What Does Passage of the Student Success Act Mean for Early Childhood?

by Helen Shum | May 15, 2019 | Oregon Policy, Policy Trends, Successful Students

Education supporters across the state celebrated passage of the Student Success Act (HB 3427) on Monday. This historic investment of $2 billion promises to reinvigorate Oregon’s education system by funding a range of programs to boost student achievement and increase graduation rates. Governor Kate Brown is expected to sign the bill later this week.

Notably, 20 percent of the budget, or $400 million will fund early childhood programs and services — a clear recognition of the importance of starting early to close opportunity gaps and set kids on a path to success. According to a new report by the Center for American Progress, only California, Colorado, New Mexico and the District of Columbia have proposed new spending that commits more dollars per child for specific early learning investments for children under age 6.

HB 3427 Distributions & Expenditures (2020-2021)

HB 3427 will be funded via a 0.57 percent tax on businesses with more than a million dollars in Oregon sales. Businesses can also subtract 35 percent of either their capital or labor costs.

There is also a corresponding .25 percent cut to personal income tax rates to offset potential increased costs to consumers. An estimated 40,000 businesses in Oregon will be impacted by the new tax.

Click to View Full Document. Source: Oregon Legislature

Here are six key takeaways from the proposed budget for early childhood. Allocation figures represent the first year of the two-year budget cycle.

A Strong Start From Birth

$28.1 million of the early learning budget is directed to programs for infants and toddlers, an approach that may not seem directly tied to education but has been highly effective in improving longer-term outcomes. Every experience is a learning experience for young children, so programs like voluntary home visiting, Relief Nurseries, Early Head Start, and parenting education programs will help strengthen these important parent-child bonds.

Thousands More Kids Will Have Access to High Quality Preschool

$77.5 million per year — the largest portion of the early childhood portion of the budget — will add full-day slots and boost half-day to full-day slots for both Oregon PreKindergarten and Preschool Promise.

>Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Programming Will be Fully Funded

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$37.5 million per year is allocated to early intervention and early childhood special education programming. Full funding was one of the key recommendations by the Early Childhood Coalition. Oregon Department of Education data from 2018 showed that only three percent of children diagnosed with high needs and 14 percent of those with moderate needs received special education services at the recommended service levels. Only 34 percent of children enrolled in early intervention received services at the recommended service levels.

A Well-Qualified and Trained Workforce Will Help Improve, Expand Quality Programs

$12.5 million will go towards professional and workforce development for early childhood workers. Advocates were clear that plans to increase the number of programs and slots available must also be paired with strategies to support highly-trained staff to deliver them, a lesson learned from preschool expansion efforts in other states.

More Intentional Effort to Close Opportunity Gaps for Children of Color and Dual Language Learners

$10 million will create a new Early Learning Equity Fund to support culturally specific early learning, early childhood, and parent support programs. Children of color and dual language learners are the fastest growing population of children in the state.

What’s Next?

Despite broad bipartisan support for the specific investments funded, advocates may need to mobilize against a referral effort in 2020.

There's More Work to Do. Join us!

A Peek Inside Orchards Head Start

by Helen Shum | Apr 18, 2019 | Educators and Workforce, Preschool, Teacher Voice

Ask 3-year-old Gianna what her favorite thing about school is and she answers with her entire body. She springs up out of her chair—cheese sandwich still in hand—and punctuates her answer with two raised arms.

“Play!” she shouts.

What’s your second favorite?

“Clean up!” she answers with the same infectious enthusiasm.

She offers a third favorite without prompting. “Running away from monsters and big marshmallows!”

This is Gianna’s first year at Orchard’s Head Start and she is clearly having a blast.

A boy named Cooper is crisscrossing the room with a serious look on his face. He carries an old school telephone message notepad in hand—the kind with the bright pink pages and the heading, “While you were out.” Cooper scribbles purposefully on the page, tears it off and delivers the bad news:

“You got a ticket,” he says with stern authority. “For being loud!”

Gianna notices and does her best to catch Cooper’s attention as he makes his way towards her part of the room.

“I want a ticket!” she implores. “I’m being loud!”

Cooper issues two tickets to the grown up sitting beside her, ignoring Gianna’s voluntary confession. Unfazed, Gianna looks to the accused and offers to autograph the ticket. “I know how to write my name,” she says proudly.

At lunch time, the children pour their own milk and show off cucumber sandwiches they have created out of the simple ingredients laid out family-style at their tables. Afterwards, they put away their own dishes.

A little girl reminds her tablemates, “If you’re done, then you have to wait.”

Those who have never stepped into a Head Start or preschool classroom might be surprised to know that nearly all of the activities Gianna, Cooper, and their classmates enjoy at Head Start are part of an intentionally planned, high-quality, early learning experience.

