Early Childhood Research in the
District of Columbia:
A Document Review
randerson
Microsoft
Prepared By:
Sarah Daily, Rachel Anderson, and
Paula Daneri
Tamara Halle, Project Director
Child Trends
4301 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.,
Suite 350
Washington, DC 20008
Table of Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... 2
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. 3
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ 3
Introduction and Approach ......................................................................................................... 4
Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool-Aged Children ...................................................................... 5
Slots ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Data Sources ............................................................................................................................ 5
Data Interpretation .................................................................................................................. 8
Data Limitations ...................................................................................................................... 8
Quality ......................................................................................................................................... 9
Data Sources ............................................................................................................................ 9
Data Interpretation ................................................................................................................. 11
Data Limitations .................................................................................................................... 12
Locations ................................................................................................................................... 12
Data Sources .......................................................................................................................... 12
Data Interpretation ................................................................................................................. 12
Data Limitations .................................................................................................................... 13
Waitlists ..................................................................................................................................... 17
Provision of Services for Children with Special Needs............................................................ 17
Infants and Toddlers with Special Needs .................................................................................. 17
Data Sources .......................................................................................................................... 17
Data Interpretation ................................................................................................................. 18
Data Limitations .................................................................................................................... 19
Preschool-Aged Children with Special Needs .......................................................................... 19
Data Sources .......................................................................................................................... 19
Data Interpretation ................................................................................................................. 21
Data Limitations .................................................................................................................... 21
Early Care and Education Workforce ...................................................................................... 22
Data Sources .......................................................................................................................... 22
Data Interpretation ................................................................................................................. 27
Data Limitations .................................................................................................................... 28
Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 29
Future Research and Data Collection Directions .................................................................... 30
Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System Development ....................................................... 31
Quality of Care Studies ............................................................................................................. 32
Early Childhood Workforce Landscape .................................................................................... 32
Works Cited ................................................................................................................................. 34
Appendix A: Complete Documents List ................................................................................... 39
2
List of Tables
Table 1. The District’s Birth to Three-Year-Old Population and Capacity to Serve Infants and
Toddlers in Various Setting, 2011-2012 ......................................................................................... 6
Table 2. The District’s Three to Five Year Old Population and Capacity to Serve Preschool-aged
Children in Various Settings, 2011-2012........................................................................................ 7
Table 3. Number and Capacity of Licensed Child Care Centers and Homes that Serve Infants and
Toddlers from 2008 to 2012 ........................................................................................................... 8
Table 4. “Going for the Gold" Ratings for Subsidized Centers and Homes, by Ward, 2012 ....... 10
Table 5. Quality Ratings for a Sample of Settings Serving Children Ages 0-3, 2011.................. 11
Table 6. Number of Children Birth to Age Three that Received Early Intervention Services under
IDEA Part C, by Age, 2009-2011 ................................................................................................. 18
Table 7. Number of Children Birth to Age Three that Received Early Intervention Services under
IDEA Part C, by Ward, 2011 ........................................................................................................ 18
Table 8. Number of Three- and Four-Year-Old Children that Received Services under IDEA Part
B, by Age, 2009-2011 ................................................................................................................... 20
Table 9. Number of Three- and Four-Year-Old Children with Special Needs Enrolled in DC
Public Schools, Public Charter Schools, and PKEEP Grantee Pre-K Programs, by Ward, 2012 20
Table 10. Number of Three- and Four-Year-Old Children with Special Needs Enrolled in DCPS,
PCS, and PKEEP Grantee Pre-K Programs, by Sector, 2012 ....................................................... 21
Table 11. Educational Attainment of DC’s Infant and Toddler Workforce ................................. 24
Table 12. Institutes of Higher Education Offering Early Childhood Education (ECE) Degrees or
Certificates .................................................................................................................................... 26
List of Figures
Figure 1. DCPS, PCS, and PKEEP Programs serving Preschool-Aged Children in the District,
2012............................................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 2. Child Care Centers and Homes Serving Children Birth to Age Five in the District, 2012
....................................................................................................................................................... 15
Figure 3. Head Start and Early Head Start Centers Serving Infants and Toddlers in the District,
2012............................................................................................................................................... 16
Figure 4. Institutes of Higher Education with Early Childhood Degree or Credentialing Programs
Within the District of Columbia ................................................................................................... 25
3
Introduction and Approach
As a research partner to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education/Division of Early
Learning (OSSE/DEL) and the State Early Childhood Development and Coordinating Council
(SECDCC), Child Trends conducted an assessment of existing early care and education reports
and data, environmental scans, capacity assessments, provider surveys, and other studies
conducted in the District over the last decade. The goal of this assessment was to make a
determination about current gaps in understanding about aspects of the early care and education
system in DC, specifically, to identify gaps in data regarding infant and toddler services, services
for children with special needs, and current supports for providers such as scholarships and
degree/credential programs.
Beginning in the fall of 2011, Child Trends began collecting DC-specific early childhood data
and reports that are publicly available electronically, on the internet, or in hard copy. Our team
also gave a presentation to the State Early Childhood Development Coordinating Council
(SECDCC) in June 2012 about the purpose of this report, shared a preliminary list of identified
reports, and asked all members of the SECDCC to recommend additional reports or data sources
that had not yet been identified by the Child Trends team. In total, 43 documents and reports
were identified that had been published since 2002 that provided relevant and current data or
information about the early care and education system in the District. This complete list (see
Appendix A) includes documents such as market rate surveys, OSSE/DEL commissioned reports
and studies, child care fact sheets, and policy reports.
This report first provides a summary of the data available as of the fall 2012 on the slots, quality,
locations, and wait-lists of programs that serve infants and toddlers by ward and by sector, and
the provision of services for children with special needs in the District. When possible, data on
the slots, quality, locations, and wait-lists for preschool-aged children (three- to five-year-olds)
are also included. These summaries are followed by a discussion of supports available for the
early childhood workforce. Each of these summaries includes an assessment of any identified
limitations of the data reported and gaps in available information that may help guide future
research efforts.
4
Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool-Aged Children
OSSE/DEL requested a review of available data on the slots, quality, locations, and waitlists of
all programs and sectors that serve infants and toddlers. Information that was publicly available
as of the fall 2012 is included in the summaries and tables below. When possible, information is
included for programs and sectors that serve preschool children ages three to five.
Slots
A “slot” generally refers to a space available to a young child in a given early care and education
setting and is primarily determined by physical space, health and safety regulations, and teacherchild ratios. When discussing subsidized child care, a slot is determined by the factors listed
above in addition to the financial resources available to the state to offer subsidized care to
children and families through the allocation of the District’s Child Care Development Block
Grant. Early care and education settings can offer different types of slots, typically either fulltime or part-time slots, to meet the needs of families. Offering different types of slots also
enables a center to offer slots to more families. For example, a center may be licensed to provide
up to 40 slots: 20 full-time slots or 40 part-time slots, or a mixture of the two.
Data Sources
Licensing directories maintained by OSSE/DEL provide the most current data available on slots
in the early care and education settings that serve infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children
in the District. These data are available through the annual District of Columbia Early Childhood
Risk and Reach Report (Risk and Reach) commissioned by OSSE/DEL. The purpose of the Risk
and Reach report is to help OSSE/DEL identify the Wards in DC that have the greatest needs in
order to inform the appropriate allocation of resources. The Risk and Reach report includes
licensing data on the District’s capacity to serve infants, toddlers, and preschool children in
subsidized and non-subsidized center-based and home-based child care, Early Head Start/Head
Start, DC Public Schools (DCPS), DC Public Charter Schools (PCS), and Pre-K Enhancement
and Expansion Program Grantees (PKEEP). Data from this report are provided below. Since the
Risk and Reach analysis has been conducted in the District since 2008, a third table is presented
below that provides data on the slots available to infants and toddlers over the past four years.
