San Mateo County Office of Education
San Mateo Early Childhood Quality Improvement Project (EQuIP)
Summary of Proposed Activities for Cycle 2, Year 2 (FY 2013-14)
A. INTRODUCTION
The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) is pleased to present this summary of
Cycle 2, Year 2 proposed activities for the San Mateo Early Childhood Quality Improvement
Project (EQuIP), a comprehensive, countywide quality improvement initiative. Based on the
success of the first three project years, EQuIP proposes to continue to offer a diverse menu of
evidence-based quality improvement strategies to early childhood education students, providers
and programs.
Some modifications in personnel and activities were made in FY 2012-13 to absorb a 16%
funding cut by First 5 San Mateo, maintain the cost effectiveness of strategies, and to meet the
changing needs of providers in the community. In particular, the Social Emotional Learning
Fundamentals (SELF) training was restructured into a 3-unit class at the community college and
administrative personnel support was decreased. Augmentation funding was approved for
EQuIP in Spring of 2013 to restore much of the lost funding; these funds are being used for both
new and continuing SOW activities in FY 12-13 and FY 13-14. Some of the activities
augmentation funding will support include the following:
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Continuation of the PFA longitudinal study
by the John Gardner Center
Reflective practice consultation for the
SMCOE technical assistance team
CLASS Teachstone training for 15
individuals
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Intentional Teacher trainings and fair
New Pre-K Math Content Training series
Piloting of the ECLDI competencies tool
Local pilot of the CSEFEL model
Business plan support for ECLDI
In FY 13-14, we are also adding a Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) focus to
the Scope of Work. Over the past two years, there has been an increased interest and demand
for pre-K professional development in math and science and an increased capacity to meet this
need through the SMCOE STEM Center. As a result, EQuIP is offering more math- and
science-focused professional development in collaboration with the STEM Center and is
reflecting this through a STEM cluster in the Scope of Work.
The activities described below directly address First 5 San Mateo’s (F5SMC) 2009-2015
Strategic Plan, respond to documented community needs, and use evaluation findings to
strengthen proposed activities.
The SMCOE will continue to serve as the lead agency for the project. The early childhood
programs funded at the SMCOE and housed within the Early Learning Support Services (ELSS)
unit comprise a constellation of skill, knowledge and resources for ECE public policy, direct
services and quality supports that will continue to enhance and maximize the delivery of EQuIP
services.
B. EQUIP GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND GOALS
EQuIP hopes to accomplish the following goals through coordinated training, technical
assistance, and supports to early childhood providers and programs, families and school
districts. All goals are reflected in the attached Scope of Work, and the objectives described
below are numbered in relation to their corresponding goals.
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1. Promote the educational and career progress of ECE professionals towards completion
of ECE Certificates, Child Development Permits and Degrees.
2. Teachers and providers will have the knowledge and skills to provide high quality early
care and education services to children ages 0-5.
3. New and existing ECE directors and administrators will have the knowledge and skills
they need to effectively lead and manage high quality early care and education
programs for children ages 0-5.
4. Advance F5SMC's communications and systems change efforts to promote optimal early
childhood development for children 0-5 in San Mateo County; collaborate with SMCOE
California State Preschool Program (CSPP) and other SMCOE departments to ensure
more integration of and cross-program service delivery.
5. Demonstrate the effectiveness of project strategies through participation in an
independently administered process and outcome evaluation.
6. Ensure the general public is aware of the benefit of Proposition 10 tax dollars.
7. Support the successful implementation of Bridges to Success "Ready Schools" in a
partnership between SMCOE and SVCF. Support linkages to school readiness and a
“pre-K to three” approach, especially as it relates to Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
implementation.
8. Advance efforts to develop and implement a local Quality Rating and Improvement
System (QRIS) through coordination at a local, regional and state level.
While it is not an official SOW goal, another priority of EQuIP is for SMCOE to provide high
quality management of the EQuIP Project Scope of Work and Budget.
