EDUCATION VISION

EARLY CHILDHOOD INITIATIVE

A Legislative Vision

On Tuesday, June 19, 2001, Councilmember Kevin P. Chavous introduced in the of the Council of the District of Columbia the "Compulsory School Attendance Amendment Act of 2001." The Act would require parents, guardians, and those with custody or control of minors who are already or will become three years of age on or by December 31st of the current school year, to place these minors in regular attendance in public, independent, private, or parochial schools, or in private instruction.

Recognizing the significance and unprecedented nature of this legislation, Councilmember Chavous formed the Commission on Primary Education Reform. The Commission was charged to develop a blueprint for the implementation of the Compulsory School Attendance Act. For over four months, the Commission engaged in the review of current early childhood education programs, neoteric research, findings and expert opinions in the area of early childhood education and development. The Commission also looked at how a fourteen-year integrated educational program could be instituted in the District. Finally, the Commission studied how educational services could be linked with public, social, health, nutritional, mental health, and private sector services to create seamless "wraparound" services. The Commission's work culminated in the creation of this report.

General Overview

The long-term economic health of the District of Columbia depends on the quality and availability of an early educational opportunity for all children. Quality early education has been demonstrated in longitudinal studies to increase high school graduation rates, decrease teen childbearing, and reduce the rate of incarceration among disadvantaged children (Abecedarian, Chicago Parent-Child Centers). The rate of return on investment in an early childhood education program is seven dollars for every dollar spent according to the Cost, Quality and Outcomes study.

On February 5, 2002, the Committee on Economic Development (CED), a nonpartisan group of national corporate and educational leaders, released its report "Preschool for All: Investing in a Productive and Just Society." The report encourages a strong state/federal partnership to finance early learning programs as the most equitable means of providing universal access to preschool. The CED believes "that it is time to acknowledge society's stake in and responsibility for early education, as it long has for older children, by making publicly funded pre-kindergarten, offered by a variety of providers, available to all children age three and older whose parents want them to participate."

The District of Columbia has been a leader in early childhood development and preschool education for over ten years. In its leadership role, the District has created the Office of Early Childhood Development which is responsible for coordinating efforts to expand and improve child development and early education services in both the public and private sectors, along with developing the "Early Care and Education Strategic Plan." The Commission on Primary Education Reform believes that any proposed legislative action must build upon the important foundation for early learning that has been established in this community. Improving quality and expanding access until all three-and four-year-olds are served by quality, full-day, full-year programs must remain the District's top priority. A universal early childhood education initiative that promotes strong partnerships between both community and the public school programs is a viable approach in ensuring that all DC children have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

The goal of promoting high quality early childhood educational experiences for our city's youngest residents is indeed promising. The key is to ensure a system that incorporates both the strengths of community based licensed facilities and public school pre-K programs. Benchmarks for quality should reflect national accreditation standards. Recognizing the educational needs of young children along with the child care needs of working parents is essential. An essential ingredient to any early childhood education program is providing sufficient funding to ensure that the necessary qualified early childhood educational workforce is available to meet this increased demand.

The overall consensus of the Commission on Primary Education Reform is that universal participation by all three-and four-year olds in the District of Columbia in an early childhood education program is paramount. The development of any program should highlight the importance of parent choice and the need for universal access to quality services for young children. The success of universal participation is dependent on a united approach between a cross-section of community and government leaders, along with active parent involvement. The introduction of legislation and the creation of the Commission have served as a catalyst in bringing these critical issues to the forefront and providing constructive dialogue, and will hopefully move our city closer to taking action that will positively impact the future of the young children living in the District of Columbia.

Introduction

In order to provide for a literate and well-educated DC citizenry, able to function well in today's workforce and to lead productive and meaningful lives, a strong quality Education Program from preschool through post secondary education must be made available. To do this, the District of Columbia will need

to do the following:

Continually strive to improve the quality of K-12 education;
Continually strive to improve the quality of existing preschool educational opportunities;
Strive toward universal participation in quality preschool programs for all children from ages 3 to 5;
Create more quality post-secondary educational options; and
Improve coordination and vertical articulation between programs at every age level.