5
Table 1. The District’s Birth to Three-Year-Old Population and Capacity to Serve Infants
and Toddlers in Various Setting, 2011-2012
Population and
Slots
Number of 0-3-yearold children1
Total slots available
to 0-3-year-old
children across all
settings
Total slots available
to 0-3-year-old
children as a
percentage of the
population
Number of child care
centers serving 0-3year-old children
Total slots for
0-3-year-old
children in
child care
centers
Subsidized slots
for 0-3-year-old
children2 in
child care
centers
Number of child care
homes serving 0-3year-old children
Total slots for
0-3-year-old
children in
child care
homes
Subsidized slots
for 0-3-year-old
children2 in
child care
homes
Ward
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Total
2,338
1,231
2,122
2,564
2,336
2,898
2,595
4,200
20,284
676
1,493
202
828
604
925
568
945
6,241
28.9%
121.3%
9.5%
32.3%
25.9%
31.9%
21.9%
22.5%
30.8%
15
46
11
27
18
28
24
27
196
490
1,276
198
721
453
811
498
890
5,337
455
125
0
584
346
534
396
890
3,330
5
2
2
35
23
23
33
24
147
10
4
4
69
45
45
62
47
286
2
4
0
24
20
26
43
34
153
2
1
16
8
8
618
Number of Early
4
3
0
1
2
3
Head Start programs
Slots in Early
Head Start
176
213
0
38
106
69
programs
Source: District of Columbia Early Childhood Risk and Reach Report, 2012
1
Data are from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
2
Subsidized slots are a subset of the total number of slots in the preceding row.
6
Table 2. The District’s Three to Five Year Old Population and Capacity to Serve
Preschool-aged Children in Various Settings, 2011-2012
Ward
Population and
Slots
1
2
3
4
5
6
Number of three- to
1,600
828
2,085
2,288
1,933
1,902
five-year-old
children1
Total slots available
to 3-5 year-old
2,449
2,412
2,184
2,725
2,584
2,342
children across all
settings
Total slots available
to 3-5 year-old
153.1% 291.3% 104.7% 119.1% 133.7% 123.1%
children as a
percentage of the
population
Number of child care
centers serving 3-5
30
63
32
45
39
35
year-old children
Total slots for
3-5 year-old
830
1,657
1,792
887
626
576
children in
child care
centers
Subsidized
slots
663
233
109
629
651
359
for 3-5 year2
old children
Number of child care
homes serving 3-5
3
1
3
22
11
4
year-old children
Total slots for
3-5 year-old
11
3
12
82
35
13
children
Subsidized
slots
4
3
0
27
7
6
for 3-5 yearold children2
Number of Head
4
2
0
1
0
3
Start programs
Slots
284
206
0
32
0
46
Number of programs
in DCPS that serve
6
6
8
12
9
13
3-5-year-old children
Slots
585
353
380
889
513
1,132
Number of programs
in PCS that serve37
3
0
11
14
6
5-year-old children
Slots
543
193
0
815
1,362
539
Number of PKEEP
12
0
0
1
3
2
grantee classrooms
Slots
196
0
0
20
48
36
Source: District of Columbia Early Childhood Risk and Reach Report, 2012
1
Data are from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
2
Subsidized slots are a subset of the total number of slots in the preceding row.
7
8
Total
2,804
3,605
17,045
2,731
3,257
20,684
97.4%
90.3%
121.3%
41
44
329
693
959
8,020
546
845
4,038
10
13
67
35
48
239
15
28
90
2
1
13
40
22
630
16
15
85
1,013
1,016
5,881
8
10
59
950
1,016
5,418
0
12
30
0
196
496
7
Table 3. Number and Capacity of Licensed Child Care Centers and Homes that Serve
Infants and Toddlers from 2008 to 2012
FY 2008
FY 2009
FY 2011
Population
under 3
22,280
Number
of
licensed
centers
330
331
305
Change
from
previous
year
N/A
+1
-26
Licensed
center
capacity
0-2
4,170
4,458
4,329
Change
from
previous
year
N/A
+288
-129
Number
of
licensed
homes
190
191
151
FY 2012
20,284
315
+10
5,337
+1,008
149
Source: District of Columbia Early Childhood Risk and Reach reports, 2008-2012.
Change
from
previous
year
N/A
+1
-40
Licensed
home
capacity
0-2
367
312
296
Change
from
previous
year
-55
-16
-2
286
-10
Data Interpretation
Table 1 indicates that the District only has the capacity to serve 30.8% of all infants and toddlers
in licensed early care and education settings including subsidized child care settings, family child
care homes and Early Head Start. Ward 2 has enough slots for 121.3% of the population of
infants and toddlers that live in that Ward, and Ward 3 has only enough slots for 9.5% of its
population of infants and toddlers. In comparison, Table 2 indicates that there is a surplus of slots
available to three- to five-year-old children in all Wards except 7 and 8, which have enough slots
for 97.4% and 90.3%, respectively, of the three- to five-year-olds that reside in those Wards.
Data presented in Table 3 indicate that while the capacity to serve infants and toddlers in child
care centers rose from FY 2008 to FY 2012, the number of licensed centers decreased over this
same time period, indicating more infants and toddlers were attending fewer locations. In
addition, the number of licensed home care providers and available slots for children under two
in child care homes fell over the four year period along with capacity in these settings.
Data Limitations
While the Risk and Reach report provides the most current and comprehensive data available to
the public about slots in licensed care settings for young children, these data fluctuate depending
on whether children enter or leave programs, teachers or care providers enter or leave programs,
or other factors that impact the slots available to children. When evaluating the slots available by
Ward it is also important to note that young children may attend an early care and education
setting that is not in the Ward in which they reside. For example, parents may seek a care setting
closer to their work, or may be willing to commute across town so that their child can attend
their preferred care setting. Though analyzing data for the entire District may account for some
8
of these issues, it may also be the case that parents who reside outside of the District but work
within it may use care services provided close to their place of employment.
Quality
OSSE/DEL requested an evaluation of the data publicly available about the quality of care
provided to infants and toddlers, and when possible, preschool-aged children. The quality of a
child care setting is determined by a number of factors, including characteristics representing
“process” aspects of quality (e.g., what teachers do and the quality of the interactions they have
with children), and characteristics representing “structural” aspects of quality (e.g., teacher’s
skills and qualifications, teacher-child ratio, class size, and teacher compensation). 1 High-quality
early childhood environments typically provide some combination of both structural and process
characteristics. Quality can be measured in different ways in order to evaluate the different
structural or process features of an environment, in addition to the overall global environment or
aspects of quality that relate to specific developmental domains. 2 Recognizing the variability in
quality across individual programs and early care and education settings, states have initiated
different strategies to improve the quality of the early care and education workforce, settings, the
overall state system, and family engagement and outreach. These efforts may be implemented
within a state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). 3
Data Sources
“Going for the Gold” is the District’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), which
all child care centers and homes that receive subsidies can participate in on a voluntary basis.
State QRIS are designed to assess the quality of early care and education programs for children
ages birth to five and older by conducting regular evaluations of programs. The information
collected during the evaluation can then be used to guide program improvement strategies. There
are three quality levels in Going for the Gold: bronze, silver, and gold. Providers automatically
enter the system at the “bronze” level, which is equivalent to licensing standards, meaning that
providers meet the minimum requirements to manage a care facility. The highest level, “gold,”
requires settings to obtain all quality requirements necessary to receive accreditation by the
National Association for the Education of Young Children. Subsidized providers are incentivized
to participate in this system and reach higher levels of quality through a tiered reimbursement
9
system, such that settings with the higher quality ratings receive higher reimbursement rates than
those with lower quality ratings. The most current and publicly available data on child care
quality are available through the 2012 Risk and Reach report. Risk and Reach provides
information on the number of subsidized centers and homes that achieved bronze, silver, or gold
status.
Table 4. “Going for the Gold" Ratings for Subsidized Centers and Homes, by Ward, 2012
Subsidized Centers
% Gold
% Silver
% Bronze
Ward
(#)
(#)
(#)
Total #
# Gold
74(17)
4.3(1)
21.7(5)
23
0
1
33.3(5)
20(3)
46.7(7)
15
0
2
100(1)
0
0
1
0
3
42(13)
19.3(6)
38.7(12)
31
0
4
21.4(6)
10.7(3)
67.9(19)
28
2
5
29.2(7)
12.5(3)
58.3(14)
24
2
6
18.4(7)
21.1(8)
60.5(23)
38
4
7
44.7(17)
10.5(4)
44.7(17)
38
5
8
TOTAL
73
28
97
198
13
Source: District of Columbia Early Childhood Risk and Reach Report, 2012
Subsidized Homes
# Silver
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
# Bronze
1
1
0
12
9
10
20
12
65
Total #
3
1
0
12
11
12
24
17
80
In addition to “Going for the Gold” data, in 2010 Great Start DC, an advocacy organization that
supports birth-to-five policies in the District, commissioned Howard University to conduct a
study of the quality of infant/toddler programs across the District. The Infant Toddler Baseline
Quality and Workforce Development Studies included a proportionally representative sample of
113 subsidized and non-subsidized child care centers and Early Head Start classrooms serving
infants and toddlers across all Wards. Data were collected using the Infant/Toddler Environment
Rating Scale, Revised Edition (ITERS-R), a standardized measurement of infant/toddler
classroom quality. This measure assigns scores between 1 and 7 to each program, where 1 is
inadequate and 7 is excellent. It is important to note that some programs originally chosen to
participate in the study declined to do so and similar programs were subsequently chosen to
replace these programs. Data on the quality of these 113 settings are included in the table below.
