Below are resources for early childhood professionals and those serving the early childhood community.
EDI Pilot: This fall, Erikson Institute is launching a pilot project featuring the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a tool that will help communities measure how young children are developing and ultimately advocate for more effective early childhood policies, systems and funding. Erikson has issued a request for participation to communities and school districts across Illinois to participate in the pilot, and will provide support throughout the process. Learn more about how your community can participate in the Early Development Instrument pilot project. Pilot communities will be selected through an application process ending on October 10, 2016. Find the application here.
One CO School District’s Closely Watched Experiment in Financing Full-Day Preschool. The purpose of the project is to compare the impact of the district’s new full-day preschool program to the half-day program it’s offered for years. If—as national studies suggests—the full-day offering means bigger learning gains for low-income students, administrators hope to expand the pilot into a full-blown Pay For Success project. (Chalkbeat, Sept. 12)
The National Center for Children in Poverty Releases Early Childhood State Policy Profiles. The National Center for Children in Poverty has produced early childhood profiles for each state. The profiles outline two generations of individual state policy choices for the well-being of young children concerning health, education, and family environment. Follow this link to see the national assessment as well as the profiles for Illinois and the other states.
As Kindergarten Ratchets Up Academics, Parents Feel the Stress. New research from the University of Virginia published this year confirmed the shift parents have been feeling: Kindergarten has grown far more academic, with an increasing emphasis on literacy and math and additional exposure to standardized tests in preparation for more later in their schooling. (Washington Post, Sept. 25)
Most States, Including CO, Invest Less in Kindergarten Than Other Grades, Report Says. Most states, including Colorado, don’t require school districts to offer full-day kindergarten and don’t fully fund the program even when it’s offered. In addition, about half of states, including Colorado, allow full-day kindergarten to be fewer hours per day than other elementary grades. (Chalkbeat, Sept. 27)
ExceleRate Illinois Reaches New Milestone. The OECD is pleased to report that ExceleRate® Illinois has reached an important milestone—more than 1,000 child care centers in Illinois have achieved a quality rating! As of September 1, 2016, ExceleRate enrollment stands at a total of 1,037 quality-rated programs. This is an increase of 105 percent from Illinois’ baseline at the inception of RTT-ELC. These increases are also significant from 2015 to 2016, and the OECD is thankful for the momentum generated by all the programs’ hard work.
Making Strides in Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships: Innovative Approaches to Professional Development. 2:30-3:30 p.m. EDT. Thursday, October 6, 2016; Register Online Now! This webinar will focus on the importance of professional development systems in Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP). Also, find out about an EHS-CCP team that is using innovative approaches to professional development.
This One Test Could Predict School Success Beginning In Kindergarten. Researchers said they developed the test because kindergarten is an important developmental year for children–they will face many challenges and risk falling behind if they are not successful early in the year. (eSchool News, Sept. 23)
A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry by the Yale Child Study Center found that teachers in early childcare and pre-K centers can significantly reduce aggression and other distracting behaviors that get students suspended by consulting regularly with mental health professionals. The findings also show it saves huge amounts of money compared to pushing kids into special education classes, holding them back a grade or expelling them from school.
U.S Scores Low in Access to Early Education. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released a report showing that the United States is way behind other industrialized countries when it comes to enrolling young children in early education programs. Out of 36 countries, the U.S. ranked 29 in preschool enrollment rates for its 3- and 4-year-olds, according to the study. Educators almost universally agree that those with early preschool perform better in school (Camera, U.S. News & World Report).
