1. 0 Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Program Overview July 2010

2. Legislative Language Regarding the Establishment of UPK The development and implementation of a universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) program is a statutory responsibility of the Department Universal Pre-kindergarten Section 13. (a) The board shall, subject to appropriation, establish the Massachusetts universal pre-kindergarten program to assist in providing voluntary, universally accessible, high-quality early education and care programs and services for preschool-aged children in the commonwealth. The program shall be designed to meet and enhance the preschool-aged child’s ability to make age appropriate progress in the development of cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and physical capacities and school readiness based on curriculum frameworks. (b) The Massachusetts universal pre-kindergarten program shall be delivered through a mixed system of providers and programs. Programs shall be sufficiently flexible to serve families with various work schedules. The department shall develop a method for funding the program, which may provide grants, or enter into contracts with any provider of early education and care, or entities coordinating or administering plans to provide high- quality, comprehensive services to children and their families within the local community. These providers may include, but are not limited to: public; private; non-profit and for-profit preschools; child care centers; nursery schools; preschools operating within public and private schools; Head Start programs; independent and system-affiliated family child care homes; and local early education and care councils. The department may provide vouchers to eligible households for the purpose of implementing the early education and care program. All providers shall demonstrate that they are willing and able to serve and integrate children of diverse abilities and special needs, diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and diverse economic circumstances. 1

3. Legislative Language Regarding the Establishment of UPK, Cont. (c) The department and board shall, in consultation with the department and board of elementary and secondary education, develop a joint policy on kindergarten transitions, which shall ensure smooth transitions between home, family day care, center-based preschool, and public pre-school. The policy shall be research-based, and aligned with best practices. The policy shall recognize the sensitive nature of the process for children and families, shall be designed to ensure the ongoing participation of parents and family in the process, and shall maximize all opportunities to ensure smooth transitions during the year before entering kindergarten. The process shall include, as much as is practicable, the exposure of both children and families to the kindergarten environment early and regularly in the transition process. The department shall require every preschool program receiving funding from the commonwealth to develop a local transition plan consistent with the statewide policy plan. (d) The department, in cooperation with the executive office of health and human services, shall, to the extent practicable, assure that the programs and services provided through the Massachusetts universal pre-kindergarten program are no less available in the aggregate to the children of disabled parents than to the children of non-disabled parents. The department of early education and care, with the approval of the board and in consultation with the state advisory committee on early education and care established in section 3A, shall study and present any additional recommendations on the programmatic, financing, and phase-in options for the development and universal implementation of the Massachusetts universal pre- kindergarten program. This study shall include an estimate of the need for full- day, full-year care that meets the needs of parents who work full-time and shall include the number of pre-school aged children in the commonwealth who may be at risk due to family poverty, TAFDC status, special needs, or other risk factors. The department shall include its findings and recommendations, and any updates of its findings, in the annual report required under section 3. 2

4. 3 Current Approach to UPK Build on strengths of existing mixed system Private center-based programs Head Start Public and private school preschools System-affiliated and independent family child care Address challenges in quality first, given research supporting the relationship of high-quality early learning environments to school success and later life outcomes Define measurable quality standard for participating programs Support programs in reaching UPK quality standard in future years FY07 to FY09, Assessment Planning grants: Agencies awarded funds to implement assessment systems in selected programs Designed as one-time one-year start up funds Funds spent on training and professional development, tools and materials, technology, and staff compensation Approximately 100 agencies representing 400 programs benefitted from the Assessment Planning grant FY10, Assessment Grant for statewide trainings Associated Early Care and Education provided training, technical assistance, and assessment and screening tools and materials to programs in the mixed delivery system statewide 940 educators and administrators statewide benefitted from trainings (introductory, intermediate and advanced) on EEC’s three approved assessment systems

5. 4 UPK Funding Background FY07: $4.6 million Pilot implementation grants for Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) FY08: $7.1 million Budget provided increase of $2.5M FY09: $10.9 million (post 9c) Budget initially provided an increase of $5M for UPK; reduced by $1.25M in mid-year budget reductions FY10: $8.0 million Budget reduced funding by $2.9M All grant awards were reduced by 37% from FY09 FY11: $7.5 million Budget reduced funding by $500K All grant awards will be reduced (rate is currently being determined) to compensate for the cut in funding Grants are awarded for specific classrooms in a programs and have been renewed yearly to date (with additional new grants being awarded in FY08 and FY09). A portion of each years funds were allocated to evaluation and planning activities, as well as in FY07, FY08 and FY09 funding for Assessment Planning grants to help programs move towards UPK eligibility). Funding is determined by the number of children and portion of subsidized children in each classroom, and operating hours and full or part-time/year status. Total classroom enrollment x $500 + total subsidized enrollment x $1500 = total grant award [total is then prorated based on full or part-time/year status]

