| Preschool for
ALL, a partnership between CC and CHF, is taking bold steps toward
its goal to expand voluntary access to quality preschool programs
to all 3- and 4-year-old children. An important aspect of this initiative
is identifying the most promising opportunities for collaboration
among systems of early care and education. Developing these mutually
beneficial partnerships will maximize the use of existing financial
resources and facilities and professional development opportunities
to expand access to quality preschool education. Preschool for ALL
is working in a variety of ways to implement its plan:
Systems Integration
Efforts
Preschool
for ALL is improving access to quality preschool programs for all
3- and 4-year-old children in Houston through its efforts to integrate
the three systems of preschool: Public Prekindergarten, Head Start
and licensed child care. Preschool for ALL is meeting with representatives
from the 25 Houston-area school districts, area child care centers,
as well as the 5 Head Start providers to pursue innovative ideas
for integrating programs.
There
is quality in all three preschool systems, but differences in goals,
philosophies, funding streams and hours of operation. Together,
these three systems can complement each other and work together
to provide: (1) quality cognitive foundations for school readiness
and success; (2) a safe and loving environment where trusting relationships
can be fostered and healthy social/emotional foundations can be
created; (3) a consistent setting in one facility with hours to
accommodate the working parent; and (4) quality professional development
for understanding how young children learn.
Preschool
for ALL is also involved with two major grants that are focusing
on preschool systems integration and improving quality in the early
care and education arena: HELP for Kids and TEEM. CC’s Preschool
for ALL and a number of other organizations recently received a
grant through the Early Learning Opportunities Act to fund the HELP
for Kids program, a neighborhood-based model to improve early learning
for children in the Gulfton neighborhood of HISD.
Quality
Rating System
As
another component of Senate Bill 76, a quality rating system is
being explored to include public Prekindergarten, Head Start and
licensed child care. Preschool for ALL is working with a number
of partners to develop a local model and pilot for a preschool quality
rating system. Such a system would result in quality ratings for
area preschool programs, similar to what a parent receives regarding
a school's accountability rating.
TEEM
Project
Preschool for ALL is working with 13 Houston partners and the State
Center for Early Childhood Development on The Texas Early Education
Model (TEEM) project. This project will identify opportunities to
improve the ways in which child care, Head Start and Prekindergarten
systems work together.
The
State Center for Early Childhood Development (SCECD), which was
created as part of Senate Bill 76, chose Preschool for ALL and its
partners in Houston to serve as one of eleven demonstrations sites
across the state to participate in The Texas Early Education Model
(TEEM): Achieving Higher Levels of School Readiness in Cost Effective
Ways. The following preschool providers and resource providers have
partnered with Preschool for ALL to participate in the pilot: Aldine
ISD, AVANCE, Inc. – Houston Chapter, Gulf Coast Community
Services Association, Harris County Department of Education, Houston
ISD, Initiatives for Children, KinderCare, Neighborhood Centers,
Inc., Spring Branch ISD, The WorkSource – Gulf Coast Workforce
Board, YMCA of Greater Houston, Young Learners, and Young Scholars
Academy for Excellence.
Preparing
Teachers
Preschool for ALL is beginning to work with various higher education
and training institutions in the Houston Region that educate and
prepare our preschool teachers for the classroom. Since the classroom
teachers most directly control the quality of the environment in
a preschool classroom, a large number of trained and skilled teachers
are needed for the Houston Region. The first step is to understand
the players involved in teacher education, the different types of
training available, and whether the existing system is adequately
training teachers.
Teacher
retention is another area which is being explored. Annually,
the turnover rate for child care teachers is 41%, and the turnover
rate for teachers in public schools during their first three years
is 43%. These statistics attest to the fact that adequate
support in the classroom is vital to retaining the newly recruited
and trained teachers. Ideas are being explored to determine
how to lower this high teacher turnover rate.
Meeting
with School Districts
Preschool
for ALL representatives are in the process of meeting with superintendents
and principals from area Independent School District’s in
the Houston area to inform them of Senate Bill 76 and begin working
with them to expand preschool integration efforts in each District.
During these meetings, Preschool for ALL is providing copies of
the resource maps to help identify partnership opportunities for
expansion.
Developing
Interactive Maps
Through a partnership with St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities,
Preschool for ALL is developing interactive maps that will enhance
the ability of Independent School Districts and other preschool
providers (Head Start and licensed child care) to identify potential
partners. The interactive maps will provide valuable contact information,
capacity size and additional quality information that will facilitate
the formation of partnerships between preschool systems.
The
maps will provide users various search options and will include
pop-up menus to give users this critical information in a fast and
easily accessible manner. These maps will be located on PRESCHOOL
FOR ALL’s website to allow preschool providers, as well as
parents and the public, to obtain a true snapshot of the preschool
options available for children.
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