Building Connecticuts Future Through Early Childhood ReInvestment

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Early Childhood Investment Challenges and
Opportunities Grand Rounds Yale
University November 9, 2005 J.M.Gruendel,
Ph.D. Governors Office State of
Connecticut janice.gruendel_at_aya.yale.edu
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I The Early Years Really Matter
The amazing brain 100 billion and counting What
school readiness is, and is not The cycle of
un-readiness
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The Amazing Brain.
--100 BILLION neurons at birth --Each neuron
will link to thousands of others --By age 2, the
brain contains 2x as many synapses as the adult
brain -- By age 3, brain 80 of adult size
Fertile Minds, Time Magazine, February 1997
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A normally developing brain at 6 and 12 months.
Lombroso, P. J. Development of the Cerebral
Context VI. Growth Factors. 1998
Brain images of a normally developing 3 year old
and a child suffering from extreme neglect.
http//www.olderchildadoption.com/rad/3-year-old.g
if
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Other brain differences
Brain activity research among young children in a
problem solving task (matching shapes) reveals
differences in speed and location of processing
on such normative activities as matching
shapes. Children who score lower on reading
readiness screens have slower brain processing
AND more diffuse locations utilized in brain
processing. THESE CHILDREN ARE WORKING HARDER
AND SLOWER IN PROBLEM SOLVING Molfese, 2005
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Another example of developmental differences
Productive vocabulary of lower income children
at entry to kindergarten
5000 6000 words Of
middle and upper income
children 20,000 30,000 words
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The Bottom LinePsychiatrists and educators
have long recognized the value of early
experience. But their observations have until now
been largely anecdotal Now modern neuroscience
is providing the hard, quantifiable evidence that
was missing earlier
Fertile Minds Time Magazine February 1997
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What school readiness is and is
not
Not just one aspect of development Not
accomplished only at ages 3 and 4 Not just about
the child Not a specific program or single
system.
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Not just one aspect of development..Sch
ool readiness involves the WHOLE child ?
Physical well-being and motor development ?
Social and emotional development ? Curiosity
and the ability to complete tasks? Language
development and communication ? Early
thinking ability (cognition) and general
knowledge about the world
?
?
?
?
?
National Education Goals Panel, 2000
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Not just one age period
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Not just about the child..
Concepts from National Governors Association,
School Readiness Task Force Report. December
2004
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Not just one program or even one system..

On the Path to School Readiness, Bruner 2004
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The Bottom Line We need a common vision and
many strategies
Policies and programs aimed at improving the
life chances of young children come in many
varieties They all share a belief that early
childhood development is susceptible to
environmental influences and that wise public
investment in young children can increase the
odds of favorable developmental outcomes.
National Research Council and Institute of
Medicine. Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2001
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1. When infants and toddlers dont have quality
early learning experiences, they enter preschool
behind.
The Cycle of Un-Readiness
2. When preschoolers dont have quality early
learning experiences, they enter kindergarten
behind.
3. When children enter school behind, they are
much more likely to be held back, need special
education, fail CTs Mastery Tests, drop out of
high school and become engaged with the welfare
and corrections systems.
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Signals of Early Learning Challenges

• A Cluster of Structural Correlates
• Family Income Poverty Single parenthood
• Maternal Education less than HS degree
• Non-English as the primary home language
• A Cluster of Experience Correlates
• Lack of participation in high quality early
  childhood education programs
  Participation in poor or mediocre early learning
  settings/experiences

PLUS
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Just one example of entry to K differences.
Productive vocabulary of lower income children
at entry to kindergarten
5000 6000 words Of
middle and upper income
children 20,000 30,000 words
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Early Childhood Un-readiness becomes CTs
Achievement Gap

• Low Income Community Students vs. High Income
  Community Students are
• 1.7 times LESS likely to attend preschool
  ( 57 v. 90)
• 5 times LESS likely to pass the CMTs
  at Grade 4, 6 and 8 (13-15
  v. 69-77)
• 10 times LESS likely to pass the CAPT test
  in 10th grade ( 6 v.
  60)
• 11 times MORE likely to drop out
• of high school ( 24.5 v. 2.2)
• Source Strategic School Profiles, CT Department
  Education, 2002-03

