eNotes
July 14, 2017In this Issue:
- Building Early Childhood Education into ESSA School Improvement Plans Source: Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) and New America
- Early Childhood Special Education and ESSA: A Great Opportunity for All Source: Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) and New America
- The Business Case for High-Quality Childcare Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
- 2017 Home Visiting Yearbook Source: National Home Visiting Resource Center
- Developing a Statewide Network of Infant/Toddler Specialists Source: Office of Child Care (OCC)
- Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) 2016-2018 Plans: Activities to Improve Services for Infants and Toddlers Source: Office of Child Care (OCC)
- Strengthening Infant/Toddler Child Care System Policies and Practices Source: Office of Child Care (OCC)
- New Supplement on Fragile X Syndrome Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
1. Building Early Childhood Education into ESSA School Improvement Plans
In blog #10 of the Early Ed in ESSA: Helping Every Child Succeed blog series (June 2017), CEELO and New America offer states practical tips for embedding early learning in their ESSA plans. A few examples are below:
- Incorporate early childhood instructional indicators in accountability systems.
- Embed the state's priorities into the 7 percent set-aside for school improvement activities and the 3 percent set-aside for Direct Student Services.
- Incorporate early childhood indicators into school report cards.
2. Early Childhood Special Education and ESSA: A Great Opportunity for All
According to the latest Early Ed in ESSA: Helping Every Child Succeed blog (July 2017), DaSy and ECTA, both national technical assistance centers, encourage states to make the inclusion of children with disabilities a priority, as part of their efforts to improve early learning programs. "Planning for the inclusion of young children with disabilities in new or expanded early learning programs offers local education agencies the additional benefit of supporting their efforts under IDEA."
3. The Business Case for High-Quality Childcare
According to this recent report (June 2017) from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Center for Education and Workforce, promoting a strong workforce today that delivers high-quality childcare "provides a powerful two-generation approach to building the human capital that a prosperous and sustainable America requires." On pages 25-26, the report discusses 10 things that business communities can do to improve the childcare industry and advance access to high-quality childcare.
4. 2017 Home Visiting Yearbook
The National Home Visiting Resource Center has recently published its 2017 Home Visiting Yearbook, an exhaustive resource of key data on early childhood home visiting, a service delivery strategy proven to help children and their families thrive. The resource includes a historical timeline, a sample of evidence-based models, funding information, and state profiles.
5. Developing a Statewide Network of Infant/Toddler Specialists
This revised guide (April 2017) from the OCC provides states with a step-by-step approach to creating an infant/toddler specialist network, and explores the importance of linking the network to other programs and consultants for supporting quality early care.
6. Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) 2016-2018 Plans: Activities to Improve Services for Infants and Toddlers
The Office of Child Care's State Capacity Building Center (SCBC) published a resource earlier this year (February 2017) to provide a snapshot of some of the ways that states' and territories' Child Care and Development Fund 2016-2018 Plans reported infant/toddler quality efforts and initiatives. These examples were extracted from the approved 2016-2018 CCDF Plans published June 16, 2016 from the OCC. States and territories can use this document to identify strengths and opportunities for improving infant/toddler child care and review other state and territory approaches to using their infant/toddler set-aside funds.
7. Strengthening Infant/Toddler Child Care System Policies and Practices
The Office of Child Care's State Capacity Building Center (SCBC) published this compilation of policy indicators (April 2017) to support child care leaders and infant/toddler stakeholders state-wide as they assess, implement, and evaluate state policies to strengthen the quality of child care services. Checklist forms and additional resources are provided.
8. New Supplement on Fragile X Syndrome
A supplement to the June 2017 issue of Pediatrics summarizes the current state of children living with fragile X syndrome and calls for earlier identification of fragile X syndrome using genetic testing. The fragile X syndrome supplement is available online. Additional resources, and a handout for families, are also available.