ACHIEVING GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SCHOOL READINESS
OPENING INDICATORS TO SCHOOL READINESS
Access to High
Quality Early
Childhood
Required
Kindergarten
Participation
Teacher
Preparation and
effectiveness
Comprehensive
Screening and
Follow-up
Transitional
Alignment
NEA Is Committed to Improving Early Childhood Education
High quality early childhood education
represents one of the best investments
our country can make. NEA believes it’s a
common sense investment we can’t afford
to pass up. NEA recommends among
other things:
The GPS School Readiness Criteria is
made up of 5 indicators:
``
Free, publicly funded, quality
kindergarten programs in all states,
``
Comprehensive Screening and Follow-up
``
Optional free publicly funded
“universal” pre-kindergarten programs
for all three and four-year old children
whose parents choose to enroll them.
Three states are moving toward such
a program—Georgia, New York and
Oklahoma
The documents in this readiness policy
package are designed to support strategic
planning and advocacy efforts on behalf
of young children and the adults that
support their learning, and to be used in
concert with the Indictor’s Framework. The
package includes school readiness policy
benchmarks, policy briefs that describe
NEA policies and recommendations,
fact sheets and backgrounders that can
be shared with school board members,
legislators, and parents and proposed
sample contract language, and other
advocacy documents. Like the Indicator’s
Framework, this is a living document and
there may be changes and additions as we
obtain information and feedback. Please
direct your questions, comments, and
feedback to [email protected].
``
Federal funds to make pre--kindergarten
programs available for all three
and four-year old children from
disadvantaged families. State and
local governments should provide the
additional funds necessary to make prekindergarten available for all three and
four-year old children
``
Dedicated funding for early childhood
education. Public schools should
be the primary provider of prekindergarten programs and additional
funding must be allocated to finance
them in the same manner as k-12
schools.
``
Access to High Quality Early Childhood
``
Required Kindergarten Participation
``
Teacher Preparation and Effectiveness
``
Transitional Alignment
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 BENCHMARKS
BENCHMARKS
School Readiness Policy
INDICATOR:
Access to High Quality Early Childhood
POLICY:
State has comprehensive early learning standards.
BENCHMARKS:
 State provides professional development and technical assistance to state
funded pre-­k programs implementing required early learning standards.
``State requires all licensed child care and state funded pre-­k programs to
follow state early learning standards.
``State has comprehensive early learning standards covering all areas
(physical/motor development, social/emotional development, approaches
toward learning, language development, and cognitive /general
knowledge) identified as fundamental by the National Education Goals
Panel.1
``State has early learning standards in language development and
cognitive/general knowledge whose implementation is voluntary.
INDICATOR:
Required Kindergarten Participation
POLICY:State requires districts to provide full-­day, five day/week kindergarten with
mandatory attendance for all eligible students.
BENCHMARKS:
 State requires provision of full-­day, 5-­day/week kindergarten with mandatory
attendance
``State requires provision of full-­day, 5-­day/week kindergarten for all
children whose parents wish to enroll them.
``State requires provision of half-­day, 5­-day/week kindergarten to serve all
children.
``State requires provision of half-­day/less than five days/week to children
whose parents wish to enroll them.
``Kindergarten attendance not required.
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 BENCHMARKS
School Readiness Policy
INDICATOR:
Transitional Alignment
POLICY:
tate has a policy to facilitate transition from early learning programs to
S
elementary schools.
BENCHMARKS:
 State provides funding to school districts to plan and implement a range of
transition activities between early learning programs, schools and parents.
``
State requires districts to plan and implement transition activities between
early childhood programs, schools and parents.
``State has no policy.
INDICATOR:
POLICY:
eacher Preparation for Effectiveness
T
State policy has standards for preparation of early childhood educators.
Kindergarten Teacher
BENCHMARKS:
 Teachers seeking National Board Early Childhood Generalist Certification are
provided financial support and increased salaries.
``Teachers are required to hold an advanced degree in Early Childhood,
Child Development or related field.
``Teachers are required to hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood,
Child Development with state certification.
``Teachers are required to hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary
Education with state certification without specialized training in Early
Childhood, Child Development.
POLICY: Teacher State funded pre-­kindergarten and Head Start
BENCHMARKS:  Teachers are required to hold a Bachelor’s Degree with specific early
childhood, child development endorsement or equivalent.
``Teachers are required to hold an advanced degree in Early Childhood,
Child Development or related field.
(Continued)
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 BENCHMARKS
School Readiness Policy
BENCHMARKS: State requires provision of full-­day, 5-­day/week kindergarten with
mandatory attendance.
``Teachers are required to hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood,
Child Development with state certification.
``Teachers are required to hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary
Education with state certification without specialized training in Early
Childhood, Child Development.
POLICY: Assistant Teacher State funded pre-­kindergarten and Head Start
BENCHMARKS:  Teachers are required to hold an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood.
``Teachers are required to complete college courses in Early Childhood
Education.
``Teachers are required to hold a Child Development Associate (CDA).
``Teachers are required to complete more than 20 hours of pre-­service
training.
``State does not require pre-­service training.
INDICATOR:
Comprehensive Screening and Follow-­up
POLICY:State Provides public health insurance (SCHIP) to all children from low-­income
families.
State has streamlined procedures for enrollment in Medicaid and SCHIP:
(a) temporary presumptive eligibility,
(b) joint applications,
(c) extended re-­determination intervals,
(d) self-­declaration of income,
(e) eliminates asset tests,
(f) eliminates interviews, and
(g) provides 12 months of eligibility regardless of income changes.
(Continued)
|6|
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 BENCHMARKS
School Readiness Policy
BENCHMARKS:
 State implements 7 recommended procedures
``State implements 6 recommended procedures
``State implements 5 recommended procedures
``State implements 4 recommended procedures
``State implements 3 recommended procedures
``State implements 2 recommended procedures
``State implements 1 recommended procedures
``No streamlined procedures
|7|
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 BACKGROUNDER/FACTSHEET
BACKGROUNDER/FACTSHEET
Early Childhood Education
The National Education Association (NEA) has a long history of promoting access
to high quality education for all children in public schools. NEA is committed to
making the same assurances to young children by supporting universal access to
high quality, early childhood education and full-day kindergarten programs for all
children. To this end, NEA urges Congress to take the opportunity to improve our
schools and adequately prepare our nation’s children for success in school, work
and life through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act (ESEA).
NEA Supports the Expansion of
Title I Preschool Programs.
NEA Supports Investments in the Early
Childhood Workforce.
Districts should be encouraged to use Title I
funds to support high-quality pre-kindergarten
programs. However, many state pre-kindergarten
programs do not require teachers to possess
a bachelor’s degree. ESEA should improve the
professional standards of prekindergarten teachers
to ensure that all children in Title I funded pre-k
programs are taught by teachers with a bachelor’s
degree and specialized training in early childhood
education.
Allocate funds to increase the supply of highly
qualified pre-k teachers and promote high quality,
coordinated in-service professional development
for pre-k through third grade teachers on topics
including:
NEA Supports Mandatory Full-day
Kindergarten.
Only 8 states and the District of Columbia have a
compulsory school age of 5 that effectively, if not
specifically mandates kindergarten attendance.
Let’s build on the gains that students make in
pre-kindergarten by ensuring that every 5-year-old
child attends a high-quality full-day, full-school year
kindergarten program. Make full-day kindergarten
a compulsory, not optional part of the American
public education system.
``Knowledge of and expectations for
implementing curricula (mathematics, reading,
science, music, physical education etc.) to
address state early learning standards.
``Effective practices in teaching and supporting
children from diverse backgrounds, children
with disabilities and English Language Learners.
``Implementation of appropriate developmental
screening and assessment tools.
``Effective parental involvement and
engagement.
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 BACKGROUNDER/FACTSHEET (Continued)
NEA Supports the Development of
Comprehensive Early Learning Standards
that are Aligned with K-3 standards and
Assessments.
States should develop comprehensive early
learning standards that are aligned with state’s
K-3 content standards. Title I of NCLB does not
required alignment between pre-k and k-12 so,
many states are developing standards, curriculum
and assessments that are separate in both
structure and content from K-12 standards.
NEA Supports Comprehensive Data
Systems.
Schools should be prepared to help children enter
school ready to learn and equipped to address
issues and factors that prevent children succeeding
while in school. Data systems linking pre-K to
elementary schools, like those supported by the
Race to the Top program, better equip schools
to meet the needs of young children arriving
to public schools from various early childhood
settings.
NEA Supports Greater Coordination and
Collaboration between the Early Childhood and
K-12 Systems. LEA’s should serve on the State
Advisory Council as referenced in the Head Start
Act (42 U.S.C. 9831) to engage in statewide efforts
to:
``
Improve the quality of early education
programs.
``
Increase the education and training of prekindergarten teachers.
``
Allocate resources and funding for at risk
populations.
NEA Supports Innovations in Early Learning. The
final Student Aide and Fiscal Responsibility Act
did not include the Early Learning Challenge Fund
as a result of difficult budget issues. The Early
Learning Challenge fund would have supported
states in expanding young children’s access to
high-quality early learning opportunities, especially
disadvantaged children. Congress should
recommit to young children and include the Early
Learning Challenge fund in ESEA.
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 TALKING POINTS
AN NEA POLICY BRIEF
TALKING POINTS
Access to High Quality Early Education
Despite the growth of publicly funded prekindergarten programs over the past decade
access to high quality pre-k programs
remains uneven. Presently, 40 states and the
District of Columbia fund some type of pre-k
program. Within these states, access to pre-k
programs is uneven with some communities
serving more children than others. We need
to give every child, especially those from
disadvantaged backgrounds, the chance
to succeed in school by investing in high
quality early childhood education programs.
The benefits of such programs have been
well documented. We know that early
childhood education significantly improves
the scholastic success and the educational
attainment of poor children even into
adulthood.
for pre-k attendance to produce positive
outcomes. Unfortunately, the quality of many
programs is too low to generate lasting
academic and social success. High quality
pre-k and kindergarten programs include the
following:
NEA Supports actions and policies that
provide more children with access to
high quality early learning programs
``
Parent involvement and support for
families;
``
Universal access to high quality
prekindergarten programs for all 3- and
4-year-old children whose parents wish to
enroll them.
``
Degree requirements for teachers, assistant
teachers, principals and center/site
directors;
``
Training in early childhood education;
``
Teacher licensing;
``
In-service professional development;
``
Class size;
``
Staff-child ratios;
``
Meals provided;
``
Screening and referral services;
``
Transition to kindergarten activities
standards for English Language Learners.
``
Federal support to states to improve and
expand pre-K and full-day kindergarten
programs.
``
Mandatory full-day kindergarten
attendance for every 5-year-old child.
``
Expansion of Early Head Start and Head
Start to serve all eligible children.
High quality programs are required in order
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 AN NEA POLICY BRIEF
TALKING POINTS
Full-day Kindergarten Talking Points
Full-day kindergarten is important for
children, families and teachers. Full-day
kindergarten provides continuity for children
many of whom are accustomed to a full-day
experience in an early childhood program.
Full-day kindergarten builds on the skills and
knowledge that a child gain in childhood
programs and sets the foundation for success
in the primary grades. Full-day kindergarten
benefits children in the following ways:
``
Contributes to increased school readiness
(better transitions to first grade, stronger
learning skills);
``
Higher academic achievement;
``
Improved student attendance;
``
Supports literacy and language
development (higher reading achievement
through third grade);
Unfortunately, access to full-day kindergarten
varies from state to state and district to district.
It is important that states take the necessary
steps to ensure that every student has access
to full-day kindergarten by:
``
Making full-day kindergarten universally
available. When there are insufficient
resources to provide universal access to fullday kindergarten, offer full-day kindergarten
to targeted populations.
``
Making kindergarten attendance
mandatory.
``
Defining in state statute a minimum
number of instructional days and hours
that is congruent with those of children in
grades 1-6.
``
Benefits children socially and emotionally
(obeys rules, more self-confidence, works
well with others);
``
Reduces retention and remediation rates.
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 AN NEA POLICY BRIEF
TALKING POINTS
Transitional Alignment
E
ntering school is one of the most important
transitions for young children and their
families. Ensuring that children transition
smoothly into school and successfully from
grade to grade while in school requires
alignment of the early childhood and K-12
systems at the state level and coordination
between early childhood programs and
schools at the local level. Strategies for
improving children’s transitions to school
fall into three categories (1) improving the
coordination and collaboration between the
early childhood and education systems and
the state level (2) improving the connections
between early childhood programs and
elementary schools at the local level and (3)
reaching out to children and families before
they enter school.
Successful coordination between early
childhood programs and schools includes:
Coordination and collaboration between
the early childhood and education system
includes:
``
Providing opportunities for incoming
children and families to visit new schools
before the school year begins.
``
Developing a comprehensive plan for
Pre-K -3 education that addresses infant
and toddler care, pre-kindergarten and
kindergarten through third grade part of a
whole system instead of separate, disparate
initiatives.
``
A teacher making home visits before school
begins to the families whose children will be
starting kindergarten in the fall.
