Administrators Summit:
Birth to Five
•Gayle
Stuber, Early Childhood Coordinator
•Carol Ayres, Section 619,Part B Coordinator
•Janet Newton, PAT Coordinator
•Tiffany Smith-Birk, Part C Coordinator
Agenda
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
Welcome
Early Childhood (Birth to Five) Program
Descriptions
Connections: How we get children ready for
school
Local Presentation: Community at Work
LUNCH
Small Group Discussion:Your community at
work
Next Steps
Getting what you need
How can a teen parent find support?
 How does a family new to the community
find out what programs are available for
their preschooler?
 How can a family find help for a child who
has an identified special need—or a child
who MIGHT have an identified special
need?

Early Childhood Options
What are the options at each age group?
 Who are the authorizing agencies?
 How does a parent get into a program?
 How can parents/families find out about
options available?

Early Childhood at a Glance

Programs have
different funding
sources, purposes
and requirements.

Programs collaborate
and coordinate
services to meet the
needs of families and
children.
IV. KANSAS EARLY
CHILDHOOD: DIRECT
SERVICE PROGRAMS
Early Childhood
Birth to age 8
 Includes ALL children
 Focuses on children within the context
of their family and community
 Focuses on the WHOLE child (all
developmental domains)

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Language/literacy/communication
Social/emotional
Physical Health and Development
Cognitive
Birth to Three programs
Parents As Teachers
Early Head Start
Part C (tiny-k)
Healthy Families
Healthy Start
Parents As Teachers

A universal home-based parent education
program for families with children
Prenatal to Age 3 designed to support
parents in their role as their child’s first
and most important teacher.
◦ Provides children the best possible start in life
◦ Prepares children for school success
Kansas EARLY HEAD START is designed to
individualize the unique strengths and needs of each
child and family.
Program services include:
quality early education
 parent education
 comprehensive health and mental health
services, including services to women before,
during, and after pregnancy
 nutrition education
 family support service
 child care for families who are employed,
attending school or a job training program

IDEA Part C, Early Intervention program
 Housed at the Kansas Dept. of Health and
Environment
 37 local early intervention networks
provide services to identified children and
families.
 Growth over the past 15 years with over
7200 children and families being served in
2008-09.

Part C: Mission

Part C early intervention builds upon and
provides supports and resources to assist
family members and caregivers to
enhance children’s learning and
development through everyday learning
opportunities.
Part C: Key Principles
1. Infants and toddlers learn best through everyday
experiences and interactions with familiar people in
familiar contexts.
2. All families, with the necessary supports and
resources, can enhance their children’s learning and
development.
3. The primary role of a service provider in early
intervention is to work with and support family
members and caregivers in children’s lives.
Key Principles (continued)
4. The early intervention process, from initial
contacts through transition, must be dynamic and
individualized to reflect the child’s and family
members’ preferences, learning styles and cultural
beliefs.
5. IFSP outcomes must be functional and based on
children’s and families’ needs and family-identified
priorities.
Key Principles (continued)
6. The family’s priorities, needs and interests are
addressed most appropriately by a primary
provider who represents and receives team and
community support.
7. Interventions with young children and family
members must be based on explicit principles,
validated practices, best available research, and
relevant laws and regulations.
Birth – 3: natural environment
Refers to settings that are typical for infants
and toddler without disabilities or delays.
Natural environments include:
 Families’ homes,
 Early care and education programs
 Other community settings where families
spend the most time with their children
Natural environments-The context for intervention, which is the
child and family’s typical and valued activities
and events.
 Includes parents and caregivers as partners in
the child’s communication.
 Natural environments refer to “the process”:
children learn through participating in their
everyday activities and meaningful
experiences with their family and caregivers.

