final report - fcd-us.org › assets › 2016 › 04 › bright... · final report of the nga task...

Final Reportof the NGA Task Force on School Readiness

Building the Foundation

for Bright Futures

Copyright copy 2005 by the National Governors AssociationAll rights reserved

ISBN 1-55877-369-X

Final Report of the NGA Task Force on School Readiness i

Foreword iii

Acknowledgements iv

Executive Summary 1

Task Force Recommendations 3

Introduction 11

Ready States 15

Ready Schools 19

Ready Communities 22

Ready Families 23

Ready Children 25

Conclusion 32

Contributors 33

Notes 34


for Bright Futures

uilding the Foundation for Bright Futuresii

Final Report of the NGA Task Force on School Readiness

Children are our nationrsquos greatest resource and there is no more importanttask than building the foundation for bright futures in school and in lifeLearning begins at birth so efforts to prepare children for school successmust start early Over a decade of research has identified what childrenneed to be ready for school and what role families schools and commu-nities can play in supporting childrenrsquos development However the statersquosrole in this complex policy area remains less clear

Under the 2002-03 chairmanship of former Governor Paul E Patton of Kentucky theNational Governors Association (NGA) established a gubernatorial Task Force on SchoolReadiness to identify actions that governors and states can take to support families schoolsand communities in their efforts to ensure all children begin school ready to reach their fullpotential The task force continued under the leadership of the 2003-04 NGA chairGovernor Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho Participating governors were Governor MikeHuckabee of Arkansas Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan former Governor BobHolden of Missouri Governor Bob Taft of Ohio Governor Edward G Rendell ofPennsylvania and Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina

We discovered that states are leading the way in promoting school readiness and that thereis already much on which to build There are no one-size-fits-all approaches that states canadopt quickly or easily but this report presents different options for state action and providesa policy framework for coordinating state decisions across programs and agencies Not everypolicy recommendation we offer comes with a high price tag The NGA Center for BestPractices has prepared a companion publication Building the Foundation for Bright Futures AGovernorrsquos Guide to School Readiness which ties the task force recommendations to concretebest practices and promising strategies from the states

This task force was a true collaboration of individuals and institutions that care about ournationrsquos children and our collective future Our sincere thanks are extended to those whomade this effort possible the staff of the NGA Task Force on School Readiness and the NGACenter for Best Practices who supported our work the research and policy experts who con-tributed to our thinking the many states that submitted best practices and promising strate-gies to promote school readiness and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation the AnnieE Casey Foundation the A L Mailman Family Foundation and the Joyce Foundation thatgenerously supported this endeavor

Achieving school readiness cannot be accomplished by any single agency or individual Itrequires public-private partnerships and strong leadership from governors Together we canbuild the foundation for bright futures for all children

Former Kentucky Governor Paul E Patton andIdaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne Co-chairs

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm

Former Missouri Governor Bob Holden

Ohio Governor Bob Taft

Pennsylvania Governor Edward G Rendell

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford

NGA Task Force on School Readiness

iii

F O R E W O R D

uilding the Foundation for Bright Futuresiv

Anna Lovejoy senior policy analyst Education Division NGACenter for Best Practices organizedthe task force meetings identi-fied the supporting research onschool readiness and synthe-sized the key findings and thetask forcersquos policy recommenda-tions into a concise documentfor governors

Severa l s ta teindividuals sup-ported the taskf o r c e rsquos workThey inc lude

Kim Townley director Divisionof Early Childhood DevelopmentKentucky Department of Education

Patricia Kempthorne FirstLady of Idaho

Blossom Johnson directorIdaho Governorrsquos CoordinatingCouncil for Families and Children

Marybeth Flachbart readingcoordinator Idaho State Departmentof Education

Terri Hardy general educationliaison Arkansas Office of theGovernor

Janie Huddleston deputy direc-tor Arkansas Department of HumanServices

Sue Carnell chief policy advisorfor education Michigan Office of theGovernor

Mike Flanagan former chief poli-cy advisor for education MichiganOffice of the Governor

Eric Rader former educationresearch analyst Michigan Office ofthe Governor

Cristy Gallagher former directorMissouri Washington DC Office

Kerry Crist former policy advisorMissouri Office of the Governor

Deborah E Scott director Officeof Early Childhood MissouriDepartment of Social Services

Dee Beck coordinator Early Childhood Missouri Department of Elementary and SecondaryEducation

Jane Wiechel associate superin-tendent Center for StudentsFamilies and Communities OhioDepartment of Education

Susan Bodary executive assistantfor education Ohio Office of theGovernor

Paolo DeMaria former educationpolicy advisor Ohio Office of theGovernor

Harriet Dichter deputy secretaryfor the Office of Child DevelopmentPennsylvania Department of PublicWorks and co-director Office ofPolicy Pennsylvania Department ofEducation

Blair Goodrich Washington representative South CarolinaWashington DC Office

Rita Allison education directorSouth Carolina Office of theGovernor

Susan DeVenny director SouthCarolina First Steps

NGA StaffElisabeth Wright senior policyanalyst Education Division NGACenter for Best Practices providedresearch and editorial support tothis report

Dane Linn and Ilene Bermandirector and deputy director respec-tively of the Education Division atNGA and John Thomasiandirector of the Center for BestPractices at NGA offered valuableinsights and guidance

John Blacksten and Kimberly-Anne Boyer press secretary NGACenter for Best Practices and pro-gram assistant respectively ofNGArsquos Office of Communicationsprovided design and editorialguidance and helped shepherdthe report through production

Helene Stebbins presidentHMS Policy Research helped facili-tate the task force meetings andprovided valuable guidance andsupport to this endeavor

The NGA Task Force on SchoolReadiness would like to thankthese individuals who contributedin important ways to this report

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The task forcewould also like tothank the manyindividuals from theresearch and policycommunities whocontributed theirt ime expert iseand input Theseindividuals are list-ed on page 33 Inaddition the taskforce would like tothank the Davidand Lucile PackardFoundation and theA n n i e E C a s e yFoundation Thesefoundations gener-ously supportedthe developmentand publication ofthis report

Final Report of the NGA Task Force on School Readiness 1

The first years of life are a critical time fordevelopment of the foundational skills andcompetencies that children will need for suc-cess in school and in life Too often childrenwho enter their kindergarten classroom with-out these skills and competencies start behindand stay behind Fortunately early interven-tion and supports can help close the gapbefore it starts to widen Investments in youngchildren yield high returns and are the beststrategy for improving childrenrsquos odds for abright future

The National Governors Association TaskForce on School Readiness sought to identifyactions that governors and states can take tosupport families schools and communities intheir efforts to ensure that all children startschool ready to reach their full potential Thetask force adopted a framework for schoolreadiness that incorporates the elements ofready schools ready communities ready fami-lies and ready children It also added a newlyemerging element ready states which refersto the state systems and infrastructure thatsupport the other elements of the frameworkGuiding the recommendations included inthis report are core principles on which thetask force agreed The recommendations arebased on a review of available research and ofstrategies activities or approaches that haveproven effective in attaining intended out-comes Governors are encouraged to considerthe suggested options for what states can do topromote school readiness and select thosethat best match their statersquos needs resourcesand priorities

