Massachusetts State Advisory Council (SAC) on Early Childhood Education and CareReview of Grant, Work Plan Updates, and Year One Budget Considerations

March 7, 2011

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Background

The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 requires the Governor of each “State” to designate or establish a council to serve as the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care for children from birth to school entry.

To be eligible to receive a grant, a state had to prepare and submit an application for a three-year period that addresses select criteria.

The State Advisory Council is responsible for leading the development or enhancement of a high-quality, comprehensive system of early childhood development and care that ensures statewide coordination and collaboration among the range of programs and services in the State including: child care, Head Start, IDEA preschool and infants and families programs, pre-kindergarten programs and services.

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Background, continued.

Original application was submitted in May, 2010. We were notified in late August that we had been

awarded $1,137,560 for the three year project period.

In mid-August we were invited to submit a supplemental application. (Not every state had applied or applied for the full amount of funds in the original application process.)

We were notified in late September that we had been awarded an additional $164,277 for the three year project period.

The revised three year total is $1,301,837.

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State Advisory Council (SAC) Functions:

A. Needs assessment

B. Early education and care collaboration

C. Early education and care enrollment & outreach

D. Unified data collection

E. Quality improvement in early education and care

F. Professional development

G. Early education-higher education workforce preparation partnerships

H. Early learning standards

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Six Focus Areas for ARRA SAC Grant

1. Early Childhood Information System development and use

2. Needs Assessment

3. B-8 Community Planning and PreK-3 Partnerships

4. Early Education/Higher Education Workforce Preparation Partnership

5. Policy and Best Practices for Children & Families with Limited English Proficiency and/or Developmental Delays or Multiagency Involvement

6. ARRA Council Implementation Support and Accountability5

SAC Goal 1 – Early Childhood Information System development and use:

Data development, analysis, and use, including continued development of an interagency Early Childhood Information System and the assignment of child, workforce, and program identifiers coupled with the analytic capacity to examine and report on data collected on young children’s needs and programs.

Includes a continued partnership with UMass Lowell and the Open Indicators Project.

SAC GOAL 1 Related Updates: 1. Early Childhood Information System (ECIS)2. Open Indicators Consortium

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EARLY CHILDHOOD INFORMATION SYSTEM (ECIS)

Define, catalog and establish data sharing standards and formats that integrate existing data and define new data sets for children birth to 8 that will include: Data analysis of extant EEC data Technical staff at PCG is working with EEC IT staff

to examine EEC’s extant data and data model, for data quality issues, missing and redundant data elements, and opportunities for expansion. 

Strategic planning for data exchanges with other agencies and organizations via working group

Strategic Planning Institute, Presented by EEC in collaboration with The Harvard Graduate School of Education November 18 & 19 at Harvard University

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Open Indicators: The Fundamental Mission and Civic Engagement Goals Enable data visualization of any available data

anywhere by anyone for any purpose to provide data visibility and increase access to increase data understanding and knowledge to support exploration and comparisons to enable planning and accountability to support communication and collaboration to enable innovation and creativity to facilitate data dissemination and distribution to solve complex problems needing multiple people and organizations

Fill the vacuum of highly consumable, quality data for the use of stakeholder communication Data Rich, Insight Poor

provide visual and analytic information for public debate and community problem solving

promote collaboration on program and budget planning support greater governmental, foundation, organizational transparency and

accountability

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Open Indicators Outcomes to Date: EEC becomes a member of the Open

Indicators Consortium at UMass Lowell Support provided for presentation of

ECIS at Harvard University in November. Training of EEC staff on geo-coding and

use of WEAVE Technology Support for development of Access

presentation to the Board, April 2011Next Steps: Additional development of EEC staff

capacity, Support for all EEC/ECIS data delivery

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SAC Goal 2 – Needs Assessment Consulting

Design and implementation of the required needs assessment with a special emphasis on multi-risk families with infants and toddlers

Needs assessment will be conducted and analyzed throughout the tenure of the SAC ARRA grant.

