On the Radar: Early Education

Covering Early Education: Where to look for answers

This piece was originally published in January 2008.

OVERVIEW

From the campaign trails and state house floors to philanthropic boardrooms, the early education movement is gathering unprecedented momentum this year.

Thirty-six states increased funding for pre-K in 2007, up from 34 in 2006 and 30 in 2005. And state-funded pre-kindergarten received additional bipartisan financial and legislative support in FY2008 in the majority of states.

With pre-kindergarten education now considered a critical component of rehabilitating an ailing education system, how can journalists evaluate and compare early childhood programs and policies – perhaps only in their infancy or nonexistent -- in their states?
 

Two national early childhood organizations, ZERO TO THREE and Pre-K Now, released a joint report in December 2007 that looked at strategies for effectively building systems that provide high-quality programs for infants, toddlers and young children to thrive and succeed.

Funded by a formidable pack of philanthropies, including the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts, "Common Vision, Different Paths" focused on how five states - California, Illinois, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania – are building comprehensive, coordinated systems for children, prenatal to age five.

The report concluded that success in building a prenatal-to-five system, which covers programs serving children from before birth to school age, takes a combination of strong leadership; a clear, long-term vision; effective system building and quality programs; and the alignment and integration of the programs.

Representatives from ZERO TO THREE and Pre-K Now offer tips for finding information, contacts and story ideas about early childhood programs in any state.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

RESOURCES

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

• Does your state have a comprehensive prenatal–to-five system?
• Is access to pre-kindergarten or health care limited to certain areas or income brackets?
• Is there uneven quality in the programs for young children?
• What systems are in place to track the progress of programs for young children?
• What are your state’s key early childhood issues? Improving the accessibility and quality of child care? Closing the achievement gap? Improving access to Early Head Start programs? Do the issues fit the state’s broader priorities, in areas such as reducing drop-out rates or workforce development?
• How successful are the coalitions or commissions working on services for young children?  What, specifically, is working? What is not?
• Is there public support for a prenatal–to-five system, and an understanding of the potential short- and long-term impact?
• Is a national early childhood system feasible and what would it look like?

RESOURCES

• A state childcare administrator, often based in the agency that provides health and human services or a similar agency
• A Head Start state collaboration coordinator, often associated with the Department of Education or the health and human services agency
• A Department of Education’s early education specialist
• An early childhood comprehensive systems coordinator, based in the agency that administers maternal and child health
• Child advocacy organizations like Voices for Children or the Annie E. Casey Foundation’ Kids Count: organizations like these can provide state statistics, such as demographics of children and families and the percentage of children being helped by different programs.  
• A state coalition, council or commission on early childhood: these groups typically are made up of representatives from foundations, businesses, niversities, advocacy and community groups committed to building statewide networks of early care and education.
• Some states have early childhood advisory boards; others have advocacy groups, such as Blueprint Louisiana and the Prichard Committee in Kentucky.
• A business leader, public official or celebrity with an interest in children’s issues. This person could be the connection to other contacts.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS

Carolyn Cobb, founding executive director,
More at Four Pre-K Program; Office of School Readiness (North Carolina) Cobb has guided North Carolina Governor's More at Four Pre-K Program from a pilot to a statewide program. She has over 30 years of experience in education, with experience in educational reform, school improvement, and best-practices research and evaluation.

Contact: 919.785.0717; ccobb4@nc.rr.com

Libby Doggett, executive director, Pre-K Now

Pre-K Now collaborates with advocates and policymakers to lead a national movement for high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year-olds. Previously, Doggett worked for the National Head Start Association, where she directed the HeadsUp! Reading program, and the U.S. Department of Education, where she served as special assistant to the director of special education and as executive director of the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council.

Contact: 202.862.9865; ldoggett@preknow.org

Ann Kirwan, Ounce of Prevention Fund (Illinois)

Kirwan provides strategic direction and leadership to the Ounce of Prevention Fund’s policy work outside of Illinois.  She previously served as the vice president for institutional advancement and the assistant director of Kids PEPP, the Ounce’s policy and advocacy division in Illinois.

Contact: 312.922.3863; akirwan@ounceofprevention.org

Matthew Melmed, executive director, ZERO TO THREE

ZERO TO THREE is an organization that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. Prior to joining ZERO TO THREE, Melmed served for 13 years as executive director of the Connecticut Association for Human Services.

Contact: 202.638.1144; mmelmed@zerotothree.org

Sherry Novick, executive director, First 5 Association of California

The First 5 Association of California works to improve the lives of California's youngest children and their families through coordinated and inclusive implementation of the California Children and Families Act. The Act, also known as Proposition 10, was enacted in 1998 to create a comprehensive and integrated system of information and services promoting early childhood development from prenatal to age 5, as well as to support the needs of parents of young children.

Contact: 510.526.9999, Ext. 11; sherry@f5ac.org

Ramona Paul, assistant state superintendent for professional services, Oklahoma State Dept of Education

Oklahoma has been a leader in the pre-kindergarten movement and Paul has been instrumental in setting quality standards from the beginning when she was the early childhood coordinator for the Oklahoma State Department of Education. She now champions the Early Childhood programs for the State Department of Education.

Contact: 405.521.4311; ramona_paul@sde.state.ok.us

Dan Pedersen, president, Buffett Early Childhood Fund 

The Buffett Early Childhood Fund invests in young children and their families in Omaha, Nebraska, and across the country, by supporting Educare Centers in the nationwide Bounce Learning Network; through the Birth to Five Policy Alliance; and through the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation and the work of Nobel Laureate James Heckman

Contact: 402.551.0687; dp@buffettearly.org

Mike Race, spokesperson, Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning is an innovative office within both the Department of Education and the Department of Public Welfare. The structure allows Pennsylvania’s early childhood system to serve young children and their families in a comprehensive manner without creating new bureaucracies.

Contact: 717.783.9809; mrace@state.pa.us

Valisa Smith, senior program officer, Gates Foundation

The Gates Foundation works with public and private partners to provide high quality early learning opportunities, like Thrive by Five: The Washington Early Learning Fund, which supports all children and their caregivers in Washington state.

Contact: 206.709.3232; valisa.smith@gatesfoundation.org