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Federal Preschool Expansion Grant A Model for High-Quality Preschool

Nicole Rose and Juliet Morrison

September 24th, 2014

Washington is Eligible to apply for:

• Expansion grant of $70M/four years • Implement and sustain High-Quality Preschool Programs to reach and serve additional

Eligible Children; and • Enhance preschool program infrastructure and make quality improvements to deliver

High-Quality Preschool Programs.

• WA compete against 35 other states

95% - to Subgrantees

• Fund new slots with all essential elements

• Enhance the quality of existing programs where kids are already served • ECEAP & Head Start: Enhance to Full Day, BA degrees, curriculum • Preschool Child Care programs – enhance subsidized slots, BA degrees, curriculum,

comp. services

5% - to Infrastructure • BA’s

• Curriculum

• State T&TA System

• DEL Monitoring and Oversight

Federal Preschool Expansion Opportunity

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Vision for Preschool at Scale

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Washington’s Preschool A High-Quality Preschool program for 3-4 year olds in WA

Essential Quality

Elements • Dosage to ensure

outcomes • Research based

curriculum • Comprehensive

services based on need

• Well educated and supported teachers

• Shared Data

Structural Supports • Quality assurance

through participation in Early Achievers

• Connected to Schools through WaKIDS

• Professional Development, coaching, training and support through a state Training and Technical Assistance Network

Sustainable • Braided state and

federal funding (ECEAP, Federal Expansion, CCDF)

• Mixed Delivery • Mixed Income • Includes tuition-

based services

• Ensure all programs have access to full day funding

• Relieve pressure on WCCC cap – only use funds already being accessed

• Maximize the number of children served with new funds

• Capitalize on mixed delivery model

• Provides funding to improve the quality of ECEAP with Federal funds

• Creates a scalable model for ECEAP in the future

• Builds upon entitlement, but does not replace it

• Allows the different program requirements to be managed by the state versus the providers to ensure all requirements met

• State serves children up to 110% and Federal requires up to 200%

• State serves 3s and 4s and Federal only allows 4 year olds

Combining State and Federal Funds to

Ensure Access to High-Quality

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Four Years (FY16-19)

4,000

6,000

7,000

2,000

Full Day Preschool Slots

ECEAP Part DayEnhanced to FullSchool Day

New Full Working DayPreK Slot in SubsidizedChild Care

New Full School DaySlots - Stand alone

Head Start Part DayEnhanced to New FullSchool Day

19,000 Full Day

Preschool Slots

Leverage Combined Resources for Preschool

Fed start-up $$ to support new quality

enhancements

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Four Funding Paths to High-Quality Preschool

$7,300 $9,300

$7,300

$2,700 $700

$10,000

$7,300

$0

$2,000

$4,000

$6,000

$8,000

$10,000

$12,000

$14,000

$16,000

Existing Part Day ECEAPslots enhanced to Full

Day School hours

Existing Part Day HeadStart enhanced with

additional qualityelements

New Full School DayPreschool Slots

New Full Working DayPreschool Slots in

Subsidized Child Care

New CombinedWA PreK Funds

Existing WCCC $$(already beingaccessed) &Parent Fees

Existing HeadStart Funding

Existing ECEAPFunding

Full school day hours School year calendar

Full working day hours 10 hrs/day, calendar year

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Washington State’s Preschool Expansion Plan

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

1,926 5,426

10,176 14,926

20,926

Ch

ildre

n

Years

Full DayHigh QualityPreschoolExpansion

Existing PartDayPreschoolProgram

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Scaling Up Preschool Expansion in 4 years

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0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

Head Start Part DayEnhanced to Full SchoolDay

ECEAP Part DayEnhanced to Full SchoolDay

New Full Day PreK Slotsin Child Care

New Full School DaySlots

Part Day ECEAP

Preschool Expansion Comparison

Current ECEAP ECEAP Expansion Plan with State

Entitlement Funding

Potential Combining State & Fed Preschool

Funding Expansion

slots N/A 12,716 new part day slots

in 4 years 13,000 new full day slots

in 4 years Total slots 10,091 slots

8,165 part-day 1,926 full-day

22,807 total slots 20,881 part-day 1,926 full-day

25,091 total slots* 4,165 part day

20,926 full day Full Day Currently no strategy

to provide additional full day

Currently no strategy to provide additional full

day

6,000 part day HS & ECEAP slots converted to

full day Eligibility Program limited to

children 110% of FPL

Program limited to children 110% of FPL

Up to 22% of kids up to 200% FPL (state funds

restricted to only 110%) Quality

Enhancement Plans

Existing quality improvement efforts; no additional funding

Existing quality improvement efforts; no

additional funding

Federal start-up $$ for quality enhancements

(curriculum, tuition support, PD, etc)

