Planning for Pre-Kindergarten: A Toolkit for School Boards NSBA Annual Conference San Diego, CA...

Planning for Pre-Kindergarten: A Toolkit for

School Boards

NSBA Annual ConferenceSan Diego, CA April 6, 2009

Agenda• Overview of Pre-K Initiative

• Jim Edwards, KS Vision

• Janice Esau, TX Pre-K Partnerships

• Sally Howell, AL Strategy

• Kerri Schelling, KY Strategy

• Chrisanne Gayl, Federal Funding and Resources

• Q&A

Thinking P-12: Engaging school boards in support of pre-k

• A multi-year partnership between NSBA’s Center for Public Education and state school board associations with funding from the Pew Charitable Trusts

• Part 1, 2006-2008: Kansas, Ohio, and Texas

• Part 2, 2008-2010: Alabama and Kentucky plus ongoing activities in Kansas and Texas.

Goals• Making pre-kindergarten a public priority

– Increasing awareness of the short- and long-term benefits of pre-k

• Adding the school board voice to the pre-k discussion– Collaborating with other early education advocates– Taking a leadership role – school boards as value-added

Pre-K bridges child care and school

child care

kindergarten pre-K1st grade

2nd grade

The Pre-K Tool Kit

• Establish a vision• Review the research • Engage the community• Take inventory• Design a program• Ensure quality• Secure funding• Be an advocate• From vision to reality

Establishing a Vision

Jim EdwardsAssociate Executive Director, Board Development,

Kansas Association of School [email protected]

Establishing YOUR Visionfor Pre-K

When working in your district to help create, or enhance an existing quality Pre-K program, you must remember that …

1. Internally … “One Size Does Not Fit All2. Globally … What has worked well in one community won’t always work well in others

Establishing YOUR VisionHigh-quality pre-k should be …

• Fun – “can I go to pre-K?”• Often in diverse settings• Welcoming to parents too• Absolutely voluntary• Essential but not sufficient• Concerned with children’s social, emotional, and academic development• For all, plus more for high-needs children

Establishing YOUR Vision

High-quality pre-k should NOT be…• High pressure• Mandatory• Low-quality/concerned only with access• Academic only• One size fits all• Only in schools• Closed to parents• A silver bullet


What did this mean in Kansas?

VISION: All children in Kansas enter school prepared to succeed.

1. Spotlight a core group of local school districts who have successful programs.

2. Build key partnerships with statewide education organizations and parents.

3. Educate policy makers and their constituents on the importance of pre-k.


1. Spotlight a core group of local school districts who have successful pre-k programs.

– Articles stressing diversity of programs– Development of Kansas resource guide– Use core group as advocacy leaders

2. Build key partnerships with statewide education organizations and parents.


– Continue our efforts in the coalition of early childhood advocates

– Provide information to others outside of this coalition– Continue to provide educational programs

3. Educate policy makers and their constituents on the importance of pre-k.

– Ensure that policymakers understand the crucial impact early childhood can have

– Partner with other advocacy groups

Pre-Kindergarten Partnerships: Collaborating for Young Texans

Janice EsauConsultant, Texas Association

of School [email protected]

Pre-K Eligibility in Texas Public Schools

• Limited English Language Learners• Educationally Disadvantaged (eligible for free and

reduced lunch program)• Homeless• The child of a member of the armed forces of the United

States, including the state military forces or a reserve component of the armed forces, who was injured or killed during active duty. Includes uniformed service members Missing in Action (MIA)

• Children in the Foster Care System

Who Comes to Play in Texas?

• Hispanic: 126,702 (65.35%)• African American: 30,500 (15.73%)• White: 30,036 (15.49%)• Asian: 6,111 (3.15%)• Native American: 520 (.27%)

Breakdown of children

enrolled in Texas public

school pre-k programs

by ethnicity

Copyright 2009, Texas Early Care and Education Coalition

Collaboration is Key in Texas Texas Early Childhood Education Collaboration (TECEC)

– Mission is to build a system of quality early care and education that prepares children in Texas for success in their education and life

– Created in 2003

– Diverse membership at the local, state, and national levels

– 4000 Community Partners

– 275 Members


Texas Pre-K Delivery System Challenges

PUBLIC SCHOOL PRE-

K

No class size limits

Limited eligibility

Most programs are only half day

Not all classrooms are early

childhood certified

CHILD CARE

Varying levels of quality

Varying education levels of teachers

Waiting lists

Cost

HEAD START

Only serves 42% of those

Eligible for Head Start and

2% of those eligible for

Early Head Start


Building PartnershipsPossible ISD Role:• Provide financial

support• Provide Certified

Teacher• Share training and

professional development

• Give resources/materials/supplies/equipment

Possible Partner Role:• Provide space• Provide “wrap

around care”• Advertise to

community• Allow access to

children’s developmental screenings

• Share resources

SB81st Legislative Session21/HB130 cont.