3-5 year old Programs
Head Start (3-5)
 Four Year Old AtRisk
 Pre-k Pilot (4’s)
 Part B, Section 619
(3-5)

Head Start
Provides comprehensive services,
including early learning experiences to
children and families that meet the
criteria for participation: poverty
 Collaborative partner with many other
pre-K programs
 3-5 year olds are targeted.
 Has performance outcomes and program
standards that must be met by programs.

Four Year Old At-Risk Program
Initiated in 1998 to provide a high quality prekindergarten experience to children who meet at
least one of eight at-risk criteria:
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Poverty
Single parent families
SRS referral
Teen parents
Either parent is lacking a high school diploma or GED
Child qualifies for migrant status
Limited English proficiency
Developmentally or academically delayed based on validated
assessments.
Pre-K Pilot Program
Purpose: Programs collaborate with
community partners to provide a high
quality early learning experience so that
children will enter school ready to
succeed. The Pre-K Pilot requires existing
programs to work together to meet the
needs of young children and their families.
Early Childhood Special Education,
Section 619 Part B

Section 619 of Part B of IDEA, defines the preschool
program which guarantees a free appropriate public
education (FAPE) to children with disabilities age three
through five.

Under this program preschool children who have
disabilities are entitled to Special Education and Related
Services in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

The IDEA Preschool Program (Section 619) supports
education services for young children with disabilities when
they turn 3. It addresses individual needs within the
context of developmentally appropriate activities, including
early learning experiences in language, pre-reading and
writing skills, play, and other social emotional areas.
EI/ECSE Child Outcomes

Percent of children who demonstrate
improved:
◦ Positive social-emotional skills (including
social relationships).
◦ Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills
(including early language/communication and
literacy for preschool).
◦ Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their
needs.
Kindergarten to 3rd Grade
All Day, Every Day Kindergarten
 2008-09: 80% of Kindergartners attend
all-day, every day kindergarten
 All Day, Every Day kindergarten is NOT
funded for school districts.
 Kansas Data show that in all day, every
day format:

◦ Teachers use more best practices
◦ Children learn more (KELI) across the year
Connections:
How we get children
ready for school
CONNECTIONS: SPP/APR

Every state has to develop on an annual
basis:
◦ A State Performance Plan (SPP)
◦ An Annual Performance Report (APR)

Both Part C and Part B have to develop
an SPP and APR
◦ Collaboration provides a strong foundation
for a better SPP and APR
Connections—state and local
Kansas Early Learning Guidelines and
Standards provide structure and
continuity across early childhood
settings—and are aligned with the K-12
content standards.
 The Kansas Early Learning Standards
provide a common language across all
settings and early childhood
providers/educators.

School Readiness Project
•What
we know about the skills and abilities of
entering Kindergartners
•Data
driven decisions: Programs using the data to
improve child and family outcomes
Instruments Used

Child Assessment
◦ Kansas Early Learning Inventory (2005-08)
◦ Standardized assessments (2007-08)

Classroom Practices
◦ Kindergarten Teacher Practices (2005-08)
◦ CLASS (Classroom Assessment scoring System)
(2007-08)
Parent and Family Reports
 Administrative Structures Information

Top 3 skills of entering Kindergartners

2005-06
◦ Work habits, Oral communication, Attentive
behavior

2006-07
◦ Oral communication, social emotional skills,
work habits

2007-08
◦ Social emotional, oral communication, work
habits
Lowest skill area
Entering kindergarten children show the
lowest level of skill in written language.
 This is appropriate because it is not
expected or developmentally appropriate
to expect 5 and 6 year old children to
write short words.

Are there differences in skill level at
Kindergarten entry?
Children from low-income families, those who
speak English as a second language, and those
with IEPs do not have as high a level of skills in
all domains of learning.
 Children who attended preschool for a greater
number of years prior to Kindergarten scored
higher on many of the more academic areas.
 Children who were read to by an adult (before
Kindergarten) every day had higher literacy
scores (2005-08) and scored higher on all
academic achievement areas (2007-08).