Data related to the quality of early care and education settings that serve preschool-aged children
between the ages of three to five were not publicly available at the time of this document review.
10
Table 5. Quality Ratings for a Sample of Settings Serving Children Ages 0-3, 2011
Ward
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Space &
Furnishings
4.6
4.7
4.8
4.5
4.0
4.5
3.9
4.1
Personal
Care
Routines
4.0
3.5
4.3
3.1
2.9
3.5
2.8
3.3
TOTAL
4.4
3.4
Average ITERS Subscale Scores
Listening
&
Talking
Activities
Interaction
5.1
4.6
5.5
4.7
3.9
5.3
5.8
4.5
6.5
4.5
3.8
4.6
4.7
3.4
4.2
4.7
4.4
5.3
3.8
3.7
4.5
4.1
3.6
5.4
4.6
3.9
5.1
Program
Structure
5.5
4.4
5.5
3.6
3.9
4.8
4.0
4.1
Parent
& Staff
5.2
5.3
5.7
4.4
4.6
4.7
4.2
4.6
Total
Score
4.9
4.5
5.7
4.1
3.9
4.5
3.8
4.1
4.4
4.8
4.3
Source: Great Start DC Infant/Toddler Baseline Quality and Workforce Development Studies, 2011
Data Interpretation
Table 4 indicates that the two Wards with the highest percentage of subsidized centers achieving
gold status in the District’s QRIS are Ward 3 (100%, there is only 1 center in Ward 3) and Ward
1 (74%). In Wards 5, 6, and 7, more subsidized centers received bronze than gold and silver
combined. In Ward 8, the same number of subsidized centers received a gold rating (n = 17) as
bronze (n = 17). Most family child care homes that accepted subsidies and participated in Going
for the Gold received a bronze rating, with the exception of a few providers in Wards 5 (n = 2),
Ward 6 (n = 2), Ward 7 (n = 4) and Ward 8 (n = 8).
Table 5 provides specific insight into the quality of care provided to infants and toddlers.
Overall, settings for infants and toddlers have between “minimal” (a rating of 3) and “good” (a
rating of 5) quality. Personal care routines (health and safety practices, greeting and departing,
toileting/diapering, naps, eating/snack time) and Activities (fine and gross motor, blocks, music,
dramatic play, nature, use of TV) scored the lowest across all participating settings (these
dimensions received average rating of 3.4 and 3.9, respectively). Interactions (supervision of
play and learning, staff-child interactions, peer interactions, and discipline) and Parents and Staff
(provisions for parents, provisions for staff, staff continuity, and professional development)
scored the highest among participating centers (5.1, and 4.8, respectively).
11
Data Limitations
While the data presented above provide useful information about the quality of selected early
care and education settings, there are a few limitations to these data. Given that only subsidized
centers and homes currently participate in Going for the Gold, these data only represent 63% of
licensed child care centers and 54% of child care homes. Going for the Gold also does not
include information about other types of programs that serve young children such as Head
Start/Early Head Start, Public Charter Schools, DCPS Pre-kindergarten, private child care
centers and homes. In addition, these data are also not currently available (in a public report) by
the age of children served in each care setting. Therefore it is not possible to determine, for
example, how many infants and toddlers are in gold rated subsidized centers by Ward from these
reports. This may be an area that OSSE/DEL can explore through further data analysis of Going
for the Gold data. The quality baseline report is the most comprehensive evaluation of the quality
of infant/toddler care settings. However, it (by design) only represents a sample (n = 113 or
approximately 30%) of all infant/toddler settings in the District and provides only a snapshot of
quality at one point in time. As a research study it is not meant to be a proxy for routine and
systematic evaluations of program quality.
Locations
Knowing the locations and density of early care and education settings that serve young children
can help inform an understanding of areas that may lack particular types of programs and where
potential expansion efforts may be targeted.
Data Sources
Current data on the locations of early care and education settings that serve infants/toddler and
preschool-aged children are provided in the 2012 Risk and Reach report and are included below.
Data Interpretation 1
Figure 1 indicates the locations of DCPS, PCS, and PKEEP pre-kindergarten programs for threeto five-year-olds. The majority of DCPS pre-kindergarten programs are located in Wards 4, 6, 7,
and 8. The majority of PCS pre-kindergarten programs are located in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8.
1
Data presented in Tables 1 and Tables 2 were used to aid the interpretation of data reported in this section.
12
Though there are only 30 PKEEP grantee pre-kindergarten classrooms in the District, 24 of these
classrooms reside in Wards 1 and 8. There are no PKEEP classrooms in Wards 2, 3, or 7. Figure
2 indicates the locations of child care centers and homes for children ages birth to five. This
figure indicates that Ward 2 has the highest number of child care centers serving children birth to
five (n = 109) and Ward 4 has the highest number of family child care homes serving children
birth to five (n = 57). Wards 1 and 3 had the lowest number of child care centers (n = 45; and n =
43, respectively) and Wards 2 and 3 had the lowest number of family child care home providers
(n = 3; and n = 5, respectively). Figure 3 indicates the locations of Head Start and Early Head
Start programs. The majority of Head Start and Early Head Start centers were located in Ward 1
(n = 6) and Ward 6 (n = 5). There were no Head Start/Early Head Start programs in Ward 3, and
only 1 program in Wards 2, 4, and 8.
Data Limitations
Evaluating data on locations at the Ward level may only provide general understanding of the
programs and settings available to families. Instead, analysis at the neighborhood or Zip Code
level may be more beneficial, in conjunction with data about the settings where the greatest
demand for child care exists.
13
Figure 1. DCPS, PCS, and PKEEP Programs serving Preschool-Aged Children in the
District, 2012
Source: District of Columbia Early Childhood Risk and Reach Report, 2012
14
Figure 2. Child Care Centers and Homes Serving Children Birth to Age Five in the
District, 2012
Source: District of Columbia Early Childhood Risk and Reach Report, 2012
15
Figure 3. Head Start and Early Head Start Centers Serving Infants and Toddlers in the
District, 2012
Source: District of Columbia Early Childhood Risk and Reach Report, 2012
16
Waitlists
Licensed early care and education settings and public pre-kindergarten programs across the
District likely experience varying degrees of demand. One indicator of the demand for a
particular program can be determined by the length of the waitlist maintained by that program.
However, publicly available data on early care and education programs serving infants and
toddlers with waitlists in DC are non-existent. There are no public data or reports that publish the
waitlists of licensed child care centers or homes that serve children ages birth to three and
OSSE/DEL does not maintain a list of infants and toddlers who are waiting for child care
subsidies.
Waitlists for public pre-kindergarten programs in DCPS and PCS are accessible on each sector’s
website. For DCPS, each three- and four-year-old child entering the pre-kindergarten lottery
receives an ID number. Parents can use their child’s ID number to identify their waitlist position
at selected schools. Waitlists by school are also available on the DCPS website. The DC public
charter schools website provides an aggregate count of children on waitlists for each school, by
age. 4
Provision of Services for Children with Special Needs
Infants and Toddlers with Special Needs
The DC Strong Start Early Intervention Program is charged under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C with identifying and supporting infants and toddlers
who have been identified with a delay or have a diagnosed condition known to result in a
developmental delay. Early Intervention (EI) services include specialized instruction, physical
therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language services, cognitive therapy, and
psychological services among other supports.
Data Sources
Two publicly available reports provide current data on the provision of services to infants and
toddlers with special needs. In March 2012, the Division of Special Education within OSSE
analyzed Child Count data and produced a report highlighting numbers and characteristics of
children aged birth to three-years-old receiving special education services under IDEA Part C.
