The Role of State Leaders in Promoting Quality Preschool

Slide 1:The Role of State Leaders in Promoting Quality Preschool

Tom Watkins Superintendent of Public Instruction Michigan STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION KATHLEEN N. STRAUS-PRESIDENT, HERBERT S. MOYER-VICE-PRESIDENT CAROLYN L. CURTIN-SECRETARY JOHN C. AUSTIN-TREASURER MARIANNE YARED MCGUIRE-NASBE DELEGATE ELIZABETH W.. BAUER REGINALD M. TURNER EILEEN LAPPIN WEISER

Slide 3:Why Care?

Rather than going downstream to pull drowning victims out, let�s go upstream and find out who�s throwing them in. The earliest years count. Early Investment Pays Off $reduces grade retention $increases reading ability $reduces drop out $reduces welfare costs $reduces prison costs $reduces illiteracy http://www.highscope.org/productDetail.asp? intproductID=320

Slide 4:Why care?

You can�t build a strong house from the roof down; you build it from the foundation up.

Slide 5:Why care?

The vast majority of children�s learning occurs before age 5, but the vast majority of public funding is spent on their education beginning at age 5. DUH! Learning for school readiness encompasses physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Slide 6:Why care?

Bust the cycle: Parents can�t read (need adult education) 47% of adults in Detroit are functionally illiterate* Kids aren�t ready to succeed at K entry 3rd/4th grade=retention or special education Kids drop out (SSS) Kids have kids Parents can�t read� School unreadiness costs. *http://www.nifl.gov/reders/reder.htm

Slide 7:Why care?

Those who start behind, stay behind. Lifting for a living is no longer an option. Our children will need to think for a living. Retention is a huge expense without long term benefits. The school readiness problem is not limited to low-income, minority, or at-risk children. High-quality early childhood programs make a difference. The Trust for Early Education, Presentation at the Council of Chief State School Officers meeting, 11/7/03 Seven Things Legislators Should Know About School Readiness http://www.finebynine.org/pdf/ResPacket.pdf

Slide 8:In kindergarten, MSRP children score higher in all areas of child development.

Child Observation Record - Scale=1-5 http://www.highscope.org/Research/MsrpEvaluation/msrpmain.htm LindyLindy

Slide 9:MSRP students are significantly more likely to remain on-grade and have satisfactory MEAP scores at 4th grade.

http://www.highscope.org/Research/MsrpEvaluation/msrpmain.htm

Slide 10:�It�s not my problem��

High-quality programs are scarce. States can promote and regulate quality. 50% of the children who are unprepared for kindergarten are middle class or higher. State-funded and federally-funded programs are primarily for poor children. Quality matters. The Trust for Early Education, Presentation at the Council of Chief State School Officers meeting, 11/7/03

Slide 11:Who cares?

Education is too important to leave to those of us who make our living from it. Florida: Palm Beach County 2000: � mill tax increase promoted by a conservative business group �Unexpected� champions are key to success Investments pay off.

Slide 12:Who Cares in Michigan, 2003?The Stars are Aligned:

Governor Granholm: Children�s Action Network Project Great Start Leadership, advocacy, and the �bully pulpit� Legislative Children�s Caucus House Democrats: Early Childhood Task Force State Board of Education: Early Childhood Task Force Michigan Ready to Succeed Partnership: Be their Hero from age Zero Michigan Department of Community Health: Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems grant Michigan Department of Education: Office of Early Childhood Education and Family Services Michigan Family Independence Agency: CAN Priority Schools

Slide 13:�but we�re broke!

Pay now or pay later What do we do while we�re waiting for more money? Answer: We must be creative, innovative, and we dream. We PLAN, and we implement as we CAN. We look at ways to redirect existing funding to early childhood efforts.

Slide 14:Find all the Pieces of the Puzzle

All the partners Michigan Ready To Succeed Partnership: business, labor, education, faith, health, philanthropy, government; profit and non-profit organizations and associations All the programs Local, regional, statewide Schools, centers, agencies All the communities Early childhood comprehensive systems strategic planning�statewide and local

Slide 15:Put the Pieces Together

Develop high-quality infrastructure: training, standards, accountability systems �ready to lead� Foundations fund R.E.A.D.Y. kits and translations Parent info on the web (Family FUNdamentals) First Day of School (transition efforts) Medical/other offices put parenting info on waiting room videos Grocery bags with parenting messages Messages on fast food tray liners and cups Upgrade child care licensing: � hour per day of reading/literacy activities; redo the rules Book collections for the holidays. Governor�s PSAs. Great Parents, Great Start�universal parent education; targeted programs for at-risk families; community collaboration

Slide 16:Collaboration

Start at the top Governor Granholm�s #1 issue is education, and early childhood education is at the top of that agenda Align programs and priorities Make the table very big; virtual too

Slide 17:We will�

We make the choices now. Leadership is about planting trees under which we will never sit. It�s our children and the children of the world. Michigan will lead so our children will LEAD.

Slide 18:For more information:

Michigan Department of Education www.michigan.gov/mde Dr. Lindy Buch, Supervisor, Early Childhood and Parenting Programs, BuchL@michigan.gov