Recommendations

Recommendation 1 - Establish policies for all pre-K programs. These policies would apply to community and public school programs, regardless of where they are housed. These policies would include, but are not limited to, licensing requirements relating to child-staff ratio, staff qualifications and standards for accreditation.
Recommendation 2 - Improve the quality of existing early childhood programs (within both the public schools and the early childhood community) through assessment of the programs and development of a strategic plan to help each program move to national accreditation.
Recommendation 3 - Establish an office charged with the responsibility of ensuring the utilization of quality educational programs. This office would maximize resources by providing policies, oversight, and inter-organization coordination for all early childhood programs.
Recommendation 4 - Promote universal participation in an early childhood education program for all families with three-and four-year olds.
Recommendation 5 - Require articulation and coordination among various agencies and organizations which provide early childhood and educational programs and family services.

Obstacles and Challenges to Implementation of Recommendations

In conducting its work, the Commission found several areas that presented potential obstacles and challenges to the implementation of an early childhood education program. These challenges and obstacles represent a bona fide opportunity for the District of Columbia to engage in genuine education reform.

Policies

Funding - Serious questions exists as to whether adequate funding would be available to promote, develop and implement an early childhood education program in the District. As currently structured, funding for public school education is done through a Uniform Per Student Funding Formula. Funding for early childhood programs is mostly done through the Office of Early Childhood Development with some financial assistance coming from the federal government through Head Start. Additional sources of funding would need to be identified and earmarked by the legislative and executive branches of government for the creation of an early childhood education program.
Facilities - The District of Columbia Public School System (DCPS) has not built a new school in over 20 years. And although DCPS has developed a Facility Master Plan that seeks to modernize existing schools, the plan does not include the creation of space compatible for the education of three-year-olds. Also, most community based early childcare programs currently lack the capacity to support the increased attendance that would inevitably result from the implementation of an early childhood education program.
Trained staff and programs for training staff - One of the best indicators of a high-quality early education program is the preparation of its early childhood educators receive. Many early childhood educators do not have undergraduate degrees in early childhood education or are not licensed to teach birth through kindergarten education. The National Research Council recommends that all young children be taught by a teacher with a bachelor's degree and specialized training in early childhood.
Inter-agency/organization coordination - The Department of Human Services' Office of Early Childhood Development, in conjunction with the Department of Parks and Recreation provides care to 1,100 preschool and school age children. Working in collaboration with the United Planning Organization to provide Head Start blended spaces (full day and full year), the Department of Parks and Recreation for an additional 100 preschool children. These programs are demonstrative of the type of inter-agency/organization coordination that would need to be created prior to implementing an early childhood education program, which would service the over 13,455three and four year olds who presently live in the District.
Teacher shortages due to low salary levels and inadequate benefits - Salary parity and inadequate benefit packages serve as major bars to attracting qualified teachers to the District of Columbia. These bars coupled with the particularized need for teachers with early childhood education experience and training serve to hamstring the District.

Strategies and Concerns for Each Recommendation

Recommendation 1- Establish policies for all pre-K programs. These policies would apply to community and public school programs, regardless of where they are housed.

1.Design a curriculum consistent with the principles outlined in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accreditation Standard and Head Start Performance Standards.

2.Provide equal access for all preschool children to age-appropriate education and child-care services.

3.Encourage, advise, and support collaboration between community based organizations and the District government in seeking local, federal, corporate, and foundation dollars to support joint ventures that initiate systemic changes that establish formal linkages to promote a successful early childhood education program that ensures quality.

Recommendation 2 - Improve the quality of existing early childhood programs (within both the public schools and early childhood community) through assessment of the programs and development of a strategic plan to help each program move to national accreditation.

1.Develop and implement criteria for certification of teachers in early childhood education.

