PA Build Initiative

Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Public Welfare

Early Childhood Education E-Newsletter


5/18/07

Trends & Reports
Updated ECE Research Summaries now online
Business Executives Underestimate Link Between Workforce Quality and Preschool Education, Study Suggests
Final Report from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study

New Developments
Chapter 49-2 Final Form Regulations Approved by the State Board of Education
OCDEL Offices Move to 333 Market Street
May 23 e-Grants TA call cancelled one-on-one technical assistance available

In the Community
Nearly 500 rally in Harrisburg for Pennsylvanias early childhood initiatives
Getting kids registered for kindergarten

Upcoming Events

Resources for Early Learning Professionals
New dates for workshops for Kindergarten Teachers on Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards for Kindergarten

The Early Childhood Education E-Newsletter is a project of the Pennsylvania Build Initiative, Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Public
Welfare to inform early learning professionals, the early childhood community, policymakers, community leaders and the public on developments in
early childhood education and care in Pennsylvania. Please feel free to forward this email to friends, family, and colleagues.
You may access archived copies at the PDE website, www.pde.state.pa.us.


Trends & Reports

Updated ECE Research Summaries now online
April's early childhood research updates include articles demonstrating that the quality of language inputs in high quality
center environments are similar to the types of language provided by affluent families in Hart and Risley's ground-breaking
research on language development and that quality can be maintained in child care sites for at least 3 years after a state
initiative ("Preschool" summary). The "Best Practices in Early Childhood" summary provides new research on the impact
of transition practices on teachers and parents as well as the role of parents in stimulating mathematical thinking. This set
of research summaries also presents a new series, "Early Intervention Efficacy," which summarizes research
demonstrating the benefits of participation in Early Intervention services.

Updated research summaries are now available at:
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/early_childhood/cwp/view.asp?a=179&q=106802&early_childhoodNav=|10723|&early_childho
odNav=|

Business Executives Underestimate Link Between Workforce Quality and Preschool Education, Study
Suggests
PNC Financial Services Group Reports Public Support across Income Levels for Government-Funded Preschool

Amid mounting concerns about the United States' ability to compete in a global economy, business executives appear to
underestimate the impact of quality, early childhood education on the development of a highly skilled workforce, according
to study findings released today by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC).

Among the general public, meanwhile, there is agreement on the importance of early education for children. Strong
support also exists among parents of all income levels for government-funded preschool.

Build ECE News: 5/18/07 page 2

The first-ever PNC Study of Early Childhood Education is a comprehensive survey of American adults, including parents
of young children along with teachers in pre-kindergarten through third grade, plus corporate executives and
Congressional leaders. It was commissioned by PNC as part of its $100 million, 10-year investment in school readiness
among children from birth to age 5.

Conducted in J anuary through May, the survey of executives from a broad range of industries and company sizes across
the nation along with the general public and U.S. Congress found:

Most executives feel U.S. children are ill-prepared to learn when they start kindergarten as 56 percent say youngsters
are somewhat/not at all prepared with basic skills like counting and spelling their name.
Yet, when asked if attending preschool before kindergarten is very important, only 56 percent of executives agree
compared to 73 percent of the general public and 78 percent of Congressional leaders.
Further, when asked to compare the quality of the new generation entering the workforce to five years ago: 25
percent of executives say it has improved; 39 percent say it hasn't changed; and 30 percent say it's worse.

"Preschool education is often overlooked in the broader debate about education," said J ames E. Rohr, chairman and chief
executive officer of PNC, which is taking a leadership role in the private sector with its PNC Grow Up Great initiative.
"Significant research over the past 40 years, however, supports the critical importance of equal access to quality
preschool programs to reduce dropout rates, poverty and crime. And, at the same time, improve job skills and the labor
pool."

For more information on the survey results, visit the PNC website at
http://pnc.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=510.

Final Report from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study
The comprehensive final report from the 10-year National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS) was recently
posted online. This report summarizes some of the key findings from the study and notes their implications for policy,
practice, and additional research. It available at http://www.sri.com/neils/pdfs/NEILS_Report_02_07_Final2.pdf.




New Developments

Chapter 49-2 Final Form Regulations Approved by the State Board of Education
The Board, at its May 17, 2007 meeting, approved an amended version of Chapter 49-2. Prior to presenting the final form
regulations to the Board for approval, the Chapter 49 Committee made several changes which had been recommended
during the review process. Substantive changes to the final form regulations are summarized below.