``
Aligning early learning standards and K-3
content standards to promote children’s
healthy development, social & emotional
skills, motivation and engagement in
learning as well as progress in learning
literacy, language, mathematics and science.
``
Common policies and procedures across
school districts to obtain records from the
variety of early childhood programs children
attend. For example, schools can prepare
and distribute parent permission forms in
early childhood programs to allow programs
to transfer children’s records to the school
``
Joint professional development activities for
early childhood and K-3 educators to build
a shared understanding of early childhood
development and an intentional sequence
of learning to facilitate more effective
transitions between grades and early
childhood programs.
``
Strategies for reaching out to children and
families before they enter school include:
``
Implementing effective family-schoolcommunity partnerships such as NEA’s
Family, School and Community Partnerships
2.0
| 14 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 AN NEA POLICY BRIEF
TALKING POINTS
Teacher Preparation and Effectiveness
I
t is a well -documented fact that children who
attend high quality early childhood education
programs are more likely to succeed in
kindergarten than those who do not. Beyond
kindergarten, children that attend quality early
education programs are less likely to drop
out of school, repeat grades, need special
education and turn to juvenile delinquency
than children who have not had exposure to
high quality early education. This is particularly
true for children from low-income families.
Unfortunately, most children do not attend
high quality preschool programs and children
from low -income families are more likely to
attend lower quality programs. Children who
are likely to benefit the most from quality
early childhood programs are in fact, the least
likely to receive it. The qualifications of the
teacher is one of the most critical elements of
a quality early childhood program. Yet, fewer
than half of all early childhood educators hold
a four-year degree and many have no college
education. In most states, a high school
diploma is the only requirement needed
to teach in a licensed child care center. In
kindergarten, most children will encounter a
teacher who holds a least a Bachelors degree
but who may not have the specialized training
recommended to work with young children.
To provide the quality of early care and
education necessary to adequately
prepare children for success in school, all
early childhood educators must have the
appropriate skills and knowledge.
``
All teachers working in publicly funded
preschool programs and kindergarten
classrooms should hold a bachelor’s
degree in child development and/or early
childhood education.
``
All instructional assistants working in
publicly funded preschool programs
should hold an Associate’s degree in child
development or early childhood education.
``
Lead teachers in private child care centers
should hold a minimum of an Associate’s
Degree in child development or early
childhood education.
``
A teaching assistants in private child care
centers should hold a minimum of a Child
Development Associate (CDA) or a state
issued certificate that meets or exceed
CDA requirements.
| 15 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 AN NEA POLICY BRIEF
TALKING POINTS
Comprehensive Screening and Follow-up
S
chools have begun to recognize the value
of offering comprehensive services to
children and families. Since its’ inception,
Head Start has offe red health, social
services, nutrition and parent support in
order to improve child and family outcomes.
Borrowing from the Head Start model, many
districts and schools provide a variety of
services such as:
``child counseling and therapy
``parent workshops
``immunizations
``dental care and nutrition programs
These practices are supported by both
common sense and research based principles:
``well nourished children are better able to
concentrate and generally thrive in school.
``children who are immunized and receive
regular check-ups are healthier and miss
fewer days of school. Likewise, routine
health screenings can identify health issues
early and perhaps reduce the need for
more costly and severe interventions.
``
low income and immigrant families may
have difficulty gaining access to basic
services and schools are a unique position
to identify and referral them to available
resources within the community.
| 16 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 NEA POLICY BRIEF
AN NEA POLICY BRIEF
Early Childhood Education and School
Readiness
All children need and deserve a good start. Attending high quality early childhood
programs is an important part of starting early and starting right.
—NEA President Dennis Van Roekel
NEA is concerned about the growing number of
children who enter kindergarten already behind their
peers socially and academically. Evidence suggests
this “school readiness” gap begins before children
enter school and places children at risk of failure in
school. The Association believes all children deserve
access to early learning opportunities that will increase
their chances for success in school and in life.
What are the benefits of high quality early
childhood education?
Two of the best known longitudinal studies on the
long-term benefits of early childhood education are
the High/Scope Perry Preschool Project 1 and the
Abecedarian Early Childhood Intervention Project.2
The Perry project found that individuals who were
enrolled in a quality preschool program ultimately
earned up to $2,000 more per month than those
who were not, and that young people who were in
preschool programs were more likely to graduate
from high school, to own homes, and to have longer
marriages. The Abecedarian project offered similar
and equally compelling results: Children in quality
preschool programs are less likely to repeat grades,
need special education, or get into future trouble
with the law.
Research continues to confirm the benefits of quality
early childhood programs. Some examples:
``
Two studies published in Developmental
Psychology 3 documented the benefits of
universal pre-K programs (serving four-year-olds)
and early Head Start programs (serving infants,
toddlers, and their families) on children’s cognitive
and language development, especially for
children from low-income families.
``
The pre-K study in Oklahoma 4 (Oklahoma is the
only state to offer preschool to virtually every
fouryear-old) found significant improvements in
students’ reading, writing, and spelling abilities,
while the early Head Start study 5 showed gains
in children’s social and emotional development
and health as well as enhanced family support for
children’s learning.
``
Researchers made a point of noting that the
preschool program was staffed by well-educated,
well-trained teachers who earn regular public
school salaries.
Early childhood education makes good
economic sense
A high ranking Federal Reserve Bank official, Art
Rolnick, senior vice president and director of research
of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, said in
a published report in 2003 6 that a good preschool
| 18 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
can offer a 12 percent annual return, after
inflation. That’s better than the stock market, he
notes, and any other social program.
Yet, even though early childhood education
programs promise sure-fire returns, the country
is not making this investment. The latest national
survey of state preschool programs conducted
by the National Institute for Early Education
Research (NIEER) concluded that “across our
nation, high-quality and readily available statefunded preschool programs are the exception
rather than the rule.” 7
NEA believes it is time to change that.
NEA’s Policy, Positions, and Programs
At the 2003 Representative Assembly, NEA’s
highest policy making body, the Association
adopted two seminal recommendations:
``
NEA believes that all three- and four-year-old
children should have access to high quality,
publicly funded, universal prekindergarten
programs.
``
NEA believes that states should mandate fullday kindergarten attendance for every fiveyear-old child.
The Association supports universal access to high
quality prekindergarten programs for all threeand four-year-old children whose parents wish to
enroll them.
NEA recommends that school-based
prekindergarten programs work collaboratively
with existing early childhood programs to
provide universal access to high quality early
education experiences that address the needs of
children and families:
``
Universal access: State initiatives should strive
to make prekindergarten programs available
to all three-and four-year-old children when
sufficient funding exists. In cases where
funding is inadequate or does not exist,
priority should be given to children from lowincome communities.
``
Financing: Both federal government and
state governments should use “new”
money to provide funds sufficient to make
prekindergarten available for all three- and
four-year-old children.
``
Integration of prekindergarten and other
early childhood programs: Collaborative
efforts at the state and local levels enable
prekindergarten programs to be offered in a
variety of settings in order to maximize use
of limited resources. Collaborations at the
local level can include coordination between
schools, Head Start, and other early childhood
programs. This kind of collaboration can offer
additional support and stability to working
families.
NEA urges states to make high quality early
childhood education programs a priority and
consider them an integral part of the education
continuum. States should encourage and support
the efforts of public schools in their efforts to
provide early childhood programs. Funding for
new or expanded early childhood programs
in the public schools should come from new
funding sources and be a shared responsibility of
national, state, and local governments.
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
NEA believes high quality early childhood programs are rooted in these characteristics:
``Well-rounded curriculum that enhances the
cognitive, physical, social, and emotional
domains of each child’s development;
``
Small class sizes and favorable teacher-child
ratios;
``
Teachers and administrators who are caring and
well-trained in early childhood education and
child development;
``
Ancillary services (e.g., professional
development, curriculum supervision, and
assessment and evaluation) that support
children’s development through curriculum
implementation;
``
Parents working actively as partners with
teachers
``
in fostering appropriate child outcomes;
``
Programs that address child health,
nutrition, and other family needs as part of a
comprehensive service network.
Full-day Kindergarten Implications for
State and Local Affiliates
1 Work with policy makers to align the number
of instructional hours required for kindergarten
with the number of hours required for grades
1-12. Essentially, aligning full-day kindergarten
with the regular school day.
2 Work to with policy makers to ensure that
kindergarten attendance is mandatory and that
attendance and truancy policies apply.
ensure an equitable distribution of programs
so there is not a large variation in access from
one district to another within the state.
4 Work to secure more funding for full-day
kindergarten than for half-day kindergarten,
eliminating the disincentive to offer full-day
kindergarten in many states.
5 If your state or district is transitioning from
half-day to full-day kindergarten, request
Association representation and participation in
advisory committees, transition teams etc.
6 Work to ensure that transitions from half-day
kindergarten to full-day kindergarten are
accompanied with adequate professional
development, housed in appropriate
facilities and equipped with the appropriate
instructional materials.
Advocacy/ Legislative
1 Assess the political landscape in your state.
2 Secure support from kindergarten teachers.
3 Indentify potential funding sources (Title I or
dedicated funding from a specific revenue
source such as an excise or sales tax).
4 Develop an advocacy strategy (legislative,
lobby the school board, ballot initiative).
5 Identify potential partners (parents, business,
early childhood advocates).
6 Prepare to counter opposition.
3 Work with state policy makers to enact a
consistent statewide policy requiring all
districts to offer full-day kindergarten. This will
| 20 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
References
L. J. Schweinhart, J. Montie, Z. Xiang, W. S. Barnett, C.
R. Belfield & M. Nores. (2005). Lifetime Effects: The High/
Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40 (Ypsilanti,
Michigan: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation).
www.highscope.org/Research/PerryProject/perrymain.htm.
1
Abecedarian Early Childhood Intervention Project,
www.fpg.unc.edu/~abc/.
2
Gormley, The Effects of Universal Pre-K on Cognitive
Development, Developmental Psychology 41, no. 6
(2005): 872-884
3
4
tools, policy recommendations, model legislation, and
case studies from states that have enacted full-day
kindergarten.
www.nea.org/earlychildhood/images/kadvoguide.pdf
(PDF, 2.8MB, 52 pages), 2006.
NEA on Prekindergarten and Kindergarten: NEA’s policy
road map for early childhood education, developed by
NEA’s Special Committee on Early Childhood and adopted
by the NEA Representative Assembly. www.nea.org/
earlychildhood/images/prekkinder.pdf (PDF, 748KB, 16
pages), 2004.
www.apa.org/journals/releases/dev416872.pdf.
Love, J., et al., The Effectiveness of Early Head Start
for 3-Year-Old Children and Their Parents: Lessons for
Policy and Programs, Developmental Psychology 41,
no. 6 (2005): 885-901. www.apa.org/journals/releases/
dev416885.pdf.
5
Rolnick, A., & R. Grunewald, Early Childhood
Development: Economic Development with a High Public
Return (Minneapolis, MN: Fedgazette).
www.minneapolisfed.org/pubs/fedgaz/03-03/earlychild.
cfm.
6
Barnett, S., et al., The State of Preschool: 2005 State
Preschool Yearbook, The Annual Report, (Rutgers,
New Jersey: The National Institute for Early Education
Research). www.nieer.org/yearbook/.
7
Resources
Full-Day Kindergarten: An Advocacy Guide: This NEA
publication offers tools, resources, and research to help
Association leaders, staff, and other early childhood
education advocates secure full-day kindergarten
programs in their states. It contains research, organizing
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 AN NEA POLICY BRIEF
Full-Day Kindergarten Helps Close
Achievement Gaps
Full-day kindergarten provides our youngest students more time to explore, learn, and
grow in an engaging and supportive environment. NEA understands this is an important
start to a lifetime of learning and academic achievement.
—NEA President Dennis Van Roekel
Full-day kindergarten is a sound educational
investment. Research demonstrates that full-day
kindergarten, though initially more costly than halfday kindergarten, is worth the expense. Full-day
kindergarten not only boosts students’ academic
achievement, it also improves their social and
emotional skills. Additionally, it offers benefits to
teachers and parents—teachers have more time to
work with and get to know students, and parents
have access to better learning and care for their
children. The bottom line: everyone gains.
Full-day kindergarten boosts student
achievement
``
Longitudinal data demonstrates that children
in full-day classes show greater reading and
mathematics achievement gains than those in
half-day classes.
In their landmark longitudinal study of full-day
versus half-day kindergarten, researchers Jill
Walston and Jerry West found that students in
full-day classes learned more in both reading and
mathematics than those in half-day classes—after
adjusting for differences in race, poverty status,
and fall achievement levels, among other things.1
giving students and teachers more quality time to
engage in constructive learning activities, full-day
kindergarten provides benefits to everyone.
``
Full-day kindergarten can produce long-term
educational gains, especially for low-income
and minority students.
In a study comparing national and Indiana research
on full-day and half-day kindergarten programs,
researchers found that compared to half-day
kindergarten, full-day kindergarten leads to greater
long-term as well as short-term gains.
