Administrators Summit: Birth to Five

1. Administrators Summit:Birth to Five Gayle Stuber, Early Childhood Coordinator Carol Ayres, Section 619,Part B Coordinator Janet Newton, PAT Coordinator Tiffany Smith-Birk, Part C Coordinator

2. Agenda • Welcome • Early Childhood (Birth to Five) Program Descriptions • Connections: How we get children ready for school • Local Presentation: Community at Work • LUNCH • Small Group Discussion: Your community at work • Next Steps

3. Getting what you need • How can a teen parent find support? • How does a family new to the community find out what programs are available for their preschooler? • How can a family find help for a child who has an identified special need—or a child who MIGHT have an identified special need?

4. Early Childhood Options • What are the options at each age group? • Who are the authorizing agencies? • How does a parent get into a program? • How can parents/families find out about options available?

5. Early Childhood at a Glance • Programs have different funding sources, purposes and requirements. • Programs collaborate and coordinate services to meet the needs of families and children.

6. IV. Kansas Early Childhood: Direct Service programs

7. Early Childhood • Birth to age 8 • Includes ALL children • Focuses on children within the context of their family and community • Focuses on the WHOLE child (all developmental domains) • Language/literacy/communication • Social/emotional • Physical Health and Development • Cognitive

8. Birth to Three programs • Parents As Teachers • Early Head Start • Part C (tiny-k) • Healthy Families • Healthy Start

9. Parents As Teachers • A universal home-based parent education program for families with children Prenatal to Age 3 designed to support parents in their role as their child’s first and most important teacher. • Provides children the best possible start in life • Prepares children for school success

10. Kansas EARLY HEAD START is designed to individualize the unique strengths and needs of each child and family. Program services include: • quality early education • parent education • comprehensive health and mental health services, including services to women before, during, and after pregnancy • nutrition education • family support service • child care for families who are employed, attending school or a job training program

11. IDEA Part C, Early Intervention program • Housed at the Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment • 37 local early intervention networks provide services to identified children and families. • Growth over the past 15 years with over 7200 children and families being served in 2008-09.

12. Part C: Mission • Part C early intervention builds upon and provides supports and resources to assist family members and caregivers to enhance children’s learning and development through everyday learning opportunities.

13. Part C: Key Principles 1. Infants and toddlers learn best through everyday experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar contexts. 2. All families, with the necessary supports and resources, can enhance their children’s learning and development. 3. The primary role of a service provider in early intervention is to work with and support family members and caregivers in children’s lives.

14. Key Principles (continued) 4. The early intervention process, from initial contacts through transition, must be dynamic and individualized to reflect the child’s and family members’ preferences, learning styles and cultural beliefs. 5. IFSP outcomes must be functional and based on children’s and families’ needs and family-identified priorities.

15. Key Principles (continued) 6. The family’s priorities, needs and interests are addressed most appropriately by a primary provider who represents and receives team and community support. 7. Interventions with young children and family members must be based on explicit principles, validated practices, best available research, and relevant laws and regulations.

16. Birth – 3: natural environment Refers to settings that are typical for infants and toddler without disabilities or delays. Natural environments include: • Families’ homes, • Early care and education programs • Other community settings where families spend the most time with their children

17. Natural environments-- • The context for intervention, which is the child and family’s typical and valued activities and events. • Includes parents and caregivers as partners in the child’s communication. • Natural environments refer to “the process”: children learn through participating in their everyday activities and meaningful experiences with their family and caregivers.

18. 3-5 year old Programs • Head Start (3-5) • Four Year Old At-Risk • Pre-k Pilot (4’s) • Part B, Section 619 (3-5)

19. Head Start • Provides comprehensive services, including early learning experiences to children and families that meet the criteria for participation: poverty • Collaborative partner with many other pre-K programs • 3-5 year olds are targeted. • Has performance outcomes and program standards that must be met by programs.

