Prekindergarten Early Start Grant

1. Prekindergarten Early Start Grant Tier 1

2. History • Prekindergarten Expansion Grant • Currently in Cycle 14 • Formula Grant • Based on number of students in original application • Same districts each year • Funding • Same $ each year. Usually only enough to fund other ½ day

3. Challenges • Compliance with Statute. • Funding structure out of balance. • Same $ each year even if growth or decline in enrollment. • Same districts each year.

4. Commissioner’s Rules • Forums across the state. • Input from stakeholders. • Developed rules. • Posted October 31, 2008. • Public comment until December 1, 2008. • new 19 TAC §102.1002, http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/home/coeprop.html.

5. Emphasis • Quality • A high quality early childhood education program is key to children’s school readiness and success. • Defined in the RFA • Partnerships • 2005, 79th Texas Legislature, SB 23 requires certain state agencies to: Coordinate early childhood services, Head Start, and after-school child care programs, and streamline funding, registration, and enrollment. • TEC §29.1533, p. 201: Before establishing a new prekindergarten program, a school district shall consider the possibility of sharing use of an existing Head Start or other childcare program site as a prekindergarten site.

6. Components of Rules • Eligibility • Funding • Non-Negotiable • Evaluation and Reporting

7. Eligibility • Almost ½ the districts in the state are eligible. • Three Tiers • Tier 1 • Tier 2 • Tier 3

8. Tier 1 • Did not receive Cycle 14 Prekindergarten Expansion Grant. • The average of the last three consecutive years of grade 3 TAKS scores in either reading or math must be below the state average.

9. Tier 2 • Received Cycle 14 Prekindergarten Expansion Grant. • Average of last three consecutive years of grade 3 TAKS scores ABOVE the state average.

10. Tier 3 • Received Cycle 14 Prekindergarten Expansion Grant. • Average of last three consecutive years of grade 3 TAKS scores BELOW the state average

11. Funding • Each has a maximum and a minimum dollar amount. • Funding has been set aside for each tier. • All dollar amounts are approximate at this time.

12. Tier 1 • Competitive • By statute, this tier will receive the largest percentage of the funds. • Approximately $31.5 million. • 5 years. • Calculated at $900 per student. • If all eligible districts applied, could fund 55-60%.

13. Tier 2 • More like a formula grant. • Approximately $30.7 million. • 3 years. • If all eligible districts applied, all can be funded.

14. Tier 3 • Competitive • Approximately $21.3 million. • 2 years. • If all eligible districts applied, 55-60% could be funded.

15. Non-Negotiable • Applies to all Tiers. • There are some exceptions. • Includes: • Implement proven school readiness components. • Participate in School Readiness Certification System. • Develop and implement a School Readiness Integration Plan. • Develop strategies to sustain program.

16. School Readiness Components • High quality, developmentally appropriate, and rigorous curriculum. • Continuous monitoring of student progress in the classroom. • Professional development, including mentoring. • Not stated but required by NCLB, certified teacher.

17. Curriculum • Prekindergarten Guidelines • http://www.tea.state.tx.us/ed_init/pkguidelines/index.html • Approved List • http://www.tea.state.tx.us/textbooks/materials/bulletin/programs.pdf

18. Monitoring Student Progress • Commercial programs available such as mClass: CIRCLE. • Used in TEEM • District Developed system. • Should be guidelines in the RFA.

19. Professional Development • Ongoing, planned professional development. • Includes ongoing mentoring. • Can be a shared service arrangement. • TEEM • eCIRCLE Professional Development • Mentoring

20. TEEM • Texas Early Education Model • Developed by C.I.R.C.L.E. • A proven model for delivering quality pre-k education • Consists of: • Research-based curriculum • Teacher administered progress monitoring • High-quality teacher training with mentoring

21. SCECD--Who • Governor Perry named CIRCLE the State Center for Early Childhood Development • CIRCLE – Center for Improving the Readiness of Children for Learning and Education • University of Texas Medical School Houston, Texas • Department of Developmental Pediatrics • Dr. Susan Landry Ph.D., Director CIRCLE is now part of the Children's Learning Institute. www.ChildrensLearningInstitute.org

22. SCECD--What • State Center for Early Childhood Development. • charged by the 78th Texas Legislature to study the integration of early care and early education services for preschool children among public state pre-kindergarten, Head Start and licensed child care programs.

