GEORGIA’S PRE-K PROGRAM Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning...
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Transcript of GEORGIA’S PRE-K PROGRAM Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning...
GEORGIA’S PRE-K PROGRAM
Bright from the Start: Georgia Department
of Early Care and Learning
Marsha H. Moore, Commissioner
Target Population
Georgia’s Pre-K Program is universal, i.e., it is open to all four year olds regardless of family income.
In 2005-2006 Georgia’s Pre-K Program:
• Served over 74,000 children• In all 159 counties in Georgia• Budget of $290M• Cost per child of $3,919
Unique Features of Georgia’s Pre-K Program
• Lottery funds provide dedicated monies• Successful public/private partnership• Voluntary• 180 days, 6.5 hours per day• Goal: to prepare children for success in school• Family support services• Interagency collaboration to coordinate
services at community level
Benefits of Universal Access• Stigma of “at risk” program removed• More diversified student population
enriches learning experience for all• Quality of Pre-K classes trickles down to
infant and toddler classes in private sector
• Increased school readiness for all children• More likely to receive greater public
support so that programs are of higher quality and reach more children
Challenges of Universal Access
• Funding in unstable economy• Ensuring access in all areas• Oversight and program quality
Evaluation
Georgia Early Childhood StudyStudy Measured:• Direct Assessments
– Beginning of preschool– End of preschool– Beginning of kindergarten
• Teacher Ratings(preschool and kindergarten• Surveys of teachers• Surveys of parents’ attitudes and
involvement• Observations of classroom activities
Georgia Pre-K PerformanceChildren participating in Georgia Pre-K
gained:• on national norms for solving math
problems; for letter and word recognition; and for vocabulary;
• on understanding printed material and story comprehension;
• mastery of one additional basic skill, either naming numbers, naming colors, or counting, on average
Reducing Initial Gaps
• Consistent high quality of Georgia’s Pre-K Program is a primary factor that reduces the initial gap between private preschoolers and lottery funded Pre-K by the beginning of kindergarten
• Developmental outcomes of all four-years olds were raised by high quality preschool experiences
Original Governance of Program
• Independent state agency• Executive director appointed by Governor• Reported directly to Governor• Operated without a Board of Directors• Independent of state department of
education• Used volunteer advisory groups
Advantages of Governance Structure
• Allowed focus to remain on early education
• Fast response to issues• Eliminated some bureaucracy associated
with large state agency• Able to treat public and private providers
as independent contractors• Equalized footing between public and
private providers• Funding formula flexibility
Challenges of the Governance Structure
• Political pressures• Viewed as “not real school”• Perception that public and private
Pre-K programs are different• School systems involved with two
state agencies (DOE & Bright from the Start)
• Perceived as having too much autonomy
New Governance Structure
• Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
• Independent agency separate from Georgia DOE
• Commissioner appointed by Governor• Governing Board of Directors and Advisory
Board• Responsible for creating and maintaining
comprehensive system of early care and education
• Legislatively identified as a DOE
Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
Created July 1, 2004 to:• Create and sustain a system of early
care and education• Reduce bureaucracy• Eliminate duplication of services• Blend resources• Coordinate efforts between early
childhood advocates and providers
Bright from the Start, continued
Created by merging:• Office of School Readiness• Child Care Licensing Division of the
Office of Regulatory Services• Georgia Child Care Council• Even Start Family Literacy Program• Head Start State Collaboration
Office
Advantages of New Governance Structure
• Legitimizes relationship between child care and education
• Raises awareness that quality early care is a critical component of the education continuum
• Allows for more extensive private involvement in the early education process
• More funding flexibility
Challenges of New Governance Structure
• Changing culturePublicParentsProvidersPolicymakers
• Increased need for collaborations• Creating and supporting local
service hubs
Meeting the Challenges of the New Governance Structure
• Building capacities of local resource and referral agencies
• Creating and participating in more community collaboratives
• Forming and utilizing ad hoc advisory committees
• Aligning standards• Increasing public relations/marketing efforts• Creating more opportunities for parent
involvement
Critical Success Factors
• Political• Programmatic• Administrative• Other
Political Critical Success Factors
• Direct involvement of the Governor• Adequate funding• Integrated program into existing child
care and education communities• Universal; not another “at risk”
program• Public/private partnership• Choice (providers AND parents)
Programmatic Critical Success Factors
• Emphasize education, not day care• Specify school readiness and learning
goals• Educate providers about appropriate Pre-
K and early child care instruction• Operate on public school calendar• Provide family support services• Provide intensive teacher training• Encourage parent involvement• Align policies with national organizations:
NGA, Zero to Three, NAEYC
Administrative Critical Success Factors
• Implement a uniform financial, payment, and reporting system for all providers
• Develop and disseminate funding levels• Develop and disseminate processes for
awarding classes• Establish minimum lead teacher salaries• Operate as a “business,” not as a state
bureaucracy• Require quality – internally and
externally
Other Critical Success Factors
• Listen to customers• Listen to critics• Don’t let semantics become a
barrier• Publicize activities and
accomplishments• Cultivate meaningful collaborations
For more information about Georgia’s Pre-K Program or Bright from the Start, visit:
www.decal.state.ga.us