Core Principles

These core principles guided the task forcersquosrecommendations

The family plays the most important role in ayoung childrsquos life Public policies should seekto support families in this role and toexpand parentsrsquo options for the carehealth and education of their children

Responsibility for school readiness lies not withchildren but with the adults who care for themand the systems that support them Public poli-cies should seek to provide comprehensiveinformation resources and support to allwho are responsible for childrenrsquos develop-ment

The first five years of life are a critical develop-mental period Important opportunities existto influence the healthy development ofchildren in the early years Public policiesshould seek to address the risk factorsaffecting childrenrsquos development frombefore birth to age five

Child development occurs across equally impor-tant and interrelated domains mdash physical well-being and motor development social and emo-tional development approaches to learning lan-guage development and cognition and generalknowledge Public policies should seek toaddress all of young childrenrsquos develop-mental needs

Governors and states can pursue various optionsto promote school readiness There is no one-size-fits-all policy approach to promotingschool readiness and states will pursue dif-ferent options based on their needsresources and priorities

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ldquoChildren learn more from birth to age three than any other time in life During theseyears what we do will affect the way they learn think and behave forever As parentschild care providers and concerned citizens it is our job to ensure that our youngestand most vulnerable residents are prepared and ready to enter the classroomrdquo

ndash Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm

ldquoThe best way to ensure childrenget a good education is to givethem a strong foundation in theirearly yearsrdquo ndash Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee

uilding the Foundation for Bright Futures2


Ready States

The NGA Task Force on School Readinessbelieves that gubernatorial leadership is criti-cal to building a comprehensive and coordi-nated state infrastructure for school readinessIn most states a single system for promotingschool readiness does not exist Governors arein a unique position to lead key agencies anddecisionmakers in building a more compre-hensive and coordinated system that deliverssupports and services to children and familiesefficiently and effectively Such leadership isoften a decisive factor in whether systemicchange occurs and is sustained over the longterm Therefore governors should considerthese recommendations and policy options

Develop a vision and strategic plan for schoolreadiness that considers the role of familiesschools and communities and that addressesthe developmental needs of children begin-ning before birth to kindergarten and beyond

What States Can Do

Use the vision to set specific goals for pro-moting school readiness and develop astrategic plan to achieve them

Start with a comprehensive review of exist-ing federal state and local school readinessprograms policies funding streams anddecisionmaking structures Review demo-graphic data on the number of childrenand families and data on those in need of

special services Identify gaps inefficienciesduplication and opportunities for leverag-ing resources Use this information to iden-tify recommend and prioritize policies andactions that will support the achievement ofschool readiness goals

Seek regular input from state and localstakeholders from the public and privatesectors on the vision priorities and policyrecommendations to ensure a comprehen-sive approach and strong buy-in Includestate agency leadership and programadministrators for health justice housingprekindergarten child care Head Startchild welfare early intervention mentalhealth family support K-12 education andworkforce development as well as parentslegislators local leaders early careproviders early childhood educators busi-ness and philanthropic leaders and otherkey voices

Periodically revisit the comprehensivestatewide plan to evaluate progress andrealign goals and priorities over time

Partner with public and private stakehold-ers to develop a strategic plan for raisingawareness and building public and politicalwill for school readiness among parents vot-ers policymakers and business and com-munity leaders

3

TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS

The NGA Task Force on School Readiness offers these recommendations and policy optionsfor what governors can do to promote ready states ready schools ready communities readyfamilies and ready children Many of the recommendations presented here are already inplace to varying degrees in different states so there is much to build upon And not everyrecommendation offered comes with a high price tag Even in a lean fiscal environmentstates have an opportunity to set priorities align policies build collaborative relationshipsand leverage existing resources to maximize impact and achieve goals over the long term


Build a comprehensive and coordinatedstatewide system for school readiness

What States Can Do

Create a consolidated agency for early child-hood andor establish a governance struc-ture that promotes collaboration and estab-lishes clear lines of authority over prioritiesand policy decisions (eg a childrenrsquos cabi-net an interdepartmental council forschool readiness or a public-private com-mission) Empower its leadership to makecritical decisions on priorities funding andservice delivery once stakeholder input isreceived

Establish mechanisms to require all agen-cies that administer programs and servicesfor children to collaborate on policy deci-sions and coordinate services (eg formalmemoranda of understanding or jointadministrative authority over fundingstreams)

Implement unified data collection require-ments training opportunities and profes-sional standards across prekindergartenchild care and Head Start programs

Provide new funding and leverage existingresources for system coordination efforts

Ensure accountability for results across agen-cies and between the state and local levels

What States Can Do

Establish goals and measure progresstoward outcomes for children familiesschools communities and state systemsSelect measures that suggest that theresponsibility for school readiness lies notwith children but with the adults who carefor them and the policies and systems thatsupport them Use multiple measures totrack progress toward system outcomes(eg evaluate progress toward integratingservice delivery systems and adopting keypolicy changes) program outcomes (egevaluate program implementation effortsand track aggregate data from developmen-tally appropriate child assessments) andchild outcomes (eg track indicators offamily stability and child health and well-being) Use results to hold policymakersand stakeholders accountable for meetingagreed-upon goals

Establish common measurements and con-sistent data reporting mechanisms to enableinformation sharing and analysis acrossstate agencies and programs and betweenthe state and local levels Invest sufficientresources to support consistent data collec-tion efforts

Develop a communications strategy toreport progress and use results to informpolicy decisions and build support forschool readiness efforts among parentseducators legislators policymakers and thepublic

Use results to revisit the school readinessplan evaluate progress and realign goalsresources and priorities over time


Ready Schools

The NGA Task Force on School Readinessbelieves that as important as it is for childrento be ready for school schools must also beready for children Children enter school withdifferent skills knowledge and previous expe-riences so schools must be ready for a diversestudent body at kindergarten entry Schoolscan play a key role in reshaping the publicrsquosperception of when learning and educationbegin and in identifying the key roles thatfamilies early care and education providersK-12 educators and other community part-ners play in supporting young learners Tosupport schools in this role states should con-sider these recommendations and policyoptions

Support schools families and communities infacilitating the transition of young childreninto the kindergarten environment

What States Can Do

Establish school readiness as a goal amongstate and local K-12 leadership invite K-12leadership to the state school readinessplanning table andor include early child-hood representatives in state and local P-16councils

Provide guidance resources and technicalassistance to schools and communities indeveloping local transition plans amongschools families child care providers earlychildhood educators and other communitystakeholders

Offer supports and incentives to administra-tors and teachers for committing time andresources to transition activities

Support local innovation and research intoeffective transition practices

Align state early learning standards with K-3standards

What States Can Do

With input from the early childhood and K-12 community develop research-based earlylearning standards that are developmentallyappropriate and that set clear expectationsfor what young children should know andbe able to do before during and afterschool entry

Use the early learning standards to guideearly education curriculum and assessmentsto ensure that what is being taught andmeasured matches expectations

