Barbara
Bowman
Leadership
Fellows
Cohort
The Early Childhood Leadership Academy is pleased
to present the policy memos developed by the 2017
Cohort of the Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellows
Program.
Policy
Memos
SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Support
The Early Childhood Leadership Academy at Erikson Institute gratefully
acknowledges the support and generosity of The Irving B. Harris Foundation for
its support of the Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellows program.
BARBARA BOWMAN
policy adviser, and early childhood practitioner matches the characteristics of
the fellows this program aims to attract. Furthermore, her dedication to
ensuring that diversity and equity are mutually reinforced provides the
framework that supports the entire program experience.
-driven work to ensure a future in which
all children have equitable opportunities to realize their full potential through
leadership and policy influence. Special thanks to President and CEO, Geoffrey
A. Nagle for his continuous commitment to the program.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Participating Organizations
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACCESS ..........................................................................................................1
CARISA HURLEY ...................................................................................................... 1
CINDY LA ............................................................................................................... 4
FELICIA STARKS TURNER ........................................................................................... 7
SYSTEMS ALIGNMENT AND COORDINATION ................................................. 10
TIFFANY DEROCCO ................................................................................................ 10
FAKELIA GUYTON .................................................................................................. 13
MISSY CARPENTER ................................................................................................ 18
SAFIYAH JACKSON ................................................................................................. 22
CAROLYN NEWBERRY SCHWARTZ ............................................................................. 30
WORKFORCE: CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY .................................... 34
KAREN ROSS-WILLIAMS ......................................................................................... 34
NATALIE VESGA .................................................................................................... 41
WORKFORCE: SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS ........................... 46
JENNIFER ALEXANDER ............................................................................................ 46
ROSALINDA ESPINOSA-NAVA .................................................................................. 51
WORKFORCE QUALITY AND PREPARATION ................................................... 54
SONJA ANTHONY .................................................................................................. 54
ANDREW KRUGLY ................................................................................................. 60
LEAD COACHES ............................................................................................ 67
BIOS ................................................................................................................... 67
PRESENTERS ................................................................................................ 72
PROGRAM STAFF ......................................................................................... 74
CONTACT INFORMATION ............................................................................. 75
EARLY CHILDHOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY ................................................................ 75
Carisa Hurley, One Hope United 1
ACCESS
CARISA HURLEY
One Hope United
PROBLEM
The Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) is an observation
development. Illinois adopted the
developmental readiness in kindergarten given that it is a determinant for long-
term educational success.
1
The KIDS is essential to the Illinois State Board of
that states every child in Illinois deserves to attend a
school where all kindergarteners are assessed for readiness. However, the
the KIDS could potentially be limited because
kindergarten enrollment is not mandatory in Illinois. As of school year 2014-
2015, the statutory age for mandated school entry is six years old.
2
As a result, children who do not attend kindergarten may not be fully assessed
for academic readiness and achievement until third grade or two years after
mandated school entry. Third grade is high stakes since it is the first grade-level
benchmark in school accountability. Furthermore, if performance is anything
since the sensitive period for development has just closed.
3
The consequence of optional kindergarten enrollment results in a lack of
hers to identify
any support needed for their ability to meet third grade reading levels.
Furthermore, kindergarten is a core educational milestone that lays the
formalized schooling until first grade are set up for failure because they are
expected to perform on the same level as children who attended kindergarten.
1
www.isbe.net/kids
2
www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=010500050HArt%2E+26&ActID=1005&ChapterID=17&SeqS
tart=159200000&SeqEnd=161800000
3
Lauren Goyette, Illinois Should Mandate Enrollment In Kindergarten
Carisa Hurley, One Hope United 2
Research shows that children with poor reading levels in first grade rarely catch
up and continue to be struggling readers.
4
CAUSE
Illinois has taken steps to support birth to third grade alignment,
5
yet there is a
breakdown in policy because of kindergarten optional enrollment. The lack of
integration between the early childhood and K-12 systems results in conflicting
messages for families and school districts. For example, Illinois children are not
required by law to enroll in kindergarten, yet school districts are required to
minimally offer half-day kindergarten programs. Furthermore, publically-funded
preschool programs are expected to embed school readiness into their
birth to
third grade investment.
There are few school districts with mechanisms and resources to identify early
reading problems, and successful remediation is more difficult and costly at
third grade. The KIDS assessment flags early concerns and, if kindergarten
enrollment was mandatory, the KIDS would meet its full potential by ensuring
all children were assessed for readiness. Schools can develop intervention plans
earlier and offer supports instead of expending more resources on remediation
for students at third grade.
Poor reading skills have a domino effect on later learning. Struggling readers
rarely catch up and are four times more likely to drop out of high school.
student who does not complete high school costs our society an estimated
6
SOLUTION
The compulsory age for school entry should be lowered to five years old before
September 1 to ensure kindergarten participation. Lowering the compulsory age
will support the public investment in birth to third grade alignment and enhance
the state goal of every child deserving to attend a school where all
kindergarteners are assessed for readiness by ensuring that all children are
assessed prior to entering first grade. Furthermore, mandating kindergarten can
contribute to more children receiving early support and instruction to
4
Kristie Kauerz, PreK-3rd: Putting Full-Day Kindergarten in the Middle, Foundation For Child Development
Policy to Action Brief, 5 (June 2010)
5
Center for the Study of Education Policy, Illinois State University, Birth-to Third Grade Pipeline.
education.illinoisstate.edu/csep/b3/
6
files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED509795.pdf
Carisa Hurley, One Hope United 3
strengthen literacy and reading skills, thus potentially narrowing the
achievement gap.
OUTCOME
If adopted, the State of Illinois will be set up for supporting kindergarten
readiness and genuine birth to third grade alignment in the educational system
without a possible breakdown at kindergarten due to children not attending. A
utilizing the KIDS would apply to all children and level their chances of success in
reaching third-grade educational expectations.
Cindy La, Asian Human Services 4
CINDY LA
Asian Human Services
PROBLEM
High-quality child care is unaffordable for most families in Illinois, including
those firmly in the middle-class. While families with limited economic resources
qualify for a subsidy through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to offset
the cost of child care, families earning over 185 percent of the Federal Poverty
Level (FPL) (i.e. family size of two with maximum annual salary of $16,460)
cannot access subsidies for federally- and state-funded child care programs.
1
As
a result, many families experience a financial burden that may compromise the
quality of child care available for their family arrangements.
Families who are not eligible for CCAP are left to choose within limited child
care options due to affordability. Some options force families to consider
alternative employment scenarios such as reducing work hours or obtaining
lower-paid or part-time positions to have more flexibility to care for their
children. Without CCAP or regulated child care fees, a single parent earning an
hourly wage of $10 would find few regulated child care options that cost less
only comprom
education, but also diminish the likelihood of continuity of care that has been
correlated with positive cognitive development resulting in academic
achievement and strong economic returns.
2
Furthermore, without statutory protections preserving CCAP eligibility, access
for families can be limited even further. For example, on July 1, 2015, an
emergency administrative rule change enacted by Illinois Governor Bruce
Rauner strictly limited the eligibility of new participants in CCAP. As a result,
only 10 percent of otherwise eligible applicants were approved for assistance. In
just seven months, the number of Cook County families participating in CCAP
1
www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-00814
2
www.theounce.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/NPT-Continuity-of-Care-Nov-2015.pdf
Cindy La, Asian Human Services 5
decreased by almost 20,000, or by 41 percent and the number of children in
CCAP-paid care decreased by about 32,000.
3
CAUSE
The true cost of high-quality child care is expensive and wages for working
families are not sufficient. On average, infant care in a licensed center in Cook
County costs $13,560 annually, or about 20 percent of a
parents, one child under 18) income.
4
For example, a family of two making over
$30,048 annually would not qualify for CCAP and cannot afford tuition without
support thus requiring the family to obtain child care through other means to
maintain regular employment.
Child care is particularly unaffordable for minimum-wage workers. The high cost
of child care means that a full-time, full-year minimum-wage worker with one
child falls far below the family budget threshold in all 618 family budget areas
even after adjusting for higher state and city minimum wages.
Among families with young children, child care costs constitute a large share of
annual earnings for families living off one full-time, full-year minimum-wage
income. For example, to meet the demands of infant care costs for a year, a
minimum-wage worker in Hawaiithe state with the median state minimum
wage ($7.75)would have to devote his or her entire earnings from working full
time (40 hours a week) from January until September.
Annual wages total just $15,080 for a full-time, full-year worker (i.e., one who
works 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year) paid the federal minimum wage.
Even after adjusting for higher state and city minimum wages, a full-time, full-
year minimum-wage worker is paid less than is necessary for one adult to meet
his local family budget thresholdand far below what is required for an adult
with even just one child to make ends meet anywhere.
5
Furthermore, child care fees or sliding scales fluctuate and are not regulated by
law. Currently, child care centers formulate tuition fees based on center
location, operating costs, and ownership profitability, which translates into a
moving target for families in search of high-quality child care.
3
2017 Report on Child Care in Cook County, www.actforchildren.org.
4
Fact Sheet: Cost of Child Care in Cook County 2017, www.actforchildren.org.
5
Institute. www.epi.org/publication/child-care-affordability/. December 2017.
Cindy La, Asian Human Services 6
SOLUTION
The family contribution to cover the cost of child care must be regulated and
factor in the cost of living expenses in each state. It should be in alignment with
the seven percent threshold established by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services as the standard for affordable child care outlined in the report,
Additionally, include a gradual phase-in for families obtaining a wage increase
above the 185 percent FPL up to 306 percent FPL with copayment amounts not
to go above the seven percent threshold. The table below illustrates proposed
family income eligibility guidelines:
Furthermore, a 12-month eligibility period for families qualifying for Head Start
and CCAP can provide continuous quality care for children over a more
reasonable period of time versus current redetermination periods that only
cover three or six months at a time.
OUTCOME
If adopted, the aforementioned recommendations will allow working families
access to affordable, high-quality, full-day early care and education based on
expanded eligibility and streamlined processing. As a result, families will also
gain financial stability that contributes to better child outcomes. Children will
have experiences in the early years to gain positive cognitive and academic
development and achievement leading to better economic return in the future.
Felicia Starks Turner, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 7
FELICIA STARKS TURNER
Oak Park Elementary School District 97
PROBLEM
Many American families are caught in a child care dilemma. Parents cannot
afford child care; however, they need it to be able to earn a living. This dilemma
may cause parents to leave the workforce, cut back on work hours, or piece
together child care providers, which often include other family members. This
can cause economic and emotional stress for families.
This problem is exacerbated by barriers to accessing high-quality, full-day
preschool programs. Barriers include limited availability of programs and space,
access to transportation, affordable tuition, and program hours that support
working parents. Full-day preschool programs have waiting lists that cannot be
filled. In some cases, parents chose not to enroll in half-day programs because
of the logistics associated with piecing together a full day of care. As a result,
not all children enter kindergarten eager to learn and ready to succeed.
Lack of access can adversely impact kindergarten readiness for those who do
not attend a full-day, high-quality preschool thus creating the potential for
academic disadvantage compared to their peers who attended a high-quality
preschool. Children need to be stimulated every day in ways to support their
physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. Developmentally-
appropriate engagement offered on a consistent basis builds a healthy
Actively
supporting child development results in children who are:
Prepared for School
Prepared for Life
Achieve basic milestones
in intellectual, physical,
emotional, and social
development
Act curious and ready to learn
Interact well with other
children and caregivers
Higher college attendance and
graduation rates
Greater job stability and
earning potential
and lower incidence of poverty
Healthier living, both physically and
mentally
Less likely to engage in criminal behavior
Felicia Starks Turner, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 8
The benefits from participation in a high-quality preschool are especially great
for children with limited economic resources because they are less likely to be
prepared for kindergarten in areas such as early verbal and math skills as well as
social-emotional development. They are more likely to have health problems
that may impede learning. However, they experience the most significant
cognitive and social-emotional gains from participation in a high-quality
preschool.
1
The disparities in early childhood lead to an opportunity gap. According to the
Schott Foundation for Public Education, the opportunity gap is the greatest crisis
facing America's schools. It is defined by the disparity in access to quality
schools and the resources needed for all children to be academically successful.
students from
historically disadvantaged families have just a 51 percent opportunity to learn
compared to White, non-Latino students.
2
Furthermore, there are strong correlations with academic achievement when
3
High school achievement shows the
most glaring racial disparities:
While one out of 12 White students can competently read from a
specialized text (such as the science section of the newspaper), only one
out of 50 Latino students and one out of 100 African American students
are able to gain information from a specialized text.
One in 30 Latino students and one in 100 African American students can
complete multi-step, elementary-algebra problems that one out of 10
White students can complete comfortably.
Three out of 10 African American students and four of 10 Latino
students have mastered usage and computation of fractions,
percentages, and averages. Meanwhile, seven of 10 White students
have mastered these same skills.
1
American Educator (Spring 2011)
2
schottfoundation.org Opportunity Gap Talking Points (January 19, 2018)
3
Race, Class, and the Achievement Gap: The Promise of Student Potential
4
Voices for Illinois Children Policy Report: Disparities to Access to Preschool in Illinois - August 2014
5
Center on the Developing Child (2007). The Science of Early Childhood Development (InBrief). Retrieved from
www.developingchild.harvard.edu.
Felicia Starks Turner, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 9
CAUSE
The rising cost of living necessitates two incomes for many working families,
which increases the demand for full-day preschool. However, the limited supply
of full-day preschool programs decreases access to full-day preschool and
therefore contributes to the opening of an opportunity gap. The lack of full-day
preschool programs can have a lasting impact by contributing to persistent
disparities in child outcomes. The opportunity gap supports a system of
oppression, which is evident in the strong correlation with academic
achievement by race and ethnicity.
SOLUTION
More high-quality, full-day and half-day preschool programs that offer before
and after school care for children are needed in Illinois. Access to these
programs should be prioritized for families that are living at 100 percent of
federal poverty level and offer a sliding scale to parents based on their ability to
pay.
To fill seats with prioritized populations, a strong referral program with
Women, Infants, and Children Food and Nutrition Service (WIC); early childhood
programs, etc. An investment in high-quality, subsidized, full-day and full-year
early childhood programs will help ensure that children have access to safe,
stable, and high-quality learning experiences they will need to thrive and
succeed in school and life.
OUTCOME
The new status quo would be new early childhood programs that would allow
access to a high-quality full day of preschool (7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.) to
preschool-age students regardless of ability to pay and zip code. The new status
quo will have a significant impact on kindergarten readiness because it will
contribute to the elimination of the opportunity gap caused by the lack of
access to high-quality preschool experiences.
Tiffany DeRocco, United Way of Kankakee & Iroquois Counties 10
SYSTEMS ALIGNMENT AND COORDINATION
TIFFANY DEROCCO
United Way of Kankakee & Iroquois Counties
PROBLEM
Kankakee County implemented the Early Development Instrument (EDI) within
five local school districts. The results reflected high levels of child vulnerability
within the areas of social competence and emotional maturity. Specifically, the
data revealed 30 percent of children community-wide are vulnerable in social
competency, and 29 percent are vulnerable in emotional maturity.
