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Making Oregon the best place to be a kid.
Webinar: Insights From Oregon’s District-Run Preschools

Webinar: Insights From Oregon’s District-Run Preschools

by | Nov 24, 2025 | Educators and Workforce, News, Preschool, Preschool Landscape

Webinar: Insights From Oregon’s District-Run Preschools

Ten years after our first statewide preschool survey, the 2025 Preschool Landscape Survey reveals important trends in Oregon’s district-run programs. While many districts have offered preschool for years, most operate on a small scale and struggle to meet growing demand. The findings point to critical areas for investment such as funding, workforce development, and stronger data partnerships, to build a more equitable and sustainable early learning system for Oregon’s children.

Take a closer look at the findings in our recorded webinar and stay tuned for the full report, coming in December. 

Click here to view slide deck

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Cornelius Elementary’s Early School Success

Cornelius Elementary’s Early School Success

by | Oct 2, 2024 | 3rd Grade Reading, Dual Language Learners, Parents and Families, School Readiness, Successful Students, Early School Success

With the hint of an autumn chill in the air, Cornelius Elementary School and Children’s Institute kicked off a Learning Tour on October 1, eager to showcase how their partnership is strengthening early learning for children and enhancing teaching practices for educators in Forest Grove, OR.  

The Learning Tour was a unique opportunity for Oregon policymakers, school district administrators, funders, and state agencies to see firsthand how Children’s Institute’s Early School Sucess initiative collaborates with school communities. 

Attendees began to stream in just ahead of the event’s start time, finding themselves in an inviting space as they huddled together in the school’s library. 

Kali Thorne Ladd, CEO of Children’s Institute, opened the tour with an inspiring message and commitment to collaboration with the early childhood and K-12 education systems, and state agencies.  

 “We want to be that middle of the wheel that helps move things forward,” she said. “We are proudly a statewide organization, and we take that very seriously to ensure that both urban and rural communities have access to the supports and resources they need to thrive.” 

Expanding Preschool through Early School Success 

In 2015, Children’s Institute worked with early childhood partners and advocates to develop and successfully pass legislation for Preschool Promise. In the years following, Children’s Institute developed the Early School Success initiative, which launched in 2019 with a focus on supporting preschool expansion in school districts across Oregon.

Preschool Promise is a mixed delivery program, meaning that community-based organizations, family care providers, and school districts can offer Preschool Promise to families at 200 percent or below the Federal Poverty Level. School districts provide 33 percent of Preschool Promise programs, making them the largest provider of the state’s publicly funded preschool, outside of Head Start.  

Children’s Institute’s ESS model helps school districts build quality preschool programming and align their preschool programs to the early grades, through grade 5. Forest Grove was one of the first school districts to receive an ESS grant. Since partnering with Children’s Institute, the district has doubled its preschool classrooms.

Bilingual Biliteracy Focus 

Cornelius Elementary is a dual language school, where all students learn in both Spanish and English. The school has embraced a biliteracy approach starting in preschool, with a focus on native language literacy and gradually introducing a second language. This ensures that students develop literacy skills in both languages.  

Data collected by the school in 2023-2024 shows significant growth in both math and literacy among students, demonstrating how biliteracy reinforces children’s strengths and promotes academic success. 

Hover over image and click arrows to see literacy and math data.

An Inside Look at Cornelius Elementary  

With a guide, small groups of attendees ventured through the halls to see the preschool and elementary grade classrooms in action. Curious eyes investigated as new faces entered the room. But mostly, children were deeply engaged in learning.

As the classroom tours concluded, groups reconnected in the library for lunch and were joined by 4th and 5th graders excited to share about themselves and their school. 

Progress on Early Education 

The Learning Tour at Cornelius Elementary provided a comprehensive look at how Children’s Institute is helping to make progress in Oregon’s early education system, reinforcing the need for continued support and investment in early childhood education to ensure that all children in Oregon have the love, care, and education they need to thrive. 

It also demonstrated how ESS is working with school communities to strengthen classroom practices, align and improve instruction, support joyful learning environments and family engagement, and shift funding to prioritize the foundational early years of a child’s life.