SAC Goal 2 Related Updates: Wellesley hired to design two multi stage Needs

Assessment models

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For the Needs Assessment, Wellesley will:

Design two study models for identifying the needs of young children birth to age eight and assessing the “quality and availability of early childhood education and development programs and services for children from birth to school entry.”

Review other states’ needs assessments that address children birth to age eight including the unique needs of multi-risk infants and toddlers

Meet and consult EEC, in order to identify the key research questions to answer (indicators to measure) through the needs assessment.

Focus on the needs of young children birth to age eight, and assess the quality and availability of early childhood education and development programs and services for children from birth to school entry.

Project the cost for implementing each component of each study model in a needs assessment

Provide a timeline for each component of each study model in a needs assessment

Identify additional tools to understand the needs of vulnerable children and families (or outline the process for identifying such tools)

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SAC Goal 3 – B-8 Community Planning and PreK-3 Partnerships Co-Investment Funding Partnership Contracts with the

Philanthropic Sector Support for community birth through age 8 (B-8)

strategic plans, anchored in local data on: Child/family needs, and The quality/effectiveness of Pre-K through Grade 3

aligned systems linking local schools, local providers, and families through grants to communities.

Development of tools and assessments which are aligned based on child development including standards, to be used locally between the early education and public schools

SAC Goal 3 Related Updates:1. ESE/ EEC Pre K – 3 Partnership 2. Head Start and the Public Schools

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Head Start and Public School Partnerships A state-wide series of meetings between public preschool and

Head Start representatives with a focus on full implementation of the required activities of the federally required Head Start –LEA Memorandum of Understanding: Educational activities, curricular objectives, and instruction Public information dissemination and access to programs for

families contacting the Head Start program or any of the preschool programs

Definition of service areas Staff training, including opportunities for joint staff training on

topics such as academic content standards, instructional methods, curricula, and social and emotional development

Program technical assistance Provision of services to meet the needs of working parents, as

applicable Communication and parent outreach for smooth transitions to

kindergarten Provision and use of facilities, transportation, and other

program elements

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ESE/EEC Pre K-3 Partnerships

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EEC and ESE are hosting a Birth to 8 Leadership Institute Early Educator Fellowship series.

EEC is offering equal numbers of Fellowships to elementary school principals and community based early education providers.

Three leadership meetings with national experts and state leaders will be held on March 26, 2011; April 30, 2011; and June 4, 2011. Through these meetings, Fellows will focus on three areas of

timely importance to the Commonwealth: • child growth and development; • literacy, and • dual language learners.

More than topical meetings, Fellows will become part of a statewide learning community with access to national experts and state leaders.

Educators are eligible for the Fellowship if they are: An elementary school principal; A director of a program such as Head Start, center-based and out-of-

school time care programs, and family child care systems; or An early care and education professional in specialty areas such as

mental health or early intervention (for limited spots as observers).

ESE/EEC Pre K-3 Partnerships

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Leadership Institute for professionals serving children ages birth to eight in PreK-3rd grade public school and community-based settings

Total applications: 160 108 accepted and enrolled 49 rejected 3 accepted but declined

District Demographics of applicants: 52 (33%) Commissioner’s District 15 (9%) Level Four school 4 (2%) in close proximity to a Level Four School 89 (56%) no answer

Geographic Diversity of applicants: 36 (23%) Metro Boston 36 (23%) South Shore 14 (9%) Western MA 34 (21%) Central MA 40 (25%) Northeast

Sector diversity of applicants: 35 (22%) from Public School systems 62 (39%) from Community-Based programs 19 (12%) from Private Preschools 5 (4%) from Head Start 6 (3%) from Family Child Care 33 (21%) Unknown

Data as of 3.1.11

ESE/EEC Pre K-3 Partnerships

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Leadership Institute (continued)

Total Accepted Fellows: 108

District Demographics of accepted fellows: 44 (41%) Commissioner’s District applicants 14 (13%) Level Four school applicants 3 (3%)in close proximity to a Level Four School 47 (44%) Unknown

Geographic diversity of accepted fellows: 32 (30%) Metro Boston 30 (28%) South Shore 8 (7%) Western MA 14 (13%) Central MA 24 (22%) Northeast