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Truth to Power 1 Preschool Access Reflects
Family and Community Economic Capacity ( Values)
Wealthiest Districts Poorest
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Truth to Power 2 Disturbing patterns of
under-achievement at 4th grade
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At 4th grade, the predominant gap is at the
intersect of income race
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New Haven 4th Grade Reading CMTs
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New Haven 4th Grade Reading CMTs
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II The Connecticut Context
Who cares for children now? A fragile but
valuable ECE industry A BHAG for CT 1997 to
2005 An expanding vision
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Parents are childrens protectors and first
teachers, but..
In Connecticut, 92 of children under the age of
six have at least one working parent 62 have
both parents or the sole parent in the full-time
workforce SOMEONE ELSE IS PROVIDING MUCH OF
CHILDRENS EARLY CARE AND EARLY LEARNING
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The informal early childcare sector is large and
important
Also called Kith in Kin or Family, Friend and
Neighbor Care Unlicensed and unregulated In
Connecticut, more than 50 of early care for our
lowest income families is provided by kinship
care
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CTs early care and education sector is fragile.
Greater demand than capacity to deliver An
unstable industry sector Quality concerns (30
turnover losing teachers) Significant cost to
parents and other payers Budget cuts and limited
investment over time have cut into the
infrastructure of the industry
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But it is also an important contributor to CTs
short and long term economic well-being

As an industry, licensed ECE contributes nearly
one billion dollars annually to CTs
economy 10 of the workforce depends upon
it It employs more people than CTs
pharmaceutical industry Robust research shows
that an investment in high quality ECE produces a
long term 16 annual rate of return. New research
suggests short term special ed savings as
well. It can also help protect CTs 7 billion
public school investment and reduce CTs 1.5
billion Corrections and DCF costs.


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Building a Goal to Guide Us
A BHAG a big hairy audacious goalis a huge
and daunting goallike a big mountain to climb.
It is clear, compelling, and people get it
right away. A BHAG serves as a unifying focal
point of effort, galvanizing people and creating
team spirit as people strive toward the finish
linea BHAG captures the imagination and grabs
people in the gut.
Jim Collins
Good to Great, 2000
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Connecticuts BHAG!
All Connecticut children
born beginning in 2004 will enter kindergarten
healthy, eager to learn, and
ready for school success.
CT Early Childhood Alliance May 2003
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CT Early Care and Education State Scene 2003-05
CT Early Childhood Alliance
Public Goal for Connecticut All children ready
Report
Ready, Set, Grow.. CT Kids! a nonpartisan, citize
n information and engagement initiative to
secure FRIENDS CHILDRENS CHAMPIONS www.read
ysetgrowctkids.org
ECE Finance Project DPH B-5 Systems Planning
Report
Policy Leaders
Provider Professional Sector
The Media
Voters Parents Gparents Citizens
Philanthropy
Business Employers
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CT Early Care and Education Statewide 2005 -06
Public Goal for Connecticut All children ready
CT Early Childhood Alliance
CT Early Childhood Education Cabinet
ECE Cost Tool Early Childhood Partners Plan 06
CT Early Childhood Education Plan
Ready, Set, Grow.. CT Kids!
NEW Early Childhood Research Policy Council
Policy Leaders State Local
Provider Professional Sector
Voters Parents Gparents Citizens
Business Employers
The Media
Philanthropy
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FY 06 FY 07 Budget Expansions
New Early Childhood Education Cabinet Begin
work on Entry to K Assessment (Implement
Statewide by Fall 2009) School Readiness and
State Child Development Centers Rate
Increases Capital Expansion by 1000
Spaces Workforce Development Planning, Pilot
and Scholarship Funds
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Results and Performance Goals As Connecticut
Moves Forward
All children Ready at 5 and Fine by 9
Quality Improvement
Program Expansion
Assuring adequate and sustainable public-private
funding resources
Achieving family affordability and choice
Increasing industry cost-efficiency, quality and
capacity
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Building Public Support
A 24-30 month nonpartisan citizen information and
engagement initiative to support the goal of
all children ready for school success
www.readysetgrowctkids.org
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Statewide Organizations Endorse ? Promote ?
Solicit
Internet Campaign Educate ? Solicit
Regional and Cross-Community Groups
Endorse ? Promote Support
? Coordinate
PR Radio, Television, Print Educate ? Solicit
Local Organizations Solicit through person to
person contacts, newsletters and other print
media, email
The Goal 40,000 FRIENDS of CTs YOUNG CHILDREN
10 become CHILDRENS CHAMPIONS
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III. Ready Schools and Communities Taking this
Home to Greater New Haven
Population Facts Possible Community
Goals Building on Current Local
Initiatives Building the Base of Friends and
Champions
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Population Facts New Haven
Total Population 125,000 Annual Birth
Cohort About 1900
Children Under the Age of
Five About 9000 Children Under 5 at Federal
Poverty Level 35 Children/Youth at 185 FPL
67 Kindergarten Cohort About 2000
Attend preschool before K
68 4th Grade CMT Reading (Fall 2004) 65 below
proficiency 21 at mastery or above
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Possible Community Goals?????