Photos From the Orchards Head Start Classroom

As Teri Seaton, a Head Start teacher with Educational Opportunities for Children based in Vancouver, explained, today’s early educators are expected to have knowledge and understanding of early brain development, to work with children who may need accommodations due to disabilities, and to address the impacts of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) among other challenging family and home environments.

“People too often associate early learning with babysitting and it’s so much more than that,” said Seaton. “It’s something that takes professional development, education, good training and intention, and planning to do well. That’s a piece that gets lost sometimes.”

At Orchards, the children have great freedom to engage in self-directed learning. They are offered many opportunities to be self-sufficient and are supported in acquiring the social and emotional skills that will help them be successful in kindergarten and beyond. Alongside early literacy and numeracy skills, children in high-quality early learning settings are also developing fine and gross motor skills, practicing patience and turn-taking, and building positive relationships with teachers and peers.

As Gianna demonstrates with her energetic endorsement of both “play” and “clean up” there is very little distinction between work and play. The children of Orchards know how to integrate both and the result is a learning environment that is a joy to witness and be a part of.

Many thanks to the students, parents, and dedicated staff at Orchards Head Start and Educational Opportunities for Children and Families in Vancouver, Washington for inviting us to be a part of their day.

Preschool as a Political Winner

by Helen Shum | Mar 5, 2019 | Policy Trends, Federal Policy, Policy in Other States, Preschool, What We're Reading

State and local leaders across the country are becoming increasingly vocal about their support for early education, and universal preschool programs in particular.

That’s likely reflective of two major factors: broad nonpartisan voter support for increased public spending to expand access to early learning programming, and mounting evidence that those investments are cost-effective and connected to long-term academic gains and positive lifetime outcomes.

A recent study from Duke University found that North Carolina’s “More at Four” preschool program, launched in the early 2000s, has resulted in academic improvements that have continued through middle school, reduced the costs of special education, and narrowed achievement gaps due to race, income, and parent education levels. Other notable success stories in traditionally conservative states like Oklahoma, and Alabama have political leaders of all stripes taking notice.

“Over the last five years, we’ve really seen a sea change in the level of awareness and knowledge about about the importance of early childhood,” said Dana Hepper, Policy and Advocacy Director at Children’s Institute. “Lawmakers have a great opportunity to take that understanding to the next level. Expanding access to preschool is a key part of a comprehensive strategy to improve opportunity and outcomes for kids… We know that their constituents are absolutely ready and excited to see positive changes for Oregon.”

As initiatives like universal preschool enjoy more prominence on the political agenda, here’s a collection of stories that highlight recent successes and cautionary tales from across the country:

Julian Castro Promises ‘PreK for the U.S.A’. In Announcing Presidential Bid

Julian Castro, a Democratic nominee for president, highlighted his role in expanding preschool as mayor of San Antonio in his announcement speech. The city funded it partly through a sales tax approved by voters in 2012.

Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Corey Booker have also included universal preschool access in their education platforms.

Click to enlarge

De Blasio Finds Biggest Win in Pre-K but Also Lasting Consequences

In New York City, Mayor Bill De Blasio finds that his push for universal preschool is a bright spot in an education reform effort that has offered a mixed bag of results so far. The city is now expanding its program to include 3-year-olds.

Seattle Times Calls On Lawmakers to Invest More In Early Learning

The Seattle Times editorial board states it plainly, “One of the best investments the state can make in the economy and its citizens is money spent to educate Washington’s preschoolers. The Legislature should make funding high-quality early learning a top priority in this and every legislative session.” Governor Jay Inslee has proposed increasing access to preschool by 4,446 children in the next biennium, as part of a $174 million package of investments into early learning.

In Ohio, Republican Mike DeWine Backs Early Childhood, Wins Governor’s Race

Preschool’s bipartisan appeal was evident in Ohio as Republican Mike DeWine won the governorship with a platform that included lowering income eligibility levels for publicly-funded programming and improving program quality, with a goal of reaching 20,000 more children.

What California Can Learn from Universal Preschool in Other States

Advice to California on how to successfully implement universal preschool programming could just as easily serve as a roadmap for Oregonians seeking guidance on where other states and communities have succeeded and stumbled.

Early childhood advocates hope that the positive momentum and attention on universal preschool will help drive continued investments toward supporting a child’s earliest years. By the time children start kindergarten, gaps in literacy, math, and social emotional skills are already evident based on family income and racial background.

Resources

Learn more about our legislative recommendations and add your voice to advocate for early childhood.

Read our Policy Brief about Oregon’s Preschool Promise program, a high-quality, mixed-delivery approach that expands access to preschool for low income families.