23. SCECD--Role • Should be outlined in the RFA. • Provide TEEM components to those districts awarded PKES.

24. TEEM--Curriculum TEA or SCECD Approved • DLM Express • Leap Frog • Let’s Begin • Rigby-Pebble Soup • Saxon • Scholastic • We Can! • Doors to Discovery (CIRCLE approved) • LEAP (CIRCLE approved))

25. Other materials

26. Other materials

27. TEEM—Progress Monitoring

28. TEEM—Progress Monitoring • Administer at three scheduled assessment windows across the academic year: • Beginning, Middle, and End • Use reports generated from assessment data to: • Obtain a class summary of all assessments • Obtain individual student summaries of assessments • Group children for specific activities and interventions • Use recommended small group activities

29. TEEM—Professional Development • Two day CIRCLE Language and Literacy training • One day Handheld training for use in gathering children’s assessments • Ongoing Mentoring • eCIRCLE Professional Development

30. TEEM—Professional Development • Nine online courses developed by CIRCLE • Twenty 2 hour face to face meetings • Regularly scheduled (4 consecutive face to face meetings followed by meetings every other week) • Held throughout the school year • Classes for Target 1 and Target 2 teachers • Conducted by the Project Coordinators, Facilitators and/or Mentors • Held in a computer lab setting

31. TEEM--Mentoring • Modeling instruction • Side by side coaching • Observation of instruction • Instructional planning and implementation • Reflective follow-up conference • Room arrangement support

32. TEEM—Mentoring • Target 1 teachers will receive 4 hours of in-class mentoring. • Target 2 teachers will receive 2 hours of in-class mentoring. • Target 3 teachers will receive 1 hour of in-class mentoring.

33. Prekindergarten Early Start Grant • Tier 3 • Required to participate in TEEM with SCECD. • Tier 1 • May choose to participate in TEEM with SCECD. • May describe, in depth, alternate model that meets requirements of the RFA.

34. School Readiness Certification System • Will not need to use grant funds for participating. • Non-TPRI/Tejas Lee Districts are exempt from this requirement.

35. SRC—What • Voluntary web-based application that looks at early childhood education program and instructional approaches in preschool, and reading and social functioning of children in kindergarten. • Texas licensed child care, school district prekindergarten, and Head Start programs participate in the system.

36. SRC--Purpose • Identify quality early childhood programs. • Determine if early childhood education programs are getting children school ready • Socially • Emotionally • Cognitively

37. SRC Components • Manage My School--One time set-up • Manage My Students--Record attendance of students • Facility Report--One time school report • Teacher Self-Report--One time • Kindergarten assessment—TPRI/Tejas Lee

38. School Readiness Integration Plan Key principles of SRI Model: • Coordination of Prekindergarten, Head Start, and Child Care programs; • Prepare all children to enter kindergarten on or above grade level and keep them on grade level in kindergarten and beyond; and • Develop and implement an SRI model that is community-based and individualized to best serve each community effectively and efficiently

39. SRI—Who

40. SRI--How • Partner with Head Start and/or Child Care. • ISD provides a certified teacher in the H.S. or C.C. classroom for ½ day. • ISD counts eligible students on ADA. • Head Start covers other ½ day to provide students a full day. • Child Care provides wrap around care. • Can be at the ISD or at the HS or CC.

41. SRI--Exemption • If absolutely nothing is available. • Must document efforts to find partners.

42. SRI • Can be a shared service arrangement. • High priority • High scoring in grant. • Final plan and MOU due September 1.

43. SRI—Possible Partners • Head Start • Brazos Valley CAA • GET-CAP • Alabama-Coushatta • Hill Country CAA • http://cli.uth.tmc.edu/our-programs/program-overview/TX-head-start/thssco-map/map.htm • Child Care • Texas Workforce Commission • DFPS website- http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Care/Search_Texas_Child_Care/CCLNET/Source/CPA/ppSearchTXChildCare2.aspx • ESCs can help find and establish these relationships.

44. Sustainability • How to continue program when grant is no longer available. • Tier 1—5 years • Tier 2—3 years • Tier 3—2 years

45. Expenditures • Outlined in RFA • Related to continuation of full-day program. • Personnel. • Curriculum. • Equipment. • Costs associated with developing plans and entering into integrated school readiness partnerships. • Training. • Indirect costs.

46. Evaluation • Yearly • SRCS • Outlined in RFA

47. Application • Traditional paper method. • Download, complete and submit to the Division of Discretionary Grants. • Mailed, hand-delivered or sent by courier. • Must be received by the established deadline time and date.

48. Timeline • December 12—Release of RFA • Tier 1 due February 10, 2009 • Tier 2 and 3 due February 3, 2009 • http://burleson.tea.state.tx.us/GrantOpportunities/forms/GrantProgramSearch.aspx • March, 2009—Awards announced. • September 1, 2009—Final SRI plan and MOU due

49. Shared Service Arrangements • Please let me know today if you are interested in this possibility. • Tammy Walker • twalker@esc6.net • 936-435-8360

50. "Many things we need can wait. The child cannot. Now is the time his bones are formed, his mind developed. To him we cannot say tomorrow, his name is today." — Gabriela Mistral