17
Child Count is an annual count of children receiving special services conducted by OSSE
Division of Special Education and is required by the US Department of Education under IDEA.
The tables below represent the total unduplicated number of children served by the District
between 2009 and 2011. In addition, the 2012 Risk and Reach report provides data on the
number of children ages birth to three that received early intervention services in 2011 by Ward,
data which were also provided by the Division of Special Education within OSSE.
Table 6. Number of Children Birth to Age Three that Received Early Intervention Services
under IDEA Part C, by Age, 2009-2011
% Change
from Previous
Year
2009 Child
2010 Child
Age Range
Count
Count
45
64
0 to 1
73
119
1 to 2
213
216
2 to 3
Total
331
399
Source: OSSE Child Count Data Report, 2009-2011
+21%
2011 Child Count
75
153
239
467
% Change
from Previous
Year
+17%
Table 7. Number of Children Birth to Age Three that Received Early Intervention Services
under IDEA Part C, by Ward, 2011
Ward
# of Children Under
Age 31
# of Children 0-3 Receiving IDEA
Part C Services2
% of Children 0-3 Receiving IDEA
Part C Services
1
2,338
47
2.0%
2
1,231
25
2.0%
3
2,122
35
1.6%
4
2,564
88
3.4%
5
2,336
62
2.7%
6
2,898
48
1.7%
7
2,595
72
2.8%
8
4,200
73
1.7%
TOTAL
20,284
450
2.2%
Source: District of Columbia Early Childhood Risk and Reach Report, 2012
1
Data are from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey
2
Note that 17 children who reside out of the District received services in DC, so the total number of children served
in 2011 was 467, as reported in Tables 7 and 8 above. However, these 17 children were excluded from the 2012
Risk and Reach report.
Data Interpretation
Table 6 indicates that from 2009 to 2010, the number of infants and toddlers with special needs
enrolled in programming increased by over 21%. This figure grew by an additional 17% from
2010 to 2011. In 2009, and to a lesser extent in 2010, the population of young children served by
18
the District through IDEA Part C was older (with over 60% of the children served in 2009 being
two- to three-years-old as opposed to just over 50% in 2011). While the overall number of young
children served grew between 2009 and 2011, the most dramatic increases were among children
ages birth to one (who represented 14% of the children served in 2009 and 16% in 2010 and
2011) and children ages one to two (who represented 23% of the population served in 2009, 30%
in 2010, and 33% in 2011). Table 7 indicates that similar proportions of infants and toddlers with
special needs were received services in all Wards across the District, with only slightly more
children receiving services in Ward 4.
Data Limitations
The annual collection of Child Count data enables observation of short-term trends in enrollment
for infants and toddlers. These data indicate how many children received services, but this
information may be best considered with comparable data about the number of children at risk of
or who have identified special needs. Children can also receive services privately, so the data
presented above may underestimate the number of children at risk of developmental delay. No
data or reports identified indicated the quality of services provided, parent satisfaction with the
services received, or the extent to which DC is reaching all infants and toddlers eligible for
special services.
Preschool-Aged Children with Special Needs
The OSSE Division of Special Education is responsible for the oversight of IDEA Part B
funding, which includes grants for the provision of special needs services provided to preschoolaged children ages three to five.
Data Sources
The 2012 Child Count report included summary statistics related to the number of children aged
three- to four who received special education services under IDEA Part B. In addition, the 2012
Pre-Kindergarten Programs in the District of Columbia: A Capacity Audit (Pre-K Audit)
provides current data on the provision of services to preschool-aged children with special needs
in DCPS, PCS and PKEEP settings. The purpose of the Pre-K Audit was to identify how many
of the District’s children are being served in public pre-kindergarten programs. To do so, a
19
physical count of every child enrolled in DCPS, PCS, or PKEEP preschool or prekindergarten
classrooms was performed. In addition, a telephone interview was conducted with a sample of
center-based, home-based child care providers that also served three- and four-year-old children.
As part of the 2012 Pre-K Audit, telephone interviews were conducted with the principal or
executive director (or their designee) of every DCPS, PCS, or PKEEP grantee with a prekindergarten program. During the interview, respondents were asked to identify how many threeto five-year-old children with identified special needs were currently being served in their pre-K
programs. The 2012 Pre-K Audit also provides information about the number of three- and fouryear old children with special needs enrolled in DCPS, PCS, and PKEEP grantee pre-K
programs, by Ward. Data collected from these interviews are reported in Tables 10 through 12
below.
Table 8. Number of Three- and Four-Year-Old Children that Received Services under
IDEA Part B, by Age, 2009-2011
2009 Child
2010 Child
Age
Count
Count
122
193
3
242
358
4
Total
364
551
Source: OSSE Child Count Data Report, 2009-2011
% Change
from Previous
Year
+51%
% Change
from Previous
Year
2011 Child Count
338
514
852
+55%
Table 9. Number of Three- and Four-Year-Old Children with Special Needs Enrolled in
DC Public Schools, Public Charter Schools, and PKEEP Grantee Pre-K Programs, by
Ward, 2012
Ward
Percentage of
Programs Serving
3- and 4-Year-Old
Children with
Special Needs
Number of 3Year-Olds
Served with
Special Needs 1
Number of 4-YearOlds Served with
Special Needs 1
Total Number of 3- and
4-Year-Old Children Served
with Special Needs
Ward 1
83.3%
49
56
105
Ward 2
70.0%
17
26
43
Ward 3
100.0%
9
27
36
Ward 4
66.7%
49
90
139
Ward 5
64.0%
32
39
71
Ward 6
94.7%
44
101
145
Ward 7
66.7%
37
62
99
Ward 8
61.3%
35
61
96
TOTAL
71.7%
272
462
Source: Pre-Kindergarten Programs in the District of Columbia: Capacity Audit, 2012
1
Data provided by OSSE/Division of Special Education, February 2012
734
20
Table 10. Number of Three- and Four-Year-Old Children with Special Needs Enrolled in
DCPS, PCS, and PKEEP Grantee Pre-K Programs, by Sector, 2012
Number of 3-YearOld Children Served
with Special Needs
Number of 4Year-Old
Children Served
with Special
Needs
Total Number of
3- and 4-Year Old
Children Served with
Special Needs
100.0%
234
396
630
35.6%
16
50
66
68.8%
23
15
38
Sector
Percentage of
Programs Serving 3and 4-Year Old
Children with
Special Needs
DCPS1
PCS
PKEEP
Grantees
TOTAL
273
461
734
Source: Pre-Kindergarten Programs in the District of Columbia: Capacity Audit, 2012
1
DCPS sets aside 330 of the total 5,881 pre-K slots specifically for children with special needs as they are identified
throughout the year. Ninety-four other pre-K slots are reserved at the beginning of the school year; these can be
filled by general education students early in the school year if a special needs child is not assigned the slot.
Data Interpretation
Tables 8 indicates that the District has increased the provision of IDEA Part B services to threeand four-year-old children by 51% in 2010 and an additional 55% in 2011, nearly doubling the
number of children who received services between 2009 and 2011. Table 9 indicates that all or
nearly all DCPS, PCS, and PKEEP programs in Ward 3 (100%), Ward 6 (94.7%) and Ward 1
(83.3%) served at least one child with special needs. Table 12 indicates that Wards 6, 4, and 1
served the most preschool-aged children with special needs (145 children, 139 children, and 105
children, respectively).
Data Limitations
Similar to the data presented in Tables 6 and 7 above, data reported in Tables 8 and 9 provide an
indication of the number of children served, but do not provide information about the children
eligible for, but not receiving special needs services. In addition, the data presented above only
provide information about the preschool-aged children receiving services in public pre-K
settings, though other preschool-aged children may seek services through private providers. In
addition, information about the number of children who received services as reported in Table 10
was provided through a telephone survey and is subject to reporting error. No data or reports
identified indicated the quality of services provided, parent satisfaction with the services
21
received, or the extent to which DC is reaching all three- and four-year-old children eligible for
special services.
Early Care and Education Workforce
OSSE/DEL requested information about the number of early care and education professionals
working in each type of care setting or sector; the number of professionals with specified
degrees, credentials or qualification; the number of professionals participating in the Teacher
Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) program; 5 and the distribution of early
childhood professionals across different Wards. While this information is largely unavailable in
public reports, in 2011 DC launched “DC Child Care Connections,” a professional development
registry that tracks individual’s participation in required trainings and ongoing professional
development, verifies credentials, and tracks individuals’ progression through the early care and
education career ladder. As the number of early childhood professionals that register with Child
Care Connections grows it will become increasingly more feasible to identify the data points
requested above. This section provides information obtained from three key resources that
describe the early care and education workforce, and resources and supports available to early
childhood professionals in the District.
