Public Meeting March 30, 2012

1. Public Meeting March 30, 2012

2. Agenda • Welcome (9:30 AM – 9:40 AM) Presenter: John Gasko • Council Update (9:40 AM – 10:10 AM) Presenter: Don Titcombe • Invited Speakers (10:10 AM – 10:20 AM) • Public Comments(10:20 – 11:00 AM)

3. Council members Chairman: John W. Gasko Children’s Learning Institute Michael Berry Office of the Governor LaShonda Y. Brown Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office Mary G. Capello Teaching and Mentoring Communities Deborah H. Cody Mount Pleasant Independent School District Gina S. Day Texas Education Agency Ana de Hoyos O’Connor San Antonio College Blanca Estela Enriquez Education Service Center – Region 19 Dorothy Goodman University of Texas – University Charter School Angela Hobbs-Lopez Texas Department of State Health Services Elsa Cardenas-Hagan University of Houston ReaganMiller Texas Workforce Commission Rhonda Paver Stepping Stone School Bobby Ott Killeen Independent School District Sasha Rasco • Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services Elaine Shiver Mental Health America of Texas Kim Wedel, Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services John Whitcamp Child Care Associates Quincy White City of Lubbock www.earlylearningtexas.org

4. Texas Early Learning Council Priorities • Workforce and Professional Development • Parental • Outreach • and • Communication • Improved School Readiness • Collaborations and Standards • Data and Quality Rating Improvement Systems

5. Texas Early Learning Council Priorities

6. Data and QRIS TOTS - The On-Track System: The goal of The On-Track System (TOTS) project was to create an integrated, comprehensive early childhood data collection system for Texas. The Council signed a contract with Deloitte to: develop a strategic plan to achieve information sharing among the various early education data-collecting entities in Texas; conduct a stakeholder review; and, design a framework for the new TOTS data system. This contract has been discontinued.

7. Data and QRIS

8. Data and QRIS Updates: • We have finished our first draft of recommendations • The Council will begin its second draft process today

9. Data and QRIS Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) The Council will develop recommendations for a Quality Rating Improvement System for Texas.

10. Data and QRIS Read the Council’s Paper on QRIS! http://earlylearningtexas.org/umbraco/qris.aspx

11. Data and QRIS Updates: • We have signed a contract with a consultant and have begun work on the project • The final recommendations will be ready by March, 2013

12. Public Outreach and Communications Statewide Needs Assessment: The needs assessment is the first ECE needs assessment in Texas in 40 years. The Council signed a contract with the Ray Marshall Center at UT-Austin and the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University to conduct the needs assessment. The contract started on June 1, 2011. The needs assessment will provide: a 40-year state population projection of Texas children; analyses of current supply of and projected demand for early childhood services; and, a survey of the quality of the early childhood services available to families.

13. Public Outreach and Communications Updates: • The Council contracted with the Ray Marshall Center and the Hobby Center • Today their first deliverable was turned in: analysis of the socioeconomic characteristics of children in different regions of Texas by income, poverty, and other indicators of socioeconomic resources

14. Public Outreach and Communications Texas Community Campaign for School Readiness: The Council is funding 4 Texas communities to implement a cutting-edge, population-based school readiness assessment tool, the Early Development Instrument (EDI).  In addition to the EDI, the Council will support each of the funded communities in developing and implementing a strategic change process based on the EDI results.  EDI is a comprehensive, community-level, measure of early development and school readiness for young children. It is the vision of the Council, that the selected communities will utilize the EDI data to inform the creation of long-term, sustainable, and responsive systems to better meet the needs of young children.  Therefore, the Council is seeking to support lead agencies that are committed to measuring and improving school readiness outcomes in their communities and to serving as catalysts for community change.

15. Public Outreach and Communications Updates: • The Council formed a strong partnership with UCLA and United Way Worldwide to make Texas a trend setter in ECE community planning

16. Public Outreach and Communications Updates: • The Council contracted with 4 organizations/communities to participate: • United Way of Southern Cameron County for the Brownville community • United Way of El Paso County for the El Paso community • United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County for the San Antonio community • North Texas Area United Way for the Wichita Falls community • Our communities have collected data and created community maps • Data on the vulnerabilities of the children in each community will be released in July, 2012

17. Collaborations and Standards Infant and Toddler Early Learning Guidelines: The new Texas ITELG will improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers inside and outside the home by supporting and guiding more appropriate practices for early care and education professionals who work with our youngest children.  With clearly defined statements on what infants and toddlers should developmentally know and be able to do, the IT ELGs will support the healthy development of infants and toddlers because they will positively influence the design of professional development strategies, parent engagement, administrative planning, key materials, and curricula.