*Includes up to 2,000 children in “enhanced” Head Start (note that numbers may be subject to change)

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Preschool Expansion Comparison 2018-19

Part-Day Slots

Part-Day Slots

Full-Day Slots

Full-Day Slots

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

Current State ECEAPExpansion Plan

Potential CombiningState and Federal PreK

Total Slots

22,807

25,091

• More preschool slots • More full day

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Preschool Expansion Comparison 2018-19

Existing Part-Day ECEAP

Existing Part-Day ECEAP

New Part-Day ECEAP

New Full School Day Slots

New Full School Day Slots

ECEAP Part Day Enahnced to

Full Day

New Full Day PreK Slots in Child Care

Head Start Part Day Enhanced to Full Day

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

Current State ECEAPExpansion Plan

Potential Combining Stateand Federal PreK

Total Slots

22,807

25,091

• High quality full day preschool in more settings

• More impact in mixed

income settings • More quality

throughout the system

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Maximizing Existing System Resources

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Early Achievers • Foundation for quality Preschool • Integrated with Preschool program

monitoring

WaKIDS & K-3 Connections • Aligned Preschool-K-3 assessment and

child outcomes • Aligned curriculum, learning objectives

Working Connections Child Care • Subsidy contracts for stable funding &

continuity of care

Quality Assurance • Licensing compliance “checklist”

focused • Beginning to integrate EA tools

Max

imiz

e Ef

fect

iven

ess

&

Exp

and

Rea

ch

Current Supports Enhanced Supports

ECEAP • Coaching, TA and Training, Monitoring

Coordinated Supports • Integrated & aligned coaching

supports & training for EA, Preschool and I/T services

• Training, TA, implementation & fidelity support for curriculum & assessment tools

• Training and TA re: differentiated comprehensive services

New Strategies • Supports & Incentives for mixed

income, mixed delivery models • Shared service models

Quality Assurance • Integrated use of EA tools • Aligned health, safety and quality

standards • Integrated professional development

& quality improvement plans

Getting There from Here

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Program Elements Current ECEAP Program Essential Elements in Expansion

Dosage/Intensity • Mostly part day, school year • Increased full day options • Increased access for more preschool aged children

Curriculum • Developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant

• Planning time

• Research-based, culturally relevant, linked to child outcomes

• Planning time • Linked with PD efforts • Implemented with fidelity

Screening, Assessment & Individualizing

• Developmental screening required • Individualized plans and supports • TS GOLD® for child

assessment/outcomes

• Developmental screening • Referral processes • Individualized plans & supports • Ongoing observational assessments

Teacher qualifications & salaries

• AA & BA requirements for some teachers

• Lack of pathways for non-traditional students

• Limited tuition support

• Create alternative, equitable pathways to BA degree, focused on quality teaching

• More scholarships, tuition support and loan forgiveness options

• Professional teaching salaries, salary support

Professional Development

• Minimum requirements • Varies across programs • PD capacity built-in to many programs

• Increased focus on practice-based coaching • Create Learning Communities of Practice • Increased focus on use of common tools, assessment and

curriculum approaches • Increased P-3 alignment efforts

Comprehensive Services

• Expertise - family support staff • Focus on health coordination and family

support services • Current model designed exclusively for

most vulnerable families • Good capacity, resources and expertise

in many preschool programs

• Develop differentiated model of services for mixed-income settings including family support and health coordination services, all children

• Rely less on standard staffing model • Create shared service models/settings

Sustaining Preschool Expansion

Unlike the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grant, the federal preschool application funds direct services, not infrastructure and system building. This provides the state with more options post-grant period.

Scenario #1: Sustain number of

slots through additional funding

Scenario #2: Reduce the number of children served

Scenario #3: Find efficiencies in current

programs

Continued funding becomes available to sustain the number of children served. Examples: • New state funding • Increased WCCC funding • Anticipated but not yet

funded federal preschool opportunities

• Quality improvements achieved through the federal grant would be sustained (more qualified teachers and use of evidence based curriculum)

• Reduce the number of children in ECEAP post-grant

• Restructure current program elements

• Look for efficiencies among programs (Early Achievers, ECEAP, child care licensing, etc.)

• Increase private pay options for children from families with incomes above 110% FPL

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Next Steps

• Soliciting Feedback on the Vision • Please send ideas, comments, feedback to

ECEAP@del.wa.gov

• DEL is collecting feedback and questions • Webinar on Tuesday, October 7th 9:00-10:00

• Letters of Support

• Federal Application requires demonstrated support • Template available at: http://www.del.wa.gov/care/find-hs-eceap/federalgrant.aspx