Data Sources
Information about the early care and education workforce was provided in the following reports:
•
Preparing our Infant and Toddler Professional Workforce for the 21st Century: An
Action Plan for DC;
•
Preparing Our Pre-K Teacher Workforce for the 21st Century: A Needs Assessment;
•
2012 Early Childhood Education Degree and Credential Programs; and
•
District of Columbia Professionals Receiving Opportunities and Support Professional
Development Plan.
In 2011, Great Start DC commissioned Howard University to conduct a study to assess the
overall quality of birth-to-three programming in DC and to analyze its corresponding workforce
development needs. The resultant report, Preparing our Infant and Toddler Professional
Workforce for the 21st Century: An Action Plan for DC (Infant Toddler Workforce study)
22
includes an overview of the current professional development supports provided to the
infant/toddler workforce as well as policy recommendations for improving and increasing these
resources. The study involved telephone interviews with a sample of program directors in 136
licensed infant/toddler family child care homes and child development centers. Table 11
provides a summary of the educational attainment of the infant toddler workforce that
participated in this study.
In 2010 the University of the District of Columbia conducted a needs assessment of the pre-k
workforce: Preparing Our Pre-K Teacher Workforce for the 21st Century: A Needs Assessment
(Pre-K Workforce Needs Assessment). This study assessed the educational attainment of the
District’s pre-k lead and assistant teachers in DCPS, PCS, Head Start centers, and licensed child
care centers, and collected salary, benefit, and tenure information. The data were obtained
through web-based, telephone, and mail surveys sent to 86 DCPS schools, 60 PCS schools, and
333 center-based organizations (including Head Start centers). Of these 479 programs, 233
provided information for the study.
The 2012 Early Childhood Education Degree and Credential Programs Guide (Higher
Education Guide) was designed to assist early childhood practitioners navigate the early
childhood degree and credential programs available within the greater Washington, DC area. It
included a profile of each institution of higher education in the District, Montgomery County,
Prince George’s County, and Northern Virginia that has an early childhood degree or credential
program. Each profile contains information about the types of degree and credential programs,
cost, course requirements, location, and the program capacity of each institution. Figure 4 below
provides a map of all available early childhood degree and credential programs in the District.
Table 12 provides a summary of all degree and credential programs available at local institutions
of higher education and the number of slots available to the early childhood workforce each year.
In 2009, OSSE released a professional development plan, The District of Columbia Professionals
Receiving Opportunities and Support Professional Development Plan, (DC PROS) to serve as
the District’s overarching vision for expanding professional development opportunities for early
childhood practitioners in the District. DC PROS was designed to build upon existing systems to
23
set goals, improve professional development and ultimately increase the quality of the early
childhood workforce. The plan combined all professional development programs, initiatives and
efforts from a cross-sector of early childhood communities and was aligned with key federal and
local policies. DC PROS was designed around six goals related to the following key elements:
core knowledge; access and outreach; qualifications, credentials, and pathways; funding; quality
assistance; governance and system financing. Each key element was described, with stakeholder
feedback integrated, and a matrix was provided to delineate the components, activities, status,
and future direction specific to each goal.
Table 11. Educational Attainment of DC’s Infant and Toddler Workforce
Professional (n)
Directors (157)
Lead Teachers (411)
Assistant Teachers
(407)
Other Teaching
Staff (147)
High School
Diploma/GED (n)
CDA
Credential
(n)
Associate
Degree (n)
Bachelor’s
Degree (n)
Master’s
Degree (n)
Doctoral
Degree (n)
--
8% (9)
33% (41)
35% (58)
23% (44)
2% (5)
--
52% (210)
17% (71)
21% (91)
10% (38)
--
42% (172)
47% (188)
3% (14)
7% (28)
1% (5)
--
29% (43)
28% (41)
8% (12)
30% (44)
5% (7)
--
Source: Preparing Our Infant and Toddler Professional Workforce, 2011 and The State of Infant and Toddler Care in
the District of Columbia: Baseline Quality Study and Workforce Survey Executive Summary
24
Figure 4. Institutes of Higher Education with Early Childhood Degree or Credentialing
Programs Within the District of Columbia
Legend:
American University
Catholic University
Gallaudet University
George Washington University
Howard University
Trinity Washington University
University of the District of Columbia
University of the District of Columbia Community College (5 locations)
Source: 2012 Early Childhood Education Degree and Credential Programs Guide
25
Table 12. Institutes of Higher Education Offering Early Childhood Education (ECE)
Degrees or Certificates
Number of Graduates
Per Year
Institute of Higher Learning
District of Columbia
American University
Teaching MA – ECE Concentration
Teaching Graduate Certificate – ECE Concentration
Catholic University
ECE BA
Early Childhood/Special Education MA
Gallaudet University
Education BA/BS – ECE specialization
George Washington University
Early Childhood Special Education MA
Howard University
ECE BS
ECE M. Ed
Trinity Washington University
Education MAT – ECE specialization
University of the District of Columbia
ECE BA
ECE MA
University of the District of Columbia Community College
Education AA – Birth to 3 OR Pre-K to 3rd grade concentration
Maryland (Prince Georges & Montgomery Counties)
Bowie State University
Early Childhood/Special Education BS
Prince George’s Community College
ECE AAS
ECE AA
Early Childhood Special Education Certificate
ECE Certificate of Mastery
University of Maryland at College Park
ECE BS
Central Texas College
Early Childhood Professions AAS
Early Childhood Professions Certificate of Completion
Administrator’s Credentials Certificate of Completion
Special Child Option Certificate of Completion
Child Development Associate Marketable Skills Achievement
Montgomery College at Germantown
ECE Certificate
ECE AAT
ECE Technology AAS
Montgomery College at Rockville
ECE Certificate
ECE AAT
ECE Technology AAS
Washington Adventist University
Early Childhood/Special Education BA
240
10
10
10
1-2
46
10-15
3-5
6
15
2
25-30
-20
5
15
20
35
-----11
24
13
10
15
12
--
Northern Virginia
George Mason University
ECE PK-3 Licensure Certificate
Early Childhood Special Education Licensure Certificate
Education in Curriculum and Instruction M.Ed. – ECE
Special Education M.Ed. - concentration in Early Childhood Special Education
Education Ph.D. - specialization in ECE
25
20
55
30
2
Northern Virginia Community College
Early Childhood Development Certificate
Early Childhood Development AAS
100
620
Source: 2012 Early Childhood Education Degree and Credential Programs Guide
-- indicates that the figure was not available
26
Data Interpretation
Data from the Infant Toddler Workforce study is reported in Table 11 and indicates that among
infant/toddler teachers, a CDA credential was the highest level of education achieved by 47% of
assistant teachers and 52% of lead teachers. Thirty-five percent of responding directors had a
bachelor’s degree, and 23% had a master’s degree. The Infant Toddler Workforce study also
highlighted the District’s training and specialist standards, which are very minimal, for the infant
and toddler workforce in centers and homes, reporting that these standards have been met in a
number of ways by lead and assistant teachers, center directors, and home-based providers. The
study also found that in the year previous to the report (2010), 25% of infant/toddler lead
teachers, assistant teachers, and administrators took part in workshops that focused on the
District’s Early Learning Standards for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Also about 25% of
the respondents reported that they did not have a network of child care specialists or consultants
available to infant and toddler programs, considered a best practice.
The Pre-K Workforce Needs Assessment found that among lead pre-k teachers, the distribution
of degrees varied widely across settings: while the majority of lead teachers in DCPS had a either
a master’s degree (53%) or a bachelor’s degree (47%), only about a third of lead teachers in
center-based settings had degrees above an associate’s degree. A CDA was the highest degree
for over half of lead pre-k teachers in faith-based organizations (51%) and for-profit communitybased programs (51%) as well as for over a quarter of lead teachers in Head Start centers (27%)
and licensed child care centers (28%). Just over 18% of lead teachers with any type of degree
majored in early education. Assistant pre-k teachers were generally less qualified: a CDA was
the highest degree for nearly a quarter (24%) of assistant teachers across all settings, but nearly
half of assistant teachers across all settings had less than a CDA and only 4% of the assistant
teachers with any type of degree majored in early childhood. Between a quarter and a third of
assistant pre-k teachers in DCPS and PCS had a bachelor’s degree (25% and 36% respectively).