Scientific studies indicate a strong correlation between childhood trauma and its
rapidly developing the capacity to express, cope and manage a full range of
emotions. The emotional health of young children is dependent upon the social
and emotional characteristics of the environment in which they live. When a
child experiences trauma of any type before he or she enters kindergarten, that
child has a significant chance of becoming socially and emotionally vulnerable. It
has been shown that trauma will shut down areas of the brain that would
normally control impulses of the neocortex and unaddressed trauma leads to
slower academic achievement and withdrawal from classroom participation,
which ultimately creates an opportunity gap for children
1
.
The correlation between early traumatic experiences and emotional
development and maturity has been shown to have a direct correlation to not
only health,
2
but also the potential financial future of an individual. This can
contribute to a cycle of intergenerational economic instability within a
community. Therefore, if children who are vulnerable in social competence and
emotional maturity do not receive appropriate interventions and support, it is
likely they will experience future challenges in school, society, and life.
3
The
impact is felt even more on a macro scale within the community; often
1
Bruce D. Perry. Brain Science Behind Student Trauma.
2
Center for Disease Control and Kaiser Permanente, The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study
3
Harvard University. Children’s Emotional Development Is Built into the Architecture of Their Brains.
Tiffany DeRocco, United Way of Kankakee & Iroquois Counties 11
individuals who experience trauma in the early years can face greater obstacles
completing higher education and securing a path to financial stability.
4
CAUSE
year, nearly one-third of all children attending U.S .public schools will have
significantly impaired cortical functioning due to abuse, neglect, domestic
5
As a result, significant effects on
interact with others, and to express emotions in appropriate ways.
Brain growth an
6
Center on the Developing Child, scientific evidence shows emotional
development begins early in life and that it is a critical component to the overall
brain architecture. In the first five years of life, the foundations of social
competence are developed and linked to emotional well-being, which affects a
essful relationships
throughout life. As a child develops into adulthood, it is these same social skills
that allow them to form lasting relationships, become effective parents, possess
the ability to hold a job, and, overall, become a key contributing member of
society.
7
Lastly, when trauma is not addressed early in life, it can create patterns that are
passed from generation to generation. In an article released in the Journal of
Health Disparities Research and Practice, author Michelle M. Sotero states,
physical/sexual abuse, and suicide directly traumatize offspring and are
indirectly transmitted through learned behavior perpetuating the
intergenerational cycle of trauma. Secondary and subsequent generations also
through the collective memory,
8
4
http://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/7/2693.full.pdf
5
Bruce D. Perry. Brain Science Behind Student Trauma.
6
Bruce D. Perry. Maltreatment and the Developing Child: How Early Childhood Experience Shapes Child and
Culture.
7
Harvard University. Children’s Emotional Development Is Built into the Architecture of Their Brains.
8
Sotero, Michelle, A Conceptual Model of Historical Trauma: Implications for Public Health Practice and
Research (Fall 2006). Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 93-108, Fall 2006.
Available at SSRN: ssrn.com/abstract=1350062
Tiffany DeRocco, United Way of Kankakee & Iroquois Counties 12
SOLUTION
A cross-sector approach is needed to address child trauma. Involvement would
include school districts, early childhood providers, hospitals, mental health and
social service agencies. If school districts can properly identify children who are
potentially experiencing trauma at an early age, communities are better
positioned to respond with a multidisciplinary treatment plan that can help
improve long-term health and well-being.
School districts in Kankakee County should pilot a screening tool for all children
no later than first grade.
9
Results from the screening tool can inform a plan
collectively carried out by the multidisciplinary team convened by school
districts to address the needs of identified children in support of their
development and academic performance. Implementing a universal screening
will also allow Kankakee County to better determine prevalence of child
traumatic experiences and monitor the effectiveness of interventions or point
to additional need.
In addition to the screening tool, Kankakee County school districts would
designate a lead point of contact to oversee the identification and
implementation of trauma-informed practices. This person would be trained to
assist students through the screening and referral process as well as to support
school districts through training and technical assistance on trauma and trauma-
informed practices. This could include strategies such as train the trainer, Youth
Mental Health First Aid,
10
and restorative justice practices. It is essential that the
districts are trained on trauma so as not to re-traumatize or stigmatize children
any further. Identifying a lead would allow school districts to better respond to
the complex needs of their students.
OUTCOME
Addressing trauma at an early age in our schools requires providing children
with the resources they need to thrive. Children who receive the proper
resources to address early childhood trauma have significantly increased
success rates within the educational system. Their success in the educational
the future workforce. The future of our community starts with providing the
best resources for our children today.
9
Early administration of developmental screening is ideal, but since kindergarten is not mandatory in Illinois,
first grade is the first universal point of entry.
10
www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/take-a-course/course-types/youth/
FaKelia Guyton, DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform 13
FAKELIA GUYTON
DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform
PROBLEM
Many young children are not receiving routine developmental screenings before
entering kindergarten. This may pose a risk because developmental delays or
disabilities may go undetected and this may lead children to enter school at a
disadvantage. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-
Administration for Children and Families reports that as many as one in four
children through age five are at risk for a developmental delay or disability.
Early
identification allows communities to intervene earlier, leading to more effective
and less expensive treatment during the preschool years, rather than costly
special education services later in public schools.
1
Child development screenings provide opportunities to identify developmental
development. According t
ranked fourth highest in the nation for children at moderate risk for
developmental, mental, or social delays, yet Illinois ranks twelfth in the nation
for administration of developmental screenings. Only 34.4 percent of parents
reported that their child (age 10 months to 5 years) received a developmental
screening.
2
Nationally, children living at or below the federal poverty line are more than
twice as likely to be at high risk for developmental delays compared to their
peers living at more than twice the poverty line (19 and seven percent,
respectively).
3
The High/Scope Perry Preschool study describes what is known as
the achievement gap. The gap references the disparity in academic performance
between children born into families with limited resources and who often have
multiple risk factors (which also include developmental delays) for academic
failure compared to those from more advantaged backgrounds.
4
Studies have shown that when interventions are not made before a child enters
kindergarten, the achievement gap widens between disadvantaged and
advantaged children as they move through the grade levels.
5
Research further
1
www.acf.hhs.gov/ecd/child-health-development/watch-me-thrive
2
Retrieved [08/03/16] from: www.childhealthdata.org
3
www.childtrends.org/indicators/screening-and-risk-for-developmental-delay/
4
www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/policy-priorities/apr06/num45/toc.aspx
5
www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/policy-priorities/apr06/num45/toc.aspx
FaKelia Guyton, DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform 14
indicates that attempts to address the problem after children enter
kindergarten (through tutoring, ESL classes, afterschool programs, Saturday
school, and summer school) are often too little too late.
6
-
time built into the school calendar for children who enter the public school
system unprepared to learn. Other researchers have determined that making up
time by retaining students as early as kindergarten can have negative effects on
later social development and academic achievement.
7
CAUSE
The majority of medical providers are committed to delivering high-quality care
to their patients. However, the following systemic problems contribute to poor
compliance and detection:
1. Limited training in medical school with respect to the importance and
administration of in-depth developmental screenings;
2. Time constraints of pediatric visits; and
3. Lack of knowledge in the follow-up for referrals to Early Intervention
services.
Despite the acknowledged responsibility of performing developmental
screenings and monitoring, as well as research documenting that valid and well-
standardized tools exist for the screenings, most physicians, in practice, do not
routinely administer high-quality developmental screenings, thereby frequently
under-detect developmental delays.
8
The lack of child development training for medical providers starts long before
medical school. Most students who enter medical school have backgrounds in
the sciences, with minimal training in education, child development, or
psychology.
9
In medical school, the curriculum on child development varies, and
during a 3-year pediatric residency, the minimum requirement is one month of
formal behavior and development training.
10
Parent surveys support the idea
that they do not feel like their pediatricians are aware or show concern for
developmental screenings.
6
Davison, M. L., et al. (2004). When do children fall behind? What can be done? Phi Delta Kappan, 85(10),
752761.
7
www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/policy-priorities/apr06/num45/toc.aspx
8
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1449461/
9
www.acgme.org/acWebsite/about/ab_ACGMEpolicyProceed07_05.pdf
10
www.acgme.org/acWebsite/about/ab_ACGMEpolicyProceed07_05.pdf
FaKelia Guyton, DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform 15
Many well-child visits are time limited, and shorter visits are associated with
reductions in content, quality of care, and parent satisfaction with care. Studies
of pediatric primary care suggest that time is an important limitation to the
delivery of recommended preventive services. Given the increased pace of
pediatric practice, there is an increased need to monitor the length of pediatric
visits and the association of visit length with content, family-centered care, and
parent satisfaction with care. One-third (33.6 percent) of parents reported
spending less than or about 10 minutes with the clinician at their last well-child
visit, nearly half (47.1 percent) spent 11 to 20 minutes, and one-fifth of parents
(20.3 percent) spent greater than 20 minutes.
11
Many physicians believe, often incorrectly, that follow-up services are not
available, or they are unaware of the protocols and next steps for referral. Few
physicians have the background, skills, or time to help families successfully
navigate the fragmented and confusing network of services a child might need.
In many communities, collaboration between medical practices and Early
Intervention (EI) programs needs improvement. Screening young children for
developmental delay is of limited value when families lack access to and skills to
navigate EI services.
12
This has greater implications for racial equity as there are different experiences
based on race/ethnicity. Among the tabulated categories of race and ethnicity,
Latino children are the most likely to have a high risk for developmental delays,
followed by Black children, with White children the least likely to have a high
risk. In 2011-2012, Latino and Black children were more than twice as likely as
White children to have a high risk for delays (17 and 13 percent, respectively,
compared with seven percent of White children).
13
SOLUTION
While pediatricians and family practice doctors feel pressure to pack more visits
into a day, there are examples of ways to integrate family supports within time-
limited visits. Consideration should be given to build upon the existing work of
successful models like the HealthySteps
14
program from the Zero to Three
advocacy organization currently being implemented in Advocate Good
Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.
11
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21930541
12
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1449461/
13
www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/111_Developmental-Risk-and-Screening.pdf
14
https://www.healthysteps.org/
FaKelia Guyton, DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform 16
HealthySt
but is not limited to, helping families identify, understand and manage
parenting challenges like feeding, behavior, sleep, development and adapting to
life with a young child. Illinois should consider piloting HealthySteps in
additional hospitals throughout the state and conduct a feasibility study to
explore how these practice-based intervention strategies can be adopted by
more pediatricians and family practice doctors offices.
Sharing best practices and lessons learned can influence more medical providers
to consider practical steps for implementing protocols for licensed nurse
practioners to obtain training on child development and the Early Intervention
services as well as early learning program options available to children and
families within their community.
Additionally, an independent review should be conducted to determine the gaps
in pre-service education for physicians without child development coursework.
All licensed physicians serving children ages birth to five years old should have
required child development coursework in their formal education prior to
beginning practice. Additionally, child development education should be a
required component in continuing education and professional development
standards. With increased professional development opportunities, physicians
will have more knowledge to recognize the importance of administering a
standardized tool for developmental screenings along with developmental
monitoring and the necessary follow-up for referrals to Early Intervention.
OUTCOME
There are documented financial benefits for early and proactive interventions.
Studies have shown that intervention prior to kindergarten has huge academic,
social, and economic benefits, including savings to society of $30,000 to
$100,000 per child. Although substantial, the money saved is not the only
measure of valueespecially to the 1-in-25 households with a preschool child
who lives with a disability. Late identification of developmental delays and
disabilities forces states, schools, and taxpayers to pay for expensive special
education programs for challenges that could have been mitigated, or at least
treated more effectively and at a lower cost, during the early years.
If the proposed solutions are implemented, all children in Illinois will receive
consistent and timely developmental screenings by their medical providers
because they will have been adequately educated prior to service. Medical
providers who serve young children would implement interventions within their
medical practice that will streamline processes and ensure referrals to Early
FaKelia Guyton, DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform 17
Intervention. As a logical progression, there will be an increase in children and
families making connections to Early Intervention and appropriate support
services in a more timely and efficient manner.
Consequently, the information from developmental screenings will be
review and better support families during regular doctor visits. All medical
providers serving young children will fully understand their critical role in early
identification and intervention; and thereby will implement thorough
developmental screenings and rely less upon developmental monitoring during
visits.
they also serve as an essential catalytic agent to help reduce the cost burden on
special education services in the public school system. Therefore, medical
providers play a critical role in the larger ecosystem that supports children and
result, Illinois can continue to build its reputation as a leader in early childhood
by becoming a model state where medical providers, parents, and community
stakeholders have the knowledge and close gaps in services that support all
young children and families leading to healthy growth and development that
will last a lifetime.
Missy Carpenter, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago 18
MISSY CARPENTER
United Way of Metropolitan Chicago
PROBLEM
Illinois needs a more consistent way to ensure school district leaders are actively
engaged at community collaboration tables. In response to the need for better
coordination and effectiveness of the many systems and programs that impact
young children and their families, the state of Illinois has turned to Community
Systems Development (CSD) as a key solution. This effort generally takes the
form of state support for and guidance of local place-based collaborations
-
sector stakeholders to align, coordinate, and improve their local systems for
better quality, access, and equity in early care and education. However, in many
communities, CSD work is not reaching its full potential impact because a crucial
element to success is missing the engagement of K-12 school and district
leadership. There is disagreement across community collaborations about
whether the K-12 systems play a sufficient role in the success of these efforts.
Across the field of early care and education, CSD is commonly defined as:
coordinating policies, programs, and services; creating infrastructure; and
improving integration and achieving scale, for all efforts related to the success
of children and their families. CSD improves responsiveness to the needs of
families, uses public resources more efficiently and effectively, promotes racial
equity, better prepares young people for the future, and more effectively
incorporates brain development research into best practices for care and
learning.
1
This work brings all the key stakeholders to the table to improve
programs and services in: early learning and development, mental and physical
health, and family leadership and support.
2
It shines light on the greatest needs,
and gets everyone weaving their efforts and resources together in the pursuit of
better outcomes for children. It helps eliminate redundancies, and creates more
streamlined sharing of best practices across a community.
1
www.buildinitiative.org/TheIssues/SystemsBuilding.aspx
2
Early Childhood Systems Working Group. Comprehensive Early Childhood System-Building: A Tool to Inform
Discussions on Collaborative, Cross-Sector Planning. Retrieved from:
www.buildinitiative.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/ECSWG%20Systems%20Planning%20Tool_2014.pdf
Missy Carpenter, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago 19
Focus groups conducted by Illinois Action for Children revealed that leaders of
the most effective collaborations attribute much of the sustainability of their
success to the strong role and commitment of administrators from the local
school district(s). Coincidentally, one key barrier cited by other collaborations is
lack of school district involvement.
