Your Role in Supporting School Readiness

1. Your Role in Supporting School Readiness HCPSS Summer Institute June 2010

2. HCPSS Focus • Eliminating achievement gaps • Addressing needs of all children • Differentiation/student engagement • Reducing drop-out rate, increasing test scores at all schools- for all student groups This all starts with us!

3. Our Wish For You We hope that by the time you leave us today, you: • Strongly believe that pre-kindergarten experiences are important and affect long-term success (and are especially crucial for students receiving FARMS and other at-risk students). • Are aware that there is a responsibility to support incoming families and community and have some ideas for how to do that. • Are aware of the need for consistency across the county and know how to help ensure we reach it. • Understand the importance of MMSR. • Are curious about Learning Parties and may consider pursuing this initiative. • Decide to reach out to your PTA and/or staff to create a subcommittee to support incoming kindergarten families.

4. School Community Readiness Child & Family A Comprehensive Approach

5. Learning Starts at Birth

6. Teaching Parents to Be Their Child’s First Teacher

7. Program Effectiveness: Growth in Enrollment

8. Program Effectiveness: MMSR/Kindergarten: Composite Scores

9. Program Effectiveness: MMSR/Kindergarten: Student Groups

10. Transitions Supported by HCPSS • High School College • Middle School High School • Elementary Middle • RECC Preschool Kindergarten and/or Home School …

11. But Wait…! What about our youngest learners? Ready schools, ready communities, and ready families are what we need- in order to have children who are ready to be successful in school.

12. Research Says… “Stable, safe relationships and rich learning experiences are key to brain development.” (Jack P. Shonkoff, Harvard pediatrician, Jan.16, 2008) “It is important to help smooth transitions for all children, but especially for those with risk factors that could cause lack of success in school!

13. Research Says… “Preparing students for school is a community affair, one that schools cannot achieve without stakeholders invested in the learning of young children.” (Successful Kindergarten Transition (2003), Robert Pianta and Marcia Kraft-Sayre)

14. Research Says… To be successful: • Children need tools to handle change, along with multiple activities that familiarize them with their local school and kindergarten expectations… • Parents need understandable information on the importance of school readiness, developmentally appropriate activities that foster early learning, the transition process, and registration requirements… • Schools need articulation information for each student, parental involvement and communication, pathways for referral to service organizations (when needed) and standard procedures that clarify processes…

15. Research Says… • A national survey of 3000+ kindergarten teachers found that teachers report that 48% of children have moderate or severe problems with transitions… • This critical time in a child’s life is often related to a child’s later success in school. (Pianta & Cox, 1998; Logue & Love, 1992; Kagan, 1992; Ramey & Ramey, 1994)

16. Following directions………..__% Academic skills……………….__% Home environment…….__% Working independently….__% Working in a group………………__% Immaturity……….__% Communicating…__% Research Says… Percentage of teachers who say half or more of their students enter kindergarten with needs in the following areas:

17. Following directions………..46% Academic skills……………….36% Home environment…….35% Working independently….34% Working in a group………………30% Immaturity……….20% Communicating…14% Research Says… Percentage of teachers who say half or more of their students enter kindergarten with needs in the following areas:

18. Research Says… Typical Transition Practices: Letter to parents near or after start of school A review of the child’s records, when available Open House/Orientation near or after start of school A flier or brochure given out at registration Talking with parents after school starts What’s wrong with these?

19. THUS…The Transition Work Group • Community partners who care wanted to tackle this issue; hot topic nationally • Childcare centers feed to so many different elementary schools- all 40 are doing different things • Hearing inconsistent messages across county/state/nation (i.e., what’s out there for parents and providers?) • K teachers would benefit from knowing more about their students

20. Work Group Goal Enhance each Howard County child’s opportunity for school success. Objective Establish a smooth passage for kindergarten transition for young children coming directly from the home setting and/or from an early care and education setting.

21. Work Group Members* and/or Partners

22. What’s Been Accomplished So Far?

23. What’s Been Accomplished So Far? (Projected) Timeline 2007-2008 Formation of work group, creation of resources 2008-2009 Laying the groundwork; pilot programs 2009-2010 Readying elementary schools 2010-2011 Year 1 implementation 2011-2012 Year 2 implementation

24. Small Group Discussions/Jigsaw Count off by 3’s! You will become an ‘expert’ on your topic (Topic 1, 2, or 3) and then take that information back to your home group to share.

25. Small Group Discussions/Jigsaw • 1’s to Marketing/Outreach • 2’s to Events • 3’s to Articulation/Communication Our goal for you during this time is to leave with an understanding of what others are doing, how what you’re already doing fits into this initiative, and the ‘possibilities’ that exist for the future…

26. Back to Home Team! Talk with your home team about what you learned from your expert group. Any questions? New ideas? I’m Ready!

27. Any questions? THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO! Office of Early Childhood Programs: Lisa J. Davis, Coordinator Kym Nwosu, Resource Teacher Lauren Tillman, Resource Teacher