 Sector diversity of accepted fellows: 28 (26%) from Public School systems 51 (47%) from Community-Based programs 10 (9%) from Private Preschools 5 (5%) from Head Start 5 (5%) Family Child Care 9 (8%) Unknown

SAC Goal 4 - Early Education/Higher Education Workforce Preparation Partnership

Complete development of an early education and care workforce preparation data infrastructure partnership with the Department of Higher Education and with public/private higher education institutions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

SAC Goal 4-Related Updates: IHE Mapping Phase I and II

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IHE Mapping Project: Phase I

In April 2010 EEC in collaboration with the MA Head Start Collaboration Office contracted with Oldham Innovative Research, Inc to: Create a single repository of information

for higher ed. programs that lead to certificates and degrees in ECE or elementary education;

Map current network of 2 and 4 year public and private IHEs in MA;

Create program profiles

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Phase I: Key Findings from 28 IHEs

Degree programs include: 14 associate’s, 9 bachelor’s, and 11 master’s;

15 offer a concentration in ECE and 14 have ECE related certificates;

89% offer evening coursework for non-traditional students;

11% offer courses taught in languages other than English; and

57% of two-year and 50% of four-year align courses with EEC Core Competencies

Further coordination and collaboration around the Mass Transfer Compact is needed.

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IHE Mapping Project: Phase II Once again EEC contracted with Oldham Innovative

Research, Inc. to: Review and compare required coursework at

participating colleges; Identify core set of courses in ECE; Identify inclusion of EEC Core Competencies; Create final report, fact sheets, database of

coursework, and recommendations for next steps. Intent to ease transfer between degree programs and

among IHEs for educators. Create a clear pathway for degree attainment from

certificate, to associate’s, to bachelor’s degree in ECE with minimum loss of credit from one level to the next.

Next Steps: Presentation of Findings and next steps by Erin Oldham LaChance of Oldham Innovative Research, Inc. to the EEC Board on March 8, 2011.

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SAC Goal 5 - Policy and Best Practices for Children & Families with Limited English Proficiency and/or Developmental Delays or Multiagency Involvement Development of policy and best practices and recommended

models for early education and care serving limited English proficient children and families and/or children with developmental delays or multiple system involvement.

Through three in-depth meetings EEC will support Principals and community-based providers in spending time learning together in three areas of timely importance to the Commonwealth: Child growth and development Literacy Dual language learners

SAC Goal 5-Related Updates:1. DLL Study, Development of Policies and

Guidelines and Survey2. Community Strategic Planning21

DLL Survey Results

Total Survey Respondents: 347Demographics:

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More than 10 years in ECE: 61%

Hold a college Degree (AA – MA):Some College:

CDA :

70%22%10%

Program Type: Family Child Care: 22%Group/Center based: 38%After School/Out-of-School Time: 12%Public School Preschool: 4%FCC System: 5%Head Start/ Early Head Start 9%

Professional Role: Teacher(Assistant – Lead): 30%Director: 30%Family Child Care Educator:21%FCC System Employee: 2%

Primary language not English: 20%EEC Regions Represented: All

DLL Survey Results:

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DLL Survey Results (continued) “The document effectively described the need for the

implementation of research-based policies and guidelines that foster best practices for DLLs in the early education and care programs in the Commonwealth.”

72% Agree, 12% Disagree

“Integration of these five types of research based practices will yield positive outcomes for DLLs.”

77% Agree, 10% Disagree

“The Policies and Guidelines are comprehensive and support best practices in early education and care programs.”

74% Agree, 10% Disagree

“The key questions that guided the creation of the draft document were a reasonable foundation for the development of these draft Policies and Guidelines.”

78% Agree, 7% Disagree24

DLL Survey Results (continued)

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Community Strategic Planning:

Plans to improve educational outcomes for children shifting focus from “child readiness” to working to develop policies and practices that focus on the “readiness” of schools and their leadership to receive children and maximize their opportunities for success.