6. 5 UPK Grant Program Eligibility *The four EEC-selected assessment tools include: Work Sampling, High Scope Child Observation Record (COR), Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum, and Ages and Stages. **NEASC included in FY08 accreditation options; CDA or “higher” included as FY09 and FY10 accreditation alternatives for family child care. CriteriaFY07FY08, FY09, & FY10 EEC Licensed or License-Exempt Use one of four EEC-selected assessment tools for at least one year* Use Early Childhood Program Standards For Three and Four Year Olds and Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences Have teacher/provider with BA in each UPK classroom/setting Or Used as selection priority Have National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation or New England Association of Schools and Colleges or for family child care, National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) accreditation or a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or higher ** Serve or willing to serve children receiving financial assistance Provide access to full-day full-year services

7. 6 UPK Grantee Overview *At FY10 renewal, 14 programs/providers were unable to renew funding due to reasons such as closing care, transferring classrooms to other UPK site and lapse in accreditation; during FY10 two additional program lost funding. FY10 grants are currently being renewed into FY11, and this chart will be updated to reflect changes in numbers upon completion of renewal.

8. 7 UPK Classroom Quality Grants Map of Current Sites 97 cities and towns

9. Breakdown of Current Grantees Current grants (FY11 grants currently being renewed from FY10) are awarded to 277 UPK programs, with 464 classrooms/homes, across all settings (originally funded in FY07, FY08 or FY09) including: 138 center-based programs; Approximately 45% are Head Start 114 system-affiliated family child care providers; 6 independent family child care providers; 18 public school programs; and 1 private school program. 6,400 children in UPK classrooms; ~80% of whom receive EEC subsidies, Head Start, private scholarship, or are free/reduced lunch qualifying in public schools 185 out of the 277 UPK programs are fully funded (all preschool classrooms in the program are designated as UPK) 92 programs (33%) have preschool classrooms at their UPK site that are yet UPK funded 250 total classrooms in current sites are not UPK funded 8

10. Objectives of Current Grant Funding UPK Pilot Classroom Quality Grant funds must be used to: increase staff compensation; lower staff/child ratios and/or decrease class/group size; enhance the program’s ability to interpret and use assessment data to improve program quality; purchase hardware, software, or training to fully implement the electronic component of the curriculum and/or assessment tool currently in use; enhance developmentally appropriate practice and instructional support; provide new staff professional development opportunities and/or support staff attainment of credentials or degrees; incorporate additional comprehensive services into the program to meet the diverse learning needs of children and their social-emotional, behavioral, and/or physical health needs; support ongoing accreditation or reaccreditation activities; enhance current or provide new family engagement opportunities; enhance current or provide new transitional supports to children moving to/from other programs or to kindergarten; and/or provide or facilitate access to full-day, full-year services for working families. 9

11. 10 UPK Grant Expenditure Categories Staff compensation Comprehensive services for children Assessment supports and online licenses Assessment Trainings Professional Development Full day full year services Curricula and enrichment activities Educational materials and technological supports (limited to 15% of budget) Accreditation support Transition to kindergarten supports Family support Administrative costs (limited to 8% of total budget)

12. Aggregate Report of FY10 Grantee Spending 11

13. 12 UPK Evaluation Overview Beginning in FY08, a portion of UPK funds have been set aside for evaluation activities. FY08 evaluation focused on program implementation and how grantees used their grant funding to improve the quality of their programs. FY09 evaluation focused on: Examining current level of quality in sample of early childhood settings (UPK and non-UPK) that serving at-risk children in the Commonwealth Getting feedback about future statewide assessment of preschool child outcomes and school readiness from various stakeholder groups and the public FY10 evaluation activities include: Funding NIEER to generate a report laying out potential strategies for evaluation or programs serving 3 and 4 year old children Funding Public Consulting Group (PCG) to conduct a Waitlist Analysis, Program Access & Continuity of Services Study with regard to preschool children on EEC’s waitlist and in the broader universe of families statewide