Guiding principles for the selection of EQuIP strategies were developed during the initial
planning process for the initiative, have been reviewed throughout the project and have had
continued relevance for the planning process for Cycle 2, Year 2 activities. They are the
following:
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Improve the quality of ECE programs through training, technical assistance and leadership
development.
Build the long-term capacity of ECE providers and programs to provide high quality
programs for children 0-5.
Be accessible to center-based and family child care providers in public and private
programs.
Promote family engagement/involvement.
Promote intentional collaboration with partner First 5 grantees and others.
Leverage available private or public resources to the greatest extent possible.
Support high quality programs through a combination of county-wide and targeted
interventions.
C. PROPOSED EQUIP STRATEGIES
The following narrative provides an overview of how EQuIP will achieve the above stated goals.
Major changes for FY 13-14 are noted under each activity. Specific details about project
activities are described in-depth in the FY 2013-2014 Scope of Work (Attachment 1).
MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR GOAL 1
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (SOW OBJECTIVES 1.1 - 1.4)
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The objectives of EQuIP Workforce Development activities are to ensure that a qualified
workforce is available to meet the needs of all children enrolled in early childhood education
(ECE) programs and that teachers move toward parity in qualifications with teachers in the K-12
system.
Workforce and career supports provided by the San Mateo County Community College District
include textbook loans, supports to Spanish-speaking students and career and academic
advising. These supports continue to facilitate student progress along the early childhood
education career pathway for current and aspiring professionals in this county.
Significant Changes for Cycle 2, Year 2:
 The Learning Community (linked ECE and ESL courses) approach is being phased out. The
final Learning Community will be offered in FY 13-14 (2 total). The Learning Community is
being phased out by Cañada College due to challenges recruiting a sufficient number of
Spanish-speaking students, many of whom are unable to meet the demands of two
simultaneous classes per semester.
 In order to enhance the capacity of SMCCCD/ECE faculty to deepen content knowledge and
skills, a joint Professional Learning Community (PLC) will be developed for faculty at
Canada & Skyline colleges. Two PLCs (one day each) will be held during the year; one at
each campus.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR GOAL 2
BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL HEALTH (SOW OBJECTIVE 2.1)
One of the most successful and popular components of EQuIP has been professional
development designed to improve the skills of ECE teachers to support the social and emotional
well-being of young children and effectively address challenging behaviors. This was initially
accomplished through the Social Emotional Learning Fundamentals (SELF) training series, a
year-long professional development series whose curriculum was adapted locally from both the
Devereux and the Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations in Early Learning
(CSEFEL). In order to make this training opportunity available to a broader cross-section of
early childhood professionals and to sustain it in the long-term, the series was transformed into
a Spring semester 3-unit class at Skyline Community College in FY 12-13. Participants in the
community college course also had priority access to three trainings (including one Make and
Take) offered by the SMCOE specifically designed to enhance the 3-unit course and teach
participants about some of the concrete SELF tools that can be used in ECE classrooms (e.g.,
visual aids, behavioral support plans, etc).
This approach will be maintained in FY 13-14, with the full SELF content offered at the
community college level and three series of topical SELF-related trainings offered at the
SMCOE.
SMCOE ELSS staff will be responsible for the following:
1. Plan for and conduct four sets of trainings (seven sessions total) focused on SELF content
including an overview of the SELF prevention and ‘pyramid’ model.
2. Collaborate with Skyline Community College on the implementation of the semester-long 3unit SELF course.
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A new strategy in FY 13-14 made possible through First 5 augmentation funding is a pilot of the
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) model. SMCOE
will recruit 1-2 ECE programs to participate in the pilot who have already participated in SELF
training and demonstrated a commitment to SELF-related work. These programs will receive
intensive, hands-on support from SMCOE staff to implement CSEFEL concepts and practices at
a much deeper level, including coaching, materials and other services. Progress in
implementing SELF concepts will be measured by the TPOT classroom assessment (to be
administered twice during the year), and CLASS concepts will also be integrated into the work.
SMCOE staff will coordinate and learn from Race to the Top efforts in other counties, as well as
receive guidance and support from Linda Brault (who directs WestEd's Teaching Pyramid
Training and Family Partnership Initiative, which is based on CSEFEL).