20. Four Year Old At-Risk Program Initiated in 1998 to provide a high quality pre-kindergarten experience to children who meet at least one of eight at-risk criteria: • Poverty • Single parent families • SRS referral • Teen parents • Either parent is lacking a high school diploma or GED • Child qualifies for migrant status • Limited English proficiency • Developmentally or academically delayed based on validated assessments.

21. Pre-K Pilot Program Purpose: Programs collaborate with community partners to provide a high quality early learning experience so that children will enter school ready to succeed. The Pre-K Pilot requires existing programs to work together to meet the needs of young children and their families.

22. Early Childhood Special Education, Section 619 Part B • Section 619 of Part B of IDEA, defines the preschool program which guarantees a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to children with disabilities age three through five. • Under this program preschool children who have disabilities are entitled to Special Education and Related Services in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). • The IDEA Preschool Program (Section 619) supports education services for young children with disabilities when they turn 3.  It addresses individual needs within the context of developmentally appropriate activities, including early learning experiences in language, pre-reading and writing skills, play, and other social emotional areas.

23. EI/ECSE Child Outcomes • Percent of children who demonstrate improved: • Positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships). • Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication and literacy for preschool). • Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.

24. Kindergarten to 3rd Grade • All Day, Every Day Kindergarten • 2008-09: 80% of Kindergartners attend all-day, every day kindergarten • All Day, Every Day kindergarten is NOT funded for school districts. • Kansas Data show that in all day, every day format: • Teachers use more best practices • Children learn more (KELI) across the year

25. Connections: How we get children ready for school

27. CONNECTIONS: SPP/APR • Every state has to develop on an annual basis: • A State Performance Plan (SPP) • An Annual Performance Report (APR) • Both Part C and Part B have to develop an SPP and APR • Collaboration provides a strong foundation for a better SPP and APR

28. Connections—state and local • Kansas Early Learning Guidelines and Standards provide structure and continuity across early childhood settings—and are aligned with the K-12 content standards. • The Kansas Early Learning Standards provide a common language across all settings and early childhood providers/educators.

29. School Readiness Project What we know about the skills and abilities of entering Kindergartners Data driven decisions: Programs using the data to improve child and family outcomes

30. Instruments Used • Child Assessment • Kansas Early Learning Inventory (2005-08) • Standardized assessments (2007-08) • Classroom Practices • Kindergarten Teacher Practices (2005-08) • CLASS (Classroom Assessment scoring System) (2007-08) • Parent and Family Reports • Administrative Structures Information

31. Top 3 skills of entering Kindergartners • 2005-06 • Work habits, Oral communication, Attentive behavior • 2006-07 • Oral communication, social emotional skills, work habits • 2007-08 • Social emotional, oral communication, work habits

32. Lowest skill area • Entering kindergarten children show the lowest level of skill in written language. • This is appropriate because it is not expected or developmentally appropriate to expect 5 and 6 year old children to write short words.

33. Are there differences in skill level at Kindergarten entry? • Children from low-income families, those who speak English as a second language, and those with IEPs do not have as high a level of skills in all domains of learning. • Children who attended preschool for a greater number of years prior to Kindergarten scored higher on many of the more academic areas. • Children who were read to by an adult (before Kindergarten) every day had higher literacy scores (2005-08) and scored higher on all academic achievement areas (2007-08).

34. Early Childhood Special Education makes a difference • Children with diagnosed disabilities (EX: autism, ED, hearing impairment) who received ECSE services score higher in academic areas than their peers who are identified during the Kindergarten year. • ECSE programs have a positive effect on children’s entry level skills in the following areas: • Symbolic development • General knowledge • Written language • Math skills

35. Parent Survey: 3 year results • Most children were in some sort of child care during the year prior to their Kindergarten year. • Approximately 1/3 of parents indicated it was either somewhat or very difficult to find quality child care. • Approximately 2/3 of parents reported that they read to their children at home every day • 52-60% of the children who attend preschool or child care, received at least 1 or 2 years of care.