1. The effective date for the new instructional certificates was changed from J anuary 1, 2012, to J anuary 1, 2013 in
order to give teacher education programs substantial time to make necessary changes.
2. The Early Childhood Education certificate was expanded to include grade 4 in order to create an overlap between
ECE and the Elementary/Middle level certificate.
3. The new certificates issued after J anuary 1, 2013, will be:
a. Early Childhood (PK through grade 4, or ages 3 through 9).
b. Elementary/Middle (grades 4 through 8, or ages 9 through 14).
c. Secondary (grades 7 through 12, or ages 11 through 21).
d. Specialized areas (PK through grade 12 or up through age 21).
e. Special Education PK-8 (PK through grade 8 or ages 3 through 14) with a dual certificate in one of the
following:
i. Early Childhood
ii. Elementary/Middle
iii. Reading Specialist
f. Special Education 7-12 (Grades 7 through 12 or ages 11 through 21) with a dual certificate in one of the
following:
i. Secondary
ii. Reading Specialist
4. The definition of Prekindergarten was amended to include Early Intervention agencies.
5. Additional technical changes were made for clarification of the Boards intent.
Build ECE News: 5/18/07 page 3


The amended regulations should be available soon on the State Board website (go to www.pde.state.pa.us and click on
State Board of Education link on left side of page).

The final form regulations will be sent to the office of the Governor for approval; to the Attorney General for review; and
then to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC), and the House and Senate Education Committees for
final review. Comments on the regulations may be sent to the IRRC and to members of the Education Committees.



OCDEL Offices Move to 333 Market Street
J une 1, 2007 will mark another milestone in the creation of the Rendell Administrations unique collaboration to create the
Office of Child Development and Early Learning. OCDEL staff funded by the Departments of Education and Public
Welfare will join forces at 333 Market Street 6
th
floor, Harrisburg. Bringing staff together is a critical component in
creating a more effective system for Pennsylvanias children and their families.

It is important to note that as an organization of both agencies, OCDEL will retain space in the Health and Welfare
Building on the 3rd floor. This aligns with the Administrations goal of a cross agency structure. Staff will work from either
location as needed to support its work in early learning programming.

OCDEL hopes to minimize data and communication disruptions during its move which is scheduled to take place from
J une 1, 2007 through J une 6, 2007. However, there will be a period of time that staffs phones and computers will be
disconnected and we ask for you understanding during this important move.

May 23 e-Grants TA call cancelled one-on-one technical assistance available
Due to low demand, the May 23 Using the e-grants system to apply for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts has been cancelled

If you have questions on how to access the e-Grants system to complete your application for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts,
you may contact Amber Steich at 717-213-2071 or ambste@berksiu.org for technical assistance. For questions on the
content of your applications, refer to the Guidance for contact information.



In the Community

Nearly 500 rally in Harrisburg for Pennsylvanias early childhood initiatives
Excerpted from PRE-K ADVOCATES RALLY IN SUPPORT OF GOVERNORS EARLY CHILDHOOD
BUDGET By J eff Cox, Statewatch.

On Tuesday, May 8, nearly 500 parents, teachers, early learning program staff and advocates bussed, drove and made
their way to Harrisburg to participate in the second annual Early Childhood Action Day to voice their support for
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS and Child Care Works. The day was sponsored by Pre-K Today campaign
and organized by QUEST and PACCA.

Each legislative office received a visit from constituents and a Help Me Grow flower to remind them of how precious the
early years are for our childrens growth and development.

In addition, the sizable group held a rally in the Capitol Rotunda that shook the rafters. Rev. Sharon Easterling, Executive
Director of the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children and co-chair of Quality Early Education
through Salaries and Training (QUEST) acted as emcee. She told the advocates, We have come to say that it is time for
politicians to move beyond the rhetoric of saying that children are a priority and to start demonstrating with their actions
that children are a priority.

