eNotes
March 3, 2017In this Issue:
- Request for Information on Pediatric Alternative Payment Model Opportunities Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - February 28, 2017
- Unlocking ESSA's Potential to Support Early Learning Source: New America and the BUILD Initiative - March 2, 2017
- Uses and Misuses of Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Results Source: Ounce of Prevention Fund - February 22, 2017
- Parent Engagement Practices Improve Outcomes for Preschool Children Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - February 2017
- Power to the Profession Invites Feedback from the Field Source: National Association for the Education of Young Children - February 28, 2017
- Supporting the Use of Administrative Data in Early Care and Education Research Source: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation - February 2017
1. Request for Information on Pediatric Alternative Payment Model Opportunities
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input on approaches to improve pediatric care - specifically on approaches to improve the quality and reduce the cost of care for children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CMS is also exploring concepts that encourage pediatric providers to collaborate with health-related social service providers at the state, tribal, and local levels and share accountability for health outcomes for children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. See a related blog post here.
CMS invites stakeholders to submit comments and questions via email to HealthyChildrenandYouth@cms.hhs.gov by 11:59 PM on March 28th, 2017. For more information about the RFI, visit the CMS Innovation Center website. Download the RFI in PDF form here.
2. Unlocking ESSA's Potential to Support Early Learning
In December 2015, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was reauthorized by Congress as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, P.L. 114-95) and states are currently in the process of preparing to submit their ESSA plans for approval. A new paper, Unlocking ESSA's Potential to Support Early Learning (March 2017), provides an introduction to the ESSA and explores major provisions that expand early learning opportunities, bring new attention to children's earliest years, and have implications for the early learning system.
3. Uses and Misuses of Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Results
The use of kindergarten readiness assessments (KRAs) that measure where children are developmentally as they transition into kindergarten has increased across the country in recent years. A new paper from the Ounce of Prevention Fund, Uses and Misuses of Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Results (February 2017), explains what kindergarten readiness is, why it is important, how it is assessed, both the beneficial and inappropriate uses of kindergarten readiness assessments, and why states should not use kindergarten readiness assessment results as part of an accountability system for individuals - children, early learning providers, or teachers.
4. Parent Engagement Practices Improve Outcomes for Preschool Children
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has compiled a collection of resources on supporting children's social and emotional development to help them lead healthy and successful lives. Social and emotional learning (SEL) provides a foundation for healthy development, helping children to develop the skills they need to engage with others, manage their emotions, show empathy, handle stress, set goals, make responsible decisions, and succeed later in work and in life. The most recent brief in the collection looks at Parent Engagement Practices Improve Outcomes for Preschool Children (February 2017)
5. Power to the Profession Invites Feedback from the Field
On January 17 2017, more than 60 early childhood education leaders gathered at the national headquarters of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) to formally commence NAEYC's Power to the Profession initiative, which is designed to result in a unified framework to define the early childhood education profession. The first working draft for Power to the Profession - Decision Cycle 1: Identity and Boundary is now open for public comment. NAEYC is using SurveyMonkey to collect feedback from the field. You can see the survey here. The deadline to respond is March 13, 2017.
6. Supporting the Use of Administrative Data in Early Care and Education Research
Three new resources on Supporting the Use of Administrative Data in Early Care and Education Research (February 2017), provide information that is meant to help state and territory child care administrators and their research partners use administrative data to address policy-relevant early care and education research questions. They include:
- Developing Collaborative Partnerships with State Agencies to Strengthen Research Using Early Care and Education Administrative Data (OPRE Research Brief # 2017-16)
- Determining the Feasibility of Using State Early Care and Education Administrative Data (OPRE Research Brief # 2017-170)
- Considerations in Preparing to Analyze Administrative Data to Address Child Care and Early Education Research Questions (OPRE Research Brief # 2017-18)