“We know that waiting until the end of third grade to acquire a systematic picture of how well children are learning is a mistake. We must use early childhood assessments to drive efforts to provide enriched, engaging, and intensive learning opportunities to every child, and prevent or minimize achievement disparities right from the start.”
Council of Chief State School Officers position paper, June 2011
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Governor Patrick
Yesterday Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick released a $32.3 billion budget recommendation for fiscal year 2013 that includes $260 million in new revenues generated, in part, by taxing the sale of candy and soda, raising the cigarette tax, and expanding the bottle bill.
While the governor’s budget level funds many items related to early education and care, Patrick, in his budget message, noted that one of his “tough choices” was to limit funding of child care vouchers for children in low-income families. The governor’s budget would increase funding for full-day kindergarten grants by $3 million. The Gateway Cities Education Agenda, a $10 million initiative in the Executive Office of Education, includes a $575,000 Gateway Cities Early Literacy Programs line item, targeted to professional development for family child care providers and support for families whose children are enrolled in family child care programs.
Click here for details on early education and care items in the governor’s FY13 budget recommendations. Here are some highlights: Continue Reading »
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Photo: Alessandra Hartkopf for Strategies for Children
High-quality early education makes a difference in children’s lives. This is what the research says, again and again. Research also says that the quality of the early educator is a key determinant of the quality of a child’s early learning experience. The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care plans to recognize this connection by recognizing “exceptional educators and instructional leaders.” The department will present awards to 10 educators and instructional leaders in each of its six regions. Applications are due March 5.
Here’s what the department said in announcing the award program: Continue Reading »
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Two early education advocates – Amy O’Leary, director of our Early Education for All Campaign, and Mav Pardee, program manager of the Children’s Investment Fund – recently answered questions posed by the Barr Foundation about implementation of the Massachusetts QRIS: Quality Rating and Improvement System, launched in January 2011. Expanding QRIS is an integral part of the commonwealth’s successful application for a $50 million federal Early Learning Challenge grant.
The conversation with Stefan Lanfer, Barr’s knowledge officer, is posted on the foundation’s website. We are grateful for the Barr Foundation’s support of our work and commitment to early childhood education. The Children’s Investment Fund is also a Barr grantee.
“All the research shows that quality makes a big difference in terms of outcomes for kids,” O’Leary said. “QRIS is a way to define what quality actually means. It creates a way for programs to assess their current quality and to have a clear pathway to improve. It lets EEC know how best to target resources. Ultimately, it makes it easy for parents to know what quality looks like, and how different programs stack up.” Continue Reading »
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Photo: Kate Samp for Strategies for Children
Today we offer congratulations to the family child care providers in Massachusetts who earned accreditation or reaccreditation from the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) in the fourth quarter of 2011 – October 1 to December 31.
Kathy Modigliani, who runs the Bay State-based Family Child Care Project, remembers noticing the positive impact going through the accreditation process had on center-based teachers. Why not do something similar for family child care providers? Today NAFCC operates the only nationally recognized accreditation system established specifically for home-based family child care providers. Modigliani led its development between 1995 and 1999, when she was based at Wheelock College in Boston.
NAFCC accreditation has standards in five content areas: relationships, environment, developmental learning activities, safety and health, and professional and business practices. Continue Reading »
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“The Early Learning Challenge grant and an improving economy provide an opportunity for Massachusetts to truly lead the nation. We must invest more in all children, but particularly our youngest learners.”
Amy O’Leary, Early Education for All Campaign, Boston, January 17, 2012
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At its January meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care approved changes in Educator Provider Supports grants to better connect them with the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) and align with the Massachusetts Early Learning Plan detailed in the state’s successful application for a federal Early Learning Challenge (ELC) grant. Emily Levine, our research and policy analyst, also reports that the board discussed recommendations about the relationship between QRIS and the Universal Pre-Kindergarten grant program and about Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) services.
The meeting, the first since the state was awarded a four-year, $50 million federal ELC grant, opened with a round of congratulations, followed by a cautionary note from Secretary of Education Paul Reville about the fiscal year 2013 budget. The secretary warned that substantial cost increases could prevent the state from providing services at the FY12 level despite an increase in state revenues. Governor Deval Patrick will deliver his FY13 budget recommendation to the Legislature next week.
Here are some highlights of the meeting: Continue Reading »
Posted in Dept. of Early Education and Care, Early educators, Early Learning Challenge, Pre-kindergarten, QRIS | Leave a Comment »
Governor Patrick at yesterday's State House event (Photo: Eric Haynes/Governor's Office)
“The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.” The familiar children’s song, performed by preschoolers from Boston’s Ellis Memorial & Eldredge House, set the tone for yesterday’s event at the Massachusetts State House celebrating the federal Early Learning Challenge grant of $50 million over four years that the commonwealth was awarded last month.
From Governor Deval Patrick to Early Education and Care Commissioner Sherri Killins, speakers emphasized the collaboration that led to the successful application and the collaboration required not only to implement the grant but also to continue state efforts to build a system of high-quality early education and care. More than 150 legislators, state education leaders, early educators and early childhood advocates attended yesterday’s celebration, which was sponsored by Early Education for All, a campaign of Strategies for Children.
The federal grant is designed to supplement, not supplant, state spending on early education. In her opening remarks, EEA Campaign Director Amy O’Leary challenged policymakers to build on the momentum created by the Early Learning Challenge to increase state investments in early education. “The Early Learning Challenge grant and an improving economy provide an opportunity for Massachusetts to truly lead the nation,” O’Leary said. “We must invest more in all children, but particularly our youngest learners.”
Reporters later asked Patrick if he would recommend increased funding for early education in the fiscal year 2013 budget recommendation he will send to the Legislature next week. Continue Reading »
Posted in Dept. of Early Education and Care, Early Learning Challenge, Federal, MA governor, MA Legislature, MA state budget, Reading proficiency | Leave a Comment »
Photo: Associated Early Care and Education
Today we offer our monthly congratulations to the center- and school-based early education programs in Massachusetts that earned accreditation or reaccreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children in December.
To those who earned accreditation or reaccreditation, NAEYC offers a marketing and communications tip: Spread the word to your local newspaper or other media outlet. Accredited programs can find a news release template in their program record. It’s a great way to publicize your accomplishment and draw attention to the importance of high-quality early learning settings.
NAEYC accreditation is a widely accepted proxy for quality, Continue Reading »
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“To improve our college completion rates, we must think ‘P-16’ and improve education from preschool through higher education.”
Gaston Caperton, The College Board, Washington, D.C., July 22, 2010
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Eye on Early Education focuses on the twin goals of ensuring that Massachusetts children have access to high-quality early education and become proficient readers by the end of third grade.
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