Tom Lamb, Senior Vice President of PNC Bank, told the crowd he was not only representing PNC Bank but the business
community statewide. He said, As business leaders, we all know the importance of developing a skilled workforce. The
Commonwealth has a unique opportunity this spring to make a real difference for thousands of Pennsylvanias youngest
learners, adding, And that difference high quality, state-supported, voluntary pre-K will pay handsome dividends as
an education strategy for our children, schools, communities and the Commonwealth.
Build ECE News: 5/18/07 page 4


Megan Kampf, Assistant District Attorney in Chester County, citing her experience as a prosecutor in the child abuse unit,
said in talking to colleagues on both sides of the fence about what can be done to stem the ever swelling tide of crime it is
consistently the same refrain, education is the key!

Yvonne Thompson-Friend, Executive Director of Childspace CDI, lauded Governor Rendell and his administration as
champions for expanding resources for early education. Focusing on the Child Care Works portion of the Governors
proposal, Thompson-Friend said it proposes critical funding for tiered reimbursement to help with increased costs of
providing quality care for children whose families are income eligible. She also pointed out the proposal includes a cost of
living increase of 3%. She said, Every legislator knows that the cost of running these businesses has gone up at least
3%. Thompson-Friend said in discussions with providers she found that in the past year, costs have skyrocketed,
including increases of 10% for rent and utilities; 17% for materials and supplies; 4.5% for salaries; 47.5% for health
insurance; 4% for workers compensation and liability insurance; and 58% for training and education. She pointed out,
Parents cannot afford to absorb the entire burden of these increases. Thompson-Friend told the crowd, Lets take the
opportunity to raise our collective voices so legislators will hear that we are serious.

For the full article, visit http://www.prektoday.org/pdfs/clips_050907.pdf.


Getting kids registered for kindergarten
Spring can be an incredibly busy time for families, and the thought of kindergarten registration may never enter their
minds. However, March-May is when most schools hold kindergarten registration. When parents wait, there is not enough
time for schools to prepare, and children end up in classes that are too large and lose some of the benefits of
kindergarten.

Community engagement groups across the state have been working to help preschool programs and other community
groups educate parents and motivate them to register their children for kindergarten now.

The Beaver County Early Care and Education Councils transition team created a Kindergarten Registration
questionnaire that was completed by all of their 15 school districts (the Intermediate Unit facilitated the distribution so that
they would hopefully have a better responseit worked!). The group took all of the details about registration from each
school district (district contact information, registration dates, times, locations, age requirements, documentation
requirements, description of the day and description of any orientation activities that take place for kindergarten) and
compiled it into handy fact sheets. The fact sheets were included in a packet of resources to help the pre-k teacher and
families in the transition process. In February these resources were mailed to all of the countys childcare centers, group
centers, and family providers as well as Head Start. The providers were asked to distribute the transition info to their
families that would be going to K in the fall along with the District Fact Sheet that pertained to each family. In addition to
this packet, a cheat-sheet was created that listed each school district and their registration dates. This was distributed to
all providers through CCIS. This year, the districts were asked to update the information and all 15 responded very
positively. The feedback from the providers was very positive and they said that it really helped their families feel more
comfortable with starting the transition process. For more information, contact Darcy Stiteler at bcearlycare@comcast.net.

The Erie County Community Engagement Group just finished holding 7 Preschool Learning Fairs at elementary
schools in 5 school districts. Three of the five school districts offered parents the opportunity to register their child for
kindergarten during the event. These Preschool Learning Fairs combine an evening of fun, interactive activities,
community resource information, kindergarten registration and the opportunity for parents and children to become familiar
with their elementary school as well as some of the school staff.

Erie also has a kindergarten registration awareness project underway. This involves distribution of a photo magnet to
families that have children who are KD age or will be in the near future. The magnet lists the standard required items
needed for registration and provides the contact number for each of our 13 school districts. They hope to reach many
families that do not access childcare, preschool or other programs that would already be providing them with guidance on
registering for KD. They will be distributing many of the magnets through CCIS, WIC, Well Baby Clinics, Pediatrician
offices, and other places that persons with at-risk children are most likely to visit.

Eries Transition Committee is also developing a poster to promote the importance of early KD registration and will be
asking local agencies, businesses to display the poster. It will also be used at as many upcoming community fairs,
festivals and events as we can manage. For more information, contact J ayne Deutsch at
jdeutsch@earlyconnectionserie.org.