3
The absence of voice and commitment of
the K-12 school system in a community collaboration results in missed
opportunities including data and information sharing, referral relationships,
shared professional development, and kindergarten transitions. Efforts to
improve quality, access, equity, and sustainability are undermined, especially
with respect to measurable gains made by early care and education services and
programs.
CAUSE
The birth and growth of these efforts stem from a variety of origins, with no
established, unifying foundation across the state. New funding streams, pilot
project ideas, local circumstances, and policy momentum have rooted these
efforts offering limited attempts to develop unifying frameworks, or
foundational elements, and especially none that are required.
At this time, while there is dedicated staff and technical assistance programs at
both Illinois State B
Childhood Development (OECD) to support community collaborations as they
develop, there is no consistent governance or leading body at the state to build
an aligned foundation, set of expectations, or best practices across all
community collaborations. As such, although school district leadership is central
to strong community collaborations, there is no mandate or standardized
incentive for school districts to engage in community-wide planning for early
care and education. Whether school district leadership engages in and/or leads
community collaboration efforts is left up to the chance of circumstances, or
This challenge is amplified by a lack of emphasis on community collaboration in
the job expectations and accountabilities of school and district leaders. Funding,
evaluation, and policy for the K-12 system often incentivizes principals and
superintendents to narrow their focus to the students (and their families) who
are currently attending their schools, and the instruction and building
the more complex lens of collaborating with the organizations and services that
3
Partner*Plan*Act, an Illinois Action for Children Community Systems Development Initiative. Tool Kit for
Engaging School Districts in Early Childhood Collaborations. Retrieved from:
partnerplanact.org/wp-content/School-District-Toolkit
Missy Carpenter, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago 20
impact children and families before they arrive at school, or who serve families
across the age span of the child.
Additionally, while the state has made many gains in ensuring higher quality
preparation for principals, there is still work to do in preparing K-12
administrators to partner with other systems and stakeholders, or to contribute
to community-wide efforts that make an impact on their districts. Illinois has
been recognized for innovation in policies that improve school leadership, but
community engagement remains a key area to focus on going forward.
SOLUTION
While there are various paths for building more effective community
collaborations, one promising avenue is building the capacity of school and
district leadership. This could be accomplished by incorporating a primer on
CSD, its impact on school outcomes, and tools for engaging community
collaborations
License (PEL) endorsements.
Specifically for principals, it should be embedded in the mandated continuing
education courses for maintaining an endorsement, either through the 5-year
renewal cycle or in the annual administrative academies. For superintendents,
CSD principles and implementation practices should be brought into the pre-
endorsement coursework and administrative practicum experience
would ensure that both building- and district-level administrators would
enhance their skills and knowledge, and are able to do so at a time in their
leadership tenure that is most likely to result in adoption of the concepts into
their work.
Existing resources can serve as a foundation to adapt and craft this training, as
well as embed it into existing endorsement and ongoing professional
development processes. For example, Gateways to Opportunity offers a
curriculum bundle for early childhood service providers on the basics of CSD and
its benefits. Additionally, Illinois Action for Children developed a tool kit
4
for
community collaborations to connect with schools. Both of these tools - and
others like them provide a strong foundation to direct similar learning toward
school and district leaders.
4
Partner*Plan*Act, an Illinois Action for Children Community Systems Development Initiative. Tool Kit for
Engaging School Districts in Early Childhood Collaborations. Retrieved from:
partnerplanact.org/wp-content/School-District-Toolkit
Missy Carpenter, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago 21
There is incredible opportunity to reimagine the possibilities for community
collaborations in Illinois. While Race to the Top funding recently closed out
Innovation Zone work, ISBE is ramping up a grant program to provide support to
community collaborations across the state and leadership changes at OECD
provide new energy to CSD efforts. These actions signal opportunity to reflect
on lessons learned for supporting the many built up CSD components.
lso significant is the emphasis in the
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) on training and infrastructure in the early
learning space, lending well to enhanced community collaborations, especially
as they relate to K-12 connections. Finally, the recent changes to principal
preparation requirements to include education on early childhood development
provides a model and will-builder for additional administrator education
focused on the shared interests of the early childhood and elementary school
fields.
OUTCOME
By including CSD into continuing education for principals, and into pre-
endorsement education for superintendents, the state will increase the
likelihood that children and families across Illinois will feel the full benefits of
community systems building in the following ways:
Mutual gains from early childhood to K-12, through: better
understanding of root causes of community issues; joining space,
material, and human resources; referral connections and shared
information about services; coordinated professional development; and
data sharing about demographics, enrollment, and needs.
Better coordination of services for families through aligned enrollment
and outreach efforts, shared intake processes, and connected
developmental screenings for children.
Help for school and district leaders, so they are more consistently able
to connect with and get support from other systems and services in
pursuit of the student outcomes they are accountable for.
Ultimately, these improvements will result in increased access to services,
improved quality of programs, and more equitable and consistent outcomes for
young children and their families across Illinois.
Safiyah Jackson, Robert R. McCormick Foundation 22
SAFIYAH JACKSON
Robert R. McCormick Foundation
PROBLEM
Recent policy changes in Illinois hold the promise of preparing children for
successful entry, integration, and achievement in school:
1) The Early Childhood Block Grant returned to 2009 funding levels after
receiving a $23 million restoration in FY15 and a $79 million increase in
FY16
1
;
2) Federal Race to the Top grant dollars, between 2012 and 2017,
established consensus on the definition of high-quality early childhood
programs across all early childhood providers, including preschool, head
start, and licensed child care centers and homes, while expanding the
capacity of the workforce, data systems, and community systems
2
; and
3) The implementation of a statewide tool to assess kindergarten
readiness, the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) in
school year 2017-2018 with 95 percent of enrolled kindergarteners
assessed as of December 2017.
While these are important gains for the fieldincreasing access to and quality
Illinois lacks concrete policy to foster
continuity between early learning programs and early elementary schools thus,
undermining a full return on these state investments. Kindergarten readiness
depends not only on access to high-quality preschool programs and
kindergarten entry assessments, but also on coordination and alignment
between preschool and kindergarten programs with an explicit focus on
preschool and kindergarten teacher collaboration. The concept of school
readiness is a collective endeavor that includes children’s readiness to enter
school and a school’s readiness for children
3
.
1
www.actforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/FY18-Policy-Priorities-FINAL.pdf (retrieved February 8,
2018)
2
buildinitiative.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/Work/State%20and%20Local/IllinoisRTTELCReportFINAL.pd
f (retrieved February 8, 2018)
3
Clark, P., & Zygmunt-Fillwalk. E. (2008). Ensuring school readiness through a successful transition to
kindergarten: The Indiana ready schools initiative, Childhood Education, 84:5, 287-293,
www.dx.doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2008.10523026
Safiyah Jackson, Robert R. McCormick Foundation 23
Instead of solely measuring whether a child is enrolled in preschool and has the
requisite skills for kindergarten (as identified in state board of education goals
4
),
schools and teachers need to develop appropriately-aligned expectations for
what children should know and do when transitioning from preschool to
kindergarten. The incongruence between preschool and kindergarten teacher
expectations of children at kindergarten entry has been documented over time.
A 1989 study revealed preschool teachers had higher expectations for
kindergarten entry skills than kindergarten teacherspreschool teachers rated
78 items as being very important for kindergarten entry compared to 6 items
rated as very important by kindergarten teachers. For skills at middle and end of
kindergarten, kindergarten teachers rated 47 items and then 122 items,
expectations for kindergarten exit.
5
A 2000 study of teacher beliefs about
children in a low-resource community revealed preschool teachers tend to
emphasize interpersonal over self-regulatory abilities when compared to their
kindergarten counterparts, and academic knowledge more than their
counterparts.
6
A 2003 study of teacher expectations discovered younger
teachers valued academic skills more than older teachers.
7
Another study in
2015 revealed misalignment between preschool and kindergarten teachers was
most prevalent in their beliefs about the importance of academic skills.
8
Without a state policy outlining strategies to foster alignment of teacher
expectations for children transitioning from preschool to kindergarten, there is
risk of creating instructional and experiential gaps in the classroom that would
cause the state to lose out on the full benefit of state preschool investments.
Creating a more balanced approach to school readiness policy would ensure
that schools are ready for childrena 1998 call to action by The National
Education Goals Panel.
9
4
www2.illinois.gov/sites/children/Pages/Well-Educated-Performance.aspx
5
Hains, A. H. (1989). A comparison of preschool and kindergarten teacher expectations for school readiness.
Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 4(1), 75-88. www.eric.ed.gov/?id=ED287610
6
-
readiness in a high-need community.Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 15, 537558.
www.dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2006(01)00072-2
7
Lin, H-L., La
Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 18, 225237. doi: 10.1016/S0885-2006(03)00028-0
8
Abrya, T., Lathamb, S., Bassokb, D., & LoCasale-Crouch, J. (2015).
beliefs about early school competencies: Misalignment matters for kindergarten adjustment. Early Childhood
Research Quarterly, 31, 78-88. www.dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2015.01.001
9
govinfo.library.unt.edu/negp/reports/readysch.pdf (retrieved February 8, 2018)
Safiyah Jackson, Robert R. McCormick Foundation 24
Differing beliefs between preschool and kindergarten teachers is also an equity
issue that creates the risk of widening the achievement gap. While
misalignment in teacher beliefs can negatively impact outcomes for all children,
the implications are disproportionally greater for children from
socioeconomically marginalized backgrounds.
10
These children are more
susceptible to the negative influence of teacher misalignment compared to their
more resource-rich peers.
11
Research tells us that when children develop
academic, self-regulation, and inter-personal competence they are better able
to mitigate exposure to risk factors. When homes lack the resources needed to
regularly communicate this positive message along with developmental
support, consistency across formal learning environments become even more
critical.
12
There are other studies that identify males, children with disabilities,
children from lower socioeconomic status families, and children from racial or
ethnic groups as subgroups with higher risk factors for experiencing transition
difficulties.
13
Each of these subgroups are plagued with false narratives about
their background and lack positive messages about their academic potential. It
is the responsibility of state education systems to ensure teacher expectations
are aligned in healthy understandings of vulnerable subgroups.
Other states (i.e. West Virginia, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington) have
advanced policies to foster greater coordination between preschool and
kindergarten systems to ease transition and maximize child outcomes.
14
Illinois
is just beginning to address system alignment in this way with the passage of IL -
HJR24 in 2017. The resolution requires the P-20 Council, in collaboration with
the Early Learning Council, to establish an advisory committee to review best
practices for facilitating effective kindergarten transition and to draft a report
for the General Assembly, Governor and Illinois State Board of Education with
recommendations to enhance the kindergarten transition experience for
children, families, and educators. Given the formation of this committee, there
is a viable avenue to advance the opportunity for greater alignment of teacher
beliefs and expectations.
10
See Abrya (2015)
11
See Abrya (2015)
12
See Abrya (2015)
13
Quarterly, 21, 468 473. www.dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0084133
14
na-production.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Connecting-the-Steps.pdf
Safiyah Jackson, Robert R. McCormick Foundation 25
CAUSE
Preschool and kindergarten governance and systems of support represent
significantly different professional worlds. Kindergarten programs are solely
governed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), while preschool
programs are administered by multiple state and federal agencies including
ISBE, Illinois Department of Human Services, Head Start and their grantee
agencies. Compared to the single governance of kindergarten programs,
preschool programs span a large range of funding streams, settings, quality
goals and resulting outcomes for children and families.
There are also significant differences in teacher qualifications and training
requirements, when comparing kindergarten to preschools, that foster
differences in pedagogical practices, academic and social expectations, and
classroom environments. These differences encourage a range of ideas about
kindergarten readinessthe competencies children need to be successful, and
related practice. Teacher background, qualifications and training influences
their personal theories and beliefs about what children should know and do in
preschool and kindergarten and, in turn, this influences their instructional
decisions and assessment practices.
15
The sweeping differences among preschool programs creates a fractured
environment that makes alignment of teacher expectation difficult. Equally, the
disparate systems and global differences between preschool and kindergarten
programs further complicate efforts to foster alignment and continuity for
children. Taken together, there are structural and systemic barriers to ensuring
schools are ready for children. These operational differences contribute to
preschool and kindergarten teachers forming misaligned beliefs and
expectations of children, resulting in misaligned learning environments and
instructional practices. Many children and families are vulnerable to the
discontinuity, when in fact, continuity of care is proven to ensure maximum
success when transitioning into kindergarten.
16
The absence of a single governance structure, that aligns preschool and
kindergarten systems, creates a fractured system of relationships with limited
opportunities for partnership. The system of relationships among early
childhood programs and early elementary programs is a critical predictor of
15
Ross, E. W., Cornett, J. W., McCutcheon, G. (1992). Teacher Personal Theorizing: Connecting Curriculum
Practice, Theory and Research. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
16
Love, J. M., Logue, M. E., Trudeau, J. V., & Thayer, K. (1992). Transitions to kindergarten in American schools:
final report of the national transition study. Hampton, NH:RMC Research Corporation.
Safiyah Jackson, Robert R. McCormick Foundation 26
successful transitions.
17
When teachers are isolated with little to no interaction,
across home-based, community-based, and school-based environments,
misaligned expectations and practices form. The lack of physical or relational
proximity between preschool and kindergarten teachers, and their leaders,
limits opportunities for collaboration required to foster aligned and shared
perspectives.
18
Preschool programs often do not track where students attend kindergarten and
vice versa. Without a formal, standardized process for collecting these data,
preschool and kindergarten teachers and school leaders lack the information to
create meaningful collaborations that foster alignment. Preschool teachers are
often unaware of where their students are going and kindergarten teachers are
often unaware of the type of preschool program (if a program at all) students
are coming from. Unlike the high school to college transition, where high
schools track college admission for graduating students and college applications
collect information on feeder high schools, the preschool to kindergarten
transition lack similar data collection.
SOLUTION
New kindergarten transition policy in Illinois must consider the importance of
aligning developmental and pedagogical expectations among preschool and
kindergarten teachers and their school leaders. Greater alignment in teacher
expectations encourages seamless transitions between preschool and
kindergarten for students; and seamless transitions foster enhanced academic,
social, and behavioral adjustments during early elementary.
19
Explicit policy is
needed to foster physical and relational proximity that facilitates formal
teacher-school collaborationspreschool and kindergarten personnel need
time and space to intentionally build key relationships.
Successful transitions are multi-faceted and require communication and
engagement among teachers across schools. Therefore, policy solutions aimed
at fostering alignment are best implemented within the local context of schools
and communities were children and families are transitioning. However, state-
level policy can play an important role in creating the context for collaboration
17
Krakouer, J., Mitchell, P., Trevitt, J. & Kochanoff, A. (2017). Early years transitions: Supporting children and
families at risk of experiencing vulnerability. Rapid literature review. East Melbourne, Australia: Department of
Education and Training. Retrieved from
www.education.vic.gov.au/about/research/Pages/transitionresearch.aspx
18
www.educationnext.org/schoolhouse-network-how-school-buildings-affect-teacher-collaboration/
(retrieved January 20, 2018)
19
Lloyd, J. W., Steinberg, D., & Wilhelm-Chapin, M. K. (1999). Research on transition to kindergarten. In R. C.