Significant Changes for Cycle 2, Year 2:
 CSEFEL pilot will be implemented in 1-2 programs in San Mateo County.
INFANT AND TODDLER CARE AND DEVELOPMENT: (SOW OBJECTIVE 2.2)
In keeping with First 5 San Mateo County’s Strategic Plan and community demand, EQuIP will
continue to provide supports for programs serving children from birth to three years old.
The WestEd Program for Infant/Toddler Care’s (PITC) philosophy of responsive, respectful and
relationship-based care promotes the highest quality care for infants and toddlers and is a
collaboration between the WestEd Center for Child & Family Studies and the California
Department of Education, Child Development Division.
In FY 13-14, PITC Infant-Toddler Specialists will provide a five-part training series focused on
the California Department of Education (CDE) Infant Toddler Curriculum Framework and how to
use it through observation, documentation, reflection and planning (goal is 40 participants). A
DRDP Infant-Toddler training will be offered by WestEd as the first session of this series. 10
spots in this first session will be available to providers at large who do not wish to participate in
the full series. Side-by-side coaching will be provided to a few select programs participating in
the training series who have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to implementing training
concepts in their programs. In order to increase the likelihood that training concepts will be
supported and encouraged by program leadership once teachers return to their classrooms,
leadership staff will be required to participate in at least two training sessions and a coaching
session (if applicable).
Significant Changes for Cycle 2, Year 2 (FY 13-14):
 Offer a five-part training series on the Infant-Toddler Curriculum Framework. Require
leadership staff to attend at least two of the sessions.
 Limit coaching sessions to only those programs who have demonstrated an ongoing
commitment to improving infant-toddler program quality.
CURRICULUM SUPPORTS (SOW OBJECTIVES 2.3-2.5)
Virtual Pre-K / Virtual Pre-K Math (Objective 2.3)
Virtual Pre-K (VPK), developed in 2001 by the Chicago Public Schools, is a cost-effective, multidimensional, parent engagement program that has already touched thousands of families in
San Mateo County.
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Virtual Pre-K is a unique program that strengthens classroom curriculum while promoting
parents’ engagement in their children’s education. Based upon the belief that learning happens
"virtually everywhere,” VPK provides curriculum resources for teachers and take-home materials
for parents, including Teacher Edition Kids, videos, CDs, Parent Edition Kits, and a website with
additional downloadable resources. In addition, a bilingual online community-based calendar
offers learning activities beyond the home and school.
Over the past three years, VPK has expanded rapidly from its original 25 classrooms to 85
classrooms countywide in FY 12-13. VPK now includes all SMCOE State Preschool
classrooms, all Head Start classrooms; additional non-SMCOE contracted state preschool and
Title V programs, as well as over 10 community-based programs. In total, VPK will reach an
estimated 2,200 children and their families in FY 13-14.
In FY 13-14, Virtual Pre-K will expand to an additional five classrooms in the Redwood City
School District, but to no new agencies. It will remain at approximately the same level of
implementation. All participating programs will continue to implement standard VPK along with
VPK Math. A total of five take-home activities will be distributed to families in VPK classrooms
in FY 13-14. Two of the take-home activities for parents will come from standard VPK, and
three will come from VPK Math. All staff designated to work with VPK will participate in a halfday refresher training co-facilitated by site liaisons and SMCOE staff.
The Virtual Pre-K teacher advisory committee has evolved to support 40 lead teachers as
Virtual Pre-K site liaisons in their respective programs. Liaison meetings serve as a highly
valuable forum for peer learning, with teachers taking on increasing responsibility for planning
and leading components of these meetings. The regional liaison groups will continue to meet in
FY 13-14 to support each other in implementing VPK with a high level of fidelity and overall
quality. Site-based technical assistance and coaching will continued to be offered by SMCOE
staff to all programs to further enhance the effectiveness of the program.
Significant Changes for Cycle 2, Year 2 (FY 13-14):
 No significant changes planned – maintain current level of implementation.
 Library involvement will decrease due to the logistical difficulties of distributing VPK
materials in library settings. In FY 13-14, the TA Coordinator will work to support VPK at 3
libraries.