Solidify partnerships with higher educationinstitutions to ensure that early childhoodand elementary educator preparationtracks incorporate early learning standardsand child development into their curricu-lum Provide joint professional develop-ment opportunities for school staff andearly childhood educators in community-basedprograms

Support elementary schools in providing high-quality learning environments for all children

What States Can Do

Require curriculum and instruction to beresearch-based and linked to high stan-dards as well as incorporate classroomobservation and constructive feedbackmechanisms into professional developmentprograms for teachers to ensure high-qual-ity instruction across grades and classrooms

Hold schools accountable for results provideguidance on demonstrated best practicesand curricula for the population of childrenserved by the school including supports forchildren whose native language is notEnglish children with disabilities and chil-dren with challenging behaviors and pro-vide incentives for schools to revise practicesthat have not proven beneficial to children


Enhance training and professional develop-ment for teachers and administrators on theprocess of language learning and second-language acquisition

Work with institutions of higher education tosupport research and innovation in early learn-ing credentialing (eg a credential to teach chil-dren from birth to age three) and developarticulation agreements between two- and four-year public and private institutions of highereducation and community-based providers forcredit-bearing professional development

Identify and remove state and local regulatorybarriers to blending or braiding state and fed-eral funding streams such as Medicaid Title Iof the Elementary and Secondary EducationAct the Individuals with Disabilities EducationAct and the Child Care Development BlockGrant so schools identify and address chil-drenrsquos special needs early and have greaterflexibility over resources to provide high-qual-ity learning environments for all children

Ready Communities

The NGA Task Force on School Readinessbelieves that communities play a critical role inpromoting school readiness Much of the actionresponsibility and decisionmaking for child andfamily service delivery occurs at the local levelWhether or not families have access in their com-munities to informationhealth services quality careand early learning opportunities and other resourcescan directly impact childrenrsquos readiness for schoolPublic assets such as parks libraries recreationalfacilities and civic and cultural venues provide abetter quality of life for children foster commu-nity participation among families and provideopportunities to engage parents educators andcare providers in positive activities with childrenRecognizing the central role that communitiesplay many states are supporting local schoolreadiness efforts with technical assistance andpublic and private funding States should consid-er these recommendations and policy options tosupport communities

Promote local collaboration and needsassessment for school readiness

What States Can Do

Provide guidance and resources to helpcommunity leaders and all related stake-holders (eg family support early child-hood education health and mental healthand other services) to collaboratively assessneeds prioritize investments and stream-line service delivery systems to meet localschool readiness needs

Offer flexible funding to support localschool readiness priorities in exchange formeasurable results

Assist community leaders in tracking schoolreadiness outcomes

What States Can Do

Provide guidance to communities in settingmeasurable goals for child outcomes select-ing indicators and measures of progressevaluating results and communicating out-comes

Compile results across communities tomeasure statewide trends and conditionsand to communicate them to raise aware-ness and build support for school readinessefforts

Seek community input in statewide planningefforts

What States Can Do

Include community representatives at thestate school readiness planning table orform an advisory board of local leaders andstakeholders to inform state decisions

Hold town hall meetings local publicforums or focus groups with communitystakeholders to seek their input onstatewide planning efforts


Ready Families

The NGA Task Force on School Readinessbelieves that the family plays the most importantrole in a young childrsquos life Parents have the pri-mary responsibility for nurturing teaching andproviding for their children It is the relation-ship between parent and child that is the mostcritical for the positive development of childrenChildren need supportive nurturing environ-ments However the new economy has broughtchanges in the workforce and in family lifeThese changes are causing financial physicaland emotional stresses in families particularlylow-income families Moreover increasing num-bers of new immigrants are challenged to raisetheir children in the face of language and cul-tural barriers Consequently the role of parentsand the condition of families should be centralconcerns for policymakers interested in pro-moting school readiness Therefore statesshould consider these recommendations andpolicy options to support the role of families

Support parents in their primary role as theirchildrenrsquos first teachers

What States Can Do

Provide easy access to information on par-enting child development and available sup-port services through Web sites informationkits parent resource guides and community-based programs (eg libraries recreationcenters and family resource centers)

Engage pediatricians family practitionersand other health care providers in identifyingchildren with developmental delays (physicalcognitive social and emotional) referringchildren for assistance and providing infor-mation to parents on child development

Conduct information and outreach cam-paigns to build public will and inform par-ents about child development through forexample public service announcementsand public and private media outlets

Provide support services to families throughincome support prenatal care child carehome visiting family literacy and parent-child education programs and reach out toat-risk and socially isolated families

Promote public- and private-sector strate-gies to increase parentsrsquo flexibility in bal-ancing work and family needs (eg adoptpaid family leave andor child care tax cred-its for individuals and employers adopt fam-ily-friendly policies such as flex-timetelecommuting and child care assistancefor state employees and encourage andpublicly recognize private-sector employersfor doing the same)

Promote safe stable and economicallysecure families

What States Can Do

Establish school readiness as a goal of hous-ing workforce family health and econom-ic support systems and include these systemsin statewide school readiness planning

Promote asset development and savingsamong working families (eg individualdevelopment accounts asset disregards forpublic cash assistance home ownershippromotion programs and antipredatorylending legislation)

Offer mental health services counselingand prevention services for substanceabuse domestic violence and child abuseand neglect to at-risk parents and foster par-ents


Address the needs of culturally and linguisti-cally diverse families

What States Can Do

Provide information and resources to fami-lies in their home language as well as inEnglish

Expand access to English language trainingand resources for parents

Recruit teachers caseworkers serviceproviders and policy leaders from diversebackgrounds

Train providers and early childhood educa-tors on language development second-lan-guage acquisition and culturally responsiveteaching methods

Ready Children

The NGA Task Force on School Readinessbelieves that the first five years of life are a crit-ical period for all child development domainsmdashphysical well-being and motor develop-ment social and emotional developmentapproaches to learning language develop-ment and cognition and general knowledgeThe task force also recognizes that states com-munities schools and families play a criticalsupporting role for children from birth to agefive Stable relationships with parents and car-ing adults and safe nurturing and stimulatingenvironments are all fundamental to schoolreadiness To support childrenrsquos growth anddevelopment states should consider theserecommendations and policy options

Ensure that all young children from birth toage five have access to high-quality care andlearning opportunities at home and in othersettings

What States Can Do

Develop innovative strategies to raise thequality and quantity of licensed early careand education options for families Strategiescould include efforts to

ndash Adopt quality ratings and a tiered reim-bursement system for licensed child care

ndash Provide support incentives and technicalassistance to providers to achieve state ornational accreditation of programs and

ndash Investigate innovative capital improvementand facilities financing strategies (egestablish public-private facilities funds pro-vide low-interest capital improvementloans and provide training and technicalassistance on the design and developmentof high-quality child care settings)