Special Thanks

We want to extend gratitude to Cornelius Elementary School staff for hosting this event with us and being a stellar ESS partner. We also want to thank everyone in the room who joined the Learning Tour, including Forest Grove Superintendent, Dr. Suzanne West; Oregon State representatives and elected officials; folks from the Oregon Department of Education, and Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care; funders, and other esteemed colleagues. Thank you for your dedication to making sure Oregon kids have quality early learning and care, and educators have the support they need.  

Children’s Institute Launches Early Literacy Resources

Children’s Institute Launches Early Literacy Resources

by | Mar 7, 2024 | News, Preschool

We know that a child’s earliest experiences set the foundation for all future learning and that 90 percent of brain development happens before age 5. When young children develop language skills and learn to read, they are better equipped to engage in learning and become empowered to learn.

Recently, Children’s Institute partnered with the Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest (REL NW) to collect existing, readily accessible resources on evidence-based literacy practices for children ages birth through grade 3.

We are excited to share this compilation of resources with families and caregivers, early childhood educators and practitioners, and policymakers who want to support young children in developing the literacy and language skills they need to thrive.

For questions or help navigating these resources, please contact Marina Merrill, director of research and strategy, at marina@childinst.org. 

 

State Partners Celebrate Early Childhood Inclusion

State Partners Celebrate Early Childhood Inclusion

by | Feb 23, 2024 | Preschool, Educators and Workforce, Parents and Families

Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion (OECI) partners convened at Oregon State University for an annual celebration of statewide work to bring high‐quality, inclusive preschool policies and practices to all levels of Oregon’s early care and education system.

The OECI celebration is a culmination of decades of dedication from people engaging in early childhood inclusion work from many perspectives including at the provider level, at the community level, and in school districts and classrooms.

Families, early learning and care providers, and special education practitioners have said that supporting children aged birth-to-five experiencing disability is a core equity priority in Oregon.

 

 

To address this, multiple organizations, state agencies, family advocacy networks and policy change makers have come together as part of the Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion Initiative to develop a state team that helps to guide implementation across communities and elevate the voices of the people they serve.

“It looks at the core needs of children, families, providers and educators, and it brings us together under a comprehensive framework at every level of the system, so that we’re all working and walking in the same direction toward belonging, towards wellness, towards true access and meaningful participation,” said Meredith Villines, early childhood coherent strategies specialist at the Oregon Department of Education.

The initiative is also an important step in Oregon’s plan to eliminate suspension and expulsion practices in preschool by providing educators with tools and support, including coaching and professional learning, to support children with higher needs.

“It has been wonderful to attend this celebration and hear from teams who are using these strategies to build inclusive classrooms in their communities,” said Marina Merrill, director of research and strategy at Children’s Institute.

 

Merrill sits on the OECI state leadership team. She says that high-quality preschool education is powerful for young children’s learning and development, but that conversations about equitable and inclusive preschool are overdue and OECI is working to change that.

“The Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion Initiative is working to remove the barriers at all levels of the early education system to ensure that children with disabilities can access and fully experience high-quality preschool education in the same classrooms as their typically developing peers,” said Merrill. “I look forward to continuing to work with the OECI state leadership team to expand this work to more communities across Oregon.”

Inclusive Early Education for All Children

Inclusive Early Education for All Children

by | Feb 16, 2024 | Podcast

Summary

In this episode of The Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto sits down with Liane Chappell, at the Hillsboro Early Childhood Center in Hillsboro, Oregon, to talk about Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. Chappell is the principal at the Early Childhood Center, located at the Northwest Regional Education Service District (NWRESD).  

The goal of the Early Childhood Center is to serve kids who have delays and disabilities, and to help them make progress in the areas where they need support. Notably, their aim is to serve every child in an inclusive, natural environment – whether that’s at home, in the classroom, or running errands with their family.  

“I’ve always had a passion for inclusion and for wanting to see kids with disabilities be a part of their community like every other kid,” said Chappell. “That’s what has driven me throughout my time at NWRESD and even prior to that in early childhood. I’m working to see every kid be included and get the opportunities that they deserve.” 

We think you’ll want to hear the rest of Liane’s story. Listen now! 

 

More about The Early Link Podcast

The Early Link Podcast highlights national, regional, and local voices working in early childhood education and the nonprofit sector. The podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Rafael Otto, Children’s Institute’s director of communications.

Listen to more Early Link Podcast