Pianta, & M. Cox (Eds.), The Transition to Kindergarten (pp.305316). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Safiyah Jackson, Robert R. McCormick Foundation 27
by removing barriers and incentivizing effective practices. The broad preschool-
to-kindergarten policy solutions below align with those advanced by New
America
20
; and include new recommendations specific to the Illinois State Board
of Education and Department of Human Services. Implementing these policy
solutions in a sequential order will result in increased alignment of preschool
and kindergarten teacher expectations in Illinois:
1. Provide guidance to assist in local planning and transition activities
a. Amend Illinois State Board of Education Administrative Code
Part 375 (student records) to include a new section entitled
Similar to
language in the new section will offer guidance on using
previous school or care environment and parent permission for
feeder and receiving schools to share student records.
Additional guidance will encourage specific types of student
records and data to be shared along with defined timeframes
for sharing.
2. Use Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirements and funds to
support transition activities
a. Allocate a portion of ESSA resources to support districts in
implementing new data collection and analysis tools related to
new kindergarten enrollment forms and new student records
data.
b. Amend Illinois State Board of Education Administrative Code
Part 100 (Requirements for Accounting, Budgeting, Financial
Reporting, and Auditing) to include a new classification category
for funds used to support transitions across developmental
stagesincluding resources dedicated to incoming
kindergarteners and incoming high school students.
c. Use ESSA site-based expenditure guidance to encourage
reporting of school funds dedicated to supporting children
transitioning into kindergarten.
20
www.newamerica.org/education-policy/policy-papers/connecting-steps/ (retrieved July 15, 2017)
Safiyah Jackson, Robert R. McCormick Foundation 28
3. Bring directors and principals (and respective teachers) together to
improve alignment
a. Issue collective guidance from the Department of Children and
Family Services and the Illinois State Board of Education
regarding the need for preschool and kindergarten teachers to
have protected time dedicated to forming learning communities
that minimally focus on aligning expectations of children at
kindergarten entry. The Illinois State Board of Education will
make tools and models available to support data-driven,
preschool-kindergarten learning communities.
b. Amend Department of Children and Family Services licensing
standards (Subpart D: Staffing and Subpart E: Program
Requirements) to require child care staff to participate in
with required minimum clock hours dedicated to these
collaboration activities.
c. Amend Illinois State Board of Education Administrative Code to
require districts to document how kindergarten programs will
coordinate and collaborate with a group of feeder preschools,
including home- and center-based. Feeder-receiver school
collaborations will be determined by analyzing data from the
newly required fields on the kindergarten enrollment forms. A
copy of district plans as well as specific agreements between
individual elementary schools and their home- and center-
based program partners shall be on file with the district.
Qualifying agreements will be eligible for Title I, II, III, or VI
funds, pursuant to their respective purposes.
OUTCOME
Implementing these state and district policies will produce positive outcomes at
the state-, district-, school- and child-level. Individually and collectively, these
policies promote optimal transitions between preschool and kindergarten
increased alignment through improved data collection and usage, formal
collaborations, and protected time to exchange knowledge. More specifically,
appropriations that ease and enhance preschool-to-kindergarten
Safiyah Jackson, Robert R. McCormick Foundation 29
administrative policies that foster enhanced communication between
preschool programs and elementary schools promote higher quality
learning environments in both settings; and
alignment policies that bring preschool and kindergarten teachers (and
school leaders) together to explore their expectations of children and
instructional practices result in seamless transitions for children and
families.
Data collected through the kindergarten enrollment process will inform
elementary schools on feeder trends and patterns. With these data, elementary
schools can initiate formal partnerships and plans for collaborations, such as
peer learning teams, that lead to increased alignment of teacher expectations
and practices.
Increased and regular collaboration among preschool and kindergarten
programs will narrow the broad range of teacher beliefs about the idea of
kindergarten readinesswhat children need and how to match teaching to
support readiness skills. Furthermore, with parental consent, collaborations can
also focus on supporting individual children. Through collaboration and data-
driven learning communities, preschool and kindergarten teachers within a
district area can negotiate their expectations for developmentally appropriate
and challenging experiences for future transitions that cross fragmented
governance structures.
Building a system that supports teacher relationships across learning contexts
consequently, children develop the capabilities needed for success in
kindergarten and beyond.
Carolyn Newberry Schwartz, Collaboration for Early Childhood 30
CAROLYN NEWBERRY SCHWARTZ
Collaboration for Early Childhood
PROBLEM
The State of Illinois, local community early childhood systems, and service
providers are working to align and coordinate service design and delivery in
order to maximize services to infants and toddlers confronting risks such as
developmental delays and disabilities, poverty, homelessness, child
maltreatment and prenatal drug exposure among others. However, current
state contracting processes miss opportunities to create a coherent interface
between these programs as children, who are eligible for Women Infant Child
Nutrition Program (WIC) or referred for assessment through Child Family
Connections Agencies (CFCs) in the Early Intervention Program (EI), may also
meet the criteria for services by home visiting programs.
WIC and CFCs are important gateway programs for children from ages birth to
three to access home visiting programs, yet families with eligible children are
often unaware of home visiting programs or encounter barriers when accessing
services. Agencies that hold WIC and CFC contracts are inconsistent with
informing eligible families about the programs and coordinating referrals. As a
result, agencies offering home visiting programs expend significant staff time on
outreach and enrollment, some have trouble filling caseloads, and others enroll
children with lower risks in order to achieve caseload capacity.
In addition, the current status quo may result in loss of funding and a mistaken
conclusion that eligible families do not need these programs. This exacerbates
the problem of ensuring adequate funding levels to provide equitable access to
important early care and learning programs for children from families with
limited economic resources and children with developmental delays.
WIC programs and CFCs can play a powerful role in enabling families to access
additional services aimed at ensuring that parents receive support in their
parenting role. Agencies delivering home visiting services or coordinated intake
services report mixed success in establishing strong referral mechanisms with
WIC providers and CFCs.
Home visiting and coordinated intake agencies have set up recruitment tables at
WIC offices or successfully set up a referral system with individual WIC program
managers. These efforts meet with varied success because some WIC offices
serve multiple municipalities and the home visiting agencies have no way of
Carolyn Newberry Schwartz, Collaboration for Early Childhood 31
knowing whether families from their catchment area will be at WIC offices on
any given day. Other arrangements are personality dependent. The ability to
establish warm referral systems depends on the individual program manager or
WIC contract holder.
Additionally, CFCs can play a critical role in connecting children with
developmental delays especially those with delays that miss the 30 percent
threshold required for eligibility of Illinois Early intervention (EI) services. These
children are intended beneficiaries of home visiting, but they are often left out
due to the lack of a coherent and consistent referral approach between CFCs
and home visiting program.
These dynamics illustrate the ways in which the synapses between state
agencies, state subcontractors and local service providers are weak and often
nonexistent, resulting in vulnerable children and their families falling through
the cracks of services. Programs designed to support children and their families
are fragmented, resulting in incoherence between programs that benefit very
young children and their families.
The result of these lost opportunities is that families do not access programs
that help parents understand an
Parents miss the opportunity to gain partners in their parenting role, hone
development, and gain connections to other supports that will enable them to
improve their personal and family life. Children are less likely to meet the
statewide goal of entering kindergarten eager to learn and ready to succeed.
CAUSE
WIC and EI are gateway programs because they are in a unique position to help
weave a strong web of early childhood supports and services across Illinois by
ensuring that the vulnerable children and families they serve do not fall through
the cracks of programs, services, and data systems. This opportunity is lost
because the state contract does not articulate their work in a gateway
framework.
Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) can facilitate this connection by
integrating a requirement to establish referral protocols into the contracting
process with agencies providing WIC and CFC services. Without referral
protocols embedded in contracts, the full potential of programs like WIC and EI
is limited with respect to helping ensure that eligible children, especially those
whose families may be hard to engage or find, access high-value programs.
Carolyn Newberry Schwartz, Collaboration for Early Childhood 32
WIC agencies have sometimes offered a reflexive response stating that
confidentiality laws prevent them from engaging in referral processes with
home visiting coordinated intake agencies and individual services providers.
They cited the need for legal agreements and the appropriate accompanying
forms to ensure compliance with confidentiality laws and that they do not have
the capacity or resources to develop these agreements and forms.
WIC and EI staff also state that they lack sufficient understanding about home
visiting programs and do not know how to encourage families to participate.
Furthermore, WIC staff indicate that they lack the time to share information
with families at the registration appointment.
One CFC shared that they are not involved with families after assessments
conclude that a child is not eligible for EI but does demonstrate a developmental
delay (i.e., does not meet the 30 percent threshold). The task for meeting with
those families falls to contracted consultants who are not required to follow a
SOLUTION
IDHS should have contractual requirements for WIC providers and CFCs to
establish data sharing arrangements and referral protocols with home visiting
programs and or coordinated intake agencies. Referring families will become
part of the performance requirements for WIC providers and CFCs. Part C
referral provisions in the 2003 reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention
and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and in the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) provides a precedent for how this type of
requirement can open the door to a powerful partnership with great potential
benefits for children under age three. Enacting similar performance
requirements for CFCs and WIC will raise the value placed on referring families
to home visiting programs and mitigate the differential access to supports for
children based on individual provider or agency resourcefulness to connect
families and children to important programs.
IDHS legal counsel should develop the data sharing agreementsincluding
referral forms needed to support strong referrals between WIC, EI and home
visiting agencies to ensure uniformity and legality of arrangements. IDHS should
train program managers on the new requirements, the data sharing agreements
and the use of referral forms in order to ensure their capacity to guide and
support the contracting agencies and ensure consistency in implementation.
Carolyn Newberry Schwartz, Collaboration for Early Childhood 33
These steps will mitigate any concerns the state and contracting agencies will
have around adequately protecting child and family personal information.
Home visiting and/or coordinated intake programs will provide training for WIC
and EI staff on the logic model, program components, research and evidence
underlying home visiting programs along with simple scripts to ensure their
knowledge of and confidence in talking about the program when encouraging
families to consider enrolling.
The Early Learning Council is a natural group for advocacy and oversight of this
process. Additionally, as the convener for the multiple departments in the state
for Early Childhood Development can play an important role in facilitating cross-
departmental problem-solving and implementation around these strategies.
OUTCOME
Implementation of the recommendations will result in the following:
A reduction in home visiting slot vacancies;
Administrative changes that reduce fragmentation between programs;
Engendering a dialogue for collaborative problem-solving among state
agencies and between those agencies and their subcontractors; and
Fostering a collaborative effort among WIC, EI and home visiting and
coordinated intake agencies to reach -to-
As it becomes routine practice, additional strategies may become more
apparent for aligning and integrating services to increase access to vital
programs for children, which translates into an even stronger web of support.
The end result of the successful implementation of this recommendation will be
that home visiting programs are fully enrolled with lengthy waiting lists and that
children with the greatest needs are receiving services. Parents are less taxed in
Preschool and elementary schools should report that children are arriving at
their doors developmentally on-track, and parents are better equipped to
makers will increase their understanding of the efficacy of the programs and will
commit to fully funding them to meet the needs of all children who are eligible.
Karen Ross-Williams, Christopher House 34
WORKFORCE: CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC
DIVERSITY
KAREN ROSS-WILLIAMS
Christopher House
PROBLEM
For several decades, the early childhood education workforce has experienced
an increasingly widening disparity between the racial, ethnic and linguistic
backgrounds of teachers and the children in their classrooms. The National
increase in classroom diversity, the demographics of the teachers in U.S.
decades, creating a cultural
1
This imbalance reflects the
historical shortage of diverse teacher candidates entering the pipeline.
Moreover, the diversity of children and families served in early childhood
programs has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. There has been
notable growth of both immigrants and non-English speaking families entering
early childhood education programs, and this trend is expected to continue.
Projected student growth from 2005 through 2020 will largely come from the
children of immigrants.
2
Nationally, African American and Latino students make
up 40.7 percent of the public-school population. Although many school
populations both urban and rural are increasingly made up of Black and
Latino students, over 40 percent of public schools lack a single teacher of color.
Many urban and high-poverty schools are predominately staffed with White
teachers while teachers of color are disproportionately absent from the teacher
1
NAIS - Bridging the Cultural Gap Between
Teachers and Students, National Association of Independent Schools, 2007,
www.nais.org/magazine/independent-teacher/fall-2007/bridging-the-cultural-gap-between-teachers-and-
stu/.
2
Fry R.(2008)
Karen Ross-Williams, Christopher House 35
workforce. Furthermore, the 2016 Early Childhood Workforce Index published
by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment found that 63 percent of
center-based teaching staff in the early childhood workforce are White, with
only 17 percent and 5 percent representing African Americans and Latinos,
respectively.
3
Research supports that a lack of teachers of color has adverse effects on the
establishment of cultural links between home and school, the expectations of
students of color, the creation of inclusive environments, and turnover rates in
hard-to-staff schools. Furthermore, the Yale Child Study Center found that
preschool teachers show signs of implicit bias when administering discipline and
concluded that the race of the teacher plays a large role in the outcome.
4
This
may account for the higher expulsion rates of Latino and African American
preschoolers with nearly three preschoolers expelled for every 1,000 enrolled.
5
pre-school to prison pipeline, Illinois
Governor Bruce Rauner signed Public Act 100-0105 that protects all children
from expulsion in publicly-funded early childhood programs.
6
High-quality early childhood education programs can lead to significant
successes for children of color. However, as children in early childhood
programs increasingly reflect diverse backgrounds,
7
it is essential for the
teaching workforce to also reflect diversity, affirmatively respond to their
cultural and racial identities, and provide a well-rounded and inclusive
education. Preliminary findings from the 2017 Illinois Early Childhood Workforce
Hiring Survey highlight that the most difficult position to hire is a lead teacher
who is licensed by the Illinois Board of Education (ISBE) with an endorsement in
early childhood education.
8
The inability to retain highly effective teachers of
color, like all teachers, is also a challenge for many early childhood programs.
linguistically diverse workforce, especially in light of increasing qualifications, as
well as reducing stratification by race and language among lead teachers and
3
Berkely.edu.
4
YaleNews, 2
Feb. 2018, news.yale.edu/2016/09/27/implicit-bias-may-explain-high-preschool-expulsion-rates-black-
children.
5
WGN, 14 Aug. 2017,
wgntv.com/2017/08/14/rauner-signs-bill-to-prevent-preschool-expulsion/.
6
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership,
mccormickcenter.nl.edu/illinois-enacts-protection-from-preschool-expulsion/.
7
Care and Education in the United States Early Childhood Research and Practice, 2002,
ecrp.uiuc.edu/v4n1/saluja.html.
8
Illinois Early Childhood Workforce Hiring Survey 2017
Karen Ross-Williams, Christopher House 36
9
It has been found that, for children
younger than five, having teachers who speak their home language is a critical
component in promoting their school readiness.