The Higher Education Guide described both the location of DC metro-area institutes of higher
education offering early childhood programs as well as each institute’s specific degree or
certification programs and information on their capacity (represented by number of annual
graduates). Figure 4 shows that there are numerous institutes offering early childhood
27
programming in Wards 3 and 5, but none in Wards 4, 7, and 8, meaning that working
professionals in those areas may not have as convenient access to degree and development
programs as their peers in more heavily served Wards. Another factor that may affect the extent
to which professionals can participate in a development program is the distribution and capacity
of specific degrees or programs within the institutes. Table 12 shows that across the 17 institutes
of higher education offering early childhood programming, there are 11 certificate programs, ten
associate’s programs, eight master’s programs, six bachelor’s programs, and one doctorate
program. Additionally, only nine institutes offer a program solely or partially dedicated to
serving children with special needs—four master’s programs, three certificates, and two
bachelor’s programs. Program sizes varied widely; while six programs graduate ten or fewer
students per year, the majority (21 programs) graduate between 10 and 55 students per year.
Three institutes had programs with graduating classes of between 100 and 620 students, and
information was not available on the graduate figures for the seven remaining programs.
Although there are several institutes of higher learning offering early childhood programming in
the DC area, early childhood professionals may have different of options depending on their
location and program or specialization of interest.
The DC PROS document was indented as a planning and assessment resource and therefore does
not contain data on the ECE workforce or outcomes associated with education and professional
development supports. However, the report does include a Needs Assessment related to the
implementation status of different initiatives or workforce components across six areas: core
knowledge; access and outreach; qualifications, credentials, and pathways; funding; quality
assurance; and governance and system financing. Each component was assessed as being in the
planning, development, or implementation phases (as of 2009). In addition, next steps for each
component were proposed. The DC PROS document also presents the District’s early childhood
workforce career lattice which matches employee levels (1-7) with the degrees and credentials
needed for that position.
Data Limitations
Publicly available information on the District’s early childhood workforce includes a snapshot of
the pre-k and infant/toddler workforce education and background, the number and types of
28
degree and credential programs available, and an overall vision for the District’s professional
development system (as of 2009). However, more information is needed to describe the extent of
the District’s professional development system, the trainings that are offered, and the frequency,
location and content/competences addressed in these trainings. While DC PROS provides an
overall framework for the District’s professional development system, the plan may need to be
updated to reflect any changes that were facilitated by the DC PROS recommendations and to
ensure that it aligns with the District’s current early childhood workforce priorities. The Infant
Toddler Workforce study and the Pre-K Workforce Needs Assessment provide valuable
information about professional qualifications and the educational background of a sample of the
early childhood workforce, but this information needs to be current and comprehensive if it is to
help inform continuous improvement to the District’s professional development system.
Summary
OSSE/DEL requested an assessment of existing documents that provide current data on the slots,
quality, locations, and waitlists of programs that serve infants and toddlers, and the provision of
services for children with special needs to inform future research and data collection efforts.
Data on the number of slots and locations of settings serving infants and toddlers are readily
available through current licensing records and published annually through the Risk and Reach
report. Data on the quality of early care and education settings are limited. Going for the Gold
currently only includes a limited number of subsidized providers, so the District is limited in its
inability to identify the quality of care in other types of settings. The Infant Toddler Baseline
Quality and Workforce Development Studies report provided insightful information on the
quality of a sample of infant and toddler care settings. Finally, program waitlists for infants and
toddlers are non-existent in the public domain.
Data related to the provision of services to infants and toddlers with special needs were obtained
from OSSE’s annual Child Count report and the 2012 Risk and Reach report. These reports
provide information on the number and demographic characteristics of infants and toddlers who
received early intervention services through IDEA Part C. The Child Count data, however, do
not contain information on the number of infants and toddlers who may be eligible but are not
currently served, or the quality of services provided.
29
Data are not publicly available on the number of early care and education professionals working
in each type of care setting or sector; the number of professionals with specified degrees,
credentials or qualification; the number of professionals participating in the Teacher Education
and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) program; or the distribution of early childhood
professionals across different Wards. The most current and comprehensive study of the infant
and toddler education workforce was provided in Preparing our Infant and Toddler Professional
Workforce for the 21st Century, a 2011 study conducted by researchers at Howard University on
behalf of Great Start DC. This report describes early childhood professional characteristics,
educational backgrounds, and selected professional development supports for a sample of the
early childhood education workforce. An overview of early childhood degree and credentialing
programs is also available, but no data were identified that indicate the participation rates or
enrollment within these various programs or their impacts on the early childhood professional
workforce.
Future Research and Data Collection Directions
Publicly available data provide an incomplete picture of the supply, demand, and quality of
programs available to infants and toddlers in the District. While data on the provision of services
provided to children with special needs are readily available through OSSE’s Division of Special
Education, more information is needed about the quality of services provided and the population
of children at-risk for developmental delay. Although the data summarized in this report provide
the most current and information available to the public, only systematic and real-time data
collection efforts will be able to address policy and research questions related to program access
and quality for infants, toddlers, and children with special needs. Similarly, DC Child Care
Connections will become increasingly more effective at answering critical questions about the
early care and education workforce in the District as more professionals register with system. In
the meantime, data on the early childhood workforce are largely unavailable in the public
domain. Based on the data gaps identified in this document review, the following three areas are
offered as possible avenues for future research and data collection efforts.
30
Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System Development
Developing a longitudinal and coordinated early childhood data system will enable a better
understanding of how families use a range of services and care arrangements, the supply and
demand of specific early childhood settings and programs, and the preparation and retention of
the District’s early childhood professionals. An early childhood data system can help to support
the District’s broader early childhood system by providing data on key indicators related to the
goals and benchmarks of the Mayor’s Early Success Framework. In addition, an early childhood
data system that assigns children and early care and education settings a unique identifier can
provide the most current and accurate data on the care settings that are under or over capacity
and how far families are commuting so that their child can attend a particular program or setting.
The Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC), a partnership of seven national organizations 6
formed in 2009 to promote policies that support states’ development and use of coordinated early
care and education (ECE) data systems. The ECDC has developed ten fundamentals that are
critical for successful development of an early childhood longitudinal data system, which can
help guide OSSE/DEL’s efforts. 7 One of the fundamentals includes the assignment of a unique
identifier to each child that can be used to track them across settings and over time. While the
District assigns a unique ID to children receiving early intervention and early childhood special
education services, an ID that remains consistent across programs and over time is not assigned
to young children in early childhood care settings. Another fundamental characteristic of an early
childhood longitudinal data system, as described by the ECDC, is the assignment of unique
identifiers to members of the early childhood workforce. While systems to assign unique
identifiers are partially in place within subsidized child care, licensed child care, and public preK, these systems cannot link across programs. In addition, the District does not have access to
information about the employment status and history, professional development, and
demographics of the early childhood workforce. This limited grasp of the early childhood
workforce also means that DC is currently unable to link early childhood workforce data with
child-level data to identify any associations between workforce preparation or professional
development and child outcomes.
31
Collecting information about the background, needs, and experiences of the District’s young
children and the professionals and programs that serve them is a critical first step to creating a
coordinated and longitudinal early childhood data system. Though the development of a
longitudinal data system may take years of effort and resources, one significant and important
first step OSSE/DEL can take is the assignment of unique child, workforce member, and
site/program identifiers. Unique identifiers provide the backbone of a data system that can enable
real time tracking of program usage, supply, and demand, and basic workforce characteristics.
This work is critical to the development of an early childhood data system, but also comes with
significant but not insurmountable challenges related to data sharing and data security. To help
identify strategies to build collaborative relationships among the agencies that house early
childhood data and develop protocols for data security, DC may benefit from developing
partnerships with states who have led similar data initiatives such Pennsylvania, Connecticut,
and Maryland.