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Three Areas of Focus:

1. Co-Investment Funding Partnerships Contract with the Philanthropic Sector, $50,000

2. Community Strategic Planning: Birth – 8 community initiative on child growth and development, literacy assessment and dual language learners, $20,000

3. Grants of $3-5K to participating communities for training and tool development, $25,000

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Funding Requirements: Work must be done within a birth – 8

framework Must in relationship with local communities Support/build upon CFCE work related to

transition Measurable outcomes Must support or involve 3 “Policy Levers”

for Literacy:Teacher QualityFamily EngagementEnvironment/ Community based cultural

institutions that support literacy development

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Delivery Options for Discussion and Consideration:

Testing in local communities One grant with several parts Separate grants 3 Categories of funding for which level

four communities can apply

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Goal 6 - ARRA Council Implementation Support and Accountability

Staffing support within EEC to advance the Council’s agenda and to help integrate SAC-funded priorities with the comprehensive early childhood system of early childhood services being supported by the Department’s work.

Goal 6 Related Update:

1. EEC staffing has been identified in relationship to each of the SAC Goals.

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Year One (Oct ‘10 – Sept ‘11) Budget Considerations:

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PersonnelTime in Months FTE

Annual/Grant Salary (equal) Wage Rate

State Advisory Staff Support 12 1.00 $ 78,466.33 $40.24

Fringe Benefits Fringe Payroll Tax TotalPercent 33.12% 1.91%Amount 25,988.05$ 1,498.71$ 27,486.75$

TravelPersonal Miles

Mileage (.40 Rate) Subsistence Total

Coordinator travel ACF 400 160.00$ 79.00$ $ 239.00 General Staff Travel Related to SAC 1285 $ 514.00 $ 274.59 $ 788.59

Total $ 1,027.59

Total

$ 40,000.00

$ 50,000.00

$ 60,000.00

$ 20,000.00 $ 170,000.00

Total

$ - $ 47,300.00 $ 47,300.00

Total

$ 25,000.00 Supplies Total

General Office Supplies 2,609.72$

Rate Cost

30.34% $ 77,599.50

Based roughly on the percentage of admin budget that the department spends on supplies. Then reduce further to live within budget.

Grants of $3K to $5K to participating communities for training and tool development

Grants

Needs Assessment Consulting Work (See Goal 2)Total

Indirect ChargesRate Agreed to by Comm of MA and EHS

October 1, 2010 - September 30, 2011: YEAR ONE

Early Childhood Data Consultation Support (See Goal 1)

Contracts

Open Indicator UMASS Lowell Data subscription (See Goal 1)Co-Investment Funding Partnerships Contracts with the Philanthropic Sector (see goal 3.)

Higher Education Workforce Preparation Data Partnership (See Goal 4)

Totals

Other Costs (Professional Services)

Community Strategic Planning: Birth to 8 community initiative on child growth and development, literacy assessment, and dual language learners (Sup)

Justification

To discuss today, = $95,000

A Joint EEC-ESE Initiative focused on P-3:

Proficiency on Grade 3 Statewide Literacy and Mathematics Assessments

February 2011

EEC and ESE, our unified vision is...

…Proficiency on Grade 3 Statewide Literacy and Mathematics Assessments

What We Know fromExperience and Research

Children enter school with vastly different skills. Research shows that gaps in learning exist by 18 months of age.

High quality preschool supports children to develop age appropriate skills and be ready to succeed in kindergarten.

Children’s overall healthy development is critical to learning. Social and emotional competencies as well as physical health are tied to academic success.

The support and involvement of families in their child’s education and development is necessary for successful learning.

Policies to Consider and Discuss

Universal Preschool

Mandated, Universal Full-Day Kindergarten (Offering and Attendance)

Class Size and/or Ratio Regulations in K-3

Shift in access eligibility from family income to child need/educational risk

Regulations, Governance, and

Finance

Linkages betweenEarly Education &

Care and K-12

Infrastructureto Provide

Access to HighQuality Services

Transitions

Leadershipand

ProfessionalDevelopment

Family and Community

Engagement

Inclusion

Assessment

Standards,Curriculum, and

Instruction

Cross AgencyCollaboration

on P-3

What does P-3 look like in Massachusetts?

