Early Childhood Trends and Issues Prepared for the April 20, 2013 GAYC Board Meeting

Overview 1 National and State Issues and Trends 2 Opportunities 3 Your Changes for Our Strategic Plan

National Trends and Issues  Obama support of Head Start, Pre-K, Early Education  Home visiting funding available  Concern about student achievement disparities  Concern about nutrition/obesity/fitness  Quality Rating Systems in 2/3 of states  Increase in # of children/families living in poverty, displaced and at risk  Growth in diversity

GAYC Strategic Goals For the GAYC Strategic Directions we agreed these four goal areas still make sense:  Early Childhood Education  Professional Development  Networking and Linkages  High Performing Inclusive Organization Let’s look at each of our goals in relation to our state.

ECE Quality State Trends and Issues Less funding and reduced resources for Pre-K Targets = 3rd grade reading scores and most vulnerable children Data based accountability (e.g., FPG Studies show poor quality especially for I/T and FCC) Revision & alignment of standards (GELDS, Common Core) Gap between administrators, principals and others in understanding DAP and lack of DAP connection to school transition and school readiness

ECE Quality State Trends & Issues (con’t) BFTS Quality Rated (QRIS) programs increasing Family engagement (DOE, SFG, BFTS, ECCS) increased focus Home Visiting improving Great Start Georgia logic model visualized Social-emotional development & healthy children important Role of technology in early learning increasing

ECE Quality Opportunities for GAYC?  Conduct impactful training on how to connect DAP and readiness/intentional practices. DAP is our vehicle!  Address the challenges in the FPG Child Care studies  Accreditation funding opportunity  Work in Promise Neighborhoods - Strengthening Families  Forge a quality role in GEEARS and QRIS ________________ What is the big quality issue we should be focusing on?

State Professional Development Trends and Issues Required education qualifications are increasing, but funding and pay are not Teacher isolation – fewer opportunities to attend conferences and collaborate with others State educational systems are major providers of professional development (DOE/BFTS/Head Start) Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are increasing Math/science/inclusion/accountability/STEM/cultural competence are hot topics Less support to provide instruction to children with disabilities or behavior issues. Need to retain high quality providers

Professional Development Opportunities?  Increase awareness of and access to higher quality and intermediate/advanced professional development  Increase impact through mentoring, coaching and/or follow- up  Focus on more rigorous professional learning as a key aspect of professional development ______________________ What are the big professional development issues we should be focusing on?

High Performing Inclusive Organization Issues Lack of updated Resource Development Plan and Committee. Limited monetary resources for additional staff and technology. Transition to new leadership, loss of institutional and organizational memory Lack of board diversity beyond early childhood education Lack of sufficient connection of GAYC work in communities via board members Under utilized content volunteers

High Performing Inclusive Organization Opportunities  Focus more on technology  Set the stage for new growth/opportunities under new ED  Utilize volunteers  Request funding from the Community Foundation for Resource Development Plan and Organization Assessment What are the big high performing inclusive issues we should be focusing on?

Networking/Linkages Issues Reduced membership due to economy Lack of connection with our members and volunteers Need to better embrace diversity in our work Fragmented advocacy efforts Isolation of some providers

Networking/Linkages Opportunities?  GAYC student groups (GA PACE)  Coalition building (B-5, GEEARS, ECCS, SFG)  Month of the Young Child  Employer advocates in the HR community that rely on child care  Wider breadth of board members from different fields  Educate, advocate, and provide professional development to education decision-makers and local organization leaders (e.g., Chamber of Commerce) What big linkage issue should we address?

Questions to be Answered Are there new trends and issues in our ECE field? Yes, we have identified them. Are the opportunities we will choose at the June Retreat valid and realistic for ? If so, how should we address them in the Operational Plan? To be answered at the June Retreat