Early Childhood Language Development Institute (ECLDI) (Objective 2.4)
The goal of the Early Childhood Language Development Institute (ECLDI), established at the
SMCOE in 2003, is to create early childhood settings and home environments that promote and
support dual language/culture development for children learning English.
Preschool teachers and parents participating in ECLDI trainings learn about research-based
strategies that enhance children’s sense of identity and self-esteem, support children’s homeand second-language acquisition, develop partnerships between teachers and families and
support the transition to kindergarten.
In FY13-14, EQuIP will continue to support the delivery of this award-winning program. Similar
to FY 12-13, ECLDI will offer one ECLDI provider training series centralized at the SMCOE.
The series will recruit countywide from the child care community. This approach has several
advantages: 1) Reduce ECLDI staff time necessary for outreach, 2) Make ECLDI service
delivery strategy consistent with other EQuIP professional development offerings centralized
through the EQuIP application process and conducted at the SMCOE offices, and 3) Enable
ECLDI to be accessed by a variety of ECE programs countywide, including individual teachers
at centers and family child care homes.
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Thanks to F5SMC augmentation funding, EQuIP funding will also support a number of special
projects designed to build ECLDI organizational capacity and expertise. One of these is the
piloting of the ECLDI ECE competency tool, which aligns with the CDE ECE Teacher
Competences and assesses classrooms on their practices that support dual language learners
and cultural expression. EQuIP funding will also support consultant costs to help ECLDI define
and sustain a future strategic direction toward sustainability, including the development of a
business plan, financial forecast, and evaluation framework.
Significant Changes for Cycle 2, Year 2 (FY 13-14):
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Continue the centralized provider series model.
Support special projects and the future strategic direction of ECLDI.
EQuIP funding will not support parent workshops in FY 13-14 (these workshops will be
supported by alternative funding sources).
Raising a Reader (Objective 2.5)
By encouraging parent-child bonding and early literacy skills through a routine of daily “book
cuddling” with their children from birth to age five, the Raising A Reader (RAR) Book Bag
Program addresses disparities in pre-literacy skills among preschoolers countywide.
In FY 2013-14, Raising a Reader will continue to support its full compliment of 145 classrooms
serving 5,500 children throughout the county. All classrooms will continue to receive book bag
supplies for all children, site visits, trainings, and other technical assistance support annually.
RAR will also continue to offer its high quality early literacy workshops to parents, with plans to
reach 225 families through 20 trainings. Finally, RAR will again offer its annual Early Literacy
Conference to participating programs, providing programs with a local, convenient opportunity to
attend high-caliber lectures and workshops on topics related to early literacy and family
engagement.
Significant Changes for Cycle 2, Year 2 (FY 13-14):
 No significant changes planned.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR GOAL 3
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR CHILD CARE ADMINISTRATORS (OBJECTIVE 3.1)
Strong leadership and management skills are necessary for child care directors and
administrators to make lasting improvements in child care quality. Without strong leaders, few of
the strategies outlined thus far will be successful. Given the complexity of issues facing child
care directors in today’s economy and the multiple pressures placed on them by their jobs,
strengthening and supporting existing leaders is critical. In addition, research and on-the-ground
experience make it clear that many ECE leaders in our county are approaching retirement age
and that new and emerging leaders are needed to take their place.
Over the past few years, EQuIP collaborated with the San Mateo Community College District to
convene a stakeholder group of key leadership organizations in the county, including F5SMC,
SMCCCD, SMCOE, the Mentor Director Project, 4Cs, the Consortium of State Funded
Preschools, the Director’s Support Network, and others to evaluate existing leadership
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development and support opportunities in the county. The group developed three main
strategies to address the growing need for leadership development for new and existing
leaders.
The first strategy, coordinated through the SMCOE, was the Great Administrator’s Leadership
Retreat held on May 5-6, 2011. Issues raised at this retreat were used to plan two SMC ECE
Leadership Summits held at Cañada College in 2012 and 2013. The third strategy is a 2-unit
leadership course developed by Cañada faculty and to be implemented in school year 2013-14.