A coordinated and collaborative state approach36

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Standards, Curriculum, and Instruction (Examples of current and future activities to

support P-3 initiative)

Standards: Roll-out the 2011 Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for

English Language Arts and Literacy and the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics

Curriculum: Align the Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences and

Kindergarten Learning Experiences with the new frameworks Integrate content areas and create interdisciplinary

curriculum Develop a birth to literacy curriculum for educatorsInstruction: Ensure developmentally appropriate practice in P-3

classrooms Provide knowledge of child development to teachers,

administrators and assistants Differentiate instruction Implement tiered systems of support Enrich learning experiences for children P-3 Focus on the whole child Use play effectively to promote learning

Child-Based and Classroom-Based Assessments (Examples of current and future activities to

support P-3 initiative)

Develop and use data systems to address P-3 issues

Implement comprehensive assessment approaches by using formative assessment, progress monitoring, and summative student data

Replicate the Chicago Study focused on Literacy/Mathematics and social-emotional competencies

Use Classroom Assessment Scoring System instrument in Head Start programs, as an option in QRIS and in some Quality Full-Day Kindergarten grant classrooms.

Implement Quality Rating and Improvement System requirements for evidence-based formative assessments in early education and care programs (infant, toddler, and preschool) and after-school and out-of-school time programs

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Inclusion (Examples of current and future activities to

support P-3 initiative)

Administer the Early Literacy Grant

Administer the Early Childhood Special Education Grants

Create opportunities for collaborative team planning between general and special education

Coordinate across program types to support children with disabilities

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Family and Community Engagement (Examples of current and future activities to

support P-3 initiative)

Administer the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grants (EEC)

Create opportunities for staff from EEC and ESE to jointly develop a family and community engagement framework

Support the work of the Wraparound Services model and School Turnaround work, including engagement of families

Conduct home visits and other non-traditional strategies (e.g., parent groups, resource rooms)

Build partnerships among families, schools, and community-based organizations

Access behavioral health services and other supports (e.g., mental health)

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Leadership & Professional Development (Examples of current and future activities to

support P-3 initiative)

Co-sponsor an Institute on Literacy and Mathematics, weaving the social-emotional and family engagement frameworks into the content

Support the CAYL Institute and Principal Leadership forums

Create a survey course for Literacy P-3 in collaboration with University of Massachusetts Boston

Link the STEM work with the professional development priorities around literacy and mathematics in early education

Support principals to develop early education and early elementary expertise

Create common planning time for school staff across and between grade levels

Support collaborative efforts between early education and care providers and the public schools (e.g., joint professional development)

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Transitions (Examples of current and future activities to

support P-3 initiative)

Support student transitions within and across grades

Create and use common transition forms between public and community-based preschool programs to share data with kindergarten teachers

Provide opportunities for preschool children to visit kindergarten classrooms and kindergarten teachers to visit children in their preschool program

Develop a common understanding about student expectations and share that understanding among birth to five providers and K-3 staff

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Infrastructure to Provide Access to High Quality Services

(Examples of current and future activities to support P-3 initiative)

Administer the PK-3 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Alignment Project

Support the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between EEC and Springfield PS to develop a P-3 infrastructure

Administer the Universal Preschool Grant

Administer the Quality Full-Day Kindergarten Grant

Create small class sizes and appropriate adult : student ratios

Alignment of schools and after-school and out-of-school time programs related to curriculum, instructional strategies, and professional development

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Potential Partners to Build P-3 Executive Office of Education Department of Higher Education and Institutions of Higher

Education EEC (Policy, Professional Development, Early Childhood

Information System) ESE (Title 1, Targeted Assistance, Special Education,

Learning Support Services, Curriculum and Instruction, English Language Acquisition, Adult and Community Education) and the regional DSACs

CAYL Institute Readiness Centers Davis Foundation United Way Resource and Referral Agencies Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership Strategies for Children Head Start Non-profit Community-based Organizations Independent Family Child Care Providers Massachusetts Elementary Principals Association Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Massachusetts Association of School Committees