EXECUTIVE OFFICE ON EARLY LEARNING

Pacific Theater Education CouncilDecember 4, 2013

RECENT LEGISLATION

Creation of Executive Office on Early Learning [Act 178, 2012]

Change in Kindergarten Entry Age [Act 178, 2012]

Creation of School Readiness Program [Act 169, 2013]

Constitutional Amendment Question [SB 1084, 2013]

EXECUTIVE OFFICE ON EARLY LEARNING

Established by Act 178 (signed into law by Governor Abercrombie, June 2012)

Cabinet-level authority

Charged with developing a comprehensive and integrated statewide early childhood system

HOW WE WORK: EOEL STAFF

We have a small staff of 6 people Funded through state, federal, and private funds

We each have a different responsibility within EOEL:Directing EOEL Efforts, GG WeisenfeldContract Management, Deanne GoyaHead Start Integration , Chris JacksonEOEL Office Management, Kalei KeolanuiLegislative Liaison, Wimmie Wong LuiCommunity Engager and Facilitator, Kerrie Urosevich

STRATEGIC PLAN

6 Focus Areas6 Focus Areas

The mission of EOEL is to coordinate efforts to help ensure a solid foundation for Hawaii’s young children, prenatal to age five, by working with partners, families, and communities, and aligning policies and programs in relation to health, safety, and school readiness and success.

CHANGE IN K ENTRY AGE!

Visit our website!

Effort started August 23, 2013, with a meeting with wide representation

Workgroups were formed to support: Programs currently serve 4’s [curriculum needs for serving late-borns]

DOE staff who might get asked questions Families – reminding them of change… via materials such as flyers, FAQs for various groups, and resources on websites.

KINDERGARTEN CUTOFF DATES: NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

States with a September (or before) Cutoff Date: 1975 2010

Source: Education Commission for the States, Kindergarten Entrance Ages: A 35 Year Trend Analysis(Updated May 2011)

SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM

Focus: help 4-year-olds attend preschool with supplemental state funds

Result:

$6.1 million for DHS to expand Preschool Open Doors [~900 children depending upon subsidies]

$315,000 for EOEL to: Support DHS in meeting new POD requirements Identify other program types and funding gaps for 4-year-olds Continue early childhood policy work beyond school readiness for 4-year-

olds

Constitutional Amendment - OVERVIEW

SB 1084 [January-May 2013]

Bill developed that explains the 4’s program if the Constitutional amendment passes [October-December 2013 ]

Public campaign; EOEL’s role is to explain the implications of the Constitutional amendment [December 2013-November 2014]

VOTERS decide! [November 2014]

Securing of state funding [January 2015-May 2015]

Administrative rules developed [NOW-May 2015]

Constitutional Amendment - SB 1084

Proposes an amendment to Article X, Section 1, of the Hawaii State Constitution to permit the appropriation of public funds for private early childhood education programs to help the State meet its goal of providing an early learning system for the children of Hawaii.

Bill passed by the 2013 Legislature, with two-thirds majority in both houses.

Question to appear on the November 2014 ballot:

Shall the appropriation of public funds be permitted for the support or benefit of private early childhood education programs that shall not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex or ancestry, as provided by law?

Constitutional Amendment - NEW BILL

Program delivered through several vehicles (purpose language):

Center-based, GCCH, and FCCH programs, including those run by faith-based providers as far as state and federal laws allow;

Programs on DOE school campuses; and Family-child interaction learning programs.

Participating providers required to incorporate quality indicators in their programs, such as:

Positive teacher-child interactions; Use of individual child formative assessments; Family engagement; and Alignment with the Hawaii Early Learning and Development Standards.

3RD GRADE READING SUCCESS

We often talk about the importance of 3rd grade reading scores, but why?

WHY 3RD GRADE TEST SCORES MATTER

First time we can accurately measure a child’s success and academic potential

3rd grade reading scores linked to 9th grade GPA

Students who are not reading by grade level by 3rd grade are six times more likely to drop out of high school

Fewer than 20% reading below grade level in 3rd grade go on to attend collegeSources: Lesnick, Goerge, Smithgill & Gwynn, 2010; Hernandez, 2011

HOW DO WE ACHIEVE 3RD GRADE READING SUCCESS?

Certain discrete skills we can teachSet the stage for learning

Children need to feel safe to take risks and be curious

Students need to know how to behave within a group

Wanting to readVocabulary acquisition

WHEN DO WE START TEACHING READING?

