Expanding access to early learning for all children.
In response to brain development research and longitudinal studies that highlight
the long-term benefits of high-quality early learning experiences, 42 states have
created at least partially funded public pre-kindergarten programs. Yet most states
serve only a small percentage of children who are at risk and many support only
part-day/part-year programs that do not meet the needs of working parents.
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Oregon's Head Start program serves 6% of 4-year-olds in the state. The program
varies by site from half day to full day. Most programs operate three and a half
to four hours per day, three to four days a week, and provide two to eight home
visits from Family Support Services during the academic year. Eight Oregon
programs were found that offer full-day, full-year services to working families. Although the Oregon Head Start program allows participation by over-income families for up to 20% of enrollment, very few children from these families are enrolled because of the priority and high need of income-eligible children. According to Oregon's 2002-03 Report Card, over 40% of eligible children do not yet have access to the program.
Creating links between early learning and K-12.
Historically, schools have played little or no role in the early years between birth
and age 5 or 6 - these years have predominately been defined by parental care,
childcare programs, Head Start and preschool. Over the past 20 years, however,
schools have discovered and taken on roles in early childhood education,
including: provision of space, custodial services, transportation and coordination
of curriculum and professional development.
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All of Oregon's counties have pre-K programs, but school districts are rarely
Head Start grantees. Oregon does not appear to have any policies that directly
address the link between early learning and K-12 education.
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Oregon's proficiency-based standards system does not include a link between
early learning and K-12. Performance benchmarks within the system begin in
grade 3. Children's "readiness to learn", as indicated in Oregon's
Kindergarten Teachers Survey, is reported on Oregon's annual statewide report
card.
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Through a partnership between the Oregon 21st Century Schools, Oregon Head
Start, public schools, health and social service agencies, and other members
of Oregon's childhood care and education communities, the "Forging the Link"
project created Essential Elements of Programs For Children: Implementation
Plan For Quality, a document that outlines the essential elements and components
of quality necessary for a coordinated and collaborative childhood care and
education system that ensures quality and continuity across programs for children.
Improving school readiness.
Since the National Education Goals Panel adopted as its first goal that "by the
year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn," there has
been much debate about what it means to be "ready" for school. Research continues
to confirm that "ready to learn" has two important components: readiness in
children (includes physical, social, and emotional well-being as well as
cognitive readiness) and readiness of schools (includes schools' ability to
support the learning and development of young children). Early learning and K-12
systems must work closely together to ensure that both components are improved.
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In 1996, the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Progress Board
began discussions about how to measure the status of Oregon's current
kindergarten children and their developmental readiness. The Kindergarten
Teachers Survey on School Readiness was established as an attempt to gauge
young children's readiness for school. Survey response is voluntary. Policies
could not be found in support of these efforts. According to Oregon's
2002-03 Report Card, approximately 75% of Oregon's children enter school
ready to learn; however, kindergarten is not required by legislation -
compulsory school attendance begins at age 7.
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Through a partnership between the Oregon 21st Century Schools, Oregon Head
Start, public schools, health and social service agencies, and other members
of Oregon's childhood care and education communities, the "Forging the Link"
project created
Essential Elements of Programs For Children: Implementation
Plan For Quality, a document that outlines the essential
elements and
components of quality necessary for a coordinated and collaborative childhood
care and education system that ensures quality and continuity across programs
for children.
Promoting meaningful assessments.
As parents, early learning providers and schools strive to improve children's
readiness to learn, there must be a focused effort to design and conduct
assessments of various early learning contexts and the opportunities they offer
for child development.
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The Oregon Kindergarten Teachers Survey on Readiness addresses this indicator,
but Oregon does not appear to have policies that address or support the survey.
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The Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century includes provisions for
evaluation and reporting on the effectiveness of community learning centers,
but does not appear to require them (329.159).
Building relationships between families and schools.
The empirical research base for family involvement in education - across early learning
and K-12 - is strong and broad. Children learn values, attitudes, behaviors and skills at
home that prepare them to be lifelong learners. States can encourage policies that
explicitly link families and schools by promoting partnerships that increase parent
participation in facilitating the social, emotional, and academic growth of children.
Currently, few schools have meaningful contact with parents before children enter
kindergarten, a pattern that exists at other transition points for children and youth in
grades 3-12.
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Under the Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century, a school district may
provide services for children and families at the school site, which may
include a community learning center. If the district chooses to provide
services, the design of educational and other services to children and their
families is the responsibility of the school district. School districts
may coordinate services with programs provided through the local commissions
on children and families to provide services to families (329.150). This
policy includes program specifics, short- and long-term goals, and standards
(329.155 - 329.165).
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State participation in Head Start and other similar grant programs, including
the Even Start grant program and Oregon's "Forging the Link" project, provide
opportunities to build relationships between families and schools; however,
Oregon does not appear to have any policies that specifically address
partnerships between families and schools.
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