Early Childhood Special Education
makes a difference


Children with diagnosed disabilities (EX: autism,
ED, hearing impairment) who received ECSE
services score higher in academic areas than
their peers who are identified during the
Kindergarten year.
ECSE programs have a positive effect on
children’s entry level skills in the following areas:
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Symbolic development
General knowledge
Written language
Math skills
Parent Survey: 3 year results
◦ Most children were in some sort of child care
during the year prior to their Kindergarten year.
◦ Approximately 1/3 of parents indicated it was
either somewhat or very difficult to find quality
child care.
◦ Approximately 2/3 of parents reported that they
read to their children at home every day
◦ 52-60% of the children who attend preschool or
child care, received at least 1 or 2 years of care.
Parent Involvement Makes a
Difference

The more home literacy practices, the better
the children did on all KELI domains.
◦ Read to child
◦ Talk with child about activities
◦ Child pretends to read

In general, children whose parents read to them
on a daily basis had

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higher literacy scores and scored higher on all
measures of academic achievement in Kindergarten.
Higher 3rd grade reading scores
Parent Involvement Makes a
Difference

The more transition activities the
parents used, the better the children
did on all KELI areas.
◦ Contacted school for Kindergarten
information
◦ Met with Kindergarten teacher
◦ Participated in Roundup activities
◦ Took child to school before first day
Parent Education Makes a
Difference
27-28% of parents indicated that they
participated in the Parents As Teachers program.
 More than one year in PAT positively impacted
Symbolic Development, Math Concepts,
Written Language, and Oral Communication .
 Parents who participated in PAT were more
likely to read to their children.
 Children who are read to every day enter
Kindergarten with higher literacy skill levels.

Preschool Experiences: 2007-08
Parents were asked if their child
participated in Early Head Start. 23% of
children attended.
 Early Head Start (23%): Significant
differences on all scale scores on all KELI
domains.

◦ Academic domains
◦ Social domains
Preschool Experiences: definitions &
% of children (2007-08)

Formal (33.3%)
◦ Center-based
◦ Preschool (including Head Start)

Informal (19.3%)
◦ Family Child care
◦ Relative Care

Mixed (24.5%)
◦ Both Formal and Informal

No Experiences in child care (22.8%)
Formal Preschool Experience Makes a
Difference

Children (58%) who were in either formal
(preschool or center-based) or mixed
(formal and informal), were rated
significantly higher in the academic areas
on the KELI than children (42%) who only
participated in informal care (family child
care, relative care) or were not in child
care at all.
Preschool Experiences: # of Years
Children attending preschool or childcare
for a greater number of years prior to
Kindergarten tended to score higher on
Math, Written Language, and General
Knowledge.
 Children attending a fewer number of
years of preschool & child care tended to
score higher on the Attentive Behavior
scale.

Preschool attendance
Greatest effects were found for children
attending preschool or child care for 4 or more
years.
 Prior experience with preschool or child care
did NOT promote skills in the areas of social
emotional development or work habits (06-07).
NOTE: in 2005-06, prior experience did not promote
skills in attentive behavior also.

School Readiness Project: 4 year AtRisk & Pre-K Pilot
Three years of data on Four year Old AtRisk program
 One year of data on Pre-K Pilot

◦ Three years from Children’s Cabinet

Use data to:
◦ Help develop Kansas Preschool Program
◦ Use to develop training and professional
development
Preliminary: Four Year Old At-Risk
(2006-08)
FALL
 Lower Skill areas
◦ Social emotional
◦ Symbolic
Development
◦ Oral Communication
◦ Written language

Higher skill areas
◦ General knowledge
◦ Attentive behavior
◦ Work Habits
SPRING
 Lower Skill areas
◦ General Knowledge
◦ Math
◦ Symbolic
Development