Stanford researchers have found that by 18months of age children from low-income households are already several months behind in language acquisition than toddlers from higher income households.

Source: Fernald, Marchman, Weisleder, 2013

STRATEGIES TO HELP

Individual Kindergarten Entry Assessment

DEFINITION

The Hawai`i Early Learning and Development Standards (HELDS) are a set of research-based milestones that identify expectations of knowledge and behavior for children through a chronological continuum [birth through kindergarten entry].

HELDS ORGANIZATION

Cognition and General Knowledge (GK)

Physical Well-Being, Health, and Motor Development (PHM)

Approaches to Learning (AL)Social and Emotional Development (SE)

English Language Arts and Literacy (LA)

Based on National Education Goals Panel

ALIGNED WITH ALL 3 HIDOE K STANDARDS:GLOS, COMMON CORE, HCPS III

DEVELOPMENT OF THE HELDS

Based on national research and other states’ work

Developed by local Hawaii educators & researchers [several

years]

Vetted throughout the state via focus groups [Summer 2012]

Endorsed by the Governor [Fall 2012]

HELDS

The HELDS help teachers know if development is not on track [Early Intervention]

They allow kindergarten teachers to see skills and development on a continuum

They allow early childhood teachers to see skills and development on a continuum

They allow teachers to individualize the curriculum

WHAT IS A KINDERGARTEN ENTRY ASSESSMENT (KEA)?

A systematic process for collecting data related to children around the time that they enter kindergarten

States with KEAs vary on the timeframe for data collection Just prior to kindergarten entry Within approximately the first 60 days of kindergarten entry Over the course of the kindergarten year

States vary in terms of what and how data are collected Parent surveys/reports Teacher surveys/reports Teacher observations and portfolios Direct assessment

Source: Scott-Little (2012)

COMMON PURPOSES OF KINDERGARTEN ENTRY ASSESSMENTS

To provide data on children’s experiences and characteristics that can be used to look back at the early childhood systems

Data-based approach to identify strengths and gaps in services for children before kindergarten entry

Improved use of resources to support children and families before kindergarten entry

To give kindergarten teachers a “starting point” that they can use to guide their work with the children in their classroom/an individual child

Quick assessment of where children are Tool to engage families early in their child’s transition to kindergarten

Source: Scott-Little (2012)

KEAS ARE INCREASINGLY COMMON 43 states have a KEA or have plans for a KEA

34 states described plans for a KEA in their RTT-ELC applications 9 states that did not submit a RTT-ELC application have some type of KEA

There is variability in the assessment instruments used, how data are used, and areas of children’s learning that are assessed

One commonality: the person responsible for collecting the data is typically the kindergarten teacher

Source: Bruner, & Hanus (2012); Stedron & Berger (2010); Scott-Little (2012)

HAWAII P-3 PILOT: CONSIDERATIONS

INDIVIDUAL Kindergarten Entry Assessment Align with Common Core Align with HELDS Web-based [SLDS linkages] Research-based [linked to 3rd grade reading success] Valid Inter-rater reliability Ease of use Continuum Formative assessment Currently being used in preschool settings Training/support available

TEACHING STRATEGIES GOLD

Teaching Strategies GOLD is a formative assessment

organized around 10 areas of development and learning

38 objectives

used in DE, NJ, MO, CO, WA, MA as Kindergarten Entry Assessment

web-based

aligned with Common Core

can be used for SPED

fulfills the requirement in Danielson that a teacher uses a child assessment in instruction (3D)

parent/family reports

TS GOLD IN HAWAII

Some Hawaii preschools currently use it:

HCAP Head Start PACT Head Start KCAA preschools Kama‘aina Kids

First round of training [October 2012]

Pilot [July 2013] 140 K teachers Statewide 40 elementary schools

KEA FUTURE

Growing pains DOE decision but with support from early childhood4’s plan NGA Policy AcademyGovernor’s SymposiumPosition statementPrincipal Training/New TeachersPDERI courseECE Director support

CONTACT INFORMATION

GG Weisenfeld, Ed.D.DirectorExecutive Office on Early Learning --------------------------------------Hawaii State Capitol, Room 415

Phone: 808-586-0001Cell: 808-286-6357Email: georgenne.weisenfeld@hawaii.gov