2.Initiate a comprehensive, integrated, professional development program for all persons involved with the education of young children and their families. Provide a variety of scholarships for higher education and certified training programs to promote recruitment and retention of qualified early childhood staff.

3.Implement a comprehensive literacy program in all pre-kindergarten classes. Follow through and reinforce literacy skills in grades K-3, and provide a program to foster parent education and involvement.

4.Make visible the theories of language and learning used to develop the curriculum for three-year-olds (e.g. constructivist, critical literacy).

5.Ensure a close examination of whose interests are served by particular ideologies and curricula in order to ensure equitable access for underprivileged children.

6.Examine both scientific research and research done in the field by "real life" eachers in "real life" classrooms as part of the data used to develop a blueprint for schooling at age three.

7.Develop a process for evaluation that is ongoing and sustained over time, and matched to national standards for early childhood education practice (i.e. NAEYC).

8.Seek technical and other assistance from professional organizations that are currently working on literacy initiatives for early childhood education, such as NAEYC and NCTE.

9.Implement a pilot early childhood education program. Study and use such pilot as a model prior to putting in place city-wide early childhood education program.

10.Explore a means by which D.C. can capitalize on the success of the United States Military's child care services program, and learn from its experience in establishing model early childhood development programs.

Recommendation 3 - Establish an office charged with the responsibility of ensuring the utilization of quality educational programs. This office would maximize resources by providing policies, oversight, and inter-organization coordination for all early childhood education programs and early childhood programs.

1.Define a short-term and long-term plan that identifies resources to establish and sustain a level of quality that can be a model for the nation. Develop a strategic plan for the development and implementation of an education partnership program.

2.Clearly define a formalized partnership between the Office of Early Childhood Development and the DCPS that also includes charter programs. Mandate community involvement, such as in Head Start and licensed child development facilities, to help design linkages in moving forward to provide equal access to quality preschool and childcare services.

3.Design a funding mechanism to ensure equitable compensation and benefits for teachers working in early childhood programs (e.g., programs that are accredited and/or participating in the child care subsidy program are eligible to partner with the public schools and/or the District government health plan).

4.Identify and earmark money to support the development and program roll out.

5.Ensure that DCPS facility space is provided to house all early childhood education programs.

6.Implement mandatory screening of every three-and four- year-old living in the District of Columbia as well as providing necessary support services to ensure that all children are ready and eager to learn by the age of five years old.

7.Ensure that pre-K through 12 district-wide professional development activities and classroom practices are based on best practices that increase learning and testing outcomes for the population of students in the DCPS. This office should use local expertise to help identify these evidence-based activities and practices.

8.Facilitate the transitions of students across the major pre-K to 12th grade schooling transitions-- pre-K to K; 3rd grade to 4th grade; elementary to middle school and high school to beyond. This office should also establish guidelines and enact procedures to help with the adjustment of DCPS students who transfer into a school during the academic year.

Recommendation 4 - Promote universal participation in a quality early childhood education program for all families with three-and four-year olds.

1.Begin implementation with a pilot demonstration program using multiple delivery models to expand publicly funded programs for three-year-olds in a variety of settings.

2.Make schooling for three-year-olds universally accessible.

3.Provide a wide variety of programs including parent education programs, offered by a variety of organizations and agencies of varying types and duration so that all three-and four-year olds (and /or their parents) in the District of Columbia are encouraged to participate in some type of quality educational experience aimed at preparing children for successful transition into Kindergarten.

4.Support the development and implementation of a public awareness campaign to build public will to recognize the need to provide sufficient funding to maintain a high quality early childhood education and care programs.

Recommendation 5 - Require articulation and coordination among various agencies and organizations which provide early childhood and educational programs and family services.

1.Establish a small-scale program which targets three- year-old children in need and that fully utilizes and integrates public school, community early childhood, and Head Start programs in order to ensure quality seamless services.