In FY 13-14, the ECE Leadership Advisory group will continue to meet and an ECE Leadership
Summit will be held again at Canada College in February, 2014. A new strategy will also be
offered: two advanced level leadership seminars for up to twenty people per series. The topics
of these two series will be Communicating with Staff & Colleagues and Team Building and each
series will consist of three sessions each. Multi-media learning activities will be used and
community activities will be assigned to help leaders implement concepts. A follow-up session
to the seminar series will also be held at the February 2014 Leadership Summit.
Significant Changes for Cycle 2, Year 2 (FY 13-14):
 Two advanced level leadership seminar series will be offered to early childhood
education leaders in San Mateo County.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR GOAL 4
COMMUNICATIONS AND SYSTEMS CHANGE; SMCOE INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION
(OBJECTIVE 4.1)
In order for EQuIP to achieve its goal of raising quality in ECE programs countywide, systems
change must be part and parcel of everything it does. Given limited resources, EQuIP services
cannot reach every single child care program, ECE student/teacher, or exempt provider in the
county. As a result, policies and collaboration that extends the reach of EQuIP services to a
wider array of programs – as well as collaboration within and across SMCOE departments – are
an ongoing a focus of the EQuIP effort. Specific strategies include the following:
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Collaborate with major efforts funded by F5SMC, specifically Watch Me Grow, School
Readiness Assessment and Bridges to Success.
Collaborate as requested in planning and implementation efforts related to Transitional
Kindergarten, including hosting a northern California TK conference in partnership with Early
Edge CA.
Sponsor and host professional development series in two areas that are required for
California State Preschool Programs (CSPP) and Head Start: 1) Desired Results
Developmental Profile (DRDP); and 2) Intentional Teaching strategies.
Sponsor and host targeted trainings in high-need areas identified by state preschool
and Title V programs, including a training for the Consortium on working with parents with
high needs.
Train up to 15 participants to become certified in the Classroom Assessment Scoring
System (CLASS) assessment instrument for San Mateo County. This will prepare a cadre
of individuals to support the continuing improvement of SMC preschool classrooms and
build county capacity and alignment toward a future quality rating improvement system
(QRIS). This training is planned for the second half of the year and will occur in two phases.
The first phase will train participants to be certified CLASS observers, and the second phase
will prepare participants to support CLASS-focused improvement efforts through direct
technical assistance to early childhood environments.
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Co-sponsor and host a regional Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Conference in
partnership with Early Edge California. The conference will showcase San Mateo County’s
work in the areas of STEM/Early Learning Math training and skill development, pre-K to
three articulation and alignment efforts, transitional Kindergarten leadership and Common
Core integration work. The conference will benefit a wide variety of schools and districts
implementing transitional kindergarten across the state.
Conduct early planning efforts to lay the foundation for a quality rating improvement
system (QRIS). EQuIP will work with the bay area Race to the Top (RTT) counties to learn
from and align with their QRIS efforts, convene local stakeholders to discuss a local
framework, develop a rating tool, investigate data sources for a QRIS, and conduct other
related planning activities.
Significant Changes for Cycle 2, Year 2 (FY 13-14):
 Many of the trainings planned under this objective that have typically been financed through
a blended funding model will now be supported solely through EQuIP funding.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR GOAL 5
DATA AND EVALUATION (OBJECTIVE 5.1)
Evaluation of EQuIP is critical to the refinement of project strategies over time and to
determining which quality improvement services are most successful. EQuIP is committed to
documenting the impact of funded services by tracking individual client level data and by
participating in the F5SMC external evaluation.
Descriptive data on early childhood education students/professionals served will continue to be
collected and housed in the highly successful EQuIP database. Demographic, educational, and
work experience data along with detailed information on services received will be tracked for all
teachers served. Outcome data will be collected using the F5SMC ECE Provider Survey, with
customizations for some EQuIP components.
Twenty-five percent (25%) of the 2,200 families served by VPK will complete the Parent
Surveys through a sampling strategy in partnership with First 5 and SRI International.