Support a high-quality early care and edu-cation workforce Strategies could includeefforts to

ndash Partner with the early childhood researchand practice community to identify thecore content (ie the specific knowledgecompetencies and characteristics) neededby early childhood practitioners to workeffectively with families and young chil-dren Use this core content as the founda-tion for determining training contentcourse content and competency standardsfor professional performance

ndash Provide incentives and financial support toproviders and early childhood educators toengage in professional development andtraining (eg provide scholarships forhigher education that are linked toincreased compensation through bonusesor other mechanisms)


ndash Partner with higher education to establishprofessional development standards cre-dential requirements and articulationagreements among two- and four-yearinstitutions for associatersquos bachelorrsquos andmasterrsquos degree programs in early child-hood care and education and

ndash Provide curriculum instructional materi-als and training for home-based providerson early learning and development

Provide comprehensive services for infantsand toddlers

What States Can Do

Use flexible funding sources (eg TemporaryAssistance for Needy Families funds theChild Care and Development Fund or stategeneral funds) to expand voluntary compre-hensive high-quality birth-to-age-three ini-tiatives (eg state-expanded Early HeadStart or similar programs) home visitingprograms and parent education programs

Offer incentives for providers to increasehigh-quality child care services for childrenfrom birth to age three

Raise standards for infant and toddler licensing

Offer professional development opportuni-ties for all early care and educationproviders on infant and toddler develop-ment require specialized training for infantand toddler providers and consider offer-ing financial support and incentives forsuch training

Develop a statewide network of infant andtoddler specialists to provide training andon-site mentoring to infant and toddlerproviders

Expand high-quality voluntary prekinder-garten opportunities for three- and four-year-olds

What States Can Do

Use flexible funding sources (egTemporary Assistance for Needy Familiesfunds the Child Care and DevelopmentFund or state general funds) to supportprekindergarten programs create a dedi-cated funding stream (eg state lottery rev-enue or revenue from a tax on goods orservices) encourage local school districts touse Title I funds for prekindergarten pro-grams leverage local and private-sectorresources or consider parent fees or sliding-scale tuition rates

Set high standards for key quality compo-nents such as classroom size and child-staffratios teacher qualifications and trainingand curriculum linkages to K-12 learningstandards

Leverage existing capacity among schooldistricts child care providers Head Startprograms and others to provide greateraccess to prekindergarten programs andintegrate program and learning standardsfor child care and prekindergarten pro-grams to ensure high-quality programsacross all settings

Provide resources and guidance toprekindergarten educators on creating lit-eracy-rich environments and incorporatingstate early learning standards into curricu-lum and activities


Address the school readiness needs ofchildren in foster care and children withspecial needs

What States Can Do

Increase collaboration among health fostercare child mental health early interventionservices and early care and education pro-grams to increase early identification andreferrals to necessary services and ensurethe needs of all children are met Strategiescould include efforts to

ndash Cross-train early care and educationproviders child welfare professionals andearly intervention specialists on childdevelopment and abuse and neglect risksand indicators

ndash Encourage identification and referrals toneeded services across systems and

ndash Conduct joint outreach and informationefforts directed to parents

Improve integrated service delivery amongsystems Strategies could include efforts to

ndash Co-locate programs and services in familyresource centers or community-basedagencies

ndash Develop a unified design managementand implementation plan for co-locatedprograms to ensure seamless service deliv-ery and

ndash Align eligibility guidelines and streamlinein-take procedures


Children are born learning The first years oflife are a period of extraordinary growth anddevelopment During this time the brainundergoes its most rapid development as neu-ral connections (synapses) are made at incred-ible rates that are reinforced and solidified orlost through attrition over time1 Developmentin very young children is continuous The cog-nitive physical language social and emo-tional skills that are key to school readinessarise from competencies achieved beginningin infancy Striking disparities in what childrenknow and can do are evident well before theyenter kindergarten and these differences arepredictive of later school achievement2

Getting children ready to succeed in schoolbegins at birth

High-quality comprehensive services for at-risk families with young children can improvechildrenrsquos life outcomes As they grow up chil-dren who attend high-quality early childhoodprograms show a reduced need for specialeducation improved high school graduationrates fewer arrests and higher earnings thanchildren who do not receive a high-qualityearly childhood experience Based on theseoutcomes leading economists have conclud-ed that investments in young children yieldthe highest cost-effective returns and are thebest strategy for improving childrenrsquos odds forsuccess in school and in life3

After years of study however it is evident that thecomplexities of child development make craft-ing policy solutions to ensure childrenrsquos readi-ness for school extraordinarily difficultReadiness is multidimensional and promotingschool readiness must involve families schoolsand communities States too have an importantrole to playmdashsupporting families schools andcommunities in their efforts to ensure childrenstart school ready to reach their full potential To

pull together all elements of readiness into aclear policy agenda state policymakers need toknow what the research says about how to defineschool readiness what factors impact schoolreadiness and what this means for policy

What Is School Readiness

School readiness is a term used with increas-ing frequency to describe expectations of howchildren will fare upon entry to kindergartenIf oversimplified school readiness can beinterpreted to mean whether a child candemonstrate a narrow set of skills such asnaming letters of the alphabet and countingto 10 Yet years of research into child develop-ment and early learning show that schoolreadiness is defined by several interrelateddevelopmental domains These domainsmdashphysical well-being and motor developmentsocial and emotional development approach-es to learning language development andcognition and general knowledge4mdashare all-important build on one another and formthe foundation of learning and social interac-tion5

School readiness encompasses childrenrsquoscuriosity and enthusiasm for learning theirphysical and mental health status their abilityto communicate effectively their capacity toregulate emotions and their ability to adjustto the kindergarten classroom environmentand cooperate with their teachers and peersReady children are those who for exampleplay well with others pay attention andrespond positively to teachersrsquo instructionscommunicate well verbally and are eager par-ticipants in classroom activities They can rec-ognize some letters of the alphabet and arefamiliar with print concepts (eg that Englishprint is read from left to right and top to bot-tom on a page and front to back in a book)

11

INTRODUCTION

ldquoThe education of Americarsquos children begins the day they are born not their first dayin a classroomrdquo

ndash Former Kentucky Governor Paul E Patton


for Bright Futures

Ready children can also identify simple shapes(eg squares circles and triangles) recog-nize single-digit numerals and of coursecount to 106

Life experiences directly impact a childrsquosdevelopment beginning at birth and continu-ing through childhood Young children arehighly influenced by their relationships withadults by the environment where they liveand by the opportunities they have to playlearn and grow7 A definition of school readi-ness must therefore also consider family andcommunity contexts Moreover whether ornot a school is ready for all childrenmdashregard-less of their prior experiencesmdashaffects chil-drenrsquos initial school experiences and hasimplications for their long-term educationalcareer8

A decade of work by such expert panels as theNational Education Goals Panel and theNational Research Council has brought theresearch and policy community to agreementon a framework for nurturing teaching andpromoting childrenrsquos school readiness thatincorporates families schools and communi-ties as key elements A newly emerging ele-ment is the concept of ldquoready statesrdquo whichrefers to state systems and infrastructure thatsupport families schools and communities intheir school readiness roles

