Round 2: Early Learning Hub Technical Assistance

1. Round 2: Early Learning Hub Technical Assistance Building a Strategic Framework: How to build an outcomes aligned strategic plan

2. Webinar Agenda • Early Learning Hub overview • Heidi McGowan, Facilitator • Presentation • Kara Waddell, Marion County Early Learning Hub Inc. • Questions & Answers • Upcoming Webinars

3. Early Learning Council Goals • Children ready for success in kindergarten when they arrive. • Children raised in stable and attached families. • Services that are integrated and aligned into one early learning system focused on results.

4. What is an Early Learning Hub • A self-organized community-based coordinating body created to provide a “system approach” to early childhood education that works to improve efficiency and outcomes for our youngest children.

5. Earlylearning Hub Will • Build on existing community resources and assets • Ask tough questions about what could be done differently to get better results, especially for children at risk • Communities have the option to define their own strategies and service areas to achieve the outcomes • Under the community based leadership of Early Learning Hubsbring public schools, early learning providers, health care, social services and the private sector together around shared outcomes, for the first time in Oregon’s history.

6. Early Learning Hub, Inc. – Marion County One Example of a Newly Forming Community Collaborative

7. Launch of an Early Learning Hub • State launched a process of education and early learning reform • 2+ yrs. of discussion about “accountability hubs” at the state • Vision of early learning hubs presented in legislation and communities across the state began to think through their structures, goals and priorities • Community level – Marion County-led collaborative began nearly 1-year of planning and recommendations around early learning • Vision for a cross-sector, community-led collaborative led by a community-designated “lead agency”

8. Launch of an Early Learning Hub • EARLY (and ongoing) CHALLENGES: • Identifying the structure and governance of a cross-sector reform collaborative • Community champions, start-up funding, and the ability to convene key leaders • Making a legislatively-required structure something appealing and owned at a community level • Developing consensus and momentum around “what to do” • Clarity of outcomes and metrics, dedicated staff to lead community efforts • Having a philosophical grounding and common values to really drive the effort • State presented “collective impact” but we are still calling out the value proposition and answering “why” an early learning hub • Answering the question “what is an early learning hub” and why does it matter • Time and focus

9. Developing consensus and momentum around what to do • The power of shared goals and a shared agenda • Very clear around outcome(s) and agreed to metrics • Identify “few but powerful” goals to mobilize and connect partners and systems

10. VALUE PROPOSITION Value Proposition _____________________ Beliefs

11. Strategic Framework • Get it on one page • Strategic Approach: Develop an evidence-based, data-driven system of early learning services that promotes outcomes via prioritization of shared goals, service coordination, and collaborations across early childhood education, families, social services, health, K-12 and business sectors.

12. Strategic Framework Outcome #1: Children are Ready for Kindergarten METRICS: • Number of children participating in quality early learning and care experiences as measured by the QRIS • % of children assessed as “ready” by the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment

13. Strategic Framework • Make the State outcome a shared, community goal • Accessible language • Easy to rally around • Agreed to metrics backed you into a goals framework • Outcome #1: Children are Ready for Kindergarten • Goal One: Children experience quality early learning and literacy development. • Goal Two: Connections are built between families, early learning and K-12 schools.

14. Strategic FrameworkFill in the Grid • What are the strategies / approaches we are going to rally around and prioritize • Ideally 1-2 strategies • We called out micro-strategies using an equity lens and a communications approach • Left room for the collaborative to grow to community-specific approaches down the road • Urban /rural • Identified populations

15. Strategic Framework:Children Experience Quality Early Learning & Literacy Development • Develop a community supply of 3-star, 4-star and 5-star quality rated early learning programs especially in targeted elementary school catchment areas. • Progress Metric: Increase by x% the number of programs at the 4-star and 5-star levels. • Build upon the Regional Achievement Collaborative to provide a cross-sector, community response to program needs and gaps in successfully achieving a star rating. • Early Milestone: ELH participates in quarterly learning dialogues with WOU-TRI and our Resource and Referral agency to identify gaps, opportunities and needs.

