Brain Builders Video
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQTfmnYB7I0
Pathway to Children Ready for
School & Succeeding in the
Third Grade
Exemplary Practices in
Educational Leadership Conference
Brain Builders – First Five Years Fund
“Every child-adult
interaction matters for
young children.”
How Can We Support the Path to 3rd Grade
Reading?
3rd Grade
Birth
Brain Research
Social
Emotional
Cognition
Language
Research is Telling Us
Vital Connection
Nurturing and
Responsive
Relationships
Interactive
Language
LANGUAGE
IS THE FOUNDATION OF
LITERACY
Research is Telling Us
WARM, RESPONSIVE
INTERACTIVE
LANGUAGE IS THE FOUNDATION OF
LITERACY
Hart and Risely (1995)
Hart & Risely conducted a longitudinal study of
children and families from three groups:
•
•
•
Professional families
Working-class families
Families on welfare
Cumulative Language Experiences
Cumulative Words Spoken to Child
(in millions)
50
40
30
Professional
Working
20
Welfare
10
0
0
12
24
Age of child
(in months)
36
48
How do we help children
and families address this
inequity?
The Research is Telling Us?
Every
Year
Matters
The Research is Telling Us?
In human
development, the
successful
completion of each
stage enables us to
move on to the next.
The Research is Telling Us?
We need to improve
the learning
opportunities at each
stage, starting with
babies.
We worry about what a
child will be tomorrow,
yet we forget that he is
someone today.
--Stacia Tauscher
What Are the Pieces of Wisdom Telling
The Research is Telling Us?
Us?
We need to create
better connections
between each stage to
support continuity of
learning and
0-3
development for
each child.
5-8
3-5
What Are the Pieces of Wisdom Telling
The Research is Telling Us?
Us?
There is increasing
recognition that Third
Grade is a crucial turning
point in educational
trajectories.
Different Names --- Common Goals
Telling Us?
Preschool – 3rd
P-3
Birth – 3rd
B-3
The Research is Telling Us?
Increase access to high quality, comprehensive
services at each age level.
Birth
To
Three
Three
To
Five
K
To
3rd Grade
The Research is Telling Us?
Increase collaboration and continuity of
services across the age levels
Birth
To
Three
Three
To
Five
BIRTH TO 3RD
K
To
3rd Grade
Challenging Steps for B3 Progress
• Improve quality of instruction across 0-8
programs through continuity of
services, workforce development, and
increased family and community
involvement.
• Improve quality of instruction across 0-8 programs through
continuity of services, workforce development, and increased
family and community involvement.
• Work towards an aligned and seamless
system of learning standards,
outcomes, curriculum, assessment, and
support for children from birth through
third grade.
• Improve quality of instruction across 0-8 programs through
continuity of services, workforce development, and increased
family and community involvement.
• Work towards an aligned and seamless system of learning
standards, outcomes, curriculum, assessment, and support for
children from birth through third grade.
• Create effective data systems that
provide timely information about
student learning and inform teachers
and caregivers along the 0-8 continuum.
• Improve quality of instruction across 0-8 programs through
continuity of services, workforce development, and increased
family and community involvement.
• Work towards an aligned and seamless system of learning
standards, outcomes, curriculum, assessment, and support for
children from birth through third grade.
• Create effective data systems that provide timely information
about student learning and inform teachers and caregivers
along the 0-8 continuum.
• Increase access and opportunity for
support and intervention for children
with the greatest needs.
• Improve quality of instruction across 0-8 programs through
continuity of services, workforce development, and
increased family and community involvement.
• Work towards an aligned and seamless system of learning
standards, outcomes, curriculum, assessment, and support
for children from birth through third grade.
• Create effective data systems that provide timely
information about student learning and inform teachers and
caregivers along the 0-8 continuum.
• Increase access and opportunity for support and intervention
for children with the greatest needs.
Partner with Parents: The Best Advocates
for Quality and Continuity
They see their children
as they are today…
And tomorrow…
And tomorrow…
What the best and
wisest parent wants
for his own child,
that must be what
the community
wants for all its
children.
John Dewey
Why third grade reading levels?
Today, there are
14,675
3rd graders in Fresno County
8,072
(55%) of them are not proficient in
reading
1 in 6
(16%) will not graduate from high school
1,292
are potential high school dropouts
Source(s): The Children’s Movement, Fresno, 2012; Kids Count Data Center, 2012
3rd grade reading levels
Third grade reading levels are
indicative of students’
performance across subjects
and are a strong predictive
indicator of whether or not a
student will graduate from
high school.
Illiteracy contributes to incarceration
Across the U.S.
 85% of all juveniles who
interface with the juvenile
court system are
functionally illiterate
 60% of all prison inmates
are functionally illiterate
 Recidivism rates drop from
70% to 16% if inmates
receive literacy help
Source(s): Begin to Read; DoSomething.org – 11 Facts about Literacy in America
What influences 3rd grade literacy?
Exposure to reading