Why Is School Readiness an Issue

Learning Begins at Birth

Decades of research on brain developmentindicate that the first five years of life are criti-cal to the structure and functioning of thebrain The brain is not fully developed atbirth Early experiences and environmentalinputs help create and strengthen importantneural pathways that impact hearing visionmotor skills and cognitive and emotionaldevelopment9 Children who lack stable andnurturing relationships with parents and care-givers do not have adequate access to healthcare and proper nutrition and lack sufficientopportunities to explore their environment

may not fully develop the critical neural path-ways that are the building blocks of learn-ing10 Such children are at higher risk fordevelopmental delays that absent early inter-vention can result in long-term deficits inschool achievement incarceration teen preg-nancy welfare dependency or other sociallyundesirable outcomes11

An Achievement Gap Persists in America

It is no secret that an achievement gap in K-12education continues to exist along socioeco-nomic and racial and ethnic lines in thisnation despite the best intentions of parentseducators policymakers and communitiesNational data now show however that thisachievement gap exists before kindergartenentry and persists as children continuethrough school12 A recent analysis of socialbackground differences relative to achieve-ment at school entry found substantial vari-ances by race and ethnicity in childrenrsquos testscores as they begin kindergarten black andHispanic children scored significantly belowtheir white peers on cognitive assessments13

More significantly the data show that differ-ences by socioeconomic status are even moresubstantial children with a lower socioeco-nomic status scored significantly lower on teststhan did their peers with a higher socioeco-nomic status14

Research consistently shows evidence of thedetrimental effects that economic hardshipposes on childrenrsquos development Childpoverty is associated with higher rates of lowbirthweight and infant mortality substandardnutritional status and poor motor skills high-er risk of physical impairment lower cognitivescores and lower school achievement15 Nearlyone in five US children below age five (19percent) lives in poverty The rate is higher forblack children below age five (40 percent)and Hispanic children below age five (32 per-cent) than for white children below age five(16 percent)16



The New Economy Means Changes in theWorkforce and in Family Life

Parents play a primary role in the develop-ment of their children Children who experi-ence sensitive responsive care from a parentperform better academically and emotionallyin the early elementary years17 At the sametime not surprisingly financial and emotionalstresses negatively impact parentsrsquo well-beingand adversely affect their attentiveness andsensitivity to their children18 For children whoreceive most of their care from a parent in thehome it seems clear that providing familieswith the resources information and toolsthey need is an appropriate approach for pro-moting school readiness Yet most young chil-dren in America today spend significant timein nonparental care Approximately 67 per-cent of mothers work outside the hometoday19 and data for 2001 estimated that 61percent (12 million) of children below age sixreceived nonparental child care on a regularbasis20 Moreover since 1996 federal and statefamily assistance policies have required morelow-income parents to enter the workforce

Quality Care and Learning OpportunitiesPromote Readiness But Are Often Scarce andUnaffordable

The quality of care that children receive isdirectly related to their development21

Enriched early experiences in high-qualitycare settings help narrow the achievement gapand produce fewer behavioral problems andbetter linguistic and cognitive outcomesamong at-risk children22 Longitudinal studiessuch as the Abecedarian Project and theChicago Child-Parent Center LongitudinalStudy suggest that at-risk children exposed toa nurturing and stimulating environment inthe first five years of life achieve higher resultsin elementary and secondary education andare more successful as adults23

The quality of early childhood care and edu-cation programs rests on both structural char-acteristics (eg staff-child ratios and teachereducation requirements) and process features(eg interactions between staff and childrenand curriculum and teaching practices)High-quality early childhood education pro-vides young children with a safe and stimulat-ing environment in which they may learn anddevelop These programs offer small classeswith well-prepared teachers foster closeteacher-child relationships and encouragefamily involvement They also emphasize and con-nect social-emotional and academic learning24

Unfortunately high-quality child care and pre-school programs are often difficult to find andprohibitively expensive for low-income fami-lies25 Very-low-income families spend an aver-age of 25 percent of their income on childcare expenses26 and these families oftenreceive poorer quality care for the amountthey pay27

Public Investments in High-Quality Care andEducation Yield High Returns

Recent writings of James J Heckman NobelLaureate in Economics and of Art Rolnicksenior vice president of the Federal ReserveBank of Minneapolis point to the positive eco-nomic benefits that result from investments inearly care and education Rolnick writes thatearly childhood investments yield ldquoextraordi-nary public returnsrdquo By his calculations theinternal rate of return on the Perry Preschoolprogram a high-quality preschool interven-tion program for three- and four-year-oldsyielded an internal rate of return of 16 per-cent 12 percent of which was returned to soci-ety28 In analyzing investments made in earlychildhood programs Heckman similarly findsthat ldquothe best evidence suggests that learningbegets learning [and] that early investmentsin learning are effectiverdquo Moreover he con-cludes ldquoAt current levels of investment cost-effective returns are highest for the youngrdquo29

13

About the Final Report

The final report of the NGA Task Force onSchool Readiness is based on five CorePrinciples and is built on the framework ofReady States Ready Schools ReadyCommunities Ready Families and ReadyChildren

Core Principles Guide the Recommendations

The task force acknowledges these core prin-ciples in developing this report


Responsibility for school readiness lies not withchildren but with the adults who care for themand the systems that suppor t them Publicpolicies should seek to provide comprehen-sive information resources and support toall who are responsible for childrenrsquos devel-opment

The first five years of life are a critical develop-mental period Important opportunities existto influence the healthy development ofchildren in the early years Public policiesshould seek to address the risk factors affect-ing childrenrsquos development from beforebirth to age five

Child development occurs across equally impor-tant and interrelated domainsmdashphysical well-being and motor development social and emo-tional development approaches to learninglanguage development and cognition and gen-eral knowledge Public policies should seek toaddress all of young childrenrsquos developmen-tal needs


Research and Recommendations Are Tied toFramework Elements

The chapters of the report focus on theresearch findings and policy recommenda-tions that support each element of the schoolreadiness frameworkmdashReady States ReadySchools Ready Communities Ready Familiesand Ready Children Myriad policy optionsare revealed to help build the foundation forbright futures Governors are encouraged toconsider the options for what states can do topromote childrenrsquos school readiness andselect those that best match their statersquosunique needs resources and priorities

The National Governors Association Centerfor Best Practices has developed a companionpublication Building the Foundation for BrightFutures A Governorrsquos Guide to School Readinesswhich includes further discussion of policyconsiderations and examples of best practicesfrom states Governors and other state policy-makers can use the concrete solutions andstrategies in the accompanying guide toinform their own school readiness policy deci-sions



The NGA Task Force on School Readinessbelieves that gubernatorial leadership is criti-cal to building a comprehensive and coordi-nated state infrastructure for school readinessThe challenge for policymakers is that there isno single system of early care and education atthe state or national level Programs that affectyoung children and their families are typicallyscattered across government agencies fundedthrough different sources and deliveredthrough multiple public and private hands atthe state and community levels Governorshave unique authority and influence overmany of the key agencies and decisionmakersin their state Such leadership is often a deci-sive factor in whether systemic change occursand is sustained over the long termTherefore a critical role for governors is lead-ing efforts to strengthen the statersquos capacityand infrastructure to promote school readi-ness In their chief executive role governorscan improve ldquostate readinessrdquo by defining aclear vision and strategic policy agenda forschool readiness building a coordinated infra-structure for services and decisionmakingand ensuring accountability for results