In one Indiana district, for example, students in
full-day kindergarten scored significantly higher
on basic skills tests in the third, fifth, and seventh
grades than those who attended only half-day or
did not attend kindergarten at all. The researchers
also found the long-term benefits of full-day
kindergarten appeared to be greatest for students
from disadvantaged backgrounds and that full-day
kindergarten helped to narrow achievement gaps
between different groups of students.2
All students experienced learning gains. By
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NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
Full-day kindergarten improves students’
social and emotional skills
more appropriate academic challenges for
children at all developmental levels.
A full day of learning offers many social and
emotional benefits to kindergarteners. They have
more time to focus and reflect on activi-ties,
and they have more time to transition between
activities.
``
Children with developmental delays or those at
risk for school problems benefited from having
more time to complete projects and more
time for needed socialization with peers and
teachers.
When children are taught by qualified teachers,
using age-appropriate curricula in small classes,
they can take full advantage of the additional
learning time—social, emotional, and intellectual—
that a full day allows. Further, research finds that
children adjust well to the full-day format.3 While
some parents worry that full-day kindergarten is
too much for young children, research shows that
5-year-olds are more than ready for a longer day—
and that they do better in a setting that allows
them time to learn and explore activities in depth.
``
For more advanced students, there was time to
complete longer term projects.
Teachers prefer full-day kindergarten
In a study evaluating teachers’ views on full-day
kindergarten, teachers reported a number of
benefits for themselves as well as children and
parents.4
``
Participating in full-day [kindergarten] eased the
transition to first grade, helping children adapt
to the demands of a six-hour school day.
``
Having more time available in the school day
offered more flexibility and more time to do
activities during free choice times.
``
Having more time actually made the
kindergarten program less stressful and
frustrating for children because they had time to
fully develop interests and activities.
``
Participating in the full-day schedule allowed
``
Having full-day kindergarten assisted parents
with child care.
``
Having more time in the school day made child
assessment and classroom record keeping more
manageable for teachers.
``
Switching to full-day kindergarten gave teachers
more time to plan the curriculum, incorporate
a greater number of thematic units into the
school year, and offer more in-depth coverage
of each unit.
Parents prefer full-day kindergarten
Full-day kindergarten provides parents with better
support for their children. For parents who work
outside the home, full-day kindergarten means
that children do not have to be shuffled between
home, school, and child care. For all parents, there
is more continuity and less disruption in the child’s
day and more time for focused and independent
learning.
One study of parent attitudes found that after the
second year of a full-day kindergarten program,
100 percent of full-day parents and 72 percent
of half-day parents noted that, if given the
opportunity again, they would have chosen fullday kindergarten for their child.5
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NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
NEA strongly supports full-day
kindergarten
At its 2003 Representative Assembly, NEA
committed to work toward the following goals:
``
That all 3- and 4-year-old children in the United
States should have access to a full-day public
school prekindergarten that is of the highest
possible quality, universally offered, and funded
with public money not taken from any other
education program.
``
That full-day kindergarten for all 5-yearold children should be mandated in every
public school in this country. These programs
should support the gains children made in
prekindergarten, provide time for children
to explore topics in depth, give teachers
opportunities to individualize instruction, and
offer parents opportunities to become involved
in their children’s classrooms.
To reach these goals, NEA recommends the
following policy priorities for full-day kindergarten:
ISSUE
POLICY PRIORITY
Mandatory full-day
attendance
Full-day does not designate a specific number of hours but means that kindergarten
should be keyed to the regular school day.
Kindergarten should be universal (available in all schools) and mandatory.
Teacher certification
Kindergarten teachers, education support professionals, and administrators should
be considered qualified if they hold the license or certification that the state requires
for their employment.
Program location and
structure (class sizes,
conditions for learning)
Class size—NEA supports an optimum class size of 15 students for regular programs
and smaller class sizes for programs that include students with exceptional needs.
As with prekindergarten, smaller classes generate the greatest gains for younger
children.
Alignment
State policymakers should ensure learning standards for kindergarten are created and
aligned both with early learning standards and standards for first grade and beyond.
Learning standards for kindergarten should be implemented comprehensively across
five key domains: physical and motor development, social/emotional development,
approaches toward learning, cognitive development, and language/literacy
development.
Professional
development
Educators—teachers, support professionals and administrators—should have access
to high-quality, continuous professional development that is required to gain and
improve knowledge and skills and that is provided at school district expense.
(Continues)
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NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
ISSUE
POLICY PRIORITY
Funding
Kindergarten should be funded in the same manner as the rest of the public school
program, but the money should come from new funding sources. This does not
necessarily mean that new taxes should be imposed. However, it does mean that
the necessary financing for mandatory, full-day, public school kindergarten, including
the need to recruit and equitably pay qualified teachers and support professionals,
should not be obtained at the expense of other public school programs.
Public funds should not be used to pay for children to attend private kindergarten.
Any portion of public money, even new money, going to private kindergartens, which
are open to some but not all children, will reduce resources available to public school
kindergartens, which are available to all children.
Parent involvement
Because kindergarten is the bridge to the more structured school experience, training programs should be made available to help parents and guardians take an active
role in the education of their kindergarten children. Parents and guardians should be
encouraged to visit their children’s schools and maintain contact with teachers and
other school personnel.
Curriculum
In kindergarten, as with prekindergarten, all areas of a child’s development should be
addressed: fostering thinking, problem solving, developing social and physical skills,
and instilling basic academic skills.
Assessments
Assessment of the child’s progress should also address all areas of a child’s development: physical, social, emotional, and cognitive. Multiple sources of information should be used, and children should be given opportunities to demonstrate
their skills in different ways, allowing for variability in learning pace and for different
cultural backgrounds. As with prekindergarten, large-scale standardized testing is
inappropriate. The purpose of assessment should be to improve the quality of education by providing information to teachers, identifying children with special needs, and
developing baseline data.
Teacher assistants
Adult supervision of young children is vital to the safety and success of the kindergarten program. Each kindergarten teacher should be provided a full-time teacher
assistant.
Flexibility in setting
age requirements
To give children the best possible chances to benefit from kindergarten, NEA recommends that 5 be the uniform entrance age for kindergarten. The minimum entrance
age (of 5) and the maximum allowed age (of 6) should not be applied rigidly, however. In joint consultation with parents and teachers, a school district should be allowed
to make case-by-case exceptions to age requirements.
References
Walston, J. and J. West. 2004. Full-Day and Half-Day Kindergarten in the United States: Findings from the Early
Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for
Education Statistics. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/web/2004078.asp
1
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NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
2
3
4
5
Plucker, J., J. East, R. Rapp, et al. January 2004. The
Effects of Full Day Versus Half Day Kindergarten: Review
and Analysis of National and Indiana Data. Center for
Evaluation and Education Policy. www.doe.state.in.us/
primetime/pdf/fulldaykreport.pdf.
ryan, J., R. Sheehan, J. Weichel, and I. Bandy-Hedden.
C
1992. “Success outcomes of full-day kindergarten: More
positive behavior and increased achievement in the
years after,” Early Childhood Research Quarterly, v. 7,
no. 2, 187-203.
licker, J. and S. Mathur. 1997. “What do they do all day?
E
Comprehensive evaluation of a full-day kindergarten,” Early
Childhood Research Quarterly, v.12, no.4.
Denton, K., and E. Germino-Hausken. 2000. Early
Education for All. “Investing in Full-day Kindergarten Is
Essential,” Citing West, Jerry. America’s Kindergartners,
National Center for Education Statistics.
Resources
Full-Day Kindergarten: An Advocacy Guide, NEA,
2006.
www.nea.org/earlychildhood/images/kadvoguide.
pdf
Closing the Achievement Gaps: An Association
Guide, NEA, 2006.
www.nea.org/teachexperience/careguide.html
NEA on Prekindergarten and Kindergarten. NEA,
2004.
www.nea.org/earlychildhood/images/prekkinder.
pdf
National Association for the Education of Young
Children, in collaboration with NEA and other
organizations, “Why We Care About the K in
K-12,” Young Children, NAEYC, March 2005.
www.nea.org/earlychildhood/careaboutk.html
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 AN NEA POLICY BRIEF
Successful Transition Practices and Alignment
Policies Put Students on a Path to Success
The evidence is compelling that the first transition into school and the kindergarten year
can be a make-or-break moment for students. Schools can support this milestone by
smoothing the transition for parents and families, and helping students successfully move
from grade to grade. Together, educators and parents can help students maximize their
potential.
—NEA President Dennis Van Roekel
Entering school is one of the most important
transitions for young children and their families.
Ensuring that children transition smoothly into
school and successfully from grade to grade while
in school requires coordination between early
childhood programs and schools at the local level
and alignment of the early childhood and K-12
systems at the state level. Historically, there has
been little alignment between the early childhood
and K-12 systems and few connections made
between early childhood programs and schools
that will receive their students. Strategies for
improving children’s transition into school fall into
three categories (1) improving coordination and
collaboration between the early childhood and
education systems at the state level (2) establishing
connections between early childhood programs
and elementary schools at the local level and (3)
reaching out to children and families before they
enter school.
In 2007, the Improving Head Start for School
Readiness Act laid the foundation for improved
transition and alignment policies by calling for
governors to designate state advisory councils
on early childhood education and care that meet
certain requirements in membership and activities.
Following the enactment of the 2007 Head Start
Act, early childhood advisory councils in several
states have worked towards building linkages
with the K-12 education system. These state early
childhood advisory councils present an opportunity
for the early childhood and education systems
to coordinate and collaborate to ensure smooth
transitions for students and alignment of standards
and curriculum across early childhood settings.
Successful coordination and collaboration
between the early childhood and K-12
education system includes:
``
Developing a comprehensive plan for Pre-K -3
education that addresses infant and toddler care,
pre-kindergarten and kindergarten through third
grade part of a whole system instead of separate,
disparate initiatives.
Aligning early learning standards and K-3
content standards to promote children’s healthy
development, social & emotional skills, motivation
and engagement in learning as well as progress in
learning literacy, language, mathematics and science.
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NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
Within communities, children enter school from
various early childhood settings including; privately
owned childcare centers, family child care homes,
and school-based pre-kindergarten programs.
Given this reality, policy makers should institute
policies and procedures that make transitioning
from these programs into schools easier for
families and more efficient for schools.
Successful coordination between early
childhood programs and schools includes:
``
Developing common policies and procedures
across school districts to obtain records from
the variety of early childhood programs children
attend. For example, schools can prepare and
distribute parent permission forms in early
childhood programs to allow programs to
transfer children’s records to the school
``
Providing joint professional development
activities for early childhood and K-3 educators
to build a shared understanding of early
childhood development and an intentional
sequence of learning to facilitate more effective
transitions between grades and early childhood
programs.
``
Developing school transition teams whose
primary responsibility is to facilitate successful
school transitions for children and families.
NEA recognizes the importance of parental
involvement in a child’s development. The
extent to which families are involved in their
children’s education is a strong predictor of
children’s academic success. Benefits of parental
involvement include:
``
Students complete more homework and have
better grades,
``
Students have more positive attitudes toward
school,
``
Better student behavior
``
Higher attendance rates and, Reduced
suspension rates.
It is important for schools to reach out to families
before the first day of school to establish links and
smooth stressful transitions.
Successful strategies for reaching out to
children and families before they enter
school include:
Providing opportunities for incoming children and
families to visit new schools before the school year
begins.
Having teachers or other appropriate school
personnel make home visits before school begins
to the families whose children will be starting
kindergarten in the fall.
Implementing effective family-school-community
partnerships such as NEA’s Family, School and
Community Partnerships 2.0.
NEA Resources
Early Childhood Education and School Readiness
is an NEA policy brief that outlines the importance
of early childhood education in preparing young
children for elementary school.
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/mf_
policybriefece.pdf
Full-day Kindergarten Helps Close the
Achievement Gaps is an NEA policy brief that
discusses the importance of providing young
children with a full-day of kindergarten to
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
maintain the progress achieved in early childhood
programs.
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/mf_
fulldayk08pb12.pdf
Raising the Standards for Early Childhood
Professionals will Lead to Better Outcomes
discusses the importance of providing young
children with highly trained early childhood
educators.
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/PB29_
RaisingtheStandards.pdf
Family School and Community Partnerships 2.0:
Collaborative Strategies to Advance Student
Learning. This report identifies and describes
key partnerships that Association members
have forged in 16 communities and includes the
Association perspective on these efforts
http://neapriorityschools.org/wp-content/
uploads/2011/11/Entire_PSC_Profiles_Interactive.
pdf
Full-day Kindergarten: An Advocacy Guide
provides tools, research and resources to
successfully advocate for full-day kindergarten in
states.
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/mf_
kadvoguide.pdf
A Parent ‘s Guide to Preparing Your Child for
School provides practical information to parents
on how to prepare their child to enter school ready
to learn
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/44013_
NEA_W_L8.pdf
A Parent’s Guide to a Successful Kindergarten
Transition provides parents with information they
can use to help their preschooler transition into
kindergarten.