Build ECE News: 5/18/07 page 5

The Butler County Community Engagement Group developed Kindergarten Registration Fact Sheets in partnership
with three of their school districts and distributed them to 120 early learning programs in February and March. For more
information contact J ulie Thumma at jthumma@lifesteps.net.

Success By 6/Community Engagement Group of Mifflin-Juniata in collaboration with the Mifflin County Head Start
and the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit #11 distribute Kindergarten Registration Folders in J anuary to all families who have
children attending kindergarten in the fall. Distribution takes place through early childhood providers, head start, libraries,
assistant office, CCIS and the elementary schools. Each folder contains local school lists with contacts, planning checklist
for parents of items they will need for registration, a sample emergency contact card-they can complete before going to
registration, tips for staying involved with their children and school, tips for reading with their child and this year we are
also planning on including a book about Kindergarten. The information is provided in both English and Spanish. The Head
Start and IU programs also provide information and fun activities at each school for the children and families while they
attend kindergarten registration. Having a familiar face at the registration seems to make the families a little more
comfortable. In both Mifflin and J uniata County they encourage the preschool classes to visit the kindergarten classrooms
in the spring, just another way of helping the children become more familiar with the school surroundings. For more
information, contact Cristy Yoders at cyoders@mjunitedway.org.



Upcoming Events

May 22 PA Early Learning Standards Spring Workshop for Kindergarten Teachers
8:30 am 3:30 pm
Harrisburg PaTTAN
Harrisburg, PA
RSVP to cgallo@state.pa.us (include your name, mailing address, personnel professional identification
number (PPI or social security, phone number and place of employment)

J une 28 Using the Kindergarten Standards and Scheduling Your Kindergarten Day
8:30 am - 3:15 pm
King of Prussia PaTTAN
King of Prussia, PA
Registration is free; continental breakfast and lunch provided
For more information and to register, contact Carolyn Gallo at cgallo@state.pa.us

J uly 8-13 Engaging as a Young Child as a Thinker
2007 Governors Institute for Early Childhood Education
Keystone College
For 100 selected pre-k and kindergarten teachers
Applications for registration will become available online on February 1, 2007 at http://www.papde.ws/new.

J uly 15-18 Engaging as a Young Child as a Thinker
2007 Governors Institute for Early Childhood Education
J uniata College
for 100 selected pre-k through 3
rd
grade practitioners
Applications for registration will become available online on February 1, 2007 at
http://www.papde.ws/new.

J une 21-22 PaTTAN New Teacher Conference
PaTTAN Harrisburg
Harrisburg
For more information, visit http://www.solutionwhere.com/pattan/cw/showconference.asp?907

Oct 10-12 Pennsylvania Child Care Association Annual Conference
State College
www.pacca.org



Build ECE News: 5/18/07 page 6

Oct 19 Using the Kindergarten Standards and Scheduling Your Kindergarten Day
8:30 am - 3:15 pm
Harrisburg PaTTAN
Harrisburg, PA
Registration is free; continental breakfast and lunch provided
For more information and to register, contact Carolyn Gallo at cgallo@state.pa.us




Resources for Early Learning Professionals

New dates for workshops for Kindergarten Teachers on Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards for
Kindergarten
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is hosting two spring workshops for kindergarten teachers to learn how to use
the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards for Kindergarten. Attendees will have the opportunity to share experiences
using the standards in their kindergarten classrooms and learning how you can Schedule it All. Both half and full day
kindergarten teachers are invited to find out how to cover all of the standards in the course of a kindergarten day. Act 48
hours will be awarded.

The workshops will be:
J une 28
8:30 am - 3:15 pm
King of Prussia PaTTAN

Oct 19
8:30 am - 3:15 pm
Harrisburg PaTTAN

More dates to follow.

RSVP to Carolyn Gallo at cgallo@state.pa.us (include your name, mailing address, personnel professional identification
number (PPI or social security, phone number and place of employment).



To subscribe to the BUILD list, please send a blank e-mail message to join-BUILD@lists.cas.psu.edu or go to
http://lists.cas.psu.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?join=BUILD
It's that simple! You will receive an e-mail asking you to reply, which will confirm your subscription. Thanks!


To unsubscribe, users can send a blank email to: leave-BUILD@lists.cas.psu.edu.
After doing so, users will receive an e-mail message stating that they have been unsubscribed to the list.