

E ARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION V ISION AND MISSION  VISION-80% of all incoming Minneapolis kindergarteners will be ready for school in  MISSION-Enhance early childhood education, outreach, and partnerships to support and promote the healthy growth and development of children birth to age seven to ensure school readiness and school success. MPS VISION: EVERY CHILD COLLEGE READY 2

O UR WORK  UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE MPS OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS  Early Childhood Screening and Follow Up  Early Childhood Family Education  School Readiness and High Five Preschool Services  Early Childhood Professional Development 3

CHILDREN READY FOR SCHOOL AND ENGAGED FAMILIES CORE FEATURES OF EACH FUNCTION EARLY CHILDHOOD SCREENING AND OUTREACH EARLY CHILDHOOD BIRTH TO 3 MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION Classes/ Home Visits/ Parent & Child Interaction Follow up Screening Outreach Parent and Family Education and Support Community and District Partnerships EARLY CHILDHOOD PRESCHOOL 3-5 AND TRANSITION TO K Rigorous, Researched and Standards Based Practices/Assessments Job Imbedded Professional Development Healthcare/ Teen Parents ECSE Case Manage. Preschool/Childcare Partners/ K-Express High Five Half/Full Day Cross Functional Team Approach ECSE Case Manage. Transition and K-3 Coordination Equitable, Inclusive, and Culturally Relevant Services Current Funding Sources: ECFE, School Readiness, Screening, Title I, Title II, General Fund 1, McKinney Vento, ECSE, Parent Fees, and Grants CORE FUNCTIONS Continuous Alignment Prek-12 Early Admission to K

HISTORY  State eliminated High Five funding, cutting the MPS preschool services in half. Started funding High Five with Title 1 ( )  Created the Early Childhood Education Department( )  Invested 6.6% of MPS Title 1 funds for High Five ( )  Expanded investment of Title 1 funds in Early Childhood Education to exceed 2004 levels to serve 780 children( ) 66% of children entering kindergarten in fall of 2008 were assessed to be ready in language and literacy on the MPS Beginning Kindergarten Assessment 5

K EY PARTNERS  Parents and Families  Hennepin County  City of Minneapolis  University of Minnesota  Childcare Centers  School Readiness Collaborative  Elementary Schools Public and private partnerships are essential for strong schools and communities 6

C HALLENGES TO THE MPS EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM  Limited access for children who are low income to high quality early care and education programs  Making connections to the “invisible” children in our community  Insufficient dedicated financial resources to enable schools to meet the 10 essential elements of effective early care and education programs 7

T HE NEXT 2 YEARS  Seeking funding to provide P.D and coaching to early childhood providers to improve the quality of services  PK-3 School Program  Stimulus Funds  Adding 220 half day High Five slots  Parent education and outreach services to High Five parents and to support more effective school transitions 8

T HE CRITICAL R OLE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT  To model in words and actions, the belief that early learning experiences absolutely influence a child’s school and life success  To be a strong instructional leader by establishing the highest quality educational services for young children and their families 9

T HE CRITICAL R OLE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT  To establish a clear organizational structure that ensures alignment in curriculum, assessment, professional development and smooth transitions between pre-k and the early grades  To direct sufficient financial and human resources to do the job right 10

O N THE ROAD TO BEING COLLEGE READY “Let us put our minds together and see what kind of life we can make for our children." Tatanka Yotanka (Sitting Bull) 11

M AUREEN S EIWERT E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR E ARLY C HILDHOOD E DUCATION M INNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS  Contact Information:  Phone: Phone: 