1 in 5 children were read to less than 3 times a week
3 in 5 children are not enrolled in preschool
Absenteeism




6% of children missed school due to illness or injury
20% of third grade students missed at least 10 days of school
8% of students were suspended in Fresno County in 2012
44% of Fresno County households moved within the last 5 years
Violence in the home/neighborhood safety:



Domestic violence calls (11.0 per 1,000), nearly double the state rate (6.1)
Violent crime (509 per 100,000 people), 7% higher than for the state
20% of California families earning incomes of $25K or less reported their child’s safety in
the neighborhood was somewhat unsafe/very unsafe
Source(s): Kids Count Data Center 2011 - 2012; kidsdata.org; American Community Survey, 2008 - 2010
Impact of improving 3rd grade literacy
High school dropouts
15% of Fresno County students who
had entered the 9th grade four years
earlier did not receive a high school
diploma in 2012.
Fresno County 4-Year Adjusted Cohort Dropout Rate, 2010 - 2012
25%
California
Fresno
20%
Individuals who lack a high school
diploma are more likely to face
unemployment, earn lower wages,
require public assistance, and engage
in criminal activity.
15%
10%
5%
0%
2010
2011
2012
Source(s): Kids Count Data Center, 2010–2012; Alliance for Excellent Education, 2007
Impact of improving 3rd grade literacy
3rd Gr. Literacy
HS graduates
Improved outcomes
Benefits not only for Fresno County… but for the state of California…
Fiscal gains:
(Per high school graduate)
 An additional $290,000 in earnings per graduate
 $100,000 more in federal, state and local taxes
 $53,000 in economic benefits at the local level, $390,000 statewide
Social benefits:





3,774 more children reading proficiently by 8th grade
317,216 fewer adults would be obese
202 fewer murders, 51,081 fewer prisoners
Life expectancy would increase on average by six months
975,055 more people would vote in general elections
Source(s): California Dropout Research Project, 2008, 2009; A Portrait of California, 2011.
Game Plan for Fresno County
Birth-Through-3rd Grade Challenge
Sponsoring Partners

David and Lucille Packard Foundation

Early Edge California

First 5 Fresno County

Fresno County Office of Education

Fresno Regional Foundation
B3 Professional Learning Community
F3KC2

Firebaugh Las Deltas Unified School District

Fowler Unified School District

Fresno Unified School District


Kings Canyon Unified School District
Central Unified School District
Policy Cabinet
Goal: Address systems-level policies to support
the Challenge Districts’/Schools’ Plans

Five Challenge Grant Superintendents

County Department Heads

Community Heads
The Design Phase
September 2013-April 2014
1.
Pathway to Children Ready for School and Succeeding
by the 3rd Grade
2.
School as the Hub of Community: Using Data for
Community Engagement
3.
Leadership, Teaching and Learning
4.
Eliminating the Achievement Gap for English
Language Learners
5.
Access, Transitions and Pathways
6.
Reinvesting/Blending Existing Funding Streams to
Support Achievement
Capstone-April 2014

Districts and Schools share their draft
implementation plans

The Policy Cabinet present ideas and
recommendations on policy changes and
system supports
Impact of improving 3rd grade literacy