The EQuIP database will continue to be used to house descriptive and service data on the
majority of teachers served with EQuIP funds. As it does every new fiscal year, EQuIP will
consider whether any database activities can be streamlined. Very few modifications are
planned for the database in FY 13-14; a maintenance budget has been included in the EQuIP
budget that preserves support and functionality for the database from WestEd.
Longitudinal analysis of PFA student outcome data will resume with the John W. Gardner
Center at Stanford University in FY 13-14 after a year of hiatus with the support of F5SMC
augmentation funding. The analysis planned for this coming fiscal year will add two years of
data to the most recent analysis, thereby strengthening the academic outcome findings and also
allowing a preliminary examination of fourth and fifth grade school testing data.
Significant Changes for Cycle 2, Year 2 (FY 13-14):
 Resume Gardner Center analysis of PFA longitudinal student outcome data.
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MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR GOAL 7
BRIDGES TO SUCCESS (BTS) (OBJECTIVE 7.1)
The SMCOE will continue to collaborate with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation in the
joint funding (.8 FTE) of a countywide Initiative Officer for PreK-3rd Grade to work with BTS
school districts and school community teams. Responsibilities of the Initiative Officer include the
following:
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Work with Ready Schools Teams to support implementation of PreK-3rd grade alignment
strategies and coordinate cross-pollination of lessons learned across sites.
Support the SMCOE's PreK-3 alignment efforts, in collaboration with Curriculum and
Instruction staff.
Support efforts in local districts to decrease chronic absenteeism.
Support Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council’s efforts to ensure reading proficiency by
3rd grade.
Significant Changes for Cycle 2, Year 2 (FY 13-14):
 BTS will be supporting VPK Math and VK implementation at fewer Ready School sites in FY
13-14 (based on interest).
MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR GOAL 8 (NEW GOAL FOR FY 13-14)
STEM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (OBJECTIVE 8.1)
The objective of the new STEM cluster in the EQuIP Scope of Work is to offer professional
development to early childhood teachers focusing on math and science concepts and teaching
strategies. Three training series will be offered under this objective in FY 13-14:
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The overwhelmingly popular California Preschool Instruction Network (CPIN) Math
series will be offered again using the same format and topics from last year. Three full-day
trainings will be offered on number sense, geometry, and measurement, topics directly from
the CDE Preschool Learning Foundations. Each of the trainings will include a “Make &
Take” component (participants will make resources and activities to take back to their
programs).
EQuIP and STEM staff will work together to provide a new series of Math Content
trainings. This training is made possible through F5SMC augmentation funding. This new
series is being developed to build early childhood teachers’ understanding of basic skills in
math concepts. During the CPIN Math series in FY 12-13, it was observed that many
teachers lacked an understanding of some of the fundamental concepts of mathematics and
how children learn early math concepts. This series will be offered twice (once during the
summer; once during the fall), will comprise of three sessions each, and is designed to
compliment the CPIN Math series. Teachers will be encouraged to attend the Math Content
training first, followed by the CPIN Math series.
STEM Supporting Early Literacy in Preschool Training Series – This training series will
target pre-K to third grade teachers and focus on how to use STEM content to promote early
literacy. The series will take place over two Saturdays (full-days) and one evening reflection
session. Outreach will prioritize school pre-K to third grade teams working with the SMCOE
STEM Center, Bridges to Success and the Transitional Kindergarten Institute.
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The details of the Early Childhood Quality Improvement Project (EQuIP) are provided in the
attached Scope of Work, Budget and Budget Narrative.
ROLE OF SAN MATEO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION AS LEAD AGENCY FOR PROJECT
The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) is a pioneer and recognized leader in
California in the provision of early childhood education services. The SMCOE will continue to
administer EQuIP and work in partnership with First 5 San Mateo and the community to
implement the program. SMCOE will have responsibility for the legal, fiscal, and daily
management of the project. SMCOE will build on its successful working relationships with a vast
network of early childhood programs and providers to both recruit and retain providers into
EQuIP. The SMCOE will convene meetings at least quarterly to seek input from partners,
subcontractors, and other interested parties.