36. Parent Involvement Makes a Difference • The more home literacy practices, the better the children did on all KELI domains. • Read to child • Talk with child about activities • Child pretends to read • In general, children whose parents read to them on a daily basis had • higher literacy scores and scored higher on all measures of academic achievement in Kindergarten. • Higher 3rd grade reading scores

37. Parent Involvement Makes a Difference • The more transition activities the parents used, the better the children did on all KELI areas. • Contacted school for Kindergarten information • Met with Kindergarten teacher • Participated in Roundup activities • Took child to school before first day

38. Parent Education Makes a Difference • 27-28% of parents indicated that they participated in the Parents As Teachers program. • More than one year in PAT positively impacted Symbolic Development, Math Concepts, Written Language, and Oral Communication . • Parents who participated in PAT were more likely to read to their children. • Children who are read to every day enter Kindergarten with higher literacy skill levels.

39. Preschool Experiences: 2007-08 • Parents were asked if their child participated in Early Head Start. 23% of children attended. • Early Head Start (23%): Significant differences on all scale scores on all KELI domains. • Academic domains • Social domains

40. Preschool Experiences: definitions & % of children (2007-08) • Formal (33.3%) • Center-based • Preschool (including Head Start) • Informal (19.3%) • Family Child care • Relative Care • Mixed (24.5%) • Both Formal and Informal • No Experiences in child care (22.8%)

41. Formal Preschool Experience Makes a Difference • Children (58%) who were in either formal (preschool or center-based) or mixed (formal and informal), were rated significantly higher in the academic areas on the KELI than children (42%) who only participated in informal care (family child care, relative care) or were not in child care at all.

42. Preschool Experiences: # of Years • Children attending preschool or childcare for a greater number of years prior to Kindergarten tended to score higher on Math, Written Language, and General Knowledge. • Children attending a fewer number of years of preschool & child care tended to score higher on the Attentive Behavior scale.

43. Preschool attendance • Greatest effects were found for children attending preschool or child care for 4 or more years. • Prior experience with preschool or child care did NOT promote skills in the areas of social emotional development or work habits (06-07). NOTE: in 2005-06, prior experience did not promote skills in attentive behavior also.

44. School Readiness Project: 4 year At-Risk & Pre-K Pilot • Three years of data on Four year Old At-Risk program • One year of data on Pre-K Pilot • Three years from Children’s Cabinet • Use data to: • Help develop Kansas Preschool Program • Use to develop training and professional development

45. Preliminary: Four Year Old At-Risk (2006-08) FALL • Lower Skill areas • Social emotional • Symbolic Development • Oral Communication • Written language • Higher skill areas • General knowledge • Attentive behavior • Work Habits SPRING • Lower Skill areas • General Knowledge • Math • Symbolic Development • Higher Skill areas • Social Emotional • Written Language • Oral communication • Work Habits

46. Impact of Four Year Old At-Risk Program • Children (325) from 2007-08 Kindergarten cohort who attended at-risk program. • Matched for risk factors with children (440) who did not attend at-risk program • ESL • Poverty (data proxy—free/reduced lunch) • Migrant status

47. Results: Comparison of entry/exit scores • Children who attended at-risk program scored higher at Kindergarten Entry in all areas but General Knowledge. • Children who attended at-risk program continued to be significantly higher in several areas: • Oral communication • Work habits • Attentive behavior • Social development

48. Evidence-based Classroom Practices • Best Practices that research suggests should be used on a daily basis. • Use of centers • Availability of more hands-on materials • Multiple instructional methods • Student choice • Time is allowed for children to complete tasks and to show learning • Time is allowed to learn through play exploration

49. Using Centers Makes a Difference • Kindergarten classrooms that use centers on a daily basis promoted greater learning (greater change scores) across the Kindergarten year in math, general knowledge, symbolic development, and written language than those classrooms that did not have centers.

50. Best Practices Makes a Difference • Best practices are more frequently seen in full day kindergarten classrooms • Best Practices have a significant positive effect on: • literacy skills, writing skills, and oral communication • and a marginal positive impact on math and general knowledge. • Together--Best Practices and Full Day schedule have a significant positive effect on all academic areas of learning.