Answers to Four Questions About Early Head Start

by Helen Shum | Feb 27, 2019 | Parents and Families, Oregon Policy, Program Evaluation

What is Early Head Start (EHS) and how is it different from Head Start?

Early Head Start serves expectant mothers and children from birth to age 2 in a variety of settings. It began as a federal program in 1994, almost thirty years after Head Start was launched to improve educational and life outcomes for low-income children ages 3–5.

The intentional two-generation approach of EHS focuses on supporting healthy parent/child relationships, child growth and development, and self-sufficiency. Eligibility for the program is mostly income-based, though children in foster care or the child welfare system may be enrolled regardless of family income.

What does Early Head Start look like in Oregon?

According to the Oregon Early Learning Division (ELD) there are 93 EHS sites across the state. These community-led programs include center-based services, home-based services and family child care services. Parents can choose one or a combination of options. For working families, EHS may serve as a child care option. Home visiting services, parent playgroups, and other meetings that encourage socialization are often a part of EHS.

The federal government funds about 2,000 EHS slots in Oregon and the state funds another 64 slots at a cost of $1.6 million annually.

However, the ELD estimates that the number of income-eligible children for this program is closer to 25,000, meaning that only 1 in 10 eligible children currently receive Early Head Start services.

What are the benefits to families and communities?

Large scale studies of EHS have shown a wide range of social-emotional and cognitive impacts for children who participate in Early Head Start, as well as improvements in parenting skills and home environments. The greatest benefits are attributed to children and families who receive higher levels of service.

In a recent study co-authored by Portland State University researcher, Beth Green, Early Head Start was linked to lower incidences of child abuse and supportive of other positive long-term stability outcomes.

How can we expand access to Early Head Start to more families?

Children’s Institute and other child and family advocates know that supporting families and children in their primary years make sense as a proactive strategy to support healthy development, and as a cost-effective measure that can save on later social service and educational expenditures down the road.

Notably, the Joint Committee on Student Success, a bi-partisan group of state lawmakers tasked to help improve Oregon’s public education system, has called for increased access to Early Head Start and other early childhood services in its policy recommendations to Governor Kate Brown. The committee estimates that adding an additional 1,000 slots to Early Head Start will cost an additional $25 million.

If you or someone you know has benefited from Early Head Start programming and would be open to sharing your story, we’d love to hear from you!

Share your story

Additional Resources

Early Head Start May Prevent Child Abuse

Joint Committee for Student Success Recommendations

Children’s Institute Legislative Recommendations

What’s the Connection Between Early Childhood and the Behavioral Crisis in Oregon’s Classrooms?

by Helen Shum | Feb 13, 2019 | Health and Development, Educators and Workforce, What We're Reading

Recent news reports and a report released this month from the Oregon Education Association reflect an increasingly pervasive and alarming trend in classrooms: Across the state and at all grade levels, educators, parents, and other child advocates are reporting that incidents of violent behaviors in classrooms are reaching crisis levels, severely compromising the ability of schools to educate children in safe and productive learning environments.

Some in Tears, Educators Say They’ve Reached a Breaking Point at Eugene School Board Meeting

In Eugene, teachers and community members packed a school board meeting in November to ask for more support to address an increase in violent student behaviors. A story by the Register Guard includes this ominous quote from Eugene Education Association president, Tad Shannon: “I don’t think that we’re going to survive the rest of the school year with the way things are now.”

Portland-area Teachers Report that Violent Behavior Has Them Fearing For Students’ and Their Own Safety

KGW-8 has aired an investigative piece that brought together eight Portland-area elementary teachers who spoke frankly about the need for more support to help students and staff respond to a growing number of serious behavioral incidents in their classrooms.

A Crisis of Disrupted Learning

This report from the the Oregon Education Association compiles feedback from 14 community forums across the state and an online survey of more than 1,200 educators representing a large majority of Oregon’s 197 school districts.

In addition to confirming that the issue is a problem in classrooms and districts all across the state, the OEA suggests recommended actions at the school, district, and state level. Legislators, they say, must find a way to adequately fund education if we are to meet our goals for student success.

The Early Learning Connection

Though a majority of recent reports on violence and other behavioral issues were in K–12 classrooms, it is important to note that the OEA’s recommendations indicate a need to support children prior to entering grade school.

Specifically, the OEA asks legislators to fully fund Oregon’s early intervention and early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) program and provide more access to high-quality, culturally responsive/appropriate preschool programs, along with full funding of special education at the K–12 level:

“Educators reported that when students had access to high-quality preschool and early education programs, they entered kindergarten more prepared in regards to their social and emotional health and their academics.”

In calling for more intervention and support in the early years before elementary school, the OEA’s findings reflect that of other early childhood experts and advocates, including Children’s Institute.

Resources

Learn more about our legislative recommendations and add your voice to advocate for early childhood.