Yesterday, the Delaware P-20 Council met for the first time since the membership was expanded and authority was clarified by legislation, focusing on the need to enact cross-agency data sharing regulations that meet our Race to the Top promises. With support from USED’s longitudinal data experts, they now will be drafting regulations for data governance, including data warehouse structure, mechanisms for sharing data, and privacy and security issues.

Their focus is on transitions, both from birth to third grade, where reading on grade level is a highly-predictive indicator of future success, and from K-12 to secondary education and careers. The meeting focused on the former, due to focus on developing a plan for the October 19 Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge deadlines.

The Secretaries of the Education, Health and Social Services, and Kids’ Departments emphasized the Governor’s commitment to early childhood and the benefits of the cross-agency plan even if Delaware does not win. We believe we have a strong chance, but it is a competitive field, especially among states that are farther along in kindergarten readiness—such as Maryland and Washington—and quality rating systems—such as Oklahoma and North Carolina.

Delaware’s application will focus on:

• Highlighting the great work already underway through the state, in particular through the $22M investment, which increases purchase of care subsidy rates, provides tiered rates based on quality, and merit grants to support providers as they improve quality indicators;
• Expanding our Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS, or Delaware STARS) among providers – building awareness and demand among parents for high quality program;
• Establishing a process for assessing and supporting kindergarten readiness, which will require alignment between our K-12 and early-childhood systems and build off our work underway through Race to the Top; and
• Focusing on the whole child, including their social/emotional development, such as Help Me Grow.

Delaware’s focus on increasing the quantity and quality of early-learning opportunities—especially for high-need children— will have implications across the board, including for higher education institutions, who can benefit from partnership opportunities, establish ongoing professional development and career paths, and develop pathways for different types of students (working adults, those in degree and non-degree coursework).  And the P-20 Council joins numerous other stakeholders signing letters of support for Delaware’s application, which we are all hoping will be selected as a winner in December.

Today the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services released the Application for Initial Funding for the $500 million Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) Grant, of which Delaware is eligible for up to $50 million.  The Early Learning Challenge is organized around five selection criteria:

          A. Successful State Systems

          B. High-Quality, Accountable Programs

          C. Promoting Early Learning and Development Outcomes for Children

          D. A Great Early Childhood Workforce, and

          E. Measuring Outcomes and Progress (which is a new criterion added since the draft guidance was released; it is focused on data systems and kindergarten readiness).

(A)   and (B) require a response.  (C), (D) and (E) must be addressed, but applicants may choose which parts of the criteria within those sections they will respond to with specific proposals.  Other changes from the draft criteria include a greater emphasis across criteria on health promotion in preparing children to be successful as they enter kindergarten.

In anticipation of the release of the final criteria, Delaware has convened over one hundred Delaware stakeholders through the establishment of seven Early Childhood Action Teams (ECATs).  The ECAT teams met twice over July and August and have provided valuable insight into the state of early childhood initiatives in Delaware, identified best practices nationwide, thought carefully through gaps to best practice in Delaware and made recommendations for bold reform.

ECAT teams were helpful in identifying where Delaware’s key strengths lie and where concentrated attention may need given in order to prepare a highly competitive application.  The Governor’s recent investment of $22 million to support the Delaware Stars is an essential element in supporting Delaware’s competitiveness in the Early Learning Challenge, as are its rich data collection practices, strong licensing regulations and Early Learning Foundations, and committed workforce and community partners. 

In developing its application, Delaware will face challenges determining where resources should be allocated, as with any limited grant pool; however, in RTTT we were eligible for $75M and received $119M. Another challenge will be determining which strategies will target all children and which will be targeted to those with the greatest need. 

The wave of Superintendent changes in Delaware continues to roll on, with a number of former district officials assuming leadership roles. Over 40 percent of Superintendents are exiting or transitioning in 2011.

In June, Woodbridge School District announced its new leader, Dr. Phyllis Kohel, a veteran educator and administrator from the Milford School District. The previous Woodbridge Superintendent of 13 years, Dr. Kevin Carson, took the head post at Cape Henlopen School District.

Polytech School District recently named its change in leadership by appointing Dr. Deborah Zych, former Assistant Superintendent at New Castle County Vo-tech (NCCVT). The former Superintendent, Dr. Dianne Sole, retired after 12 years. On the same wave, NCCVT announced its new lead, Dr. Victoria C. Gehrt, a former teacher in the district and a current Assistant Superintendent in Pennsylvania. The former head, Dr. Steve Godowsky, retired after 8 years with the district.

Appoquinimink School District promoted from within, naming a current principal, Mr. Matt Burrows, to lead the fastest growing district in the state. Former Superintendent Dr. Tony Marchio retired after 16 years in the head position.

Expected announcements are yet to come from Christina, Laurel, and Seaford, totaling 8 out of 19 districts with changes in leadership this year. In a time of rapid education reform, a change in leadership only adds to the complicated transformations within a district. Check back for future updates on these waves of change and their impacts.

Since the announcement of the federal Early Learning Challenge, the third phase of the Race to the Top competition, states have been ‘racing’ to formulate bold applications for a share of the $500 million grant. Although the final criteria and deadlines have not been released, 36 states—including Delaware– and the District of Columbia have declared their intent to apply.

States will seek the support of private organizations to increase their chances of placing among the top applicants, as they did during Race to the Top. (Delaware engaged McKinsey & Co, as well as national policy experts on various topics.) The Early Learning Challenge Collaborative, a privately-funded collection of organizations and experts, will support all states in applying for and implementing Early Childhood RTTT grants.   A partnership of BUILD, the First Five Year Fund, and Birth to Five Policy Alliance, the Collaborative will work to encourage stakeholders and states to apply, help states develop innovative applications, and support states with promising plans whether they win grants or not. 

Delaware has already begun crafting its application, with participation from over one hundred Delaware stakeholders from the Department of Education, Kids’ Department, Health and Social Services Department, child care providers, non-profit organizations, foundations, parents and families, health care organizations, and others.  The state has established seven Early Childhood Action Teams (ECATs) that will meet twice over the next month to assess how Delaware stacks up against the federal government’s criteria and make recommendations for the plan to be included in the application. The teams are: (1) Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) (2) Workforce (Professional Development) (3) Early Learning Standards (4) Integrated Data System (5) Assessment (6) Family and Community Engagement, and (7) Physical and Emotional Wellness. We have engaged national experts and will continue to do so, but our engagement with national consulting firms or the Collaborative remains to be seen.

Delaware’s history of collaboration, as well as our previous work to develop the Early Childhood Advisory Grant application and the Policy Matters recommendations, will certainly serve us well as we compete to support the success of young children, especially those with the greatest needs.