2.Consider the impact of 10-month vs. 12-month schooling in light of existing practices in K-12 schools in DC and the effects of the academic year on the community in general. This is important on a practical level as well, as most parents do not have 10-month jobs.

3.Acknowledge the importance of public-private partnerships, and foster such efforts while recognizing that base funding for universal early childhood education is a government responsibility. Develop a fiscally stable and viable early care and education system which provides pay equity, sufficient resources to provide quality, fiscal linkages across government and non- governmental programs, and maximizes dollars.

4.Network with a variety of programs along with the early childhood community and the public schools to address a cross-section of needs that include but are not limited to medical support, social services, nutrition, the arts, and mental health.

5.Provide before- and after-school programs that are age-appropriate, meet the needs of the children, and address critical health and safety issues (e.g,. policies for drop-off and release).

6.Dedicate financial and other resources to the development and implementation of partnership between DCPS and community-based programs.

7.Seek federal, business, and community partnerships, both financial and resource-driven.

Conclusion

We hope that this report sets the stage for progress. The success of this bold initiative--rethinking the traditional education process--requires that we commit to the care and education of our young people. For far too long, governments have viewed early childhood education, along with most public social, health and educational services in isolation -- unable to connect and build nurturing partnerships across bureaucratic lines for the benefit of each child.

Here in the District of Columbia, we have an opportunity to change that reality. This can only occur if early childhood education becomes recognized as an essential ingredient to a solid public education. Bringing our educational system into line with the realities of child development holds the best hope for giving children the preparation for life in the 21st Century, regardless of their economic or social standing.

Millions of dollars are spent on remediation, compensatory education, security, special education, retaining students, summer school and incarcerating those who enter the juvenile justice system. Funding an early learning will cost District tax payers much less than funding the incarceration of so many of these children in later years.

Commission on Primary Education Reform Members

Bobbi Blok

Bobbi Blok has been the Executive Director of the Washington Child Development Council (WCDC) since 1978. Prior to working with WCDC, she was the Budget Analyst for the Council of the District of Columbia's Committee on Human Resources and was appointed by the Council to be the Special Assistant to the District of Columbia Council's Advisory Commission on Early Childhood Development Facilities.

Ms. Blok has worked with the child care community for over twenty-five years. She was a consultant to the World Bank for the development of a child care center for its employees. She was also honored to have been invited to participate in the White House Conference on Early Childhood and Brain Development.

Ms. Blok holds a B.A. degree with a major in Government Administration and a minor in Education.

A.Wade Boykin, Ph.D.

Mr. Boykin is a Professor and the Director of the Developmental Psychology Graduate Program in the Department of Psychology at Howard University. Since 1994, he has served as Co-Director of CRESPAR, the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk. CRESPAR's mission is to formulate, implement, research, evaluate and disseminate comprehensive school reform initiatives according to a Talent Development model of schooling.

Dr. Boykin has done extensive work in the area of research methodology, black child development, and interface of culture. He is the co-editor of the book Research Directions of Black Psychologists. He is currently completing a book entitled The Psychology of African Americans Experiences: An Integrity-Based Perspective.

Dr. Boykin's educational achievements include a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a degree in Psychology from Hampton University his undergraduate institution.

Ralph P. Davidson

Currently, Mr. Davidson serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American University in Bulgaria, a four year liberal arts institution granting B.A. degrees based on American curriculum taught in English primarily by American professors.

To his credit, Mr. Davidson is the retired Chairman of the Board of Time, Inc. and of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. His career with TIME, Inc. spanned 34 years ending in 1988 at which time he joined the Kennedy Center.

Born in Sante Fe, NM, Mr. Davidson attended secondary school in Los Angeles. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and in 1950 received a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University. He later studied and worked in Europe. From 1952 to 1954, he was with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

Throughout his career, Mr. Davidson has remained an avid supporter of education in all its stages.

Judy Gee

Ms. Gee is a District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) teacher. During her time with DCPS, she has served as school coordinator for the tutorial program, The World Navy Kids (Winner of the 100 Points of Light from President George Bush). She was instrumental in bringing the Boys & Girls Club to Merritt School, which was the first school in the District to house such a program.