Ready States Have a Clear Vision andStrategic Plan

Governors should establish and communicatea clear vision develop goals and measures forachieving this vision and prioritize strategicaction steps that will build momentum forlong-term success The vision should addressthe developmental needs of children frombefore birth to kindergarten entry andbeyond as well as consider the roles that fami-lies schools and communities play in sup-porting childrenrsquos development The processshould be inclusive Governors should involvestate agency commissioners especially forhealth mental health education foster caresocial services and early intervention Otherkey stakeholders are parents advocates busi-ness leaders Head Start representatives earlycare and education providers infant and tod-dler experts and others with a vested interestin and influence over early childhood policy

Turf battles are not uncommon and long-term success depends on cooperation collab-oration and buy-in to a common agendaGovernors can involve key voices by appoint-ing early childhood task forces commissionscabinet councils or other collaborative deci-sionmaking structures Moreover involvingkey legislators and members of the state judi-cial system may help create stronger buy-inand support among all three branches of gov-ernment

Strategic planning efforts should begin with areview of existing programs services andfunding streams to identify gaps and duplica-tion and to inform policy decisions Statesshould be mindful of previous planningefforts and consider them as a starting place toavoid reinventing the wheel States should alsobe aware of existing resources available to sup-port planning efforts For example theMaternal and Child Health Bureau of the USDepartment of Health and Human Serviceshas awarded every state a State EarlyChildhood Comprehensive Systems PlanningGrant to encourage cross-agency collabora-tion in support of positive child outcomesThe philanthropic community is supportingsimilar system-building efforts in several states

Public and political support are critical to thelong-term success of school readiness effortsAn effective effort to build will for schoolreadiness involves both public- and private-sec-tor partners in specialized roles It alsorequires delivering strategic messages to keyaudiences Different messages will resonatewith different audiences For example thebusiness community may respond more tobottom-line cost-benefit information and pos-itive public relations opportunities while par-ents and the public may be energized by edu-cation and quality issues Legislators and pub-lic officials will react to various messages espe-cially those that include positive results andshow the benefits of public investment Themedia is likely to pay attention to both positiveand negative stories related to school readinessand young children

15

READY STATES

ldquoTo keep our nation home to the best and brightest yoursquove got to do it early Thatstarts with early childhood development efforts and it starts with building a reliablepublic-private network of school readiness partnersrdquo

ndash South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford

Ready States Have Strong GubernatorialLeadership Over a Coordinated State System

As the chief executive officer of state govern-ment governors are in a unique position toprovide leadership over cross-system collabo-ration efforts Governors can place authorityfor key decisions policies and programs in acentral individual office or collaboratingbody (eg a childrenrsquos cabinet or governorrsquoscoordinating council for children and fami-lies) They can use their executive authority orsign legislation to establish governance struc-tures or create a superstructure that bringstogether all early childhood programs in a sin-gle agency (eg a state department of earlycare and learning) Or they can require cross-agency collaboration and integration (eg bydeveloping formal memoranda of under-standing or assigning key agency commission-ers joint authority over programs and fundingstreams) Regardless of the strategy states useto promote coordination among the fostercare early intervention and school readinesssystems it is critical that all decisions are basedon the established vision and goals and thatexecutive leadership is held accountable forresults

The ways that states finance early childhoodpolicies and programs also affect successfulsystem-building States and communities fundcomprehensive supports for young children

through multiple public sources (federalstate and local) and private sources (founda-tion industry and user fees) Streamlinedservice delivery and coordination at the locallevel depends on how funds flow to programswho administers the funds and the require-ments tied to each funding stream30 Forexample states administer multiple federalfunding sources for education child carechild welfare maternal and child health andearly screening and intervention Thesefunds as well as state-funded programs (egfor prekindergarten) are administeredthrough multiple state agencies includinghealth education child welfare and humanservices Complicating the picture still furtherare federal resources that are allocated directlyto local entities or school districts such asHead Start and Title I of the Elementary andSecondary Education Act (ESEA) States havean opportunity to streamline eligibility require-ments and program regulations coordinatethe flow of funds to the local level and aligndata collection reporting requirements andaccountability measures across programsagencies and levels of government Withimproved understanding of where and howpublic and private dollars are being spentstates can better identify funding gaps anddetermine strategies to reallocate leverageincrease and maximize funds to fill these gaps



Ready States Ensure Accountability forResults

In todayrsquos climate of accountability no discus-sion of policy recommendations can occurwithout considering how states can measurewhether the goals they set out to achieve arebeing met Numerous reasons for capturingresults exist

Understanding the status of young childrenWhat is the current status of children andhow is it changing over time How are thechanges related to policy decisions

Ensuring accountability for expenditures Are thefunds being used for their intended purpos-es Is the investment sufficient and is it hav-ing the desired impact Are coordinationand streamlining efforts producing cost sav-ings and efficiencies

Informing policy Are current strategies pro-ducing the intended results How do thepolicies and programs interplay What is thebest mix of policies and programs to achievethe intended results

Informing curriculum and instruction and iden-tifying special needs What are children learn-ing and what do teachers need to do tomeet their studentsrsquo unique needs

Building support for school readiness What cap-tures the attention of voters parents legis-lators and other stakeholders How areresults most effectively communicated toeach audience

To answer these questions states should con-sider multiple strategies to measure and com-municate outcomes including these Programevaluations answer questions about how a spe-cific initiative is working Among thesefocused evaluations ask whether and why aparticular program had an impact on partici-pants process evaluations or implementationstudies document whether a program wasimplemented as planned

School readiness indicators are data used to mon-itor and measure progress toward desired out-comes They can be numbers percentagesfractions or rates that reflect conditions (egthe rate of infant mortality the number ofchildren with health insurance or the per-centage of four-year-olds attending preschoolprograms) School readiness indicators canhelp fill the gap between what is known abouta child at birth and his or her status at schoolentry Indicators are effective communicationtools when discussing policies programs andtrends Seventeen states are participating in anational School Readiness Indicators Initiativeto develop school readiness indicators that willinform state policy for young children andtheir families The indicators are intended tostimulate policy program and other actionsto improve the ability of all children to read atgrade level by the end of the third grade

Child assessments seek to measure what chil-dren know and can do andor how they areprogressing over time Because early childdevelopment is nonlinear episodic and high-ly integrated simple assessment approachescontinue to elude the field31 However most

17

experts agree on several principles for childassessments The National Association for theEducation of Young Children (NAEYC) andthe National Association of Early ChildhoodSpecialists in State Departments of Education(NAECSSDE) jointly recommend that assess-ment methods be developmentally appropri-ate culturally and linguistically responsivetied to childrenrsquos daily activities supported byprofessional development and inclusive offamilies They also recommend that assess-ments be connected to informing instructionidentifying the intervention needs of individ-ual children andor improving educationaland developmental interventions Ongoingprogram evaluations can complement childassessment efforts by measuring whether pro-grams meet the expected standards of qualityand are on target to meet intended goals32