Quality of Care Studies
The Infant Toddler Baseline Quality and Workforce Development Studies report is the most
comprehensive evaluation of quality in a sample (n = 113 or approximately 30%) of center-based
infant/toddler settings in the District. This study, or one like it, needs to be repeated on a regular
basis and/or incorporated into regular monitoring efforts or quality improvement initiatives if
OSSE/DEL is to maintain a handle on the quality of care provided to children under the age of
three in center-based care. OSSE/DEL should also include family child care homes in future
quality studies since this type of setting is where a majority of the District’s infant and toddlers
receive care. OSSE/DEL may also want to consider incorporating additional measures of quality
in future studies of infant/toddler care settings that focus on the process features of quality in
addition to the structural ones that were assessed with the ITERS in the Infant Toddler Baseline
Quality and Workforce Studies.
Early Childhood Workforce Landscape
There is little information publicly available about the size of the early care and education
workforce, ECE professionals’ preparation, or the settings in which they work. Any efforts to
obtain these basic demographic and background characteristics of the ECE workforce will aid
32
OSSE/DEL research and policy efforts in this area. OSSE/DEL could consider increasing efforts
to actively recruit professionals to participate in the DC Child Care Connections registry as a
first step to collecting these data. Future research may also focus on the preparation, retention,
and attrition of the early childhood workforce. More information is needed to understand the
system of financial and workforce supports available to early childhood professionals, and the
capacity of institutes of higher education and professional development organizations to
effectively prepare and train early childhood professionals, especially those working with infants
and toddlers and young children with special needs. Future research could also examine costs
associated with providing high-quality services to infants and toddlers and if adequate funding
mechanisms are in place to support early care and education providers in serving this population
of young children.
33
Works Cited
This section contains a summary of the documents highlighted in this report, ordered by
descending year of publication. The title of each report and date of publication appear before
each summary, along with the name of the funder and author(s) of the report (in parentheses is a
brief description of each authoring or funding organization). Each summary highlights the
contents of the report along with relevant data, though not all data in each report appear in the
summaries. A complete list of reports identified for this review can be found in Appendix A.
Title: District of Columbia Early Childhood Risk and Reach Assessment 2012
Year: 2012
Funder/Author/Affiliation: Office of the State Superintendent of Education/Division of Early
Learning /Child Trends (Research Institution)
The District of Columbia Early Childhood Risk and Reach Assessment for 2012 is the
forthcoming fourth annual report that analyzes family risk indicators that affect children in the
District of Columbia, as well as the reach of early childhood programs designed to mitigate those
risks. The report highlights several risk factors including the number of children in the Ward five
and under receiving aid through SNAP (around 70% in wards 7 and 8, but less than one percent
in Ward 3) and the number of children receiving aid through Medicaid/State Children's Health
Insurance Program (SCHIP); data from the 2009 Income Maintenance Administration indicated
that 69% of children in Ward 7 were receiving this aid while only 5% of the children in Ward 3
were. The 2012 report also provided information on several other risk factors in the District
including the percentage of young children living in poverty, percent of births to single and
teenage mothers, low birth weight status, access to medical care during pregnancy, and low
parental education. The study then described the availability of numerous early education
services in the District. The report found that high-risk Wards 7 and 8 did not have the capacity
to serve all low-income children age birth to five in centers that provide care to subsidyreceiving families; these Wards have slots for only 45.6% (Ward 7) and 51.8% (Ward 8) of
children in subsidy-receiving families. The District’s other Wards were able to serve over 100%
of low-income children. The report also provided addition al information on DC’s QRIS system,
Head Start and Early Head Start, Pre-K and home visiting programs, and early intervention
services.
34
Title: Child Count 2009-2011: A Comparison
Year: 2012
Funder/Author/Affiliation: Office of the State Superintendent of Education/Division of
Specialized Education
Child Count is an annual count of children receiving special services conducted by OSSE
Division of Special Education and is required by the US Department of Education under IDEA.
The report includes information on children ages under age 3 served by IDEA Part C and
children ages 3-4 served by IDEA Part B. In 2012, the Division of Special Education within
OSSE analyzed Child Count data and produced a report highlighting numbers and characteristics
of young children receiving special education services under IDEA. The data in this report
represent 2009-2011. From 2009 to 2010, the number of infants and toddlers with special needs
enrolled in programming increased by over 21%. This figure grew by an additional 17% from
2010 to 2011. The most dramatic increases were among children ages birth to one (who
represented 14% of the children served in 2009 and 16% in 2010 and 2011) and children ages
one to two (who represented 23% of the population served in 2009, 30% in 2010, and 33% in
2011). The District increased the provision of IDEA Part B services to three- and four-year-old
children by 51% in 2010 and an additional 55% in 2011, nearly doubling the number of children
who received services between 2009 and 2011.
Title: The 2012 Early Childhood Education Degree and Credential Programs Guide
Year: 2012
Funder/Author/Affiliation: Office of the State Superintendent of Education/Division of Early
Learning /Child Trends (Research Institution)
The 2012 Early Childhood Education Degree and Credential Programs Guide was designed to
assist early childhood practitioners navigate the early childhood degree and credential programs
available within the greater Washington, DC area. It included a profile of each institution of
higher education in the District, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Northern
Virginia that has an early childhood degree or credential program. Each profile contains
information about the types of degree and credential programs, cost, course requirements,
location, and the program capacity of each institution. Across the 17 institutes of higher
education offering early childhood programming, there are 11 certificate programs, ten
associate’s programs, eight master’s programs, six bachelor’s programs, and one doctorate
program. Additionally, nine institutes offer a program solely or partially dedicated to serving
35
children with special needs. Program sizes varied widely; while six programs graduate ten or
fewer students per year, the majority (21 programs) graduate between 10 and 55 students per
year. Three institutes had programs with graduating classes of between 100 and 620 students,
and data were not available on the graduate figures for the seven remaining programs.
Title: Great Start DC Infant/Toddler Baseline Quality and Workforce Development Studies
Year: 2011
Funder/Author/Affiliation: Great Start DC (Advocacy Institution)/Howard University
(Research Institution)
In 2011, researchers at Howard University produced this report for Great Start DC, which aimed
to assess the overall quality of birth-to-three programming in DC and to analyze its
corresponding workforce development needs. To collect the data for this baseline quality study,
researchers used the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale--‐Revised Edition (ITERS-R) to
observe a representative sample of 113 of the District’s 295 child care sites. The observed sites
were selected to represent each of the wards, levels of quality, private vs. non-profit status, and
ELL and inclusion classrooms. The study found that the average overall quality of 113
community-based infant and toddler programs in DC was "minimal" at baseline and variations in
quality were observed across all types of establishments. An additional workforce survey (see
Action Plan above) indicated that directors had higher education attainment and compensation
rates than assistant teachers, and that most staff members with bachelor's degrees did not major
in early childhood education. Additional information on topics including staff education, benefits
and salary was also reported.
Title: Pre-K Capacity Audit Report
Year: 2011
Funder/Author/Affiliation: Office of the State Superintendent of Education/Division of Early
Learning/Child Trends (Research Institution)
In 2012, Child Trends conducted a capacity and enrollment audit of public pre-K programs in the
District of Columbia. To complete this task, the research team physically counted every child
enrolled in all pre-K classrooms in the District (including DC Public Schools, Public Charter
Schools and PKEEP Grantee classrooms) and obtained information about capacity from district
and school officials. The report also contains capacity and enrollment information from
subsidized and private child care providers, and details the current state of special needs
education in public pre-K programs. Findings from the report indicate that there are 160 public
36
pre-K programs in the District serving a total of 11,358 children. Capacity at these programs
exceeds enrollment by 771 slots.
Title: Preparing our Infant and Toddler Professional Workforce for the 21st century: An Action
Plan for DC
Year: 2011
Funder/Author/Affiliation: Great Start DC (Advocacy Institution)/Howard University
(Research Institution)
In 2011, Great Start DC (formerly Pre-K for All DC) produced an action plan for professional
development for infant and toddler professionals in Washington DC. This plan included an
overview of the district’s current professional development tools as well as policy
recommendations for improving and increasing these resources. Great Start DC reports that at
the time of the plan’s publication, there were 328 licensed child development centers in
operation, 193 of which were licensed to serve infants and toddlers with 64 of those centers
accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). An
additional 147 family child care homes were also licensed to care for infants and toddlers. Data
on infant/toddler professional characteristics in the District were ascertained with a workforce
survey completed by infant and toddler program directors (136 of the 216 distributed surveys
were completed—a 63% response rate). A CDA Credential was the highest level of education
achieved by 47% of assistant teachers and 52% of lead teachers. 60% of responding directors had
a Bachelor's, the highest education achieved by 35% of all directors. Other information collected
from the survey included provider race/ethnicity and salary and information on center and home
care quality. Great Start DC also highlighted the District’s minimal standards for the infant and
toddler workforce in centers and homes, reporting that these standards have been met in a
number of ways by lead and assistant teachers, center directors, and home-based providers.