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/44013_
NEA_W_L6.pdf
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NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 AN NEA POLICY BRIEF
Raising the Standards for Early Childhood
Professionals Will Lead to Better Outcomes
Young children deserve high-quality early childhood programs that enrich their social,
intellectual and physical development, and build a foundation for school success. Raising
the level of education and training for early childhood educators is an important step to
ensure that every young child enters school ready and able to learn.
—NEA President Dennis Van Roekel
In the past, kindergarten was considered the
beginning of a child’s formal education. But
today, many children enter kindergarten having
completed several years in child care or preschool
programs. Still, many kindergarten teachers
express concerns that significant numbers of
children enter their classrooms unprepared
either because they have had no early childhood
education or the programs they attended were of
poor quality.
Recent research suggests that children who attend
high quality early childhood education programs*
are more likely to thrive in kindergarten than those
who do not.1
The benefits of high-quality early education
programs extend well beyond kindergarten.
Children who attend such programs are less likely
to repeat grades, to require special education
services, or to drop out of school.2 The effects are
especially significant for children from low-income
families.
The reality is that too many children do not
attend high-quality early childhood programs and
children from low-income families are more likely
to attend lower quality programs. The “Cost,
Quality, and Outcomes Study,” one of the first
large-scale studies of child care quality in the U.S.,
found that the vast majority of early childhood
programs were either poor or mediocre in quality,
based on observations of widely accepted
indicators of child care quality (developmentally
appropriate activities, teacher sensitivity, and the
extent to which the teaching style was didactic or
child centered).3 A follow-up study, “The Children
of the Cost, Quality, and Outcomes Study Go to
School,” followed children through the second
grade and found that the quality of child care
centers had long-term positive effects on children’s
language ability, math skills, thinking, attention,
and social skills. In second grade, children who
attended high-quality child care programs fared
better than those who attended mediocre and
poor-quality programs.4
What constitutes a high-quality program?
NEA has identified five critical components:5
``
It provides a well-rounded curriculum that
supports all areas of development.
``
It appropriately assesses children for the
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NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
purposes of guiding instruction, enhancing
student learning, and identifying concerns.
``
It addresses child health, nutrition, and family
needs as part of a comprehensive service
network.
``
It provides small class sizes and low teacherchild ratios.
``
It employs well-educated, adequately paid
teachers.
The qualifications of the teacher is one of the
most critical elements of a quality early childhood
program. Yet, fewer than half of all teachers
working in early childhood programs hold a
four-year degree—and many have no college
education. In most states, a high school diploma
is all that’s needed to work in a licensed child
care center. Kindergarten teachers, by contrast,
typically hold a least a bachelor’s degree, but even
they may not have the specialized training in early
childhood education recommended by various
education groups.
Are there benefits to specialized training?
The research shows that teachers who have
earned a B.A. and who also have received
specialized training in early childhood share these
characteristics:6
``
Have classrooms with richer language and
literacy environments
``
Are more actively engaged, more sensitive, and
less punitive
A review of state standards
Standards for early childhood educators vary
significantly by state and by workplace setting.
There are vast differences in the minimum teacher
qualification requirements for center-based child
care programs, state funded prekindergarten
programs, kindergarten programs, and Head
Start programs. In 2000, the National Academy
of Sciences’ Committee on Early Childhood
Pedagogy called for raising educational standards
for early childhood educators in order to improve
teacher efficacy and child outcomes.7
Private center-based child care programs
Working parents rely heavily on private centerbased programs to provide child care during
working hours, while parents who do not work
outside the home frequently look to child
care programs to provide enriching social and
educational experiences for their children. In
2005, 57 percent of children ages three to five
were enrolled in center-based early childhood
programs.8 Child care programs play an
increasingly important role in preparing children
for kindergarten. Unfortunately, state standards
for privately run, licensed child care programs
are significantly lower than that for school-based
prekindergarten and Head Start programs.
Summary: Some 12 states require no preservice training for teachers working in child
care programs, while 38 states and the District
of Columbia require some level of pre-service
training. (See chart on this page.)
``
Give children more feedback and
encouragement
``
Are more likely to have the skills that promote
better outcomes for children
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NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHERS IN PRIVATE CHILD CARE CENTERS
No requirements
Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan,
Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota,
Wyoming
Prior experience or observation in licensed
preschool or child care center by licensing agent
Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska,
Oregon, West Virginia
High school diploma or GED
Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Utah
Prior experience with high school diploma/GED
Arizona, Georgia, New York, North Carolina Oklahoma,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington
Clock hours in early childhood education
Alabama, Florida, Maryland, New Mexico, Virginia,
Wisconsin and The District of Columbia
Vocational or occupational education program
Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire
Child Develop ment Associate (CDA) or Certified
Child Care Professional (CCP) credential
Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont
College coursework in early childhood or
equivalent
California
Source: National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center
Prekindergarten*
The recent research suggesting that pre-K
programs contribute to student success9 has
spurred the expansion of publicly funded
prekindergarten programs Presently, 42 states
and the District of Columbia invest in pre-K
initiatives, with the majority targeting at-risk and
low-income four-year-olds.10 Only three states
(Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma) offer “universal”
prekindergarten programs to nearly all four-yearold children regardless of income or risk factors.
Overall, educators working in state-funded
prekindergarten programs have higher educational
qualifications than their counterparts in privately
run licensed child care centers.
Summary: 12 states have no state funded pre-K
program; 7 require a Child Development Associate
(CDA) credential granted by the Council for
Professional Recognition. (CDA is a national
credentialing program designed to provide
performance-based training, assessment, and
credentialing of child care staff, home visitors, and
family child care providers. Four states require an
Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree, and 27 states and
the District of Columbia require a Bachelor of Arts
(B.A.). (See chart on page 3.)
* In this brief, prekindergarten refers to programs housed in or funded by the public school system that primarily serve
children ages 3 to 4 for the primary purpose of enhancing school readiness.
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NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHERS IN STATE FUNDED PRE-KS
No Program
Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, New
Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, and
Wyoming
Child Development Associate (CDA)
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Iowa (in
private ECE setting), Oregon.
Associate of Arts degree (AA) in early
childhood or equivalent
Georgia, Ohio, Washington , Minnesota
Bachelor’s degree (B.A.)without specific
early childhood endorsement or
equivalent
District of Columbia, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri,
Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, West Virginia, Wisconsin
B.A. with specific early childhood
endorsement or equivalent
Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa (if in public school setting),
Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts (if in public school
setting), New Mexico (if in public school setting), New York, North
Carolina (only in the “More at Four” setting), Oregon, Oklahoma,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont (if in
public school setting)
Source: National Institute for Early Education Research
Head Start
Since 1965, the federally funded Head Start
program has offered eligible children from lowincome families comprehensive early education,
health, nutrition, and family services, from birth
until they enter school. In the nearly 30 years of
serving children, Head Start increasingly has made
school readiness a central focus. The Improving
Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 has
set deadlines for improving teacher qualifications.
Under the law, all Head Start teachers must
have an associate’s degree by 2011. By 2013,
the law requires that 50 percent of Head Start
teachers nationally must have either a bachelor’s
degree in early childhood education or a B.A.
with coursework equivalent to a major in early
childhood education and experience teaching
preschool children. Additionally, the law requires
assistant teachers to have at least a CDA credential
and to be working toward completing at least an
associate’s degree within two years.
Kindergarten
According to the Academy of Sciences’
Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy, children
between the ages of two and five should be
assigned a teacher who has a B.A. plus specialized
education related to early childhood. Many early
childhood education experts would go a step
further and contend that the same specialized
training is necessary for children through age
eight.11
Education Week’s Quality Counts report in 2002
found that while all 50 states require kindergarten
teachers to hold a minimum of a bachelor’s
degree, only 17 states require kindergarten
teachers to complete courses or certification in
early childhood.12
| 33 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
NEA advocates raising standards
The majority of children in early childhood settings
do not have access to highly qualified teachers
to prepare them to succeed in school. Many
children, even when they get to kindergarten, will
still not encounter an educator with the specialized
training in child development, a factor that is
associated with improved student achievement.
If we hope to close the achievement gap between
low-income students and their more affluent peers,
we need to employ more highly qualified teachers
in early childhood programs. If we want children
to acquire the necessary skills for future academic
success, we need to reach them early with highly
qualified teachers.
``
All teaching assistants in private child
care centers hold a minimum of a Child
Development Associate (CDA) or a stateissued certificate that meets or exceeds CDA
requirements.
States should develop incentives and supports
to enable teachers and education support
professionals currently working in early childhood
programs to obtain the recommended credentials
without compromising the quality of education
and care that children receive and without
substantially increasing the cost of care to
parents.13
References
Gormley, W., Phillips, D., and Gayer, T., 2008, “Preschool
Programs Can Boost School Readiness,” Science, 320,
1723.
1
NEA believes the most effective early childhood
educators have at least a four-year college degree
plus specialized training in early childhood.
To provide the quality of early education and care
necessary to prepare children for success in school,
the Association recommends that the federal
government offer funding and technical assistance
to states to meet these goals:
``
All teachers working in publicly funded
preschool programs hold a bachelor’s degree
in child development and/or early childhood
education.
``
All instructional assistants working in publicly
funded preschool programs hold an associate’s
degree in child development or early childhood
education.
``
Lead teachers in private child care centers hold
a minimum of an associate’s degree in child
development or early childhood education.
Barnett, S., 2008, Preschool Education and its Lasting
Effects: Research and Policy Implications. Boulder and
Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center &
Education Policy Research Unit, http://epicpolicy.org/
publication/preschool-education
2
Helburn, S., 1995, Cost, Quality, and Outcomes Study in
Child Care Centers, Technical Report, Denver Department
of Economics, Center for Research in Economic and Social
Policy, University of Colorado at Denver.
3
Peisner-Feinberg et al, 1999, The Children of the Cost,
Quality, and Outcomes Study Go To School, Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Frank Porter
Graham Child Development Center, http://www.fpg.unc.
edu/ncedl/PDFs/CQO-es.pdf
4
National Education Association, 2003, Policy Statement
on Prekindergarten and Kindergarten.
5
Barnett, S., 2003, Better Teachers, Better Schools:
Student Achievement Linked to Teacher Qualifications.
National Institute for Early Education Research.
6
7
National Research Council, 2001, Eager to Learn:
| 34 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 A POLICY BRIEF (Continued)
Educating Our Preschoolers. Committee on Early
Childhood Pedagogy. Barbara T. Bowman, M.Suzanne
Donovan, and M. Susan Burns, editors. Commission
on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.
Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Early Childhood Program Enrollment, Child Trends
Databank, www.childtrends.org
8
9
ormley, 2008.
Barnett et al, 2008, The State of Preschool 2008, The
National Institute for Early Education Research. Rutgers
Graduate School of Education.
10
National Research Council, 2001, Eager to Learn:
Educating Our Preschoolers. Committee on Early
Childhood Pedagogy. Barbara T. Bowman, M.Suzanne
Donovan, and M.Susan Burns, editors. Commission
on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.
Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
11
Education Week, January 10, 2002,“In Early Childhood
Education and Care: Quality Counts,” 2002, pp. 64:
Bethesda, MD.
12
13
NEA Education Association Handbook, Resolution B-1.
| 35 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 MODEL LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE
LEGISLATIVE
LANGUAGE
Proposed Sample Contract Language PREK-3 TEACHERS
Rational:
Recognition of the importance of
prekindergarten (Pre-K) and kindergarten
is growing amongst educators and policy
makers. Rising concerns about school
readiness has prompted 42 states and the
District of Columbia offer some type Pre-K
to four-year-olds and in some cases to threeyear-olds. Kindergarten has moved into
prominence as districts look to better prepare
children for the rigors of first through third
grade.
bargaining units would weaken the position
of the entire bargaining unit during contract
negotiations. The goal of collective bargaining
is to achieve the best outcome for the most
teachers. Below are suggestions of contract
language that could improve the working
conditions for teachers working with the
youngest our youngest students. Early
childhood educations face unique challenges
as they prepare these students for later
success in school.
As more school districts begin to offer
educational experiences to younger children,
there is a growing need to align what happens
in early childhood programs (Pre-K and
K) with what will be expected of children
in grades 1 through three. In 2006, NEA
conducted a survey of state affiliates and
analyses of numerous negotiated contracts.
The survey revealed that many of the working
conditions identified as key issues within PK-3
classrooms (class size, length of instructional
day, entry-level personnel requirements and
ongoing professional development) are
most often dictated by state statutes. When
these working conditions are addressed in
negotiated agreements, they are negotiated
for all “elementary” teachers in the bargaining
unit. One reason for this, is bargaining teams
have to balance the needs and wants of their
members with the realities of funding and
management prerogatives. Bargaining experts
feel that separating the working conditions
of one group of teachers or subdividing
Possible Contract Language for
Class Size
1 Unweighted class size limits for Pre-K
through 3:
In order to ensure teaching effectiveness
and learning opportunities for the youngest
students in the school district, all prekindergarten through 3rd grade classrooms
shall have at most the following number of
students in a class:
Grade Size
Maximum Class
Pre-kindergarten10
K15
1st-3rd 18
2 Weighted formula for class size limits:
The language on class size given below
weighs pupils by the extra resources they may
need.
| 37 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 LEGISLATIVE
LANGUAGE
1
To establish a Pre-kindergarten and Full day Kindergarten program and for other
2
purposes.