Ms. Gee was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Rev. J. Howard Thompson and E. Ruth Thompson. Her family moved to several sections of the country as Rev. Thompson was called to serve in Arkansas, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Minnesota. She is married to Baxter W. Gee and they have one daughter who resides in Hyattsville, Md.

Ms. Gee received a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Bennett in 1960. She also received a Masters of Education from Howard University in 1973.

Linda Hillard Moody

Mrs. Moody is the President of the DC Parent Teachers Association. She is also the founder and current President of the Ward 8 Forum on Education.

Mrs. Moody's primary focus has been in developing ways to comprehensively assist children through values and training, exposure positive activities, travel, and promotion of parental involvement.

As a presenter at countless forums regarding Parent /Teacher Relations and Seminars on Education, Mrs. Moody often let her public service overrun her educational dreams for herself. As a wife, mother and grandmother, family was also high on her list of priorities. Mrs. Moody is currently enrolled at the University of the District of Columbia and seeking her Bachelor's in Business Management.

Jane E. Smith, Ed.D.

Ms. Smith is Chief Executive Officer for Business and Professional Women/USA, an eighty-two-year-old-organization with 40,000 members throughout the United States. In her role as CEO, Dr. Smith oversees the management of the organization's National Headquarters including the National Federation, Foundation, Political Action Committee, Scholarship Program and Business Woman Magazine. With the support of the National Staff and BPW's Leadership, Dr. Smith is responsible for moving the organization toward its mission of achieving equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and research.

Dr. Smith previously served as President and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women, the leading advocacy organization for African American women.

With a Doctorate of Education in Social Policy Analysis from Harvard University, a Masters in Sociology form Emory University, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Spelman College, and honorary doctorates from Spelman College and Texas College, Dr. Smith has always remained dedicated to educating the youth and young adults.

Leslie T. Thornton

At present, Ms. Thorton is a partner at Patton Boggs and currently oversees their Education practice group, which provides legal and strategic counsel to a wide variety of public and private clients who are involved in a number of emerging educational issues.

Before joining the firm, Ms. Thornton served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley. She also served as the Department's chief legal adviser on administrative appeals. In addition to Ms. Thorton's tremendous contributions to the Department of Education, she has written numerous political and policy articles appearing in major publications including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and the New York Times.

Ms. Thorton received her B.A from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Vivian Vasquez Ed.D.

At present, Dr. Vasquez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at American University. To her credit, Dr Vasquez was a participant in the White House Summit on Early Childhood Cognitive Development. She was invited by the First Lady Laura Bush to represent the National Council of Teachers of English at the Summit. Dr. Vasquez's co-authored article, Exploring Critical Literacy: You Can Hear a Pin Drop was selected for inclusion in "Trends and Issues in Elementary Language Arts 2000," a NCTE publication featuring trends and issues deemed vital to the professional conversation by NCTE membership at large.

Dr. Vasquez's has a Doctorate of Education from Indiana University, a Master of Arts in Literacy from Mount Saint Vincent University, and a B.A. from York University in Toronto, Canada.

Acknowledgements

Councilmember Chavous and the Commission Members would like to thank the following individuals for their assistance in support of the Commission's work:

President Benjamin Ladner, American University
Dean Lynn Fox, American University
Mark A. Huey, American University
Andrea Young, National Black Child Development Institute
Deputy Mayor Carolyn N. Graham
Barbara Ferguson Kamara, Office of Early Childhood and Development
Evelyn Moore, National Black Child Development Institute
Janene D. Jackson, Esq., Office of Councilmember Kevin P. Chavous
Kathy Etemad, Office of Councilmember Kevin P. Chavous
Arina Zonnenberg, American University
Maurice Sykes, University of the District of ColumbiaB Venus Brown, Business and Professional Women USA
Paula Pearlman, District of Columbia Board of Education