One study concluded that students of color perform better with teachers of
color
10
because culturally and linguistically diverse teachers tend to have higher
expectations for students of color. A 2016 study conducted by John Hopkins
University found that White teacherswho constitute 82 percent of the
professionare less likely to expect academic success with Black students and
this was especially the case with Black boys.
11
The presence of a workforce that
is not diverse can have long-term effects on students of color. According to a
student has both a black and nonblack teacher, it is the black teacher who tends
to hav
12
The lack
of diversity among teachers in addition to differing interpretations of student
ability and behavior can provide an explanation as to why students of color have
suspension and expulsion rates which are disproportionate at every level of
schooling. This increases the risk of academic disengagement and the likelihood
student are highly indicative of the
13
Such expectations and mindsets may
not be intentional, but the long-term effects on students cannot be ignored.
CAUSE
The shortage of teachers of color in increasingly diverse early education
classrooms cannot be linked to a single cause as there are many complex factors
and entities that have contributed to the inception and augmentation of the
problem. Some examples include limited interest in pursuing a teaching career
or fewer candidates of color with the skills and qualifications to enter the field.
9
Education and in Grades K- Berkely.edu.
10
The Edvocate, 14 June 2016,
www.theedadvocate.org/3-reasons-our-classrooms-benefit-from-minority-teachers/.
11
tations for Students of Color Found to Affect Students'
Education Week - Teaching Now, 21 June 2017,
blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2017/05/teacher_expectations_black_students.html.
12
of Color and a More Selective Teaching
Center for American Progress, 14 Sept. 2017, www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-
12/reports/2017/09/14/437667/america-needs-teachers-color-selective-teaching-profession/.
13
Partelow et al.
Karen Ross-Williams, Christopher House 37
The root cause of limited skills and qualifications can be attributed to the K-12
education system that fails children of color who may eventually pursue a
teaching degree. There are well-documented achievement gaps for students of
color that start as early as kindergarten entry. In their book, Inequality at the
Starting Gate: Social Background Differences in Achievement as Children Begin
School, authors Valeria Lee and David Burkam drew a number of conclusions
res as they
percent lower than white students and 21 percent lower for Blacks.
14
Many
students of color are at a disadvantage for securing academic success later in
life as this gap becomes increasingly harder to close while children matriculate
through the school system. According to the Center for American Progress, a
major consequence is that fewer people of color attend and complete college
compared to their White peers.
15
In the same way, the fairness of teacher licensure exams has become a growing
issue as there have been signs of suspected racial biases in the creation of these
exams.
16
According to research collected by the Center for American Progress,
are members of communities of color score lower on
imperative to take note that these exams can be a hindrance to students of
color seeking to become educators. In addition to racial achievement gaps in the
educational system and suspected bias on licensure exams, the role of the
government or the lack thereof has contributed to an increasing disparity of
teachers of color in early childhood classrooms. Only a few states have created
rigorous programs to increase diversity in teaching professionals.
17
SOLUTION
A system must be developed that creates educator pathways to ensure that
people of color and those with diverse language backgrounds can begin to
reflect the diversity of the young child population. Addressing these disparities
requires a comprehensive response that includes attention to socioeconomic,
14
Lee, Valerie E., and David T. Burkam. Inequality at the Starting Gate: Social Background Differences in
Achievement as Children Begin School. Economic Policy Institute, 2002.
15
Center for American Progress, 4 May 2014,
www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/reports/2014/05/04/88962/teacher-diversity-revisited/.
16
The New York Times, The New York
Times, 17 June 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/06/18/nyregion/with-tougher-teacher-licensing-exams-a-
question-of-racial-discrimination.html?mcubz=0.
17
Karen Ross-Williams, Christopher House 38
ethnic, cultural, and language inequities. Closing these gaps is fundamental to
the success of each child and can be accomplished through the following:
Increase government oversight of and improve accountability for
teacher preparation programs. This would ensure that teachers of color
emerge from teacher preparation programs with the skills to be
effective teachers with the abilities and practices needed to provide
high-quality education.
Reduce the costs accumulated from pursuing a teaching career. This can
be achieved through the creation of more avenues by which potential
educators of color can enter the field and by augmenting the number of
qualified credential organizations.
Create statewide initiatives that would fund teacher preparation
programs specifically designed to recruit qualified and diverse
candidates.
Collaborate with junior colleges and high schools to target juniors and
seniors interested in pursuing a career in teaching. Collaboration efforts
should result in provisions for incentivized and increased post-
secondary educational and financial support for diverse students who
are studying to become tea
the teaching profession in high school through leveraging existing
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Career Fairs, as well as promoting
education pathways programs in high schools, Illinois could maximize
the number of students entering college with a strong interest in
18
Some Illinois school
districts have education pathway programs that can be used to model
the aforementioned career exploration statewide. Through such
programs, high school students have the opportunity to earn dual
credit, are exposed to education as a content area and are offered
classes in child development and education. As a part of these
education pathways programs, partnerships are created with local
universities. For instance, Rockford Public Schools has partnered with
Rockford University which, as an incentive, offers reduced tuition to
students who have completed the program and wish to pursue a degree
in education. Career exploration and workforce readiness of this sort
18
-Quality Teacher Workforce in the
State of Illi Illinois.gov.
Karen Ross-Williams, Christopher House 39
could be easily embedded within a variety of initiatives within the
state.
19
Provide support for culturally and linguistically diverse teachers to
strengthen retention, especially of those who teach in more challenging
schools. Retention strategies can include induction and mentoring
programs, venues by which their opinions and ideas can be openly
expressed and heard, and the creation of more intentional career
ladders and varied roles for diverse teachers.
There is growing evidence that a representative teaching workforce has
auspicious potential to help students of color reach greater levels of success.
The presence of diverse teachers enhances academic outcomes and bolsters the
likelihood of eventual college matriculation.
influence instructional context, such as through the development of culturally
relevant curricula and pedagogy and by introducing a topic from a perspective
20
A racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse
teaching workforce provides students with multiple perspectives that allows
them to gain a greater understanding of the world around them.
OUTCOME
While it is true that a diverse teacher workforce poses a variety of benefits for
diverse students, teachers alone cannot single-handedly close the achievement
gap.
21
Effective and intentional strategies such as those previously listed can
contribute to an increase in the number of diverse teachers in the early
childhood education workforce. Documented academic benefits occur when
students and teachers share the same race or ethnicity. In certain instances,
for their students. Specifically, one study found significant positive effects when
Black and White students were taught by race-congruent teachers. The research
also found that the performance levels of lower-performing Black and White
students benefited from being assigned to teachers of their own race.
22
19
-Quality Teacher Workforce in the
20
Brookings,
Brookings, 15 Aug. 2017, www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2016/08/19/the-many-ways-
teacher-diversity-may-benefit-students/.
21
Villegas, Anna Maria, et al.
Elusive Goa Montclair State University, doi: 10.1080/10665684.2012.656541.
22
Brookings,
Brookings, 15 Aug. 2017, www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2016/08/19/the-many-ways-
teacher-diversity-may-benefit-students/.
Karen Ross-Williams, Christopher House 40
When more qualified teachers look like and represent the same racial, ethnic,
and linguistic backgrounds as the children in their classrooms, all students, and
students of color in particular, stand to benefit from having these adult role
models. This could lead to overall better academic preparation, more positive
perceptions of the teaching field and interest in pursuing a teaching career, or,
minimally, a college degree. This will prepare the foundation for a strong,
homegrown mentoring program for future teachers, which will improve the
diversity of the pipeline.
Natalie Vesga, Latino Policy Forum 41
NATALIE VESGA
Latino Policy Forum
PROBLEM
There is a shortage of bilingual educators across early childhood education (ECE)
programs in Illinois. Educators without the capacity to provide linguistically and
culturally responsive learning environments undermine the s
ensure equitable quality services to immigrant families and their children. Due
to various early learning stakeholders having noticed the shortage of bilingual
teachers,
1
tate priority to
increase the number of bilingual educators.
State-funded Preschool For All programs require lead teachers to minimally
have a Professional Educator License (PEL) with the ECE endorsement.
2
For
those who serve Dual Language Learners (DLLs), the licensed teacher must also
be endorsed in English as a Second Language (ESL) or bilingual education
depending on the concentration of DLLs in an attendance center.
3
In both
school- and community-based preschool programs, there is a need for bilingual
staff with an ECE endorsement to not only meet funding requirements, but also
to meet the needs of an ever-growing, linguistically diverse population of young
learners. Consequently, finding professionals with this level of education is a
great challenge for the field.
4
CAUSE
The shortage of a bilingual early childhood workforce is broad and complex.
However, one key barrier falls under requisites for entry into teacher
preparation programs. Current policy for entering a teacher preparation
program includes passing one of the following standardized tests sanctioned by
the state: Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP), Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), or
American College Test (ACT). Independent analysis conducted by the Latino
1
.pdf
2
3
www.isbe.net/Documents/el-rules-regs-pres1508.pdf
4
tics.ucsc.edu/undergraduate/chicago%20style%20guide.pdf
Natalie Vesga, Latino Policy Forum 42
Policy Forum indicates that a diverse array of candidates try to enter the
teaching profession, however passing the TAP proves to be an insurmountable
barrier.
While TAP data does not provide information on whether a candidate is
bilingual, Latino candidates who do not pass the test may represent a potential
pool of bilingual teacher candidates for the field. As illustrated in Chart 1, only
one-third of all candidates from 2015-2017 pass the exam on the first try, with
distinct and varying rates for each racial/ethnic group. Chart 2 shows the actual
number of candidates who attempted the test and failed compared to those
who passed.
Chart #1: 2015 – 2017 Percentage of Teacher Candidates Who Passed TAP by Race
Natalie Vesga, Latino Policy Forum 43
Chart #2: 2015 – 2017 Number of Teacher Candidates Who Attempted and Passed TAP
The data validate that there are diverse candidates interested in entering the
teaching field. However, the TAP is a proven barrier preventing many from
entering teacher preparation programs.
SOLUTION
The question remains: Is a test of basic skills empirically linked to teacher
performance? A growing body of research shows that traditional testing of basic
skills for aspiring teachers does not correlate to being a successful and effective
teacher in the classroom.
5
Instead, consideration of college grade point average
(GPA) and collecting samples of student instruction in the classroom proves to
be a more reliable way of gauging whether educators are prepared to teach.
6
In order to increase the pool of PEL teachers with the ECE and bilingual/ESL
endorsements, the Latino Policy Forum and the Ounce of Prevention Fund
collaborated to develop workforce recommendations to increase the diversity in
the educator pipeline. The specific recommendation regarding teacher entry is
as follows:
5
Linda Darling-Hammond, Getting Teacher Evaluation Right (Teacher College Press, 2013).
J.D. Angrist & J. Guryan, (2007) Does teacher testing raise teacher quality? Evidence from state certification
requirements. Princeton, NJ: Education Research Section, Princeton University
Richard Buddin & Gema Zamarro (2008) Teacher Quality, Teacher Licensure Tests, and Student Achievement.
Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation
6
Darling-Hammond, Getting Teacher Evaluation Right, 27
Natalie Vesga, Latino Policy Forum 44
Recommendation: The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) must broaden
options for demonstrating proficiency at college-level coursework and meeting
entry requirements into teacher preparation programs, allowing more
candidates to take coursework leading to a credential, degree, teaching license,
and specialized endorsements.
The Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) is a significant barrier that
eliminates many qualified and diverse candidates. Less than one-third of
test-takers across candidate demographics pass all four sections of the
TAP on the first attempt.
Current ISBE TAP alternatives include passing the SAT, or Act Plus
Writing, and applicable content area test(s).
Action Steps:
Waive the TAP if a can-level
coursework earned at a regionally accredited institution; or if
from an accredited institution.
The Illinois State Board of Education must expand the menu of options for
-level coursework
earned at a regionally accredited institution.
For children to experience equity and access to quality care and services, there
needs to be educators who can speak to children and their families in a
language they understand. Research shows that teachers with diverse linguistic,
racial and cultural backgrounds not only contribute to narrowing the
opportunity gap, but also have an array of academic and socio-emotional
benefits that impact both students of color and White students.
7
For students of
color, exposure to a diverse teaching workforce increases classroom
participation, raises test scores, decreases absenteeism and dropout rates,
significantly reduces misplacement into special education classes, and lowers
the rate of suspension and expulsion.
8
Additionally, White teachers tend to have
low retention rates when placed in schools with high numbers of diverse
7
Ana Maria Diversifying the Teaching Workforce: An Examination of Major
Urban Review: Issues and Ideas in Public Education v42, n3 (2010) 177
8
Ana Maria Villegas; Jacqueline Jordan IrvinDiversifying the Teaching Workforce: An Examination of Major
-180
Gudelia Lopez, “Delivering on the Promise: Leveraging the diversity of our early learning workforce to help
Latino Teachers and preschoolers realize their promise and potential,” (November 2017)
Natalie Vesga, Latino Policy Forum 45
students, whereas educators of color tend to demonstrate higher retention
rates.
9
By increasing the pool of diverse educators, Illinois children can
experience a plethora of academic and social benefits, while educational
settings can benefit from less turnover.
OUTCOME
Given the acute shortage of teacher candidates enrolled in teacher preparation
programs, it is imperative that the state move beyond a single test score for
determining candidate entry into colleges of education. The modification of
entry requirements is an essential component to increasing the pool of diverse
candidates in the teaching field.
As the link between basic skills exams and teacher performance is empirically
ambiguous, Illinois must do more than rely on standardized exams to determine
entry into programming. Broadening the menu of options available for
determining entry allows a candidate to demonstrate, in varying ways, his/her
ability to manage college-level coursework. Overall, expanding the diverse
pipeline of teachers who are qualified to enter into teacher preparation
programs stands to benefit the growing population of culturally and
number of bilingual educators.
9
Ana Maria Diversifying the Teaching Workforce: An Examination of Major
Jennifer Alexander, Metropolitan Family Services 46
WORKFORCE: SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL
CONSIDERATIONS
JENNIFER ALEXANDER
Metropolitan Family Services
PROBLEM
Early learning professionals in center-based and home-based programs are not
receiving on-going training to meet the needs of families experiencing trauma. It
is critical for early education professionals to be trained and informed about
trauma because they are typically the first to observe children on a regular basis
outside of the home during a critical period of development.
1
Left unaddressed,
children will increasingly enter school with trauma-related, social-emotional,
developmental, cognitive and behavioral needs.
Exposure to potentially traumatic events is arguably more detrimental to young
children because of the impact on brain development during sensitive periods
when the brain is undergoing rapid development and differentiation. Disrupted
development could result in a host of functional impairments in emotional,
cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal domains.
2
Early learning professionals are likely to encounter young children who have
experienced some form of trauma. The trauma includes, but is not limited to,
shootings, psychological maltreatment/neglect, sexual abuse, domestic violence
in the home, homelessness, physical abuse, accidents, war, natural disasters,
sudden loss of a parent/caregiver, and painful medical procedures. Children
who have secure attachment (responsive caregivers, predictable routines, safe
environments where they are encouraged to take risks) are learning to trust
their emotions as well as understand the world around them.