18. Collaborations and Standards Updates: • In partnership with the Council, a 25-person stakeholder group has been working on developing new voluntary ITELGs for Texas since the start of Summer 2011 • The group has created guiding principles and vision and mission statements • The work of the Stakeholder Group is divided into three areas: • Public Knowledge and Engagement • Professional Development • Early Learning Guidelines • Researchers at CLI are drafting the ITELGs • Stakeholders will review the first draft starting 4/6/2012

19. Collaborations and Standards Texas ECE Standards Crosswalk Tool: The Council will create an online early care and education “crosswalk” tool. The “crosswalk” will allow early childhood stakeholders to readily investigate and compare competing sets of regulations and standards operating in Texas early care and education. The tool will be designed for multiple audiences (Parents, Providers, and Policymakers), and each audience will have the ability to query a database of program standards on key variables such as safety standards, staff qualifications, curriculum, etc.

20. Collaborations and Standards Updates: • Staff has finished collecting and “cross-walking” standards and guidelines • Application development is delayed by about a month - should begin in April, 2012

21. Collaborations and Standards Beginning Education: Early Childcare At Home (BEECH): The Council is funding a major Family Home Child Care quality improvement project now being called Beginning Education: Early Childcare at Home (BEECH). It will result in a study that will incorporate technology and mentoring to improve the level of quality in home –based care • The study will include 90 providers -- computer based training modules, and mentorships for 30 of the participants

22. Collaborations and Standards Updates: • Children’s Learning Institute has developed a 20-course online module and a mentoring and professional development strategy for the project • The first cohort of participants is more than half way finished

23. Collaborations and Standards Download our BEECH Paper at: http://earlylearningtexas.org/umbraco/beech.aspx

24. Workforce and Professional Development Early Childhood Workforce Registry: The early childhood workforce registry will serve as a key workforce support for ECE professionals.  This online project will be an interactive hub for all EC professionals.  It will store all professional development information and users will be able to share ECE workforce data across multiple categories and populations

25. Workforce and Professional Development Updates: • Our web developer is nearing the completion of the trainer registry part of this system. However, development has been delayed by approximately one month • Once the trainer piece is completed, work on the workforce piece of the registry will begin – it is anticipated that we will make up time in the workforce phase as much of the application code and design is similar to the trainer piece • Design, logos, and look have all been finalized • The Council will pilot the registry in various communities in 2013

26. Workforce and Professional Development

27. Workforce and Professional Development New Core Competencies for the ECE Workforce: This work will expand the current Core Knowledge and Skills Areas to Coaches and Mentors and enhance and expand the current ones for practitioners, administrators, and trainers. Core Competencies will inform professional development activities for Texas EC professionals.

28. Workforce and Professional Development Updates: • April Crawford, Ph.D. has joined the staff of the Council and is heading up the Core Competencies effort • She has recently finished a draft of the Core Competencies for Practitioners and Administrators which the Council is currently reviewing • All Competencies should be finished by the end of Spring 2012

29. Workforce and Professional Development ECE Career Ladder: The Council will develop a career ladder for early care and education professionals. Also known as a career lattice or career pathway, career ladders define the relationship between education, work experience, and ongoing professional development for early childhood professionals, from entry-level staff to experienced professionals with advanced degrees. The goal of the tool is to provide early care and education professionals with clear paths of professional development and career planning. As early care and education professionals progress in their development, through formal education, trainings, and work experience, they will be able to chart their progress on the career ladder. 

30. Workforce and Professional Development Updates: • A draft Career Ladder was developed and was reviewed with the Council • Council members have decided to delay work on the Career Ladder until the Core Competencies are finished and approved

31. Workforce and Professional Development Compensation Study The Council will conduct a statewide compensation study in order to explore compensation parity in Texas for the early care and education workforce. Ultimately the information collected will be used to develop a recommended baseline state compensation plan for early childhood professionals.

32. Workforce and Professional Development Updates: • Staff has been working with the Center for Social Work Research to design a survey to capture this information • We are currently in the process of contracting with the CSWR to conduct this study • All work should be completed by April, 2013

33. Workforce and Professional Development Download our workforce paper at: http://earlylearningtexas.org/umbraco/tecpds.aspx

34. New Investments! The Council plans to invest in 4 major new projects! Invest in T.E.A.C.H.® Expanding the statewide public awareness campaign Creating new online trainings for the new Texas Core Competencies Conducting BEECH in Spanish

35. New Investments! • Invest in T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® TEXAS Project: • TEACH provides scholarships for those working in licensed child care operations • The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® TEXAS Project is run by Texas AEYC

36. New Investments! • Expanding the statewide public awareness campaign • The Council already reserved funds to conduct outreach and public awareness on improving school readiness in Texas. • Funds were added to that priority to expand the scope and effectiveness of the project.

37. New Investments! Creating new online trainings for new Texas Core Competencies Once the new competencies are completed, the Council will contract to create 5 training modules on the competencies – a total of 21 hours of online training.

38. New Investments! 4. Conducting BEECH in Spanish The Council will recreate the BEECH online module in Spanish, as well as the entire intervention, and will conduct a new study to measure its effects with this population.

39. Invited SpeakersNgozi Onunaku, Kasi Cox, Aaron Carrera

40. Open Testimony