81st Legislative Session SB21 - Judith ZaffiriniHB130 - Diane Patrick

• Authorizes the operation of half and/or full day prekindergarten program

• Establishes criteria for class sizes, staffing, and curriculum

• Authorizes the formation of partnerships between school districts and community providers to provide a percentage of the services offered by the expanded pre K program and establishes exceptions to the community partnerships

81st Legislative Session SB21 – SS HB130 – Diane Patrick

SB21/HB130 cont…

• Defines criteria for eligibility of community partners

• Requires a written contractual agreement between the school district and community providers

• Delineates criteria for minimum funding for community providers

• Establishes annual reporting standards

• Establishes a funded requirement for an annual evaluation of the enhanced pre K program.

Alabama Association of School Boards Strategy

Sally Howell, J.D.AASB Executive Director

[email protected]

AASB Pre-K Strategy: Spotlight Pre-K and Disseminate Data

MESSAGE TO SCHOOL BOARDS:

A Quality Pre-

kindergarten Education is a fundamental part of school

readiness.

AASB Pre-K Strategy: Make the Case for Pre-K


Education funding is limited, but we must recognize the proven link between quality pre-kindergarten and

narrowing achievement gaps.

AASB Pre-K Strategy: Build effective partnerships, involve

stakeholders


Collaborative partnerships

between K-12, child advocates and

other stakeholders in your community

could ultimately increase the

number of children served by high-

quality pre-K programs.

AASB Strategy: Mobilize boards, influence policy & legislative

actionAASB & THE

NEW PRE-K

COALITION:

The new Pre-K Coalition inspired by the Pew/Center grant will host a forum soon after the state Pre-K

conference in April. School board

members, legislators, child advocates and

child care and pre-K professionals are

invited.

AASB Pre-K Strategy: “Connect the Dots” Between Pre-K & K-12

Initiatives

• Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative Pre-K Pilot Program

• Southern Education Foundation: Connects high-quality pre-K to lower dropout rates

• Unique student identification numbers for pre-K

"First Class Pre-K and AMSTI are both national models. This partnership will provide Alabama's four-year-olds with the strongest math and science foundation in the nation."

-- Gov. Bob Riley

Kentucky School Boards Association: Pre-K Strategy

Kerri ShellingDirector, Board Team Development

[email protected]

KSBA Pre-K Strategy

• Member Relations/Communications– Kentucky School Advocate– Website– Identification of existing resources

KSBA Pre-K Strategy

• Board Team Development– Involvement with existing pre-k efforts– Scripted Conversations– Board Training– Conferences– Regional Meetings

KSBA Pre-K Strategy

• Governmental Relations– KSBA representation on statewide P-16 Council– Meetings with KY First Lady– Development of advocacy toolkit

*Continue the focus on full funding of all-day Kindergarten

Federal Funding & Resources

Chrisanne GaylEducation Consultant, [email protected]

Federal Funding

• Title I of the ESEA – Part A funds may be used for preschool services for

at-risk children within Title I-funded schools and districts

• Head Start – districts are eligible grantees of this $6 billion dollar

program

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act – Part B, Sec 619 funds are set aside for 3 and 4 year

olds

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

• $13 billion in additional Title I grants to states

• $400 million in new IDEA preschool grants

• $1 billion for Head Start and $1.1 billion for Early Head Start

• $48.6 billion in State Fiscal Stabilization Fund - for essential education reforms to benefit students from early learning to postsecondary

What Does This Mean?

State Title I IDEA, Preschool

State Fiscal Stabilization*

Alabama $81.5 million $3 million $488.5 million

California $562.5 million $20.5 million $4 billion

Illinois $210. 1 $9.2 million $1.4 billion

*Based on initial estimates by the U.S. Dept of Education

NSBA Economic Stimulus Websitewww.nsba.org/economicstimulus

NSBA Pre-k Legislative Committee Website www.nsba.org/prekcommittee

Resources

Pre-K Newsletter

Pre-K Collaboration Report

• Features interviews with P-12 administrators throughout the country

• Benefits and Challenges of working with community partners in delivery of pre-k

• State and local models

• Lessons Learned

• Recommendations to Policymakers

Pre-K tool kit webinar

• April 28 at 1 pm ET

• Downloadable tool kits will be online one week before

QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU

Patte Barth, [email protected] Jim Edwards, [email protected]

Janice Esau, [email protected] Howell, [email protected]

Kerri Schelling, [email protected] Gayl, [email protected]

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