3
When early
learning professionals are not trained in identifying signs of trauma they are
1
Sorrel, B. (2015). Reaching and Teaching Children Exposed to Trauma Gryphon House Publishing, Lewisville,
North Carolina.
2
beginning (review), Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 2011, vol. 52 (pg. 409-
428)
3
Statman-Weil, K. (2015). Creating Trauma Sensitive Classrooms. Young Children, 70(2) 72-79.
Jennifer Alexander, Metropolitan Family Services 47
likely to miss opportunities to form more secure attachment with the child,
misinterpret their behavior, or fail to offer support to children.
Undiagnosed and unaddressed prolonged exposure to trauma often manifests
as behavior problems resulting in young children being suspended or expelled
from early learning programs. Preschool expulsions and suspensions cause
young children to lose their educational placement or time in care and can
directly undermine their access to quality educational opportunities.
Specifically, Black preschoolers are 3.6 times as likely to receive one or more
suspensions in comparison to White peers. This is concerning bearing in mind
Black children comprise only 19 percent of preschool enrollment, yet
encompass 47 percent of preschoolers suspended one or more times.
4
Furthermore, boys of color from communities with limited economic resources
and high crime are exposed to trauma at an early age. Early learning
professionals must be equipped to offer supports and resources to these
children or there will continue to be a disproportionate representation of
children of color experiencing disciplinary referrals and exclusionary practices.
CAUSE
Current in-service trainings for early learning professionals do not adequately
meet the needs of children exposed to incidents of trauma. A study conducted
by CASEL revealed what states require teachers to know about Social Emotional
Learning (SEL) for certification and what institutions of higher education actually
teach.
5
Teacher certification and pre-service programs offer courses targeting
Social Emotional Learning and provide teachers with strategies to address the
social emotional needs of students. The current course content occurs during
certification preparation and at pre-service. The content generally focuses on
Self Awareness, Self-Management, Relationship Skills and Responsible Decision-
Making. However, none of the content covers knowledge needed to handle a 3-
year-old who witnessed a murder the night before school or how to identify a
child who may be dealing with such stressors reflective of the daily realities of
some families with limited economic resources. Course content specific to
trauma-informed practices and teaching children exposed to trauma are not
4
Gilliam, W., Maupin, A., Reyes, C., Accavitti, M., Shic, F. (2016). Do Early Educators’ Implicit Biases Regarding
Sex and Race Relate Behavior Expectations and Recommendations of Preschool Expulsions and Suspensions?
New Haven, CT: Yale University Study Center.
5
Schonert-Reichl, K.A., Kitil, J., Hanson-Peterson, J. (2017). To Reach The Students, Teach The Teachers, A
National Scan of Teacher Preparation and Social & Emotional Learning. Vancouver, BC: A Report for CASEL
www.casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/SEL-TEd-Full-Report-for-CASEL-2017-02-14-R1.pdf
Jennifer Alexander, Metropolitan Family Services 48
covered in current teacher preparation programs
6
and Head Start providers
have a limited number of qualified mental health consultants available to
support.
SOLUTION
Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) should partner with
community agencies and mental health providers to develop policy requiring all
DCFS licensed providers to complete on-going (monthly) trauma-informed
practice training, and within 30 days of hiring for new staff members.
There is precedence for this addition because current Illinois daycare licensing
standards mandate that all employees of DCFS licensed daycares complete
annual mandated reporter training, inclusive of Child Abuse & Neglect
identification, Shaken Baby Syndrome/Traumatic Brain Injury, Welcome Each
Child (Diversity/Inclusion), Sudden Infant Death and CPR/First Aid trainings.
There are also mandated federal/state quality indicator trainings related to
health and safety, child development, and nutrition.
Teacher in-service training is just as critical as preparation for teacher
certification and pre-service training.
7
Early learning professionals are spending
significant hours, days and years with children. The needs of families
experiencing multiple risk factors in underserved areas change daily.
Therefore, on-going (monthly) trauma-informed in-service training, and within
30 days of hire is a solution to an ever-evolving problem faced by early learning
professionals. In environments where trauma-informed practices are
institutionalized and prioritized, individuals are trained to work with children to
understand and identify the many signs and triggers of trauma. Professionals
are also supported to prevent secondary traumatic stress.
Programs such as the Early Childhood Trauma Collaborative have partnered
with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations
(SAMHSA) to extend trauma-focused services to young children in Connecticut.
8
are to:
6
Ibid
7
Gilliam, W., Maupin, A., Reyes, C., Accavitti, M., Shic, F. (2016). Do Early Educators’ Implicit Biases Regarding
Sex and Race Relate Behavior Expectations and Recommendations of Preschool Expulsions and Suspensions?
New Haven, CT: Yale University Study Center.
8
)
www.chdi.org/our-work/mental-health/evidence-based-practices/early-childhood-trauma-collaborative/
Jennifer Alexander, Metropolitan Family Services 49
1. Improve knowledge among the early childhood workforce about
violence, abuse, and other forms of trauma, including how to identify
young children and their families who may be experiencing traumatic
stress.
2. Improve capacity to deliver community-based, trauma-focused services
to children birth to age seven who are exposed to violence, abuse, and
other forms of trauma.
Illinois has also developed the Illinois Action Plan to Integrate Early Childhood
Mental Health into Child- and Family-Serving Systems, Prenatal through Age
Five
9
to support the training of early learning professionals with tools necessary
to meet the needs of children and families impacted by trauma. Implementation
is currently underway with one of the explicit goals focusing on workforce
training.
Early learning professionals often feel that they are not qualified to address the
social-emotional issues of children exposed to trauma.
10
The effects of trauma
are typically misdiagnosed as bad behavior as opposed to a mental health/social
emotional need or cry for help.
11
Furthermore, the average turnover rate for
early learning professionals in the U.S. was at 30 percent in 2012.
12
The most
common reason for leaving was environmental and personal characteristics.
Working in emotionally toxic environments only adds to the stress levels of
teachers and children who are exposed to trauma. This is a critical factor to
consider because approximately 26 percent of children in the U.S. witness or
experience trauma before the age of four
13
and more than 80 percent of early
14
OUTCOME
The long-term impact of offering consistent in-service professional development
could result in:
9
www.buildinitiative.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/IllinoisReport2016.pdf
10
Sorrel, B. (2015). Reaching and Teaching Children Exposed to Trauma Gryphon House Publishing, Lewisville,
North Carolina.
11
SSA Magazine 24 (7): 25-29
12
www.childresearch.net/projects/ecec/2012_04.html, (August 17, 2012)
13
Briggs-
Journal of Traumatic Stress 23 (6): 725-33
14
HHS (US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration of Children, Youth and Families,
Child Maltreatment 2012. Annual report.
www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/file/cb/cm/2012.pdf
Jennifer Alexander, Metropolitan Family Services 50
1. Improved teacher efficacy in identifying and assisting students and
families in need or in crisis.
2. Greater teacher retention which could increase in continuity of
relationshipsan important factor in establishing secure and trusting
relationships.
3. Increased safety and stability in the program environment, promoting
learning and thriving children.
4. Increased ability for children to cope with trauma-related stressors and
triggers, which offers children important strategies and coping
mechanisms that later assist with problem-solving and conflict
resolution skills.
Rosalinda Espinosa-Nava, Gads Hill Center 51
ROSALINDA ESPINOSA-NAVA
Gads Hill Center
PROBLEM
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requirements for obtaining a Professional
Educator License (PEL) with an early childhood education endorsement must
meet specific knowledge requirements and performance indicators around
curriculum in core subjects, but with limited emphasis on social-emotional
learning and development, which is critical to academic achievement. As a
result, early childhood teachers are often ill prepared to support young children
who have social-emotional challenges.
Compounded by inadequate preparedness in providing social-emotional
supports, the field and children suffer consequences resulting from high teacher
Public
Act 100-0105 requires the Department of Children and Family Services to
develop rules for preventing expulsion in day cares and preschools. To address
this issue, early childhood programs are required to alternatively address the
behavior by developing and implementing a plan to support the child in
question. Developmentally, preschool-aged children are just learning to self-
regulate and communicate with others.
1
Without appropriate support, children
can be affected in various ways, including academic achievement.
Contemporary trauma research demonstrates that all types of trauma can
supportive relationships, and follow classroom expectations. Children who
experience trauma are two-and-a-half times more likely to fail a grade in school
than their peers who have not lived through trauma. Children living with trauma
score lower on standardized tests, have higher rates of suspension and
expulsion, and are more likely to be placed in special education classrooms.
2
Lastly, trauma has negative behavioral, emotional, neurobiological, and
life.
1
www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=100-0105&GA=100
2
Stataman-Wells, K. (2015) Creating Trauma Sensitive Classrooms. National Association for the Education of
Young Children.
Rosalinda Espinosa-Nava, Gads Hill Center 52
There are also racial implications for how this lack of training can materialize in
practice. The U.S. Department of Education indicates significant disparities
within this trend. African American children are only 19 percent of preschool
enrollment; however, they make up 47 percent of preschoolers suspended
more than once. Data reveal that African American boys and girls are more
profoundly affected by preschool expulsion. In a national study, Dr. Walter
Gilliam found that at least one preschooler was expelled per year in about 10
percent of state-funded pre-K programs.
3
The rate of expulsion was higher for
African Americans and boys.
4
CAUSE
Once assigned to an early childhood classroom, teachers will likely encounter
challenges on how to support a child with self-regulation and persevering
through adversity. With the passage of Public Act 100-0105, the imperative is
greater more so than ever for teacher preparation programs to integrate social-
emotional competencies since more children will remain in classrooms due to
the eradication of preschool expulsion and suspension. Yet, aside from a vague
mention in ISBE standards, social-emotional learning and development is not
prioritized in the requirements for obtaining a PEL.
As a critical component to social-emotional preparation, educators will need to
explore their own racial biases and their influence in daily practice. To meet
increasing quality expectations, appropriately support children and families, and
respect cultural and linguistic identities, early childhood providers must reflect
the diversity of the young child population and be skilled in developmentally
appropriate practice that meets the needs of all children.
SOLUTION
ISBE should finalize, widely disseminate, and monitor the use of the draft
guidance document
Standard
5
As a result, licensure programs
should sequence coursework in methods, theory and practice to develop
knowledge and skills for supporting social-emotional development in young
children. Additionally, Gateways to Opportunity could explore requiring a
minimum of six hours of professional development focused on social-emotional
3
www.fcd-us.org/assets/2016/04/ExpulsionCompleteReport.pd
4
http://ziglercenter.yale.edu/publications/Preschool%20Implicit%20Bias%20Policy%20Brief_final_9_26_27676
6_5379.pdf
5
www.isbe.net/Documents/guidance-sel-appA.pdf
Rosalinda Espinosa-Nava, Gads Hill Center 53
development and practice techniques for teachers to obtain an Early Childhood
Education level 5 or higher.
Integrating a social-emotional focus will align with the research establishing the
first five years of life as critical for building a foundation of learning, health, and
wellness for later success in school and life. Research further supports that the
social-emotional development of young children is a central component of
development.
6
feeling and affected by their home life or social environment.
7
Children cannot
be blamed for their surroundings, life style and exposure to external factors.
OUTCOME
through which children and adults acquire cognitive, affective, and behavioral
competencies that enable them to establish and maintain positive healthy
relations-emotional support increases
academic achievement and positive social behavior while reducing their conduct
problems and emotional distress.
8
By having the adequate preparation, prospective teachers will enter the
classroom better prepared with the knowledge, tools and dispositions to
individualize and support children with social-emotional challenges. State and
local policymakers should ensure all child care and early education workers and
providers receive ongoing training in social-emotional strategies to ensure
successful student outcomes.
9
Having the right tools on how to handle these
social-emotional challenges will result in less burn out for teachers, academic
success for the children, and continuous support for families.
6
www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/occ/ccdf_acf_im_2015_01.pdf
7
See footnote 1 for source
8
Katherine M. Zinsser (2015), Recommendations for Implementation the New Illinois Early Learning and
Development Standards to Affect Classroom Practices for Social and Emotional Learning, Volume 17 Number 1.,
ecrp.uiuc.edu/v17n1/zinsser.html
9
Kimondo,
Retrieved from https://50.erikson.edu/her-approach-to-social-work-problems-do-not-define-the-person/
Sonja Anthony, ChildServ 54
WORKFORCE: QUALITY AND PREPARATION
SONJA ANTHONY
ChildServ
PROBLEM
Early childhood educators without Professional Educator Licenses (PEL), who
work in center-based programs, receive limited to no mentoring for building
effective practice resulting in children having less access to higher quality early
care and education.
Other fields, such as health care, couple rigorous education and preparation
with extensive mentoring through internships prior to professionals officially
practicing in the fieldsystem
leaves our most vulnerable population, who are in the most critical point in their
development, with staff who lack proper educational support and mentoring
necessary to be effective practitioners.
Furthermore, teachers who lack support traditionally leave the field.
1
According
to the Childhood Workforce Hiring Summary, the teacher turnover rate is 27
percent within two years for teachers in center-based child care programs and
34 percent for teacher assistants within the same two-year period.
2
Other
studies have identified varying reasons for turnover including salary, but lack of
support is high on that list. Departing from the field during the most critical
timeframe for brain development disrupts c
cited in the U.S.
adult caregivers literally builds the architecture of ch
3
These relationships also form the foundation of the soft skills that employers
are increasingly looking for in the current workforce. Nobel laureate James
provides evidence citing that skills
1
Why Are New Teachers Leaving? The Case for Beginning-Teacher Induction and Mentoring. Eaton, E., Sisson,
Wendy. ICF International.
2
Illinois Early Childhood Workforce Hiring Survey: A Summary of Findings. Main, C., Yarbrough, K., Patten, B.
3
Workforce of Today, Workforce of Tomorrow: The Business Case for High Quality Childcare. US Chamber of
Commerce Foundation Center for Education and Workforce.
Sonja Anthony, ChildServ 55
acquired in infancy form the foundation for acquiring vital skills later in life.
4
These vital skills are referred to in the workforce field Soft skills
-emotional and character skills those
needed to work well with others, communicate effectively, problem solve, and
follow through on commitments.
5
In a 2016 survey by the National Association
of Colleges and Employers, almost 80 percent of employers identified these soft
skills as most desirable hiring priorities. Another survey conducted in 2015 by
the Wall Street Journal reports 90 percent of employers rating soft skills as
equally or more important than technical skills and citing the challenge with
recruiting staff with these skills.
6
CAUSE
Early childhood educators, especially those without PELs, have long been
viewed as babysitters and not respected as professionals. As the field undergoes
professionalization, more emphasis is placed on increasing education
requirements of lead teachers in the classroom. Support staff often have
minimal education requirements, receive less pay, and therefore are not seen as
a vital component of the classroom, yet they have significant interaction with
children and provide invaluable support to the teacher. Furthermore, teachers
who have better-equipped support staff are able to focus more on planning,
instruction and management, resulting in a more cohesive team that improves
child outcomes.
