The Readiness Centers Initiative

1. The Readiness Centers Initiative Early Education and Care Board Meeting Tuesday, May 11, 2010

2. Overview of the Initiative • Core Functions and Programmatic Priorities • Leadership and Governance • Activities and Initiatives • Next Steps • Added Value and Impact

3. “In this new phase of education reform…we must work with teachers and education leaders to reshape and align our systems of educator recruitment, preparation, certification, licensure, support, and professional development. Our approach must be inclusive, comprehensive, and innovative.” - Governor Patrick’s Education Action Agenda, June 2008

4. What are the Readiness Centers? The Readiness Centers are multipurpose and collaborative regional centers that are managed and operated by consortia of partners including institutions of higher education, K-12 institutions, early education and out-of-school-time programs, educational collaboratives, non-profit organizations, and also business and community partners. Core Functions: • Provide high-quality professional development and instructional services to educators in early education and out-of-school-time programs, K-12 institutions, and higher education institutions • Convene stakeholders to collaboratively address key education priorities, leverage resources, build statewide capacity, and increase integration and coherence across the education continuum

5. Which entities are currently operating and managing the Readiness Centers? • All nine state colleges • Most of the community colleges • UMASS Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell • Private institutions of higher education in multiple regions • Early education and out-of-school-time providers, K-12 institutions and networks, educational collaboratives, non-profit organizations, and also business and community partners

6. How are state agencies supporting this initiative? • EEC: supports the development of career pathways for early education and out-of-school-time educators, and professional development activities related to agency priorities • ESE: supports the operation of the District and School Assistance Centers (DSACs), located at the Readiness Centers, that provide targeted assistance and focused professional development primarily to Level 3 districts and schools • DHE: supports collaboration among stakeholders regarding college readiness, increasing alignment of curricula and assessments, STEM initiatives, and other agency priorities, and also guides the development of professional development and research activities for higher education faculty and staff members

7. What are the programmatic priorities for the Readiness Centers? Core Function #1: Provide high-quality professional development and instructional services to educators across the state related to: • Addressing persistent achievement gaps among different groups of students • Addressing the learning needs of different student populations • Improving the quality of instruction in STEM courses • Using different types of data more effectively to better assess student progress/performance and continually improve the quality of instruction • Improving the quality of early education and out-of-school-time services in Massachusetts

8. What are the programmatic priorities for the Readiness Centers? Core Function #2: Convene stakeholders to collaboratively address key education priorities, leverage resources, build statewide capacity, and increase integration and coherence across the education continuum • Develop and implement a rigorous and aligned curriculum from early education through higher education • Develop and retain an effective, academically capable, diverse, and culturally competent educator workforce • Improve reading proficiency for children from birth through grade three • Improve students’ readiness for college and career success • Increase student engagement and success in STEM fields of study

9. What is the organizational structure that will support and sustain this initiative? • Readiness Centers Network (RCN): includes all of the regional partners plus state representatives (from EOE, EEC, ESE, DHE, and the State Colleges Council of Presidents), and promotes and supports effective partnerships across the regions by: • Disseminating information about effective professional development models and instructional practices • Developing strategies that address common needs across all six Readiness Centers • Readiness Centers Coordinating Committee (RCCC): includes state representatives and regional representatives, and is the leadership team for the initiative

10. What types of activities are taking place at the Readiness Centers? • Governing boards that include representatives from multiple sectors have been established in all six regions, and new partners are being added. • Several Readiness Centers have offered professional development and instructional services related to increasing students’ access to college and educator evaluation strategies, among other priorities. • Several Readiness Centers are conducting inventories of existing programs and assessing local needs through surveys and other data collection methods. • The Readiness Centers are convening stakeholders to discuss educational priorities such as the Race to the Top application.

11. How are Readiness Centers positioned to support early education and care? • Define and manage career pathways to higher education and increased competency for the early education and care workforce • Make linkages and smooth transitions for the professional growth of the early education and care workforce • Provide intentional training that meets the diverse needs of the early education and care workforce and EEC’s mixed delivery system • Provide specific resources in support of key statewide initiatives like QRIS • Align existing professional development provided by EEC, ESE, and DHE and expand access to the early education and care workforce • Identify and replicate best practices statewide with a train-the-trainer model

12. How are the Readiness Centers addressing early education and care priorities? • Partner with EEC to provide professional development; for FY 2011, EEC intends to fund professional development through regional partnerships • This overlap will connect EEC’s professional development to the larger educational continuum from birth through higher education • Convene meetings among stakeholders so that EEC can receive input on initiatives such as the Statewide Advisory Council (SAC) and school readiness • Develop and implement initiatives that require both regional resources and statewide strategies such as increased access to higher education for early educators who are English language learners

13. What are next steps for this initiative? • Secure funding for short-term support and long-term sustainability • Race to the Top, phase 2 • Other competitive grant opportunities through ARRA • Grants from local and national funders • Provide ongoing technical assistance to the regional partners • Coordinating services and activities • Performing the core functions of the Readiness Centers • Add stakeholders to build additional partnerships and ensure representation across different sectors • Increase the visibility of the Readiness Centers both within regions and across the state

14. What is the added value of the Readiness Centers? • Increasing the effectiveness of educators across the continuum and across Massachusetts • Increasing the quality, alignment, and coherence of professional development and instructional services • Convening local, regional, and state stakeholders to address critical issues in education from school readiness through college readiness • Building new mechanisms for sharing information about best practices and effective models • Leveraging existing partnerships, building new relationships, and maximizing the power of collaboration • Building local, regional, and statewide capacity to create a truly coherent and seamless education system

15. Primary Contacts Phil Baimas, EEC phil.baimas@state.ma.us 617.988.7823 Saeyun Lee, EOE saeyun.lee@state.ma.us 617.979.8351