In FY 13-14, EQuIP will have 4.5 FTE staff (6 people in a combination of full-time and part-time
positions) funded at the SMCOE who will work together to implement the goals and objectives
of this project, along with other members of the Child Youth and Families department as well as
cross-departmental collaboration within the Instructional Services Division. This is about the
same level of staffing as in FY 12-13.
Three major staffing changes will occur in FY 13-14. The EQuIP Director will complete her work
on the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan (CCELP) for the California Department of
Education. The percentage of the EQuIP Director’s time paid for by First 5 will remain the same
(50%), as SMCOE will cover costs for the other half of the position charged with overseeing the
ELSS unit. Because of a growing need for help with overall project administration, data and
evaluation, and special projects, EQuIP is also proposing a new full-time project specialist
position. Consultant time budgeted for FY 12-13 for these tasks would be eliminated in order
support costs for this new position (more information provided below). Finally, EQuIP funds for
the Trainer/Coordinator position will be increased to .5 FTE as a result of augmentation funding
from F5SMC and the need for someone to coordinate and implement the CSEFEL pilot.
EQuIP staffing will be as follows in FY 13-14:
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The EQuIP Director will oversee all aspects of project administration, provide countywide
leadership to promote quality improvement, monitor the project budget, develop and
manage subcontractor agreements, and meet all reporting requirements. The position will
be funded at .5 FTE by First 5, with the remaining .5 FTE covered by SMCOE as noted
above.
The Technical Assistance Coordinator (1FTE) will coordinate and provide technical
assistance and coaching for project activities, with a special emphasis on Virtual Pre-K. This
position will provide strong site-based supports (coaching and TA sessions) to teachers at
dozens of classrooms involved in EQuIP activities.
The Trainer / Coordinator (.5 FTE) will support implementation of various project strategies
including acting as lead staff on all SELF trainings, and coordinating with the SMCCD ECE
faculty at Skyline and Cañada colleges to embed the SELF/CSEFEL content into other ECE
coursework. The Trainer / Coordinator position will be funded at .5 FTE, an increase from
FY 12-13 to support the CSEFEL pilot and CLASS activities.
A new EQuIP Project Specialist position (1 FTE) is proposed for FY 13-14. The EQuIP
Project Specialist will help with overall EQuIP administration and with special projects, which
is needed as a result of the EQuIP Director no longer being a full-time position. The Project
Specialist will also coordinate, design and oversee EQuIP and ELSS related data collection
and evaluation efforts, eliminating the need for an outside consultant. It is anticipated that
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the EQuIP project specialist will be heavily involved in EQuIP reporting and proposal writing,
EQuIP application development and processing for all EQuIP professional development, the
development of a certified CLASS cadre, planning activities for a local QRIS, and other
special projects as requested / needed.
The Bilingual Administrative Assistant I (.5 FTE) position will assist with the following:
VPK and general EQuIP implementation; data entry of client information and services into
EQuIP project database; data collection and reporting; translation for Spanish speaking
clients and materials in Spanish; Spanish entries to the Virtual PreK calendar and outreach
strategies; and general administrative support to EQuIP coordinators.
The Administrative Assistant II (1 FTE) performs a variety of general administrative duties,
including reception, correspondence, taking and distributing meeting notes, maintaining
files, coordinating workshop registration, managing materials inventory and distribution,
providing contract support to the project director on 8+ subcontracts (file and fiscal
management), preparing workshop materials, and providing general administrative support
to all EQuIP program activities.
EQuIP will continue to partner with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation to fund .5 FTE
of the Bridges to Success Transition Coordinator and provide workspace for this position
at the SMCOE.
Significant Changes for Cycle 2, Year 2 (FY 13-14):
 EQuIP Director will resume her time funded by EQuIP to .5 FTE
 A new 1 FTE EQuIP Project Specialist will be hired.
 Trainer / Coordinator time will be increased to .5 FTE.
 Evaluation consultant time will be eliminated once new Project Specialist is in place.
SMCOE-EQuIP Narrative Proposal_2013-14
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