7
Current qualifications for teacher assistants in centers receiving subsidies from
the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) include a high school diploma plus 15
hours of annual training. The 15 hours of training is not specific to the
that allows any qualified training to
fulfill the requirement. Gateways to Opportunity data reveal that 60 percent of
teacher assistants have a high school diploma with no college coursework.
8
Gateways is also the credentialing system for early childhood professionals.
Credentials are categorized into six levels of competency and based on seven
content areas. The competencies are specific, measurable, and observable
behaviors that demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions expected in
various positions within the early childhood field. Competencies are not
4
Early Childhood Education: Quality and Access Pay off. Heckman, James, J.
5
See footnote 2 for source
6
Workforce of Today, Workforce of Tomorrow: The Business Case for High Quality Childcare. US Chamber of
Commerce Foundation Center for Education and Workforce.
7
Learning to Mentor: Evidence and Observation as Tools in Learning to Teach. Stanulis, R., Ames, K. The
Professional Educator, Vol. 33.
8
Illinois Early Childhood Workforce Hiring Survey: A Summary of Findings. Main, C., Yarbrough, K., Patten, B
Sonja Anthony, ChildServ 56
cumulative from level to level; rather, they are based on specific roles. While
the concept is valid, the expectation for desired behavior is unrealistic because
of the lack of training received by support staff.
Furthermore, much of the training is limited to webinarsa very passive way of
learning that does not promote retention and application. This is especially
problematic because a large percentage of teachers in early childhood programs
have degrees in fields other than early childhood and a range of experiences.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is the licensing
and monitoring body for all early care and education programs. Joint
Commission on Administrative Rules (JCAR) Administrative Code Title 89, Part
407,100c requires all staff members to participate in 15 clock hours of in-service
training per year. Required topics include mandated reporting, rules governing
the operation of the facility, and legal protection afforded to persons who
report violations of licensing standards without any mention of child
development content. Optional in-service training may include, but is not
limited to, child development, symptoms of common childhood illnesses,
guidance and discipline, communication with parents, and hygiene. It is
concerning that the same licensing body that has the authority to revoke
operating licenses, does not mandate child development content and integrate
it as a vital component to the success of the overall operation of early care and
education programs.
Additionally, JCAR Title 23, Chapter 1, Part 65 supplies grants for a structured
mentoring program for licensed educators in their first and second year of
teaching. Ironically, nothing is allocated for unlicensed teachers and support
staff who have the same level of interaction with children and less educational
attainment. As a result, child outcomes could be undermined by ignoring the
professional development needs of support teachers. According to the Institute
of Medicine and National Research Cou
and education professionals need access to high-quality professional learning
that supports them in acquisition and application of the competencies they
9
Without structured and intentional teacher support, the quality of the
programs can be adversely affected.
SOLUTION
Structured mentoring programs should be established to provide the framework
for the high-quality professional learning that is needed, not only for the lead
9
Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation. Institute of Medicine
and National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences Engineering Medicine
Sonja Anthony, ChildServ 57
teachers, but also for the support staff who, oftentimes, need more support.
Gateways to Opportunity credentialing system will provide the framework
necessary to implement the sustainable mentoring program with oversight and
enforcement from the Illinois DCFS licensing unit. Building on the current
credentialing system, utilizing a pot of funds from nongovernmental and
governmental entities, including the CCAP quality set-aside funds, will allow for
more authentic assessment of the competencies and more sustainable and
intentional pathways to advance through the credential levels.
Jame-quality programs produce high-quality
10
Therefore, one lever is implementing high-quality professional
practice and learning to produce and sustain high-quality programs, yielding
better child outcomes. To achieve this, it is imperative that structured
mentoring programs are developed and access is extended to include non-PEL
teachers and support staff, especially since children spend up to 10 times more
hours in child care than elementary school.
Research has shown that the most effective form of professional development
for teachers incorporates a structured, job-embedded mentoring and coaching
program where they can receive feedback from colleagues and administrators
as teaching itself is a learned skill that is developed over time. The Institute of
Education Sciences referenced a 2012 MetLife Survey of American Teachers
showing the benefits teachers experienced from professional development
including collaboration time with fellow teachers, less feelings of isolation and a
greater sense of confidence and job satisfaction. Another study referenced
reported that students in schools where teacher-learning teams had a set of
formal protocols for guiding meetings improved more than schools where there
was no similar structure. In both these studies, professional learning was aligned
-
11
There
are many pathways by which early childhood professionals enter the field, so
there must be a comprehensive and collaborative approach to improve the
professional development of professionals working with our youngest children.
Additionally, there are varying specialties in the early childhood field that range
from birth to age eight within distinct environments from center-based to family
child care. Certain characteristics of high-quality professional learning are
consistent across these varied settings and include:
intentional focus;
10
Early Childhood Education: Quality and Access Pay off. Heckman, James, J.
11
Institute of Educational Sciences National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. REL
Northwest 2010 No. 095
Sonja Anthony, ChildServ 58
guided by the science of child development and context of cultural
competency;
ongoing with preparation experience and mentoring tailored to specific
roles;
coherent in the sequence of active professional learning, access and
coordinated with respect to roles and settings;
collaborative and interdisciplinary, providing shared opportunities
across settings and age ranges;
tied to practice through field experience and mentoring; and
responsive to variations in experience, education and implementation
barriers.
Implementation barriers experienced by professionals and organizations include
affordability, accessibility and scheduling/time/logistic constraints. These can be
alleviated by building resources into the system for scholarships, and tuition and
fee reimbursement. There should also be subsidies for organizations to cover
paid employee time away to participate in professional learning and assistance
with accessing and paying qualified substitutes.
It is well overdue for a concerted and shared effort to grow our own
practitioners by providing a more deliberate, sustainable, multi-phased
framework grounded in best practice for adult learners. The current, highly-
fragmented and flawed system preserves status quo. A commitment needs to
be made on many levels, incorporating various governing and nongovernmental
bodies to align systems and policies across all the early childhood birth to age
eight programs and revamp the workforce landscape.
Collaborators should include governmental and nongovernmental entities, both
legislative and enforcement bodies (i.e. IDCFS, ISBE, JCAR, IBHE) that can
commit to pooling resources to address this type of high-quality professional
practice. Existing models are available to learn from and build upon the
framework set up by Gateways to Opportunity. This system can eliminate any
duplication of efforts by providing the platform for all entities to work
collaboratively to strengthen the infrastructure and develop one robust system,
inclusive of a structured mentoring/coaching program, that works for all
educators.
OUTCOME
Sonja Anthony, ChildServ 59
doing well.
12
For the children to be well, they must have consistent, responsive
adults who are knowledgeable about their growth and development. For this
reason, it is vital that early childhood educators have access to structured
mentoring/coaching to better equip them to be effective practitioners, resulting
in children receiving higher quality care and education.
quality work of these adults that the nation can make it right from the very
beginning for its children,
Institute of Medicine and National Research Council of the National
Academies.
13
12
www.uua.org/worship/words/reading/and-how-are-the-children
13
Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation. Institute of Medicine
and National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences Engineering Medicine
Andrew Krugly, Chicago Commons 60
ANDREW KRUGLY
Chicago Commons
PROBLEM
effective teacher practice is a key lever. Eighty percent of children enrolled in
publicly-funded preschool programs (local, state, or federal) in Illinois attend
center-based programs versus school-based programs.
1
While both settings
require teachers to obtain the appropriate credentials and licenses, only school-
based programs perform teacher evaluations that are validated to measure
effective practice.
The absence of a validated measure of teacher effectiveness in center-based
preschool programs contributes to a lack of evidence demonstrating the quality
of the early childhood teaching workforce in non-school-based settings.
Furthermore, the early childhood and K-12 systems use different language for
accountability, effectiveness, and quality, thus contributing to different
outcomes depending on setting and therefore limiting alignment between
systems.
The K-12 education system requires annual teacher performance evaluations.
Many Illinois school districts use a validated instrument, the Charlotte Danielson
Framework for Teaching (FfT), to measure teacher effectiveness along with
student learning outcomes. While school administrators are required to be
trained and certified in the use of the teacher evaluation tool, it is not a
requirement for preschool center directors
2
to use the same evaluation tool in
center-based preschool programs, adding to the chasm that already exists
between the K-12 and early childhood systems. With no shared definition of
accountability or measure of effectiveness, there is no evidence that children in
center-based preschools are receiving a high-quality early childhood education
experience, as there is no evidence that teachers are receiving the necessary
feedback that will improve their teaching practice.
1
Govern
2
Department of Children and Family Services, Title 89: Social Services, Chapter III: Department of Children
and Family Services, Part 401 Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers, (2014, September 22). Retrieved from
www.illinois.gov/dcfs/aboutus/notices/Documents/Rules_407.pdf
Andrew Krugly, Chicago Commons 61
When effective instructional strategies are implemented and reinforced, studies
show percentile gains of 29-45 points on standardized tests that measure
student achievement in reading and math.
3
A study on the Cincinnati Public
Schools concluded that students in classrooms with teachers being evaluated by
trained evaluators performed an average of 4.5 percentile points higher in
reading and math than students in classrooms where teachers were not being
evaluated.
4
Furthermore, racial equity considerations are illuminated through the following
research findings:
5
rs are
teaching in schools with a high concentration of children who qualify for
free and reduced lunch; and
African American children, Latino children and children living with
limited economic resources are
o less likely to be taught by the strongest teachers,
o almost twice as likely to be taught by teachers showing less
o taught by teachers who do not have a track record of showing
student academic and/or social-emotional gains.
Lastly, research shows African American children, Latino children and children
living with limited economic resources benefit more from having a highly-
effective teacher than their more advantaged peers, yet they do not have the
same level of access to these highly-effective teachers.
6
CAUSE
There are many causes for this problem. Prior to the 2016 Head Start
Performance Standards (HSPS), the focus in Head Start was on health, safety,
environments, attendance, enrollment, getting at-risk children into programs,
3
Tucker, P., and Stronge, J.H. (2005). Linking Teacher Evaluation and Student Learning, Alexandria, VA: The
Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.
4
Taylor, E. and Tyler, J. H., Can Teacher Evaluation Improve Teaching, (2012, Fall). Retrieved from
educationnext.org/can-teacher-evaluation-improve-teaching/.
5
Dynarski, M., The Challenges of Promoting Equal Access to Quality Teachers (2014, October 2). Retrieved
from www.brookings.edu/research/the-challenges-of-promoting-equal-access-to-quality-teachers/; Center for
Public Education, Teacher Quality and Student Achievement: Research Review, (2005, November 1). Retrieved
from www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Staffingstudents/Teacher-quality-and-student-
achievement-At-a-glance/Teacher-quality-and-student-achievement-Research-review.html.
6
Center for Public Education, Teacher Quality and Student Achievement: Research Review, (2005, November
1). Retrieved from www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Staffingstudents/Teacher-quality-and-
student-achievement-At-a-glance/Teacher-quality-and-student-achievement-Research-review.html.
Andrew Krugly, Chicago Commons 62
and staff qualifications and credentials. More specifically, the focus has been on
monitoring the inputs and compliance regulations of the Head Start program
rather than program and student outcomes as well as teacher effectiveness.
has not been defined in relation to teacher effectiveness. It is limited to meeting
the standards and CLASS (Classroom Scoring Assessment System) scores.
Although the CLASS is the first measure that is tied to long-term student
outcomes, it only focuses on the interactions between teachers and students.
While there is a correlation between high levels of effective interactions and
student success, the CLASS does not evaluate individual teacher practice. It is
limited to evaluating the interactions between the adults and the students
within a specific classroom. Additionally, the CLASS is a tool that was designed
to facilitate professional development, not teacher evaluation or the
determination of individual teacher effectiveness.
7
There are additional assessments that serve as monitoring tools to assure that
Head Start Performance Standards are met:
The Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale Revised (ECERS-R)
measures quality of environments
The Program Administration Scale (PAS) measures program
effectiveness
There is also a list of credentials that preschool teachers must obtain to work
with children, but nothing in place to assess the effectiveness of teacher
practice. Other than meeting the list of educator licensing credentials, center-
based preschool programs are not required to have teacher performance
appraisals nor job descriptions (which often list some quality success indicators).
In Illinois, center-based preschool program directors do not have to meet the
same stringent requirements that are needed to be a school-based director. If
the preschool program is hosted in the school district, the director must be a
school administrator or a school principal. The following table outlines the
distinctions:
7
La Paro, K.M., Pianta, R. C., and Stuhlman, M. (2004). The Classroom Assessment Scoring System: Findings
from the Prekindergarten year. The Elementary School Journal, 104 (5).
Andrew Krugly, Chicago Commons 63
Center-based Preschool Director
Requirements
8
School-based Administrator/Principal
Requirements
9
21 years of age
High School Diploma or GED
AND
60 semester hours from an
accredited university with 18 of
those hours being in courses
related to child care or child
development
OR
Two years of experience in a
nursery school, kindergarten, or
licensed day care center
30 semester hours of college
credits, with 10 of those hours
being related to child care or child
development
Proof of enrollment in an
accredited college or university
until two years of credit has been
achieved
program must include a course in
teacher evaluation)
Type 75 license or current
Principal Endorsement
40 hours of online training and
certification testing in teacher
evaluation (before performing
any teacher performance
appraisals)
Because preschool center-based directors are not required to complete the 40
hours of online training and certification testing in teacher evaluation, they are
not equipped to evaluate the quality or effectiveness of the teachers working in
their centers with fidelity. This lack of fidelity in the use of the evaluation
instrument can dilute (or even make inaccurate) the important information that
should be provided to preschool teachers. The work of Walter Gilliam points out
how quickly implicit bias can be developed by students, teachers, and
administrators.
10
This means that administrators (or anyone evaluating Pre-K
8
See footnote 2 for source
9
Sartian, L., Stoelinga, S. R., Brown, E. R., Rethinking Teacher Evaluation in Chicago: Lessons Learned from
Classroom Observations, Principal-Teacher Conferences, and District Implementation, Consortium on Chicago
School Research, (2011, November). Retrieved from www.danielsongroup.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/11/Rethinking_Teacher_Evaluation_Chicago.pdf.
10
Gilliam, W. S., Mau
Regarding Sex and Race Relate to Behavior Expectations and Recommendations of Preschool Expulsions and
Suspensions? Yale Child Study Center, (2016, September 28). Retrieved from:
www.addressingracialmicroaggressions.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Preschool-Implicit-Bias-Policy-
Brief_final_9_26_276766_5379.pdf
Andrew Krugly, Chicago Commons 64
teachers) must be trained in using an evaluation tool that focuses on teacher
behaviors in order to obtai
knowledge and instructional abilities and thereby eliminate any bias, thus
assuring fidelity of the implementation and use of the evaluation tool.