3
4
5
January x, 20XX
6
7
A BILL
8
9
10
11
Be it enacted by the xxxx and the xxxxx of the State of _____________
Section 1. Short Title.
This Act may be cited as ‘The Prekindergarten Full Day Kindergarten Act.’
12
13
Section 2. Findings.
14
The Legislature finds the following
15
16
17
18
(1) Prekindergarten programs are essential to supporting the cognitive, social,
emotional, and physical development of young children.
(2) Kindergarten programs are essential to ensuring the school readiness of
children when they enter the 1st grade.
19
20
21
22
Section 3. Purpose.
The purpose of this Act is to expand prekindergarten full day kindergarten
opportunities for children aged five.
23
24
Section 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.--The Department of Education (hereinafter
25
referred to as the designated State? agency) shall establish a program to provide for the
26
development of –
27
28
29
(1) High quality full-day, full-calendar year universal prekindergarten for all
children age 3 and 4; and
(2) High-quality full-day kindergarten programs for all children age 5 in the State.
30
Section 5. PLAN AND REQUIREMENTS.
31
(a) State Plan--The designated State agency shall develop a plan to implement the
32
program described in section 4. Such plan shall include each of the following:
1
| 38 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 LEGISLATIVE
1
2
3
4
5
LANGUAGE
(1) A description of the universal prekindergarten program that will be established
and how it will support children’s cognitive, social emotional and physical development.
(2). A description of the full day kindergarten program that will be established
and how it will ensure school readiness for such children.
(3) A statement of the goals for universal prekindergarten and full day
6
kindergarten program and how such goals will be measured through multiple indicators.
7
(4) A description of how the designated State agency will involve representatives
8
of early childhood program providers that sponsor programs addressing children 3,4 and
9
5 years old.
10
(5) A description of how the designated State agency will coordinate with existing
11
State-funded prekindergarten programs, federally funded programs (such as Head Start
12
programs), public school programs, and child care providers.
13
(6) A plan to address the shortages of qualified early childhood education
14
teachers, including how to increase such teachers’ compensation to be comparable to that
15
of public school teachers.
16
17
(7) A plan to ensure that kindergarten teachers have the requisite training in child
development and early childhood education
18
(8) How the designated State agency will provide ongoing professional
19
development opportunities to help increase the number of teachers in early childhood
20
programs who hold a bachelor of arts degree with training in child development and early
21
childhood education.
22
23
(9) A plan to address how the programs will meet the needs of children with
disabilities, limited English proficiency, and other special needs.
24
(10) A plan to provide transportation for children to and from the programs.
25
(11) A plan to ensure parents of children enrolled in the program are actively
26
27
28
29
30
31
involved with and engaged in their child’s education.
(12) A plan to include educators, administrators, university and college faculty
and early childhood experts in the development of the program.
(13). A plan to assign the same funding weight to children in full-day
kindergarten that is provided to children in grades 1-12.
(14). A definition of full-day kindergarten that defines the minimum number of
32
instructional days and instructional hours as equal to grades 1-12.
33
(b) LOCAL REQUIREMENTS.
Great Public Schools for Every Student
2
| 39 |
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 LEGISLATIVE
LANGUAGE
1
(1) In General- An eligible program provider receiving funding under this Act
2
shall--
3
(A) maintain a maximum class size of 15 children in prekindergarten and
4
20 children in full-day kindergarten;
5
(B) maintain a ratio of not more than 10 children for each member of the
6
teaching staff;
7
(C)(i) ensure that all pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teachers meet
8
State requirements for teachers under applicable State law; and
9
(ii) Document that the State is demonstrating significant progress in
10
assisting such teachers on working toward a bachelor of arts degree
11
with training in childhood development or early childhood education.
12
(D) Meet all the health and safety standards required for prekindergarten
13
programs.
14
15
(2) Local Application- Program providers under this Act shall submit an
16
application to the designated State agency under this Act containing the
17
following:
18
(A) A description of the program to be provided.
19
(B) A statement of the demonstrated need for a program, or an enhanced
20
or expanded program, in the area served by the eligible program provider.
21
(C) A description of how age –appropriate and developmentally
22
appropriate educational curriculum to be provided that will help children
23
be ready for school and assist them in the transition to kindergarten (as
24
applicable to prekindergarten programs).
25
(D) A description of how the eligible program provider will collaborate
26
with existing community-based child care providers and Head Start
27
programs, as appropriate.
28
(D) A description of how students and families will be assisted in
29
obtaining supportive services available in their communities.
30
(E) A plan to promote parental involvement in the program.
31
(F) A description of how teachers will receive ongoing professional
32
development in implementing full-day kindergarten programs.
33
(G). A plan to alignment content standards with State Early Learning
34
Standards.
3
| 40 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 LEGISLATIVE
LANGUAGE
1
(H) A plan for providing full-day kindergarten to targeted populations of
2
at risk students first and phasing in program to all five year old children.
3
4
Section 6. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SET-ASIDE.
A designated State agency may set aside a portion of funding under this Act for
5
ongoing professional development activities for teachers and staff at prekindergarten and
6
kindergarten programs that wish to participate in the programs under this Act. Funds set
7
aside under this subsection may be used for ongoing professional development--
8
(1) To provide prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers and staff with
9
the knowledge and skills for the application of recent research on child
10
cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, including
11
language and literacy development, and on early childhood pedagogy;
12
(2) To provide the cost of education needed to obtain specific training in
13
early childhood development or education;
14
(3) To work with children who have limited English proficiency,
15
disabilities, and other special needs; and
16
(4) To select and use developmentally appropriate screening and
17
diagnostic assessments to improve teaching and learning and make
18
appropriate referrals for services to support the development and learning
19
of children in such programs.
20
21
Section 7. DEFINITION.
In this Act the term `eligible program provider' means a program provider that is--
22
(A) A public school;
23
04
24
(B) Head Start program
| 41 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
4
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 LEGISLATIVE
LANGUAGE
RAISING THE STANDARDS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS
Implications for State and Local Affiliates
At the state level:
At the local level:
``
Work to improve state standards for
teacher licensure. Determine whether state
licensing practices need to be altered to
provide for generally accepted credentials
in early childhood education.
``
Educate parents as consumers of early
childhood programs by providing
information that will help them make
informed decisions when selecting early
childhood programs.
``
Ensure that teachers of state funded prekindergarten, pre-k and kindergarten
classes within public schools have
bachelor’s degrees with specialized training
in early childhood education.
``
Engage parents, early childhood programs
and community leaders in efforts to
increase the number of NAEYC accredited
early childhood programs that feed into
your schools.
``
Work with the Early Childhood Advisory
Council or other appropriate entity to
develop high quality nontraditional routes
to licensure that will enable current early
childhood professionals to gain appropriate
credentials.
``
Create networks of early childhood
professionals from a variety settings (schoolbased pre-kindergarten, center-based
and family child care homes), to provide
opportunities for professional dialogue and
support and,
``
Work with the appropriate constituencies to
develop early learning standards that align
with the K-12 standards and are consistent
with the NAEYC/NAECS/SDE joint position
statement on Early Learning Standards.
``
Become a member in a local chapter of an
active child advocacy/action organization.
``
Build and convey an understanding of a
state’s shared interest in providing young
children with a high quality early education
provided by a highly trained and wellcompensated workforce, and
``
Identify and implement strategies to raise
the compensation of early childhood
educators.
``
Organize the early childhood workforce in
your state.
| 42 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 SAMPLE CONTRACT LANGUAGE
CONTRACT
LANGUAGE
Prek-3 Teachers
In order to ensure teaching effectiveness and learning opportunities for all students in the school
district, class size shall be determined according to the following formula, which recognizes the
additional resources needed for some student categories:
Multiplier
Type of Students
1.0Typically developing students not otherwise listed
1.25
Typically developing students in Grades 1-3
1.5Gifted students, full-day kindergarten students, and Limited English
Proficiency students
2.0 Pre-kindergarten students; students with exceptional needs that
require periodic monitoring and supervision of a Special Education
teacher
2.5 Students with exceptional needs that require direct supervision of a
Special Education teacher
3.0Half-day kindergarten students with exceptional needs that require
continual supervision by a Spe cial Education teacher
If all students in the class are typically
developing and not in Pre-K or K.
The actual number of students in a classroom
shall be determined by calculating the
multiplier appropriate to each student by
the number of students in that category.
The unweighted maximum class size of any
classroom shall not exceed 25 students.
Maximum Student-Instructor Ratio
Requirements.
The ratio of students to instructors in any
class in kindergarten or grades 1-3 in a public
school shall not exceed 22 students as of the
last school day of October. In calculating such
ratio, a classroom instructional aide shall count
as equal to half a teacher. This shall apply to
a class within which students are instructed in
the core academic subjects of language arts,
mathematics, science and social studies.
Notwithstanding any other section of this
Article, full-time kindergarten teachers will
teach no more than one (1) full-day session
or two (2) half-day sessions. If two half-day
sessions are taught, maximum class size
shall be half the class size limit for full-day
kindergarten.
Possible Contract Language for Length of
Instructional Day
The length of day is most often defined as
“Teacher Workload” within contracts and
established the nature and amount of work
employees may be required to do.
| 44 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 CONTRACT
LANGUAGE
Prek-3 Teachers
Kindergarten (half-day)
1 A regular full-time teacher workday shall
not exceed (7) hours and twenty-five (25)
minutes in grades kindergarten through
grade 6.
3 The District shall schedule aides to
supervise children during student’s rest
period in order to allow an Early Education
Center teacher an uninterrupted
preparation period.
2 A regular workday shall include: In the
kindergarten, not to exceed an average of
5 ½ hours per day of assigned classes, ½
hour for other pupil supervision duties and
40 minutes duty-free lunch.
Possible Contract Language for Role of
Paraeducators
3 In the kindergarten half-time shall not
exceed 2 ¾ hours per day of assigned
classes and ½ hour for other pupil
supervision duties.
Possible Contract Language for
Planning Time
1 Kindergarten teachers will have an amount
of planning time during the students’
school day equal to the amount of
planning time during the students’ school
day for all teachers in grades one through
six.
2 Planning/conference time for regular
classroom teachers in grades PreK-6
shall include any time exclusive of the
30 minute lunch, which a teacher is not
assigned responsibility for students. The
minimum amount of time for planning/
conference time shall be 425 minutes
per 5 day week. Loss of said time due to
special programs or unusual circumstances
may not be replaced.
Job Goal
To assist in the day to day operation of
the integrated school program working
under the direction of teachers or other
school personnel assigned, and to attend
and assist in a safe, friendly, efficient,
courteous manner, the children attending
_________________________ Schools.
Essential Functions:
``Check and record student attendance.
``Catalog and file instructional materials
and maintain an inventory of supplies
and equipment and prepare orders for
requisitions for needed materials.
``Distribute and collect materials for
instruction.
``Assist and evaluate students in knowledge
and skills.
``Read to students, listen to students read,
and participate in other forms of oral
communication (storytelling, singing, etc.).
``Help student’s master equipment or
instructional materials assigned by the
teachers.
| 45 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 CONTRACT
LANGUAGE
Prek-3 Teachers
``Observe students during play and record
anecdotes. This is an important part of
keeping parents informed of a child’s
progress.
``Assist in classroom centers.
``Attend in-service training as required
``
Help maintain a clean environment in the
classroom by complying with the Health
Department rules and regulations.
``Be familiar with regulations established by
the Board of Education.
``
Grade papers, and prepare instructional
materials and bulletin boards at the
direction of the assigned professional staff
member.
Possible Contract Language for Length of
Instructional Day
In most states, this issue is considered
education policy or inherent management
prerogative. Entry-level personnel
requirements are only referenced within salary
schedules in order to place bargaining unit
members on the salary schedule.
Possible Contract Language for Ongoing
Professional Development
1 Employees shall be reimbursed for all
costs incurred in the pursuit of staff
development and other career training.
Such reimbursement shall be made to
the employee within ___ days following
submission of proof of completed training.
The employer shall not withhold any
federal, state, or local taxes from the
reimbursement upon a showing from the
employee that courses were related to his/
her field of education.
2 During a teacher’s participation in the
National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards certification process, the District
will provide ten (10) release days for the
teachers to prepare portfolios and to
prepare for the assessment. In addition,
a minimum of two workshops to assist
with the NBPTS certification will be
provided. The District and the Union will
collaborate on the design and scheduling
of workshops.