Higher Skill areas
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Social Emotional
Written Language
Oral communication
Work Habits
Impact of Four Year Old At-Risk
Program
Children (325) from 2007-08
Kindergarten cohort who attended atrisk program.
 Matched for risk factors with children
(440) who did not attend at-risk program

◦ ESL
◦ Poverty (data proxy—free/reduced lunch)
◦ Migrant status
Results: Comparison of entry/exit
scores
Children who attended at-risk program
scored higher at Kindergarten Entry in all
areas but General Knowledge.
 Children who attended at-risk program
continued to be significantly higher in
several areas:
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Oral communication
Work habits
Attentive behavior
Social development
Evidence-based Classroom Practices

Best Practices that research suggests
should be used on a daily basis.
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Use of centers
Availability of more hands-on materials
Multiple instructional methods
Student choice
Time is allowed for children to complete
tasks and to show learning
◦ Time is allowed to learn through play
exploration
Using Centers Makes a Difference

Kindergarten classrooms that use
centers on a daily basis promoted
greater learning (greater change
scores) across the Kindergarten year
in math, general knowledge, symbolic
development, and written language
than those classrooms that did not
have centers.
Best Practices Makes a Difference
Best practices are more frequently seen in full
day kindergarten classrooms
 Best Practices have a significant positive effect
on:

◦ literacy skills, writing skills, and oral communication
◦ and a marginal positive impact on math and general
knowledge.

Together--Best Practices and Full Day schedule
have a significant positive effect on all academic
areas of learning.
Kindergarten Makes a Difference
All domains of learning improved scores
across the Kindergarten year.
 Children in full-day/every day
Kindergarten classrooms had higher
spring scores in academic areas.
 All children improve over the year, but
the gap between those who come in with
lower skills and those with higher levels
of skills, while narrowing, does not
disappear.

Teacher Training Makes a Difference
Teachers provide strong emotional supports to
the children in their classroom.
 Teachers are reasonably good at organizing
their classroom instruction: behavior
management, productive time (on task)
 Teachers need training and support for more indepth instructional strategies:

◦ Concept Development
◦ Language modeling
◦ Providing specific feedback
3rd grade State Assessment
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Children who enter Kindergarten with high
skills levels, maintain that higher skill level in
comparison to peers.
Children who entered Kindergarten with
higher literacy levels maintained that higher
level on 3rd grade reading assessment.
For both 3rd grade math and 3rd grade
reading scores, the academic scores on the
KELI are better predictors of results than
the social skill scores.
The vision for early childhood in Kansas is simple:
Make high-quality, early learning programs and services
available on a voluntary basis for all families with children
under the age of five. It is our responsibility to ensure that
these services are part of a comprehensive system that
results in improved results for young children and their
families. We know that such factors as poor nutrition,
infections and drugs are serious threats to a child’s
developing brain. We must ensure they have access to
high-quality environments from birth to the day they start
school.
Dr. Alexa Posny, Kansas Commissioner of Education (2009)
Quality Early Learning Experiences
Provided by knowledgeable, trained
teachers/providers
 Focus on the WHOLE CHILD
 Provide opportunities for active learning and
positive interactions with caring adults
 Children learn best when their physical needs
are met and they feel psychologically safe and
secure.

Early Childhood

Improve teacher and provider quality
through
◦ Collaborative professional development on
topics of mutual interest
◦ Aligning standards, curriculum, assessments
and child outcomes across settings and
programs.
Early Childhood in Kansas

Use data to change practices by promoting
evidence-based practices
◦ Analyze data jointly
◦ Require evidence-based and research-based
practices to be used across settings
Early Childhood in Kansas

Promote coordination at the state and
local levels
◦ Sharing data through a joint data system
◦ Include Early Childhood professionals on state
and local teams
 Ready Schools
 Community collaboration
 Sharing of community resources and supports
LUNCH
Your Community at Work
Improve teacher and provider quality
 Use data to change practices by
promoting evidence-based practices
 Promote coordination at the state and
local levels