Title: Preparing our Pre-K Workforce for the 21st century: A Needs Assessment
Year: 2010
Funder/Author/Affiliation: DC Early Childhood Higher Education Collaborative/University of
the District of Columbia, Early Childhood Leadership Institute
Commissioned by the DC Early Childhood Higher Education Collaborative, this study
administered a survey via the web, telephone and mailings, to 86 DC Public Schools, 60 DC
Public Charter Schools, and 333 community-based organizations, including Head Star t
programs. The survey queried administrators on a range of questions, from the number of
classrooms serving 3- and 4- year- olds to teacher educational attainment, compensation and
37
tenure. Of the 1,055 lead teachers across all sectors, only 607 held a bachelor’s degree, resulting
in 448 lead teachers in need of degree completion. Overall 36 percent of lead teachers held a
bachelor’s degree and 20 percent held a master’s degree. All lead teachers in DC Public Schools
and DC Public Charter Schools had a bachelor’s degree or higher; however less than 50 percent
of teachers in other environments were equally prepared. Of the 824 assistant teachers across all
sectors, only 270 hold associate’s degrees, resulting in 554 in need of degree completion.
Title: The District of Columbia Professionals Receiving Opportunities and Support (DC PROS)
Professional Development Plan
Year: 2009
Funder/Author/Affiliation: Office of the State Superintendent of Education/Division of Early
Learning
The District of Columbia Professionals Receiving Opportunities and Support (DC PROS)
Professional Development (PD) Plan is designed to serve as a guide for the District of Columbia
to solidify and expand professional development opportunities for the 6,300 early childhood
practitioners working in employer supported and/or sponsored programs, with the ultimate goal
of improving the quality of the early childhood workforce. The plan is data-driven and builds
upon existing systems; it combines all PD programs, initiatives and efforts from a cross-sector of
early childhood communities and is aligned with key federal and local policies. Its
implementation is overseen and facilitated by the Division of Early Childhood Education within
OSSE. Key goals relate to the following six elements: core knowledge; access and outreach;
qualifications, credentials, and pathways; funding; quality assistance; governance and system
financing. Each key element is described, with stakeholder feedback integrated, and a matrix is
provided that delineates the components, activities, status, and future direction specific to each
goal.
38
Appendix A: Complete Documents List
Title
Pre-Kindergarten Programs in the District
of Columbia: Capacity Audit, 2012
Year
published
Author/organization
2012
Child Trends for OSSE
Mayor Vincent Gray's Early Success
Framework (Powerpoint)
2012
Multiple agencies
District of Columbia Early Childhood
Risk and Reach Assessment, 2012
2012
Child Trends for OSSE
Children in the District of Columbia
2012
Children's Defense Fund
Child Count 2009-2011 A Comparison
2012
OSSE Division of
Specialized Education
Child Care Centers in the District of
Columbia
2012
National Association of
Child Care Resource and
Referral Agencies
DC School Chooser
2011
Great Schools & Fight for
Children
2011 Child Care in the State of: District
of Columbia
2011
National Association of
Child Care Resource and
Referral Agencies
Head Start by the numbers 2010 PIR
Profile: District of Columbia
2011
Center for Law and Social
Policy
District of Columbia Early Learning
Standards for Infants and Toddlers
2011
OSSE
District of Columbia Early Learning
Standards for Pre-Kindergarten
2011
OSSE
District of Columbia Baby Facts
State Preschool Yearbook, 2011 (DC)
2011
2011
Zero to Three
National Institute for Early
Education Research
Pre-K Implementation Brief
DC Early Intervention FAQ
Preparing our infant and toddler
professional workforce for the 21st
century: An action plan for DC
2011
2011
2011
Great Start DC
OSSE
Great Start DC
Great Start DC Infant/Toddler Baseline
Quality and Workforce Development
Studies
2011
Rodney Green, et al
(Howard University)
Child Welfare in DC
2011
Child Welfare League of
America
39
Title
State of America's Children; Child
Maltreatment
Year
published
Author/organization
2011
Children's Defense Fund
District of Columbia's Children 2011
2011
Child Welfare League of
America
A Comparison of Urban Jurisdictions:
Child Welfare and Demographic
Indicators
DC Race to the Top - Early Learning
Challenge Application
2011
Casey Family Programs and
DC CFSA
2011
Mayor’s Office
Child Care Assistance State Profile:
District of Columbia
2010
National Women’s Law
Center
State profile: District of Columbia
2010
The Office of Child Care's
National Child Care
Information and Technical
Assistance Center
DC Early Childhood Data Systems
2010
Child Trends
Preparing our Pre-K Workforce for the
21st century: A Needs Assessment
2010
University of the District of
Columbia, Early Childhood
Leadership Institute
Preparing our Pre-K Workforce for the
21st century: Action Plan
2010
University of the District of
Columbia, Early Childhood
Leadership Institute
A case study of the Pre-K for All DC
campaign: How Pre-K for All became the
law of the land in DC
2010
Bernardine H. Watson
DC Part B State Annual Performance
Report (APR) for FFY09
2010
OSSE
Home Visiting: A Review of National
and Local Models
2010
Child Trends for OSSE
District of Columbia Child Care Market
Rates and Capacity Utilization
2010
Center for Applied Research
and Urban Policy, UDC
District of Columbia Early Childhood
Profile
2009
National Center for Children
in Poverty
40
Title
2009 Pilot Study of a School
Preparedness Information Study for the
District of Columbia
Year
published
Author/organization
2009
Sharon L. Ramey and Craig
T. Ramey
DC Early Childhood Professional
Development Plan (DC PROS)
2009
OSSE/ECE
CCDBG State Plan Reported Activities
to Support Limited English Proficient
(LEP) and Immigrant Communities
2008
CLASP, Danielle Ewen,
Aaron Nelson, Hannah
Matthews
Infants & Toddlers in the District of
Columbia: A Needs Assessment
2008
Hyesook Chung, for the DC
State Board of Education
Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Act
of 2008
2008
West Group Publisher
Quality Schools and Neighborhoods
2008
21st Century School Fund;
Brookings Institute; Urban
Institute
Medical Home Performance Profile for
All Children: District of Columbia
2007
Data Resource Center for
Child & Adolescent Health
Ensuring a Vibrant City: The Economic
Impact of the Early Care and Education
Industry in the District of Columbia
2007
National Economic
Development and Law
Center
Issue Brief: Oral Health Is Critical to the
School Readiness of Children in
Washington, DC
2007
Altarum Institute
No Time to Wait: Ensuring a Good Start
for Infants and Toddlers in the District of
Columbia
2007
Mayor's Advisory
Committee on Early
Childhood Development,
Task Force on Strategic
Planning for Infant and
Toddler Development
41
Title
Road Map to Universal School Readiness
in the District of Columbia
Year
published
Author/organization
2004
Bobbi Blok, GCH
Endowment to Promote
Quality Early Childhood
Education Susie Cambria,
MSW, DC Action for
Children Sara Fritel,
Washington Child
Development Council, BB
Otero, Calvary Bilingual
Multicultural Learning
Center, and SPARK DC
42
1
Boller, K., Tarrant, K., & Schaack, D. D. (forthcoming). Child care quality improvement: A typology of
intervention approaches. Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Administration of Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation.
2
Child Trends (2009). What we know and don’t know about measuring quality in early childhood and
school-age care and education settings OPRE Issue Brief #1. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services Administration for Children and Families.
3
Boller, K., Tarrant, K., & Schaack, D. D. (forthcoming). Child care quality improvement: A typology of
intervention approaches. Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Administration of Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation.
4
For more information, see http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/Enrolling-Your-Child/Available-CharterSchool-Slots-and-Wait-Lists.aspx
5
For more information see (http://teach.nbcdi.org/).
6
This partnership includes: Council of Chief State School Officers, Center for the Study of Child Care
Employment at UC Berkeley, Child Trends, Data Quality Campaign, National Conference of State
Legislatures, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Pew Center on the States
7
For more information see http://www.ecedata.org/state-ece-analysis/state-results/DC/
43