3 The Association and Board also support
teacher efforts to obtain NBPTS
certification. In recognition of the
professional achievement of NBPTS
certified teachers and the value of the
certification to students, colleagues, and
the educational system, The Association
and Board agree that teachers who
achieve NBPTS certification will receive
a $10,000 annual differential for the life
of the certification. This differential shall
be in addition to the teacher’s regular
compensation. In addition, teachers who
complete the application process shall
receive a one-time reimbursement of the
$2,800 payment for related expenses not
previously reimbursed.
| 46 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 CONTRACT
LANGUAGE
Prek-3 Teachers
Rational:
Recognition of the importance of
prekindergarten (Pre-K) and kindergarten
is growing amongst educators and policy
makers. Rising concerns about school
readiness has prompted 42 states and the
District of Columbia offer some type Pre-K
to four-year-olds and in some cases to threeyear-olds. Kindergarten has moved into
prominence as districts look to better prepare
children for the rigors of first through third
grade.
As more school districts begin to offer
educational experiences to younger children,
there is a growing need to align what happens
in early childhood programs (Pre-K and
K) with what will be expected of children
in grades 1 through three. In 2006, NEA
conducted a survey of state affiliates and
analyses of numerous negotiated contracts.
The survey revealed that many of the working
conditions identified as key issues within PK-3
classrooms (class size, length of instructional
day, entry-level personnel requirements and
ongoing professional development) are
most often dictated by state statutes. When
these working conditions are addressed in
negotiated agreements, they are negotiated
for all “elementary” teachers in the bargaining
unit. One reason for this, is bargaining teams
have to balance the needs and wants of their
members with the realities of funding and
management prerogatives. Bargaining experts
feel that separating the working conditions
of one group of teachers or subdividing
bargaining units would weaken the position
of the entire bargaining unit during contract
negotiations. The goal of collective bargaining
is to achieve the best outcome for the most
teachers. Below are suggestions of contract
language that could improve the working
conditions for teachers working with the
youngest our youngest students. Early
childhood educations face unique challenges
as they prepare these students for later
success in school.
Possible Contract Language for
Class Size
1 Unweighted class size limits for Pre-K
through 3:
In order to ensure teaching effectiveness
and learning opportunities for the youngest
students in the school district, all prekindergarten through 3rd grade classrooms
shall have at most the following number of
students in a class:
Grade Size
Maximum Class
Pre-kindergarte
10
K
15
1st-3rd 18
2 Weighted formula for class size limits:
The language on class size given below
weighs pupils by the extra resources they may
need.
| 47 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 CONTRACT
LANGUAGE
Prek-3 Teachers
In order to ensure teaching effectiveness and learning opportunities for all students in the school
district, class size shall be determined according to the following formula, which recognizes the
additional resources needed for some student categories:
Multiplier
Type of Students
1.0
Typically developing students not otherwise listed
1.25
Typically developing students in Grades 1-3
1.5 Gifted students, full-day kindergarten students, and Limited English
Proficiency students
2.0 Pre-kindergarten students; students with exceptional needs that
require periodic monitoring and supervision of a Special Education
teacher
2.5 Students with exceptional needs that require direct supervision of a
Special Education teacher
3.0Half-day kindergarten students with exceptional needs that require
continual supervision by a Special Education teacher
If all students in the class are typically
developing and not in Pre-K or K.
The actual number of students in a classroom
shall be determined by calculating the
multiplier appropriate to each student by
the number of students in that category.
The unweighted maximum class size of any
classroom shall not exceed 25 students.
Maximum Student-Instructor Ratio
Requirements.
The ratio of students to instructors in any
class in kindergarten or grades 1-3 in a public
school shall not exceed 22 students as of the
last school day of October. In calculating such
ratio, a classroom instructional aide shall count
as equal to half a teacher. This shall apply to
a class within which students are instructed in
the core academic subjects of language arts,
mathematics, science and social studies.
Notwithstanding any other section of this
Article, full-time kindergarten teachers will
teach no more than one (1) full-day session
or two (2) half-day sessions. If two half-day
sessions are taught, maximum class size
shall be half the class size limit for full-day
kindergarten.
Possible Contract Language for Length of
Instructional Day
The length of day is most often defined as
“Teacher Workload” within contracts and
established the nature and amount of work
employees may be required to do.
| 48 |
Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 CONTRACT
LANGUAGE
Prek-3 Teachers
Kindergarten (half-day)
1 A regular full-time teacher workday shall
not exceed (7) hours and twenty-five (25)
minutes in grades kindergarten through
grade 6.
3 The District shall schedule aides to
supervise children during student’s rest
period in order to allow an Early Education
Center teacher an uninterrupted
preparation period.
2 A regular workday shall include: In the
kindergarten, not to exceed an average of
5 ½ hours per day of assigned classes, ½
hour for other pupil supervision duties and
40 minutes duty-free lunch.
Possible Contract Language for Role of
Paraeducators
3 In the kindergarten half-time shall not
exceed 2 ¾ hours per day of assigned
classes and ½ hour for other pupil
supervision duties.
Possible Contract Language for
Planning Time
1 Kindergarten teachers will have an amount
of planning time during the students’
school day equal to the amount of
planning time during the students’ school
day for all teachers in grades one through
six.
2 Planning/conference time for regular
classroom teachers in grades PreK-6
shall include any time exclusive of the
30 minute lunch, which a teacher is not
assigned responsibility for students. The
minimum amount of time for planning/
conference time shall be 425 minutes
per 5 day week. Loss of said time due to
special programs or unusual circumstances
may not be replaced.
Job Goal
To assist in the day to day operation of the
integrated school program working under the
direction of teachers or other school personnel
assigned, and to attend and assist in a safe,
friendly, efficient, courteous manner, the
children attending _______________________
Schools.
Essential Functions:
``
Check and record student attendance.
``
Catalog and file instructional materials
and maintain an inventory of supplies
and equipment and prepare orders for
requisitions for needed materials.
``
Distribute and collect materials for
instruction.
``
Assist and evaluate students in knowledge
and skills.
``
Read to students, listen to students read,
and participate in other forms of oral
communication (storytelling, singing, etc.).
``
Help student’s master equipment or
instructional materials assigned by the
teachers.
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NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 CONTRACT
LANGUAGE
Prek-3 Teachers
``
Observe students during play and record
anecdotes. This is an important part of
keeping parents informed of a child’s
progress.
``
Assist in classroom centers.
``
Attend in-service training as required.
``
Help maintain a clean environment in the
classroom by complying with the Health
Department rules and regulations.
``
Be familiar with regulations established by
the Board of Education.
``
Grade papers, and prepare instructional
materials and bulletin boards at the
direction of the assigned professional staff
member.
Possible Contract Language for Length of
Instructional Day
In most states, this issue is considered
education policy or inherent management
prerogative. Entry-level personnel
requirements are only referenced within salary
schedules in order to place bargaining unit
members on the salary schedule.
Possible Contract Language for
Ongoing Professional Development
1 Employees shall be reimbursed for all
costs incurred in the pursuit of staff
development and other career training.
Such reimbursement shall be made to
the employee within ___ days following
submission of proof of completed training.
The employer shall not withhold any
federal, state, or local taxes from the
reimbursement upon a showing from the
employee that courses were related to his/
her field of education.
2 During a teacher’s participation in the
National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards certification process, the
District will provide ten (10) release days
for the teachers to prepare portfolios
and to prepare for the assessment. In
addition, a minimum of two workshops to
assist with the NBPTS certification will be
provided. The District and the Union will
collaborate on the design and scheduling
of workshops.
3 The Association and Board also support
teacher efforts to obtain NBPTS
certification. In recognition of the
professional achievement of NBPTS
certified teachers and the value of the
certification to students, colleagues, and
the educational system, The Association
and Board agree that teachers who
achieve NBPTS certification will receive
a $10,000 annual differential for the life
of the certification. This differential shall
be in addition to the teacher’s regular
compensation. In addition, teachers who
complete the application process shall
receive a one-time reimbursement of the
$2,800 payment for related expenses not
previously reimbursed.
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 Head Start Program Performance Standard
Early Childhood Development and Health Services
Background
First launched in 1965, Head Start was designed to be a comprehensive school readiness program
addressing the emotional, social, health, nutritional, and educational needs of low-income preschoolers.
The Early Head Start program, created in 1995, serves low-income infants and toddlers (birth to age three)
and pregnant women. Today, these programs provide a range of services to support young children and
their families directly or through referrals. The comprehensive services outlined in the Head Start Program
Performance Standards represent the “gold standard” which state statutes should strive to meet or exceed.
Subpart B—Early Childhood Development
and Health Services
§ 1304.20 Child health and developmental
services.
(a) Determining child health status.
(1) In collaboration with the parents and as quickly
as possible, but no later than 90 calendar days
(with the exception noted in paragraph (a)(2) of
this section) from the child’s entry into the program
(for the purposes of 45 CFR 1304.20(a)(1), 45 CFR
1304.20(a)(2), and 45 CFR 1304.20(b)(1), “entry”
means the first day that Early Head Start or Head
Start services are provided to the child), grantee
and delegate agencies must:
(i) Make a determination as to whether or not
each child has an ongoing source of continuous,
accessible health care. If a child does not have
a source of ongoing health care, grantee and
delegate agencies must assist the parents in
accessing a source of care;
(ii) Obtain from a health care professional a
determination as to whether the child is up-todate on a schedule ofage appropriate preventive
and primary health care which includes medical,
dental and mental health. Such a schedule must
incorporate the requirements for a schedule of
well child care utilized by the Early and Periodic
Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT)
program of the Medicaid agency of the State in
which they operate, and the latest immunization
recommendations issued by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, as well as any
additional recommendations from the local Health
Services Advisory Committee that are based on
prevalent community health problems:
(A) For children who are not up-to-date on an ageappropriate schedule of well child care, grantee
and delegate agencies must assist parents in
making the necessary arrangements to bring the
child up-to-date;
(B) For children who are up-to-date on an ageappropriate schedule of well child care, grantee
and delegate agencies must ensure that they
continue to follow the recommended schedule of
well child care; and
(C) Grantee and delegate agencies must establish
procedures to track the provision of health care
services.
(iii) Obtain or arrange further diagnostic testing,
examination, and treatment by an appropriate
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licensed or certified professional for each child
with an observable, known or suspected health
or developmental problem; and (iv) Develop and
implement a follow-up plan for any condition
identified in 45 CFR 1304.20(a)(1)(ii) and (iii) so that
any needed treatment has begun.
(2) Grantee and delegate agencies operating
programs of shorter durations (90 days or less)
must complete the above processes and those in
45 CFR 1304.20(b)(1) within 30 calendar days from
the child’s entry into the program.
(b) Screening for developmental, sensory, and
behavioral concerns.
(1) In collaboration with each child’s parent, and
within 45 calendar days of the child’s entry into
the program, grantee and delegate agencies
must perform or obtain linguistically and age
appropriate screening procedures to identify
concerns regarding a child’s developmental,
sensory (visual and auditory), behavioral, motor,
language, social, cognitive, perceptual, and
emotional skills (see 45 CFR 1308.6(b)(3) for
additional information). To the greatest extent
possible, these screening procedures must be
sensitive to the child’s cultural background.
(2) Grantee and delegate agencies must obtain
direct guidance from a mental health or child
development professional on how to use the
findings to address identified needs.
(3) Grantee and delegate agencies must utilize
multiple sources of information on all aspects of
each child’s development and behavior, including
input from family members, teachers, and other
relevant staff who are familiar with the child’s
typical behavior.
(c) Extended follow-up and treatment.
(1) Grantee and delegate agencies must establish
a system of ongoing communication with the
parents of children with identified health needs to
facilitate the implementation of the follow-up plan.
(2) Grantee and delegate agencies must provide
assistance to the parents, as needed, to enable
them to learn how to obtain any prescribed
medications, aids or equipment for medical and
dental conditions.
(3) Dental follow-up and treatment must include:
(i) Fluoride supplements and topical fluoride
treatments as recommended by dental
professionals in communities where a lack of
adequate fluoride levels has been determined
or for every child with moderate to severe tooth
decay; and
(ii) Other necessary preventive measures and
further dental treatment as recommended by the
dental professional.
(4) Grantee and delegate agencies must assist with
the provision of related services addressing health
concerns in accordance with the Individualized
Education Program (IEP) and the Individualized
Family Service Plan (IFSP).
(5) Early Head Start and Head Start funds may be
used for professional medical and dental services
when no other source of funding is available.
When Early Head Start or Head Start funds are
used for such services, grantee and delegate
agencies must have written documentation of their
efforts to access other available sources of funding.
(d) Ongoing care. In addition to assuring children’s
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participation in a schedule of well child care, as
described in Sec. 1304.20(a) of this part, grantee
and delegate agencies must implement ongoing
procedures by which Early Head Start and Head
Start staff can identify any new or recurring
medical, dental, or developmental concerns
so that they may quickly make appropriate
referrals. These procedures must include: periodic
observations and recordings, as appropriate, of
individual children’s developmental progress,
changes in physical appearance (e.g., signs of
injury or illness) and emotional and behavioral
patterns. In addition, these procedures must
include observations from parents and staff.
