Aligning the Goals of Preschool and K-12

Dr. Susan Tave ZelmanOhio Superintendent of

Public Instruction

National Governor’s AssociationGovernors Forum on Quality

PreschoolDecember 15-16, 2003

Early

Opportunities

to Develop

Young Child’s

Brain

Fourth-graders stumble on proficiency tests

Goals 2000 plan: all

children ready for school

State of the State – Ohio

Ohio Head Start expands to serve 23,000 children

Standards-Based Education in Ohio

1. Raise Expectations

2. Build Capacity

3. Focus on Results

Ohio’s Approach

• Standards• Curriculum

models• Assessments• Accountability• Teacher Quality

Closing the Achievement Gap: An Issue of Equity Access and Opportunity

• 63% of children under age five in out-of- home care (400,000 children)

• 25% of children under age five living in poverty (100,000 children)

• 6,000 licensed centers and 11,000 family child care homes

• 50,000 staff with varying levels of competence• 42% yearly staff turnover rate

Readiness and Closing the Achievement GapReadiness is the match between the readiness of the child and the environments that serve them.

(Kagan & Rigby, 2003)

Building an Early Learning System for Ohio’s Young Children

• Resources matter

• Teachers matter

• Curriculum matters

Raise Expectations: Aligned Academic Content Standards

• Early learning standards now developed for pre-K in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.

Aligned Standards: Continuum of Learning

Patterns, Functions and Algebra Standard

Pre-K – 2 Benchmark

B. Extend sequences of sounds and shapes or simple number patterns, and create and record similar patterns.

Pre-Kindergarten Indicators

Kindergarten Indicators

Grade 1 Indicators Grade 2 Indicators

•Identify, copy, extend and create simple patterns or sequences of sounds, shapes and motions in the context of daily activities and play.

•Identify, create, extend and copy sequences of sounds (such as musical notes), shapes (such as buttons, leaves or blocks), motions (such as hops or skips), and numbers from 1-10.

•Extend sequences of sounds, shapes or simple number patterns, and create and record similar patterns. Analyze and describe patterns with multiple attributes using numbers and shapes; e.g., AA, B, aa, b, AA, B, aa, b,…

•Extend simple number patterns (both repeating and growing patterns), and create similar patterns using different objects, such as using physical materials or shapes to represent numerical patterns

Raise Expectations: Aligned Assessments

• Working to identify what would be a good standardized measure to be used in all settings

• School readiness screener: Indicator of how children are doing when they enter K

• ELLCO (Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation) project: Assess child, program, and classroom environment

• K-2 diagnostics

Build Capacity of Aligned System• Professional development in

early literacy with Department of Jobs & Family Services so we can focus on language development and educare

• Develop an early childhood literacy specialists network that mirror literacy specialists at K-3 level

Build Capacity• Investment in Preschool

Teachers– Create tiered licensing

system – Require Ohio teachers in

state-funded preschool programs to have an AA degree by 2008

– Pilot the North Carolina “teach model”

Build Capacity of Aligned System

• Universal Financial Project: Rick Brandon

• Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Financing Student Success

Accountability

• Set statewide school readiness indicators for children: KIDS COUNT project

• Standardized preschool assessment in all settings

• K-2 diagnostics

BUILD-Ohio

• Building a system of early education and care.

Policy Matters• State funded ECE• Child care subsidies• Licensing and accreditation• Professional development and

compensation• ECE systems development• ECE standards and assessment• Facilities and capitol investments• Kindergarten quality

Aligned Policies

Strategic FrameworkPolicy Matters

BUILD-Ohio

Universal Financial Project

School Readiness Indicators

Challenge for Ohio

Creating the public and political will