When assessments are clearly linked to earlylearning standards and curriculum this helpsensure alignment among what children areexpected to know and be able to do what theyare taught and what is measured

A comprehensive approach to measuring howchildren are faring under what programs andconditions would include program evalua-tions indicators and assessments Programevaluations and indicators can also be used tomeasure how the policymaking and imple-mentation processes are supporting child out-

comes and whether policymakers and stake-holders are fulfilling their responsibilitiesunder the statersquos strategic plan for schoolreadiness Results help build public and polit-ical support Such support is critical to thelong-term success and growth of early child-hood initiatives Getting the right messagesout to the right audiences is often a formida-ble challenge

To successfully tell the story states may needto address coordination issues across multipledata collection and reporting systemsTypically individual programs and fundingstreams require their own data reportingrequirements which are frequently capturedin data systems that are not connected withother programs or agencies Therefore whilethe same child may be receiving benefits andservices from multiple agencies there is oftenno or limited capacity at the state level to shareinformation on that child or groups of chil-dren With such capacity states could betterdraw a link between services delivered andchild outcomes across multiple programs Itwould help states improve service deliveryidentify effective policies and make informedpolicy decisions Revamping a statersquos datainfrastructure typically involves a significantinvestment of financial and human capitalbut even incremental steps and thoughtfulplanning can make a difference



The NGA Task Force on School Readinessbelieves that as important as it is for childrento be ready for school schools must also beready for children Because children enterschool with different skills knowledge andprevious experiences schools must be readyfor a diverse student body at kindergartenentry Few schools are ready for all childrenhowever and the experiences of children inearly elementary classrooms vary widely33

Historically both the American public and theeducation community have viewed educationin the formal sense as beginning at schoolentry Yet increasing awareness that childrenbegin learning at birth is casting a new lighton the roles and responsibilities of familiesschools and communities Schools can play akey role in reshaping the publicrsquos perceptionof when learning and education begin Theycan provide leadership by adopting a defini-tion of learning that begins at birth and iden-tifies the key roles that families early care andeducation providers K-12 educators andother community partners play in supportingyoung learners Although research and think-ing is still emerging around the concept ofldquoready schoolsrdquo there is preliminary agree-ment that such schools share certain charac-teristics Ready schools work with families andearly care and education providers to facilitatethe transition of young children into theschool environment encourage continuitybetween childrenrsquos prior experiences and theexpectations awaiting them in kindergartenand are committed to the success of everychild34

Ready Schools Support Childrenrsquos Transitionto Kindergarten

Kindergarten entry often means a dramaticshift for childrenmdashin terms of academicdemands social environment parent involve-ment and class sizemdashrelative to what they mayhave experienced at home or in preschoolTransition difficulties are common and wide-spread in classrooms In a 1999 survey

kindergarten teachers in schools nationwideexpressed the belief that half the childrenentering kindergarten experienced eithersome or serious transition difficulties thataffected both the child and teacher35

Research into best practices is still emergingbut studies to date suggest that communica-tion and outreach to families and early careand education settings are effective particu-larly if they begin prior to the start of schooland continue into the first few months ofkindergarten However most schools employstrategies such as flyers parent letters andback-to-school-nights that occur after schoolstarts and that therefore miss a critical windowof opportunity to facilitate the transition tokindergarten36 Moreover across the nationrising numbers of immigrant families withdiverse cultural and linguistic backgroundsare posing communication and outreach chal-lenges

Leading researchers recommend that schoolsdevelop communitywide transition plansmdashincollaboration with preschool and kinder-garten teachers Head Start and child careproviders principals parents and communitymembersmdashand clearly define the skills andknowledge necessary for success in early ele-mentary grades Other effective strategiesinclude holding kindergarten registration ear-lier in the year and introducing children andparents to their teachers before the start ofschool37 As a part of transition planning it isalso necessary to include strategies thatengage families in a manner that respects dif-ferent perspectives on the relationshipsbetween families and their community andschools38 Although there is a need for moresubstantive transition practices schools andteachers are already struggling to balance atremendous workload with limited resourcesTherefore incentives and supports may beeffective tools to encourage educators andschool administrators to engage in innovativetransition efforts

19

READY SCHOOLS

ldquoThere is compelling research on early childhood development and that research clearlyshows the importance of tapping into a childrsquos potential by beginning education in thefirst five years of liferdquo

ndash Former Missouri Governor Bob Holden

Ready Schools Encourage Continuity andAlignment Between Early Care and EducationPrograms and Elementary Schools

Often what children learn in preschool andwhat they are expected to know and be able todo at kindergarten entry are at most looselyconnected39 Many times initial gains fromearly intervention programs fade as childrenmove through early elementary grades andsome experts attribute this in part to the dra-matic differences between prior experiencesand the expectations and learning environ-ment of kindergarten40 However efforts toencourage greater continuity between pre-school and kindergarten can help ease theadjustment41 Moreover half of all three- andfour-year-olds did not attend preschool in2000 which likely means that significant num-bers of children enter kindergarten lackingexperience in structured group settings42

Leading national experts recommend thatelementary schools work with familiespreschools care providers Head Start pro-grams and other community partners to aligncurriculum and create a more familiar learn-ing context for children regardless of theircare and education experiences prior tokindergarten43

States are currently focused on developingearly learning standards which are statementsthat describe expectations for the learningand development of young children Suchstandards aim to inform teachers and care-givers programs and schools and parents andcommunities about what children are expect-ed to know and be able to do and what adultsare expected to teach them Nearly 40 statesnow have or are developing learning stan-dards for young children44 Federal develop-ments such as President George W BushrsquosGood Start Grow Smart initiative are encour-aging states to enhance and align these stan-dards with state standards for elementary andsecondary education particularly for literacylanguage and mathematics

NAEYC and NAECSSDE jointly recommendthat early learning standards 45

should incorporate expectations across alldomains of readiness

should not be considered as simple down-ward extensions of content or performancestandards for older children but should bebased on research about the processessequences and long-term consequences ofearly learning and development

should be appropriate for the specific agesor developmental stages they encompassand

should accommodate community culturallinguistic and individual variations to thegreatest extent possible

NAECSSDE also recommends that early learn-ing standards should be developed and reviewedthrough informed inclusive processes should beimplemented and assessed in ways that are ethicaland appropriate for young children and shouldbe accompanied by strong supports for familiesearly childhood programs and early child profes-sionals46

Content specialists working for the USDepartment of Education recommend thatearly learning standards be skill-focusedresearch-based clearly written comprehensivemanageable for educators and children andapplicable to diverse settings (eg family carepreschool classrooms and child care centers)47

States can also develop training and professionaldevelopment opportunities and provide incen-tives for parents teachers and caregivers to par-ticipate in them