(e) Involving parents. In conducting the process,
as described in Sec. Sec. 1304.20 (a), (b), and (c),
and in making all possible efforts to ensure that
each child is enrolled in and receiving appropriate
health care services, grantee and delegate
agencies must:
(1) Consult with parents immediately when child
health or developmental problems are suspected
or identified;
(2) Familiarize parents with the use of and rationale
for all health and developmental procedures
administered through the program or by contract
or agreement, and obtain advance parent or
guardian authorization for such procedures.
Grantee and delegate agencies also must ensure
that the results of diagnostic and treatment
procedures and ongoing care are shared with and
understood by the parents;
(3) Talk with parents about how to familiarize their
children in a developmentally appropriate way and
in advance about all of the procedures they will
receive while enrolled in the program;
(4) Assist parents in accordance with 45 CFR
1304.40(f)(2) (i) and (ii) to enroll and participate
in a system of ongoing family health care and
encourage parents to be active partners in their
children’s health care process; and
(5) If a parent or other legally responsible adult
refuses to give authorization for health services,
grantee and delegate agencies must maintain
written documentation of the refusal.
(f) Individualization of the program.
(1) Grantee and delegate agencies must use the
information from the screening for developmental,
sensory, and behavioral concerns, the ongoing
observations, medical and dental evaluations and
treatments, and insights from the child’s parents to
help staff and parents determine how the program
can best respond to each child’s individual
characteristics, strengths and needs.
(2) To support individualization for children
with disabilities in their programs, grantee and
delegate agencies must assure that:
(i) Services for infants and toddlers with disabilities
and their families support the attainment
of the expected outcomes contained in the
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for
children identified under the infants and toddlers
with disabilities program (Part H) of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act, as implemented by
their State or Tribal government;
(ii) Enrolled families with infants and toddlers
suspected of having a disability are promptly
referred to the local early intervention agency
designated by the State Part H plan to coordinate
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any needed evaluations, determine eligibility for
Part H services, and coordinate the development
of an IFSP for children determined to be eligible
under the guidelines of that State’s program.
Grantee and delegate agencies must support
parent participation in the evaluation and IFSP
development process for infants and toddlers
enrolled in their program;
(iii) They participate in and support efforts for a
smooth and effective transition for children who, at
age three, will need to be considered for services
for preschool age children with disabilities; and
(iv) They participate in the development and
implementation of the Individualized Education
Program (IEP)for preschool age children with
disabilities, consistent with the requirements of 45
CFR 1308.19.
§ 1304.21 Education and early childhood
development.
(a) Child development and education approach for
all children.
(1) In order to help children gain the skills
and confidence necessary to be prepared to
succeed in their present environment and with
later responsibilities in school and life, grantee
and delegate agencies’ approach to child
development and education must:
(i) Be developmentally and linguistically
appropriate, recognizing that children have
individual rates of development as well as
individual interests, temperaments, languages,
cultural backgrounds, and learning styles;
(ii) Be inclusive of children with disabilities,
consistent with their Individualized Family Service
Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program
(IEP) (see 45 CFR 1308.19);
(iii) Provide an environment of acceptance that
supports and respects gender, culture, language,
ethnicity and family composition;
(iv) Provide a balanced daily program of childinitiated and adult-directed activities, including
individual and small group activities; and
(v) Allow and enable children to independently
use toilet facilities when it is developmentally
appropriate and when efforts to encourage toilet
training are supported by the parents.
(2) Parents must be:
(i) Invited to become integrally involved in the
development of the program’s curriculum and
approach to child development and education;
(ii) Provided opportunities to increase their child
observation skills and to share assessments with
staff that will help plan the learning experiences;
and
(iii) Encouraged to participate in staff-parent
conferences and home visits to discuss their
child’s development and education (see 45 CFR
1304.40(e)(4) and 45 CFR 1304.40(i)(2)).
(3) Grantee and delegate agencies must support
social and emotional development by:
(i) Encouraging development which enhances each
child’s strengths by:
(A) Building trust;
(B) Fostering independence;
(C) Encouraging self-control by setting clear,
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consistent limits, and having realistic expectations;
development of gross motor skills;
(D) Encouraging respect for the feelings and rights
of others; and
(ii) Providing appropriate time, space, equipment,
materials and adult guidance for the development
of fine motor skills according to each child’s
developmental level; and
(E) Supporting and respecting the home language,
culture, and family composition of each child
in ways that support the child’s health and wellbeing; and
(ii) Planning for routines and transitions so that
they occur in a timely, predictable and unrushed
manner according to each child’s needs.
(4) Grantee and delegate agencies must provide
for the development of each child’s cognitive and
language skills by:
(iii) Providing an appropriate environment and
adult guidance for the participation of children
with special needs.
(6) In home-based settings, grantee and delegate
agencies must encourage parents to appreciate
the importance of physical development, provide
opportunities for children’s outdoor and indoor
active play, and guide children in the safe use of
equipment and materials.
(i) Supporting each child’s learning, using various
strategies including experimentation, inquiry,
observation, play and exploration;
(b) Child development and education approach for
infants and toddlers.
(ii) Ensuring opportunities for creative selfexpression through activities such as art, music,
movement, and dialogue;
(1) Grantee and delegate agencies’ program of
services for infants and toddlers must encourage
(see 45 CFR 1304.3(a)(5) for a definition of
curriculum):
(iii) Promoting interaction and language use
among children and between children and adults;
and
(iv) Supporting emerging literacy and numeracy
development through materials and activities
according to the developmental level of each
child.
(i) The development of secure relationships in
out-of-home care settings for infants and toddlers
by having a limited number of consistent teachers
over an extended period of time. Teachers must
demonstrate an understanding of the child’s family
culture and, whenever possible, speak the child’s
language (see 45 CFR 1304.52(g)(2));
(5) In center-based settings, grantee and delegate
agencies must promote each child’s physical
development by:
(ii) Trust and emotional security so that each child
can explore the environment according to his or
her developmental level; and
(i) Providing sufficient time, indoor and outdoor
space, equipment, materials and adult guidance
for active play and movement that support the
(iii) Opportunities for each child to explore a
variety of sensory and motor experiences with
support and stimulation from teachers and family
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members.
(2) Grantee and delegate agencies must support
the social and emotional development of infants
and toddlers by promoting an environment that:
(i) Encourages the development of self-awareness,
autonomy, and self-expression; and
(ii) Supports the emerging communication
skills of infants and toddlers by providing daily
opportunities for each child to interact with others
and to express himself or herself freely.
(3) Grantee and delegate agencies must promote
the physical development of infants and toddlers
by:
(i) Supporting the development of the physical
skills of infants and toddlers including gross motor
skills, such as grasping, pulling, pushing, crawling,
walking, and climbing; and
(ii) Creating opportunities for fine motor
development that encourage the control and
coordination of small, specialized motions, using
the eyes, mouth, hands, and feet.
(c) Child development and education approach for
preschoolers.
(1) Grantee and delegate agencies, in
collaboration with the parents, must implement a
curriculum (see 45 CFR 1304.3(a)(5)) that:
(i) Supports each child’s individual pattern of
development and learning;
(ii) Provides for the development of cognitive
skills by encouraging each child to organize his
or her experiences, to understand concepts, and
to develop age appropriate literacy, numeracy,
reasoning, problem solving and decision-making
skills which form a foundation for school readiness
and later school success;
(iii) Integrates all educational aspects of the health,
nutrition, and mental health services into program
activities;
(iv) Ensures that the program environment helps
children develop emotional security and facility in
social relationships;
(v) Enhances each child’s understanding of self as
an individual and as a member of a group;
(vi) Provides each child with opportunities for
success to help develop feelings of competence,
self-esteem, and positive attitudes toward
learning; and
(vii) Provides individual and small group
experiences both indoors and outdoors.
(2) Staff must use a variety of strategies to promote
and support children’s learning and developmental
progress based on the observations and ongoing
assessment of each child (see 45 CFR 1304.20(b),
1304.20(d), and 1304.20(e)).
§ 1304.22 Child health and safety.
(a) Health emergency procedures. Grantee
and delegate agencies operating center-based
programs must establish and implement policies
and procedures to respond to medical and dental
health emergencies with which all staff are familiar
and trained. At a minimum, these policies and
procedures must include:
(1) Posted policies and plans of action for
emergencies that require rapid response on the
part of staff (e.g., a child choking) or immediate
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medical or dental attention;
(2) Posted locations and telephone numbers
of emergency response systems. Up-to-date
family contact information and authorization for
emergency care for each child must be readily
available;
(3) Posted emergency evacuation routes and other
safety procedures for emergencies (e.g., fire or
weather-related) which are practiced regularly (see
45 CFR 1304.53 for additional information);
(4) Methods of notifying parents in the event of an
emergency involving their child; and
(5) Established methods for handling cases of
suspected or known child abuse and neglect that
are in compliance with applicable Federal, State,
or Tribal laws.
(b) Conditions of short-term exclusion and
admittance.
(1) Grantee and delegate agencies must
temporarily exclude a child with a short-term injury
or an acute or short-term contagious illness, that
cannot be readily accommodated, from program
participation in center-based activities or group
experiences, but only for that generally short-term
period when keeping the child in care poses a
significant risk to the health or safety of the child or
anyone in contact with the child.
(2) Grantee and delegate agencies must not deny
program admission to any child, nor exclude any
enrolled child from program participation for a
long-term period, solely on the basis of his or her
health care needs or medication requirements
unless keeping the child in care poses a significant
risk to the health or safety of the child or anyone
in contact with the child and the risk cannot be
eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level
through reasonable modifications in the grantee or
delegate agency’s policies, practices or procedures
or by providing appropriate auxiliary aids which
would enable the child to participate without
fundamentally altering the nature of the program.
(3) Grantee and delegate agencies must request
that parents inform them of any health or
safety needs of the child that the progrm may
be required to address. Programs must share
information, as necessary, with appropriate staff
regarding accommodations needed in accordance
with the program’s confidentiality policy.
(c) Medication administration. Grantee and
delegate agencies must establish and maintain
written procedures regarding the administration,
handling, and storage of medication for every
child. Grantee and delegate agencies may modify
these procedures as necessary to satisfy State or
Tribal laws, but only where such laws are consistent
with Federal laws. The procedures must include:
(1) Labeling and storing, under lock and key,
and refrigerating, if necessary, all medications,
including those required for staff and volunteers;
(2) Designating a trained staff member(s) or
school nurse to administer, handle and store child
medications;
(3) Obtaining physicians’ instructions and
written parent or guardian authorizations for all
medications administered by staff;
(4) Maintaining an individual record of all
medications dispensed, and reviewing the record
regularly with the child’s parents;
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(5) Recording changes in a child’s behavior that
have implications for drug dosage or type, and
assisting parents in communicating with their
physician regarding the effect of the medication
on the child; and
(6) Ensuring that appropriate staff members can
demonstrate proper techniques for administering,
handling, and storing medication, including the
use of any necessary equipment to administer
medication.
(d) Injury prevention. Grantee and delegate
agencies must:
(1) Ensure that staff and volunteers can
demonstrate safety practices; and
(2) Foster safety awareness among children and
parents by incorporating it into child and parent
activities.
(e) Hygiene.
(1) Staff, volunteers, and children must wash their
hands with soap and running water at least at the
following times:
(i) After diapering or toilet use;
(ii) Before food preparation, handling,
consumption, or any other food-related activity
(e.g., setting the table);
(iii) Whenever hands are contaminated with blood
or other bodily fluids; and
(iv) After handling pets or other animals.
(2) Staff and volunteers must also wash their hands
with soap and running water:
(i) Before and after giving medications;
(ii) Before and after treating or bandaging a
wound (nonporous gloves should be worn if there
is contact with blood or blood-containing body
fluids); and
(iii) After assisting a child with toilet use.
(3) Nonporous (e.g., latex) gloves must be worn by
staff when they are in contact with spills of blood
or other visibly bloody bodily fluids.
(4) Spills of bodily fluids (e.g., urine, feces, blood,
saliva, nasal discharge, eye discharge or any
fluid discharge) must be cleaned and disinfected
immediately in keeping with professionally
established guidelines (e.g., standards of the
Occupational Safety Health Administration, U.S.
Department of Labor). Any tools and equipment
used to clean spills of bodily fluids must be
cleaned and disinfected immediately. Other bloodcontaminated materials must be disposed of in a
plastic bag with a secure tie.
(5) Grantee and delegate agencies must adopt
sanitation and hygiene procedures for diapering
that adequately protect the health and safety of
children served by the program and staff. Grantee
and delegate agencies must ensure that staff
properly conduct these procedures.
(6) Potties that are utilized in a center-based
program must be emptied into the toilet and
cleaned and disinfected after each use in a utility
sink used for this purpose.
(7) Grantee and delegate agencies operating
programs for infants and toddlers must space
cribs and cots at least three feet apart to avoid
spreading contagious illness and to allow for easy
access to each child.
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(f) First aid kits.
(1) Readily available, well-supplied first aid kits
appropriate for the ages served and the program
size must be maintained at each facility and
available on outings away from the site. Each kit
must be accessible to staff members at all times,
but must be kept out of the reach of children.
(2) First aid kits must be restocked after use,
and an inventory must be conducted at regular
intervals.