SOLUTION
In order to receive a Gold Rating in the Illinois ExceleRate Quality Rating System,
all preschool teachers in center-based programs should be evaluated annually
evaluator. The use of this tool will both improve teacher effectiveness as well as
provide measurable accountability for teachers, fitting perfectly into section 3C
Leadership and Management Continuous Quality Improvement of
ExceleRate.
The work of Bill Sanders at the University of Tennessee showed that students
who had three highly-effective teachers in successive years beginning in third
grade were scoring on average in the 96
th
percentile on the Tennessee
statewide assessment, and there is a tremendous body of brain research
showing the need for high-quality early education.
11
Clearly, it is imperative to
assure that our youngest children are in classrooms with highly effective
teachers.
While many view teaching as an art, there have been empirical studies that
document the complexity of teaching and have isolated certain skills and
behaviors that are needed to be an effective educator. Most of this work started
in the 1970s with Madeline Hunter, but has been continued by Thomas
Framework for Teaching is one of the most widely-used teacher evaluation
frameworks across the country and is the basis of the teacher evaluation
training for administrators across the state of Illinois. Numerous research
studies have proven the tool as valid and reliable.
12
Furthermore, all public-
school administrators in Illinois must be proficient and certified in the use of this
tool, which creates inter-rater reliability.
13
11
Sanders, W. L., and Rivers, J.C. (1996). Cumulative and Residual Effect of Teachers on Future Student Academic
Achievement (Research Progress Report). Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Value-Added Reacher and
Assessment Center.
12
Sartian, L., Stoelinga, S. R., Brown, E. R., Rethinking Teacher Evaluation in Chicago: Lessons Learned from
Classroom Observations, Principal-Teacher Conferences, and District Implementation, Consortium on Chicago
School Research, (2011, November). Retrieved from www.danielsongroup.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/11/Rethinking_Teacher_Evaluation_Chicago.pdf.
13
Growth Through Learning, Illinois Performance Evaluation Frequently Asked Questions (2012, March 13).
Retrieved from www.isbe.net/Documents/pera-faqs.pdf.
Andrew Krugly, Chicago Commons 65
The tool dissects teaching into four domains: planning and preparation,
environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities. Each domain is then
divided into components and further divided into critical attributes. Teachers
are rated on each of these components as unsatisfactory, basic, proficient or
distinguished.
14
This framework has gone through many iterations, improving
the tool, and making it easier for evaluators to identify the observable elements
needed for teacher effectiveness.
In 2014, it was adapted for use with early childhood educators - preschool
through second grade.
15
Following its adaptation, Illinois State University was
commissioned to perform a reliability and validity study of the tool. After the
two-year study concluded, the tool was published online. Training on its proper
use began in 2017.
16
OUTCOME
tently have good teachers, they can make great strides.
The benefits are especially strong for children from low-income communities.
But when children are exposed to mediocre or poor instruction, the
development and learning will suffer. When students miss out on effective
teaching for three or more years in a row, their long-term academic prospects
are jeopardized.
17
This happens all too often especially to children from
disadvantaged families and communities.
18
Strong, early educational experiences set children up to be curious problem-
solvers, set them on a trajectory of life-long learning, and set them up to thrive
in educational settings. Teacher evaluations are used to help teachers grow and
improve or weed ineffective teachers out of the field. While the hope is for the
former, in both cases the goal is to create the strongest possible teaching
workforce.
14
Danielson, C., (2013) The Framework for Teaching: Evaluation Instrument. Princeton, NJ: The Danielson
Group.
15
Hood, L., Kasperski, D., Hunt, E., Danielson Framework with Early Learning Examples, Retrieved from
teecc.illinoisstate.edu/observationprotocol/danielsonframeworkwithearlylearningexamples/.
16
Hood, L., Kasperski, D., Hunt, E., DeStefano, L., Rodriguez, S. C., Garcia, G., and Kirchoff, A. Studying the
Daniel Framework for Teaching in PreK-3
rd
Grade Classrooms, Center for Study of Educational Policy, (2015,
September 21). Retrieved from
education.illinoisstate.edu/downloads/csep/Final_Danielson%20white%20paper.pdf.
17
Darling-Hammond, L., Teacher Quality and Student Achievement: A Review of State Policy Evidence (2000,
January 1). Retrieved from epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/392/515.
18
Shore. R., PreK-3
rd
: Teacher Quality Matters, (2009, July). Retrieved from www.fcd-us.org/prek-3rd-teacher-
quality-matters/.
Andrew Krugly, Chicago Commons 66
Using the Danielson Framework for Teaching in preschool will align the teacher
evaluation system in Illinois from preschool through high school. This will serve
as a step toward closing the birth to five/K-12 chasm with a streamlined system
and a common language of quality, effectiveness, and accountability. It will also
allow for the alignment of professional growth and development opportunities
among all teachers across the state.
Credentials and monitoring checklists will no longer solely define effectiveness.
Teacher effectiveness will now also be defined by a reliable and valid tool that
focuses on the behaviors and practices of teachers.
By bringing fidelity to the tool through training, one of the unintended positive
consequences of this policy will be that center directors move into a role of
instructional leadership. The use of the Danielson Framework for Teaching will
better equip directors with means to have reflective, professional development
and instructional, practice-based growth conversations with teachers.
When all preschool teachers receive an annual performance evaluation using a
reliable and valid tool to measure teacher performance and effectiveness, such
as the Danielson tool, teachers needing improvement will now have those areas
for growth identified, as well as suggestions and a plan for improvement going
forward. Teachers unable to improve can be counseled out of the profession,
thus ensuring the strongest and most effective teachers in ALL preschool
classrooms across the state, resulting in every preschool child better positioned
for success.
Lead Coaches 67
LEAD COACHES
IRETA GASNER
Vice President, Illinois Policy, Ounce of Prevention Fund
Ireta provides leadership in the Ounce of Prevention Fund (Ounce) legislative
advocacy in Illinois and with the congressional delegation, as well as its outreach
work to early childhood stakeholders and advocates around the state. Before
the Ounce, Ireta provided direct services and administered programs for high-
risk children and families for 14 years. She has been active in state and federal
lobbying efforts with the National Association of Social Workers and RESULTS.
Ireta regree in social work from the Jane Addams College
of Social Work at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
MADELYN JAMES
Early Childhood Project Manager, Voices for Illinois Children
Madelyn is a passionate advocate for ensuring all children from birth to age 8
and their families have the necessary supports to achieve a strong foundation
for future success. Her responsibility at Voices for Illinois Children (Voices) is to
Her first career was in business, where she honed negotiation, team building,
management, budgeting, and strategic planning skills. Prior to joining Voices,
She served in various capacities as a direct service provider, a Head Start and
state preschool teacher, an Illinois STARNET trainer and project director, a
supervisor of home visiting and center-based programs, director of the National
Lekotek affiliates and early childhood training, a National Association for the
Education of Young Children fellow, an adjunct faculty member with Chicago
City Colleges, and as consultant and member of local, state, and national early
m
Dominican University in River Forest, Ill. She has two adult children and is
grandmother to a beautiful baby named Illyana.
Lead Coaches 68
CATHERINE MAIN
Senior Lecturer and Program Coordinator, College of Education, University of
Illinois at Chicago
Visiting Scholar, Early Investments Initiative, Institute of Government and Public
Affairs, University of Illinois
from University of Illinois at Chicago in 1992. She has more than 25 years of
work on behalf of young children and their families in the state of Illinois. Her
work at the UIC College of Education has included innovative and responsive
program development and coordination in early childhood education. Cathy
designed and developed a Blended Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special
Education program and an Early Childhood Alternative Licensure program. Both
programs were the first of their kind approved by the Illinois State Board of
Education and both reflect a focused, much-needed response to specific
demands for early childhood teachers in Chicago.
Cathy is also the principal investigator (PI) for the McCormick Foundation on an
Early Childhood Workforce grant where she co-leads the Illinois team on the
Innovation to Incubation project with the National Academy Medicine and the
co-PI on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group Foundation grant, Math
Access for Teachers and Home Care Providers.
She regularly presents her work at national conferences and as an invited
speaker at local conferences. She serves on several advisory groups and boards
including the Illinois Early Learning Council Program Standards and Quality
Committee, the Chicago Community College Child Development & Human
Services Program Advisory Board, and is a member of the Illinois Articulation
Initiative Early Childhood panel. She is co-chair of the Illinois Higher Education
Learning and Professional Development Work Group, president of the Illinois
Association for Early Childhood Teacher Educators and a member of the board
for Chicago Youth Centers.
Lead Coaches 69
NANCY “SESSY” NYMAN
Executive Director, EverThrive Illinois
Sessy joined EverThrive in March 2017 as executive director. She was previously
the vice president for policy and strategic partnership at Illinois Action for
Children (IAFC) where she worked in various capacities since 1999. Her work at
IAFC included negotiating legislative outcomes and spearheading administrative
advocacy to state agencies, managing statewide campaigns for policy change
and increases in fiscal expenditures; and creating partnerships with community
organizations, parents and faith-based initiatives to expand and deepen the
legislative strength of IAFC. Under her leadership, grassroots membership
expanded, leadership across the early childhood field developed, and the
organization strengthened
program grew in the number
investment and focus on quality care for the most vulnerable children.
Prior to IAFC, Sessy worked as the director of the Violence Prevention Project
for the Alliance for Logan Square Organizations where she created community
collaborations with local stakeholders to implement violence prevention
strategies. From 1990 to 1992, she was national coordinator for the Chicago-
based Mozambique Support Network, a national network of state-affiliate
organizations advocating for change in Southern Africa.
She has a m
Massachusetts-Amherst, and
relations from the University of South Carolina. She is a 2006 alum of Leadership
of Greater Chicago, board president of Lifeline Theater, and member of the
Rogers Park community with her daughter, and their dog Webster.
ALLISON SCHUCK
p
Alli is the managing director at
where she has worked since 2014. She has more than 10 years of experience in
human services, which includes working with older adults, teen parents, young
children, and adults involved in the criminal justice system. She has an
appreciation for prevention and early intervention practices, and is invested in
creating an environment for children and families to thrive in Illinois. Alli has a
al work and is a licensed social worker.
Lead Coaches 70
SAMIR TANNA
Assistant Director, Public Policy, Illinois Action for Children
For almost a decade, Samir has worked as a member of Illinois Action for
lic Policy and Advocacy Program where he advocates to advance
legislative and administrative policies that support families, children, and early
childhood education. He has an MBA in finance from Loyola University Chicago
-Champaign.
JACLYN VASQUEZ
Associate Director, EDI, Erikson Institute
Jaclyn Vasquez is the associate director of the Early Development Instrument
(EDI) pilot project at Erikson Institute. During her time at Erikson, she launched
the EDI, a neighborhood measure that shows the development of young
children within the context of their community. The long-range goals are to
identify needs and strengths to promote equitable distribution and alignment of
resources, and to foster better coordination across systems.
Prior to her work at Erikson, Jaclyn was the manager of the Child Parent Centers
(CPC) of Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The CPC program is an early childhood
preschool model that promotes aligned curriculum, intensive family supports
and services, parent involvement and engagement, effective learning
experiences and a professional development system for teachers. The program
supports low-income children and their families from Pre-K through third grade.
While working for CPS, Jaclyn managed 19 Child Parent Centers, designed a
Transitions program, and designed and presented professional development for
teachers citywide in dramatic play, the Creative Curriculum, Bilingual Education,
Special Education, Teaching Strategies Gold, Excelerate, Developmentally
Appropriate Practice, Tools of the Mind, CLASS, and much more. Additionally,
she supported the Ready to Learn enrollment process and the development of
other preschool and parent programs citywide. Also a former early childhood
educator of 15 years, she was the lead teacher for a Head Start preschool in the
community of Brighton Park on the southwest side of Chicago. Before coming to
Chicago, Jaclyn worked in Oak Park and Streator, Illinois. She has a master's of
science degree from Northern Illinois University in literacy education. In
addition, she holds a bachelor's degree in early childhood education with an
emphasis in special education, with dual endorsements in ESL and bilingual
Spanish from Northern Illinois University.
Lead Coaches 71
CHOUA VUE
Director of Policy and Community Engagement, Illinois Action for Children
Choua currently serves as the director of policy and community engagement for
care and education policy priorities and community organizing campaigns to
improve the lives of young children and families in Illinois. Additionally, she
cultivates new advocates and strategic partnerships to strengthen the
She has an extensive history working for social justice issues including
immigrant and refugee rights, education, and child welfare.
Choua earned a master public affairs from Princeton University and
bachelors of arts degree from Carleton College.
JOYCE WEINER
Policy Manager, Illinois and National Policy Consultation Teams, Ounce of
Prevention Fund
Joyce has been with the Ounce of Prevention Fund (Ounce) for 12 years. She has
worked in educational, medical, and legal settings as a program developer,
training director, and advocate on issues that impact the lives of young children
and their families. Her work at the Ounce includes planning and partnering to
implement educational and professional development systems that result in
diverse, well-prepared teachers and administrators for the birth-to-eight
Administration at the University of Chicago.
Presenters 72
PRESENTERS
TONYA BIBBS
Assistant Professor
Erikson Institute
ADRIANA DIAZ
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications
Peer Health Exchange
IRETA GASNER
Vice President, Illinois Policy
Ounce of Prevention Fund
HONORABLE ELIZABETH HERNANDEZ
Illinois House of Representatives
24
th
District
HONORABLE KIMBERLY LIGHTFORD
Illinois Senate
4
th
District
LUISIANA MELÉNDEZ
Associate Clinical Professor Director, Bilingual ESL
Erikson Institute
MARY MORTEN
President
Morten Group
Presenters 73
SUZANNE MUCHIN
Co-founder and Principal
Mind + Matter Studio
SEAN NOBEL
State Director for ReadyNation Illinois and Senior Policy Associate for Fight
Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois
Council for America
ANITA PANDEY
Professor
Morgan State University
HONORABLE ROBERT PRITCHARD
Illinois House of Representatives
70
th
District
SAMIR TANNA
Assistant Director, Public Policy
Illinois Action for Children
JAY YOUNG
Political Director
Common Cause
Program Staff 74
PROGRAM STAFF
CRISTINA PACIONE-ZAYAS
Director of Policy, Policy & Leadership Lab
Erikson Institute
PENNY SMITH
Associate Director, Early Childhood Leadership Academy
Erikson Institute
GRISEL BAHENA
Administrative Assistant, Policy & Leadership Lab
Erikson Institute
AMANDA HODGE
Administrative Manager, Policy & Leadership Lab
Erikson Institute
VERONICA VIDAL
Associate Director of Internal and External Affairs, Policy & Leadership Lab
Erikson Institute
Contact 75
CONTACT INFORMATION
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Chicago, Illinois 60654-4510
Email us: [email protected]
Visit us: www.erikson.edu/early-childhood-leadership-academy
Follow us:
@EarlyChildhoodLeadershipAcademy
@ECLeadAcademy
© Erikson Institute 2018
