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Image from Today’s Parent
Depts. of Education, Health and Human Services
Early Learning
Challenge Performance Reports released
Reports on 20 states, including Ohio
The U.S. Department of Education released a report today that shows
Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge states are rapidly improving
the quality of early learning programs while enrolling more children,
especially from low- and moderate income families, in the
highest-quality programs.
What’s more, thousands more children are receiving health screenings to
help detect medical or developmental issues earlier, the report shows.
The report comes from the annual performance reviews for the 20 states
who have received more than $1 billion in Early Learning Challenge
grants since 2011. These reports capture the successes achieved and
obstacles overcome by states in the last year.
“By investing in high-quality early learning through programs like the
Early Learning Challenge, states are giving many more children a strong
start in life,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. “Thanks
to the leadership of governors, state officials and education
advocates, these states are implementing plans to develop high-quality
early learning systems that improve the quality of learning and provide
our youngest citizens with the strong foundation they need for success
in school and beyond.”
The Early Learning Challenge is a historic federal investment that
supports states in building strong systems of early learning and
development to ensure that underserved children – including low-income
and minority students, as well as students with disabilities and
English learners - and their families have equitable access to
high-quality programs.
Highlights from the reports:
· More than 72,000 early learning and development programs are now
evaluated under their states’ Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement
Systems (TQRIS) – an 87 percent increase since the states applied for
their grants.
· Nearly 14,000 programs are in the highest quality tiers of their
states’ rating system – a 63 percent increase since the states applied
for their grants.
· Significantly more children with high needs are enrolled in programs
in the highest quality tiers of their states’ rating system.
· More than 200,000 children with high needs are enrolled in highest
rated state-funded preschool programs.
· Nearly 230,000 children with high needs are enrolled in child care
programs that receive federal child care subsidy funds and are in the
highest tiers.
· More than 150,000 children with high needs are enrolled in Head
Start/Early Head Start programs in the highest tiers.
“The Early Learning Challenge, an education reform initiative announced
by President Obama in 2009, has been a catalyst for advancing state-led
efforts to improve education. When we invest in early education, the
benefits can last a lifetime,” HHS Administration for Children and
Families Acting Assistant Secretary Mark Greenberg said. “Children who
attend high-quality early learning and preschool programs are more
likely to do well in school. We all gain when our country has strong
early childhood systems in place to support our children on the path to
opportunity.”
Duncan discussed the report at the annual grantee meeting in Virginia
for the thirty-two states implementing the Early Learning Challenge, as
well as Preschool Development Grants. Launched in 2011 as a historic
joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and
Human Services, the Early Learning Challenge now has 20 states
participating: California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois,
Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New
Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Vermont, Washington state and Wisconsin. These grantees are working to
align, coordinate and improve the quality of existing early learning
programs across multiple funding streams that support children from
birth through age 5.
Duncan also spoke about the Preschool Development Grants, a program
jointly administered by both Departments. In 2014, 35 states and Puerto
Rico applied for the Preschool Development Grants, jointly administered
by the Departments, to expand high-quality preschool for children from
low- to moderate-income families. Due to the limited funding,
awards were made only to 18 states in over 200 high-need communities
that span the geographic and political spectrum. Despite the evidence
showing the importance of early learning and the unmet need for
preschool in America, earlier this summer, House and Senate committees
authored partisan spending bills that make significant cuts to programs
that provide important services such as health care, public health and
safety, job training, and education. Both bills eliminate Preschool
Development Grants, jeopardizing critical early education opportunities
for more than 100,000 children in the last two years of the grants.
This Early Learning Challenge report provides a high level overview of
the progress made by Early Learning Challenge states in key areas as
they implement their state plans. For more detailed information,
see the individual state annual performance reports and highlights
available here.
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