Race To The TopEarly Learning

ChallengeHawaii 2011

5 Areas that Must Be Addressed1. Successful State Systems that include: demonstrated commitment

to early learning and development; rationale for reform; aligned and coordinated system; and sustainable budget.

2. High-Quality, Accountable Programs validated QRIS and access to high quality programs for children with high needs.

3. Promoting Early Learning and Development Outcomes for Children through early learning and development standards, comprehensive assessment system, screening and addressing health, behavioral and developmental needs and family engagement.

4. A Great Early Childhood Education Workforce that includes a clear ladder of knowledge and competencies and support for providers to move up that ladder.

5. Measuring Outcomes and Progress including kindergarten entry assessment and/or building an early learning data system.

How It Works: Challenge Priorities

Absolute Priority/Must Address: Building school readiness for children with high needs

Competitive Priority/Adds Points to Scoring: 1. Including all Early Learning and Development Programs in

the Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System2. Understanding the Status of Children’s Learning and

Development at Kindergarten Entry

Invitational Priority/No Points to Scoring: 1. Sustaining Program Effects in the Early Elementary Grades. 2. Invitational Priority–Encouraging Private-Sector Support.

Hawaii’s Plan Development

Update as of September 15, 2011

Hawaii’s RTTT ELC Vision

Hawaii has a comprehensive, high-quality early learning system, including choice, access, affordability, sustainability and

cultural integrity that serves all of Hawaii’s children, prenatal to age five and that lays a

foundation for lifelong success.

~ in alignment with Hawaii’s Early Learning Council

Unique to Hawaii• Cultural diversity and responsiveness

• Family and community engagement

• Linkages to ongoing initiatives – Race to the Top DOE

– Pre-plus, P-20, P-3

– Family centered medical home

– Private public partnerships

• Strong Governor support

Area 1: Successful State System

• Integrate and align resources and policies across State system

• Fiscal mapping by The Finance Project

• Establish a Department of Early Childhood ( by 2015).

2: High Quality & Accountability

• Design, pilot & implement Quality Rating Improvement System for all early learning program (various settings).

• Increase quality of high quality programs

• Increase number of children with high needs enrolled in high quality programs

3: Promoting Early Learning & Development Outcomes

• Incorporate state early learning and development standards in program, curricula and activities, training of practitioners. – Health promotion through screenings, related

referral, well child care using Family-Centered Medical Home Initiative

– Implement family engagement strategies in program standards

4: Great Early Childhood Workforce

• Workforce knowledge and competency framework that shows a progression of credentials/knowledge in early education.– Alignment with higher education institutions and other

professional development providers

• Increase number of credentialed early childhood educators; with ongoing access to professional development opportunities

• Training and supported knowledge to implement strong family engagement strategies

5: Measuring Outcomes & Progress

• Kindergarten entry assessment

• Comprehensive and shared data system (DHS, DOE, DOH)

MOU Agreements• One umbrella agreement between state

agencies– DOH, DOE, DHS, UH

– E.g. adopt and use a set of statewide early learning and development standards; statewide Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement Stystem

• One agreement specific to longitudinal data sharing amongst partners.– DOH, DOE, DHS, UH, DLIR

Letters of Support Needed

• Early Learning Council

• Keiki Funder’s Network

• Congressional Delegation

• Legislative Leaders

• Counties

• UH, DHS, DOE, DOH, GBA, PATCH, HAEYC, AAP, P-20, CBC, KS…..

Updated Proposal Timeline

Task Date Due

Workgroups share content from assigned areas of RTTT-ELCCritical Readers, Workgroups ID Legal Citations, MOU areas (Shared with AG to research Laws and Regs)

Sept. 16

Meeting with Dept. Liaisons to ID Master MOU, Longitudinal Data MOU

Sept 20

Data Tables Due to Core Team by Systems Group Sept 23

Draft 1: Ready for Workgroups for feedback/comment; also to Department Heads, Dept. Liaison and AG

Sept. 26

Draft 1: Proposal Comments/feedback returned to Core Team Sept. 28

Draft 2: Ready for Final Review by (Department Heads?), AG & critical readers

Oct. 3

Draft 2: Comments/feedback returned to Core Team; Oct. 5

Packaging of FINAL document & attachments Oct. 9

TO AG for Final Review & Signature by AG and Governor's Signature

Oct. 10

AG/Gov Return Signatures Oct.11

Mail Out (package must be in Washington DC by Oct. 19th) Oct. 12

RTT-ELC Leadership Team

• Bob Peters, ELC

• Dee Jay Mailer, ELC

• Pankaj Bhanot, DHS

• Ronn Nozoe, DOE

• Linda Johnsrud, UH

• Terry Lock, Office of the Governor

Core Team

Work Group Leaders:

• Chris Jackson and Keiko Nitta (Systems)

• Mike Fahey, Diane Young, Christina Cox (Standards)

• Kaina Bornacorsi and GG. Wesienfeld (QRIS)

• Melodie Vega and Linda Buck (Workforce)

• Tammi Chun and Karen Lee (Longitudinal Data System)

Core Team

• Nonie Toledo (Project Manager)

• David Leake (Lead Grant Writer)

• Coreen Lee (Researcher/ Communications)

• Malia Lagaso (Document/ Logistics)

• Miki Lee (Facilitator)

• Susan Yuen (Budget Technical Assistance)

• Critical readers

Funding for Core Team

• Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation

• Hawaii Community Foundation’s Omidyar Ohana Fund

• Kamehameha Schools

Good Beginnings Alliance as Fiscal Agency

More Information:

Terry LockEarly Childhood Coordinator

Office of the Governorterry.lock@hawaii.gov