§1304.23 Child nutri tion.
(a) Identification of nutritional needs. Staff and
families must work together to identify each child’s
nutritional needs, taking into account staff and
family discussions concerning:
(1) Any relevant nutrition-related assessment data
(height, weight, hemoglobin/hematocrit) obtained
under 45 CFR 1304.20(a);
(2) Information about family eating patterns,
including cultural preferences, special dietary
requirements for each child with nutrition-related
health problems, and the feeding requirements of
infants and toddlers and each child with disabilities
(see 45 CFR 1308.20);
(3) For infants and toddlers, current feeding
schedules and amounts and types of food
provided, including whether breast milk or formula
and baby food is used; meal patterns; new foods
introduced; food intolerances and preferences;
voiding patterns; and observations related to
developmental changes in feeding and nutrition.
This information must be shared with parents and
updated regularly; and
(4) Information about major community nutritional
issues, as identified through the Community
Assessment or by the Health Services Advisory
Committee or the local health department.
(b) Nutritional services.
(1) Grantee and delegate agencies must design
and implement a nutrition program that meets
the nutritional needs and feeding requirements
of each child, including those with special dietary
needs and children with disabilities. Also, the
nutrition program must serve a variety of foods
which consider cultural and ethnic preferences and
which broaden the child’s food experience.
(i) All Early Head Start and Head Start grantee and
delegate agencies must use funds from USDA
Food and Consumer Services Child Nutrition
Programs as the primary source of payment for
meal services. Early Head Start and Head Start
funds may be used to cover those allowable costs
not covered by the USDA.
(ii) Each child in a part-day center-based setting
must receive meals and snacks that provide at
least \1/3\ of the child’s daily nutritional needs.
Each child in a center-based full-day program
must receive meals and snacks that provide \1/2\
to \2/3\ of the child’s daily nutritional needs,
depending upon the length of the program day.
(iii) All children in morning center-based settings
who have not received breakfast at the time
they arrive at the Early Head Start or Head Start
program must be served a nourishing breakfast.
(iv) Each infant and toddler in center-based
settings must receive food appropriate to his or
her nutritional needs, developmental readiness,
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and feeding skills, as recommended in the USDA
meal pattern or nutrient standard menu planning
requirements outlined in 7 CFR parts 210, 220,
and 226.
(v) For 3- to 5-year-olds in center-based settings,
the quantities and kinds of food served must
conform to recommended serving sizes
and minimum standards for meal patterns
recommended in the USDA meal pattern or
nutrient standard menu planning requirements
outlined in 7 CFR parts 210, 220, and 226.
(vi) For 3- to 5-year-olds in center-based settings or
other Head Start group experiences, foods served
must be high in nutrients and low in fat, sugar, and
salt.
(vii) Meal and snack periods in center-based
settings must be appropriately scheduled
and adjusted, where necessary, to ensure that
individual needs are met. Infants and young
toddlers who need it must be fed ``on demand’’ to
the extent possible or at appropriate intervals.
(2) Grantee and delegate agencies operating
home-based program options must provide
appropriate snacks and meals to each child during
group socialization activities (see 45 CFR 1306.33
for information regarding home-based group
socialization).
(3) Staff must promote effective dental hygiene
among children in conjunction with meals.
(4) Parents and appropriate community agencies
must be involved in planning, implementing, and
evaluating the agencies’ nutritional services.
(c) Meal service. Grantee and delegate agencies
must ensure that nutritional services in center-
based settings contribute to the development and
socialization of enrolled children by providing that:
(1) A variety of food is served which broadens each
child’s food experiences;
(2) Food is not used as punishment or reward, and
that each child is encouraged, but not forced, to
eat or taste his or her food;
(3) Sufficient time is allowed for each child to eat;
(4) All toddlers and preschool children and
assigned classroom staff, including volunteers, eat
together family style and share the same menu to
the extent possible;
(5) Infants are held while being fed and are not laid
down to sleep with a bottle;
(6) Medically-based diets or other dietary
requirements are accommodated; and
(7) As developmentally appropriate, opportunity is
provided for the involvement of children in foodrelated activities.
(d) Family assistance with nutrition. Parent
education activities must include opportunities to
assist individual families with food preparation and
nutritional skills.
(e) Food safety and sanitation.
(1) Grantee and delegate agencies must post
evidence of compliance with all applicable
Federal, State, Tribal, and local food safety and
sanitation laws, including those related to the
storage, preparation and service of food and the
health of food handlers. In addition, agencies must
contract only with food service vendors that are
licensed in accordance with State, Tribal or local
laws.
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 HEAD START PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARD (Continued)
(2) For programs serving infants and toddlers,
facilities must be available for the proper storage
and handling of breast milk and formula.
§ 1304.24 Child mental health.
(a) Mental health services.
(1) Grantee and delegate agencies must work
collaboratively with parents (see 45 CFR 1304.40(f)
for issues related to parent education) by:
(i) Soliciting parental information, observations,
and concerns about their child’s mental health;
(ii) Sharing staff observations of their child and
discussing and anticipating with parents their
child’s behavior and development, including
separation and attachment issues;
(3) Mental health program services must
include a regular schedule of on-site mental
health consultation involving the mental health
professional, program staff, and parents on how to:
(i) Design and implement program practices
responsive to the identified behavioral and mental
health concerns of an individual child or group of
children;
(ii) Promote children’s mental wellness by providing
group and individual staff and parent education on
mental health issues;
(iii) Assist in providing special help for children with
atypical behavior or development; and
(iv) Utilize other community mental health
resources, as needed.
(iii) Discussing and identifying with parents
appropriate responses to their child’s behaviors;
(iv) Discussing how to strengthen nurturing,
supportive environments and relationships in the
home and at the program;
(v) Helping parents to better understand mental
health issues; and
(vi) Supporting parents’ participation in any
needed mental health interventions.
(2) Grantee and delegate agencies must secure
the services of mental health professionals on
a schedule of sufficient frequency to enable
the timely and effective identification of and
intervention in family and staff concerns about a
child’s mental health; and
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 SAMPLE LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR/OP-ED
SAMPLE LETTER TO THE EDITOR/OP-ED
To the Editor:
As parents, educators, and state leaders, we have a duty to provide our children with the tools necessary
to succeed in life. A large part of this responsibility entails helping them build a solid educational
foundation.
Full-day kindergarten allows young children to develop strong academic, social, and emotional skills. All
children in full-day kindergarten classes demonstrate greater reading and mathematics gains than those
in half-day classes. Full-day kindergarten also supports children at risk of school failure.
Viewing half-day kindergarten as a vehicle for saving money is short sighted. Research shows that
investments in quality early childhood programs generate returns of 3-to-1 or more by lowering grade
retention and dropout rates later in children’s school careers.
I am part of a statewide coalition that is working to pass full-day kindergarten legislation in [name state].
We must support our students by providing resources that ensure quality full-day kindergarten programs
are available to every child
Your Name
Title (teacher, ESP, other)
School or Affiliation
(teacher, other) School or Affiliation
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 GLOSSARY/RESOURCES
GLOSSARY AND RESOURCES
Cultural Competence
Professional Learning Community
The ability to successfully teach students who
come from cultures other than one’s own using
practices that recognize differences among
students and families and respond positively to
those differences (Diller & Moule, 2005; Lindsey, et
al., 2003)
An ongoing process through which teachers,
administrators, and/or community members work
collaboratively to seek and share learning and to
act on their learning, their goal being to enhance
their effectiveness as professionals for students’
benefit (Hord, 1997). Educators committed to
working collaboratively in ongoing processes of
collective inquiry and action research to achieve
better results for the students they serve (DuFour,
Dufor, Eaker, & Many, 2006).
Lesson Study
Originating in Japan, lesson study is a professional
development process that teachers engage in to
systematically examine their practice in order to
become more effective. To provide focus, teachers
collectively select an overarching goal and related
research question they would like to explore.
Teachers then collectively identify a lesson topic
and plan the lesson. One teacher teaches the
lesson in a real classroom while other members
of the group observe. The group then comes
together to discuss their observations of the
lesson. Often, the group then revises the lesson
and another teacher implements it in a second
classroom while other members again observe.
The group then comes together to discuss their
observations. In a report, the group then reflects
on what they’ve learned particularly with respect
to their research question (Retrieved from www.
tc.edu/lessonstudy/whatislessonstudy.html on
November 21, 2011).
DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T.
“(2006). Learning by doing: A handbook for
professional learning communities that work.
Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.
Hord, S. (1997). Professional learning communities:
What are they and why are they important?
Austin, TX: Southwest Education Development
Laboratory (SEDL).
Quality Rating and Improvement System
(QRIS)
A QRIS is a set of tools to measure, collect, and
disseminate information about the quality of early
childhood care and education (ECE) settings,
including those based in centers, homes,
preschools, and elementary schools. (Retrieved
from www.naeyc.org/policy/statetrends/qris on
December 4, 2011).
Professional Development
The term “professional development” means a
comprehensive, sustained, and intensive approach
to improving teachers’ and principals’ effectiveness
in raising student achievement. (Retrieved from
www.learningforward.org/standfor/definition.cfm
on November 21, 2011).
Standards Board
Standards Boards may be involved in any of the
following state teacher policy responsibilities:
educator standards, educator preparation
program approval, program accreditation,
educator licensure, and/or educator discipline.
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 GLOSSARY AND RESOURCES
There are three types of Standards Boards:
Independent, Semi-­Independent and Advisory.
An Independent Standards Board is defined as
a board that is independent of the state’s Board
Education; members are appointed by the
Governor, Legislature, or State Superintendent;
and the majority of the voting members are
educators. A Semi-­Independent Standards Board
shares responsibilities with the State Board of
Education. An Advisory Standards Board makes
recommendations to the State Board of Education
on teacher related policy, but does not have
regulatory responsibility (NIESBA, 2009).
Tax equity study (equity and progressivity of the
state and local taxes that primarily fund education,
as well as other vital services)
Efficiency study of state economic development
subsidy programs (including corporate tax
incentives and abatements) – are taxpayers getting
a good return on their investment?
Adequacy and equity in school funding
National Independent Educator Standards Board
Association-­NIESBA (2009). Status Report on
Independent Standards Boards.
The commission would be responsible for reporting
the results of these studies on a regular basis. It
would also be responsible for undertaking and
publishing analyses of proposed tax law changes,
specifically assessing how they would impact the
adequacy and equity of school funding, and the
equity of state tax systems.
Teacher Reflection
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
An important part of professional training is to
develop the capacity to reflect “in action” (while
doing something) and “on action” (after you had
done it) in order to improve practice (Schon, 1983).
An educator engaged in reflective practice examines
his or her teaching methods in order to improve
practice in the future.
Schon, Donald (1983). The Reflective Practitioner:
How Professionals Think in Action. New York: Basic
Books.
Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium (2011).
Teacher Leadership Model Standards.
TEF Commission
A TEF commission would be an independent
commission charged with overseeing, on a periodic
(biennial) basis, three studies:
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-­
based framework and set of principles to provide
ALL students with equal opportunities to learn. 1
There are three primary principles of UDL:
• Provide multiple and flexible methods of
presentation to students;
• Provide multiple and flexible means of expression;
• Provide multiple and flexible means of
engagement.2
CAST, www.cast.org/research/faq/index.html#2
D. Rose and A. Meyer, Teaching every student
in the digital age: Universal Design for Learning,
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, 2002
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 GLOSSARY AND RESOURCES
Resources
Full-­Day Kindergarten: An Advocacy Guide
( PDF, 957KB, 52pp) -­NEA leaders and members
with advocacy expertise created this guide to
support members in their full-­day kindergarten
advocacy efforts. It contains research, policy
recommendations, sample legislation, talking
points, and lessons from other states that have
successfully enacted full-­day kindergarten
legislation.
www.nea.org/home/11541.htm
PowerPoint presentation ( PowerPoint, 929KB,
25 slides) -­Provides key research about the
benefits of full-­day kindergarten and outlines the
strategies and policy recommendations included
in the guide.
www.nea.org/home/11541.htm
Letter to the editor ( PDF, 27KB, 1p) -­This model
can be used by teachers, parents, and other
advocates.
www.nea.org/home/11541.htm
Policy recommendations ( PDF, 36KB, 2pp) These
recommendations can be given to state-­level
leaders to ensure full-­day kindergarten legislation
provides the best possible programs to young
learners.
www.nea.org/home/11541.htm
Early Childhood nea.org Site
www.nea.org/home/18163.htm
Education Policy Resource Center
This database provides selected state education
policies and is designed to ensure that state
affiliates have access to relevant data in the areas
of teaching and learning. Users can search for
state education policies and compare those
policies to other states or regions. Users can also
view NEA’s positions on state policies, related
research, and Great Public School Criteria.
https://eprc.nea.org/
Kindergarten facts ( PDF, 73KB, 2pp) These fact
sheets can be used to help others understand the
importance of full-­day kindergarten programs.
www.nea.org/home/11541.htm
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Great Public Schools for Every Student
NEA Education Policy and Practice Department | Center for Great Public Schools | 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036