16. Strategic Framework:Children Experience Quality Early Learning & Literacy Development • EQUITY LENS: Ensure children of parents receiving child care subsidy assistance through TANF or ERDC have equal access to quality early learning environments in their vicinity • Early Milestone: Contracts for ERDC contracted slots are developed for programs at 5-star and 4-star levels to serve low-income, At-Risk children • MOBILIZATION/COMMUNICATION: Engage parents about quality early learning and the state’s QRIS star-rating guide to ensure parents are making informed child care decisions • Progress Metric: Increase the ratio of the # of children in QRIS-rated programs / # of available licensed child care slots • COMMUNITY SPECIFIC (optional): In 15-16, communities may set community-specific strategies around their prioritized elementary school catchment areas and/or school districts. • (Helps ensure focused strategy across urban, rural and diverse settings… and help ensure community ownership)

17. Reflections • Right! • Clear about our structure • Secured funding and staffing right up front • Used existing analyses • Involved a few representatives from key groups – leadership/governance level but also “on the ground” staff • Creating the grid • Initial Challenges • Very broad outcomes and metrics • Too many goals and strategies – need to collapse and simplify • Answering questions in an RFA – we had to cast a broader vision and approach than what is likely wise in a start-up collaborative • Geographic areas / partners / organizational politics • Staffing to support collaboratives • Program and service providers capacity and hours • Fear, lack of understanding, money politics

18. Outcomes, Goals and Metrics: Shared Vision • OUTCOME ONE: Children are Ready For Kindergarten • GOAL ONE: Children experience quality early learning and literacy development. • By June 30, 2018, increase by 42% of number of children participating in quality early learning and care experiences as measured by the QRIS. • Goal Two: Connections are built between families, early learning and K-12 schools. • By June 30, 2018, increase by 16% the number of children assessed as "ready" on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA).

19. Common belief #1: The first 2000 days of life are critical for a child’s development and well-being. • Investing in quality early childhood education… • 29% more likely to graduate from high school; • 50% less likely to become a teen parent; • 50% less likely to need special education in school; • More likely to be employed and earn 33% more than the average salary.

20. Common Belief #2: No single organization can do it alone. • It takes an entire community to support children. We need EVERYONE at the table, including nontraditional partners. • We have good models and good organizations, each of whose impact can be strengthened through a collective impact model. • We have to move the needle, but these are complex social problems.

21. Common belief #3: The power of shared outcomes and goals. • Shared, cross-sector goals focus and unite efforts on specific strategies that are critical, timely, and do-able. Goals are measured and metrics are constantly reviewed. • Shared goals can move talk to action.

22. Common belief #4: The community must do better… together • It takes a village. • We build on a foundation of continuous quality improvement and learning across sectors. • We improve by working together around shared goals and aligning our practices and programs into a system. • We learn by listening to and connecting with parents.

23. New Structure: Collective Impact.

24. An Alliance towards Collective Impact

25. SUMMARY:What is the value of an Early Learning Hub? • Whereas the first 2000 days of life offer a window of opportunity to prepare young children for success in school and life; • Whereas no one organization can solve the complex issues facing our youngest children and families together; • … An Alliance is needed to connect partners, sectors, resources, programs and families to ensure better outcomes for young children.

26. Early Learning Hub, Inc. • We are an Alliance connecting partners (traditional and unconventional) to ensure great things are happening for young children. • We are committed to 7 Shared Goals: • Children experience quality early learning and literacy development. • Connections are built between families, early learning and K-12 schools. • Families are connecting to a medical care home. • Families and caregivers are developing skills that support children. • Children are developmentally screened and referred. • Children and family services are aligned and coordinating. • Performance is measured and data is used to learn, adjust and innovate.

27. Early Learning Hub, Inc.Kara Waddell kara@earlylearninghub.org 503-949-4181

28. Questions & Answers Thank you for your questions.

29. Proposed Upcoming Webinars • February 26th Early Learning Hub OutcomeMetrics 11:00-12:00 pm • March 6thEquity and Family Engagement 10:00-11:00 am • March 13th Building a Strong Health Care Connection 10:00-11:00 am • March 20th Building a Strong K-3 Connection 10:00-11:00 am • March 27th Oregon’s QRIS 10:00-11:00 am

30. Contact Information Presenter Contact information Kara Waddell, kara@earlylearninghub.org 503-949-4181 Early Learning Division Contact Megan Irwin, Early Learning System Design Manager megan.irwin@state.or.us 503-507-9462 www.OregonEarlyLearning.com