• 1 All children receive the best possible
  education, from birth onward, to develop their
  full potential and prepare them for success in
  life
• 2. All children are healthy and reach normal
  development targets each year, birth through
  nine
• 3. All children live in safe families and
  neighborhoods
• 4. The early school years assure additional
  supports and solid learning opportunities for at
  risk children and their families
• Cross-sector resources are leveraged, organized
  and directed toward effective early childhood
  investments
• Child results goals are established, tracked and
  reported annually

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Building on Current Local Initiatives
New Haven School Readiness Council New Haven
Public School Early Childhood Readiness
Goals/Programs New Haven Discovery
Initiative Community Foundations First Years
First and Healthy Start Initiatives Community
Foundations Child Outcomes and Tracking
Initiative United Way of Greater New Havens
Success by Six Initiative
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Building the Base Friends Champions
232 adults in New Haven have signed on as Friends
of CTs Young Children. NH needs 1930 Friends.
The list below shows those who are also
Childrens Champions. Nilda Aponte (New Haven)
Family Childcare Coordinator, All Our Kin
Beatriz Beckford (New Haven) Laura Berry (New
Haven) Senior VP, Community Foundation for
Greater NHAmy Blankson (New Haven) Sarah Boone
(New Haven) Hannah Croasmun (New Haven) Program
Coordinator, Dwight Hall at Yale Jim Farnam
(New Haven) Holt Wexler Farnam LLP William
Ginsberg (New Haven) President and CEO, The
Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Eliza Halsey (New Haven) Evaluation and Youth
Program Coordinator, LEAP Brie Kluytenaar (New
Haven) Yale University Press Tara Kluytenaar
(New Haven) Martin Looney (New Haven),
Senator, CT General Assembly Danielle LaCroix
(New Haven) Amy Macqueen (New Haven) Veronica
Marshall (New Haven) Administrative Asst., CT
Voices for Children Joan Miller (New Haven)
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Cheri Quickmire (New Haven) Coordinator, One
Connecticut Cheryl Roberts (New Haven) Director
of Education, Gesell Institute of Human
Development Cameron Staples (New Haven) Jen
Vickery (New Haven) Rev. Daniel Wade (New
Haven) Associate Librarian for Foreign
International Law, Yale Law School Janna Wagner
(New Haven) Program Director, All Our Kin Toni
Walker (New Haven) CT General Assembly Carole
Weisberg (New Haven) Jean Wilder (New Haven)
Asst. Coordinator, Village Grandparent Support
Group
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The Bottom Line Connecticuts Governor M. Jodi
Rell, State of State, January 2005
This is our time. Yes, this is our moment. This
is our time. The people of Connecticut, and
history, will judge us by whether we accepted our
stewardship simply to preserve the comfortable
status quo or whether we seized it with boldness
of purpose. I, for one, am emboldened.