Ready Schools Ensure High-Quality LearningEnvironments

Further research is needed on ready schoolsbut a consensus is emerging on several impor-tant recommendations The Goal 1 ReadySchools Resource Group of the NationalEducation Goals Panel identified ready schoolsas those that demonstrate a commitment to thesuccess of every child regardless of his or herprior experiences family and economic cir-cumstances linguistic and cultural backgroundand natural abilities and interests These schoolsadopt curriculum and instruction methods thatare research-based and support high standardsReady schools hire qualified teaching staff thatare well-compensated and provide ongoing pro-fessional development opportunities Moreoverthey are responsive to individual childrenrsquosneeds provide environments that are con-ducive to learning and exploration and incor-porate children with special needs in regularclassrooms whenever possible Ready schoolsalso ensure that second-language learnersreceive age-appropriate culturally sensitive andchallenging curriculum instruction48

Ready schools take responsibility for resultsengage in demonstrated best practices andrevise practices that do not benefit childrenThese schools also serve children in theircommunities connecting children and fami-lies to resources and services and taking anactive role in community activities Finallyready schools are supported by strong leader-ship from school administrators who provideinstructional focus and coherence to the pro-grams they oversee49

Childrenrsquos classroom experiences vary widelyaccording to instructional quality classroomsettings and educational resources At thesame time schools typically measure qualityteaching by curriculum and teacher credential-ing requirements Leading researchers in theemerging area of ready schools recommendthat elementary school staff developmentefforts include a focus on classroom qualitymdashthe experiences and activities in which childrenengage and the environment in which theylearnmdashand involve classroom observation andconsultation with teachers Schools should alsoalign learning goals and curriculum acrossgradesmdashprekindergarten through grade threemdashand across classrooms in the same grade50

21

The NGA Task Force on School Readinessbelieves that communities play a critical rolein promoting school readiness In todayrsquos ageof devolution much of the action responsi-bility and decisionmaking for child and fami-ly service delivery occur at the local levelWhether or not families have access in theircommunities to information health servicesand quality care and early learning opportu-nities can directly impact childrenrsquos readinessfor school Public assets such as parkslibraries recreational facilities and civic andcultural venues provide a better quality of lifefor children foster community participationamong families and provide opportunities toengage parents educators and care providersin positive activities with childrenRecognizing the central role that communi-ties play many states are supporting localschool readiness efforts with technical assis-tance and public and private funding

Ready Communities Maintain aComprehensive Infrastructure of Resourcesand Supports

Communities play a key role in affording fam-ilies access to information services and high-quality care and early learning opportunitiesPoor children especially those in minorityfamilies are more likely to live in neighbor-hoods with limited recreational facilities andinadequate child care51 According to a recentsurvey municipal leaders nationwide identi-fied child care and early education opportuni-ties as pressing needs for children and fami-lies and one in five local leaders rated youngchildren as one of the groups with the mostcritical needs in their community The samesurvey found that elected local officials over-whelmingly support allocating resources toearly childhood development52 Even in theface of tight fiscal conditions nearly half ofUS cities have increased spending on pro-grams and services for children and familiesduring the past five years53

Communities are at the front line of servicedelivery for nutrition health care mental healthcare and high-quality early care and educationprograms Local leaders can conduct needsassessments identify strategies to improve serv-ice delivery and leverage federal state andprivate funding for local initiatives Insome cases local laws or regulations might

inadvertently prohibit home-based familychild care or prevent providers from offeringflexible care because of restrictions related totraffic parking or hours of operation Localleaders can identify and remove statutory andregulatory barriers to services and streamlinedelivery systems to improve access andincrease efficiency They can also ensure thattheir communities invest in parks librariesfamily resource centers and other communityassets that promote educational and physicalactivities for children States can support com-munities in their efforts by providingresources guidance and technical assistanceto address the comprehensive needs of youngchildren

Ready Communities Set Goals and TrackProgress

Communities can identify specific goals eval-uate programs and track child outcomessuch as health learning safety and other indi-cators of well-being to measure how childrenare faring and make informed policy deci-sions States can help by providing technicalassistance and other resources to conductneeds assessment and evaluations recom-mending developmentally appropriate andevidence-based indicators and supportingintegrated data collection efforts across pro-grams and agencies at the local and state lev-els Capturing local data on positive outcomesis a powerful way to build grassroots supportengage key stakeholders and inform state leg-islators and policymakers on effective strate-gies and investments

Ready Communities Are Engaged inPartnerships with State Decisionmakers

Communities can play an important role ininforming state policy They are often sourcesof innovation and pilot initiatives that revealimportant lessons for state policy and pro-grams Community leaders also play an impor-tant role in generating grassroots support forschool readiness initiatives particularly whenlocal residents see positive results for childrenin their own communities States can seekcommunity input in school readiness plan-ning efforts through town meetings and focusgroups and they can include local leaders atthe table when developing key policies foryoung children


READY COMMUNITIES

ldquoExpanding early-childhood initiatives gives students a greater opportunity to learn andgrow giving them a brighter future in the classroom If our children are well cared forwe know that our communities are strong and our future is brightrdquo

ndash Pennsylvania Governor Edward G Rendell

READY FAMILIES


The NGA Task Force on School Readinessbelieves that the family plays the most impor-tant role in a young childrsquos life Parents havethe primary responsibility for nurturingteaching and providing for their children Itis the relationship between parent and childthat is the most critical for the positive devel-opment of children54 Children need support-ive nurturing environments However thenew economy has brought changes in theworkforce and in family life These changesare causing financial physical and emotionalstresses in families particularly low-incomefamilies Moreover increasing numbers of newimmigrants are challenged to raise their chil-dren in the face of language and cultural bar-riers Consequently the role of parents andthe condition of families should be a centralconcern for policymakers interested in pro-moting school readiness

Parents of Ready Families Are Supported inTheir Roles As Their Childrenrsquos FirstTeachers

Parents play a primary role in the healthydevelopment of their children Children whoexperience sensitive responsive care from aparent perform better academically and emo-tionally in the early elementary years At thesame time not surprisingly financial andemotional stresses negatively impact parentsrsquowell-being and adversely affect their attentive-ness and sensitivity to their children55 Beyondthe basics of care and parenting skills chil-dren benefit from positive interactions withtheir parents (eg physical touch early read-ing experiences and verbal visual and audiocommunications) They also depend on theirparents to ensure that they receive prenatalwell-baby and preventive health care receiveoptimal nutrition and live in safe and stimu-lating environments where they can exploreand learn By supporting parents as their chil-drenrsquos first teachers states can help ensurethat family environments provide stimulatinginteractive experiences to nurture childrenrsquosearly learning

States already use several strategies to provideparents with information training and sup-port Options include relatively low-cost par-ent Web sites or information kits They alsoinclude higher-cost higher-intensity initia-tives such as home visiting programs (eg theParents as Teachers program or HomeInstruction for Parents of PreschoolYoungsters program) and family literacy pro-grams (eg Even Start) When these pro-grams emphasize high-quality well-imple-mented services are staffed by well-trainedprofessionals and are linked with other familysupports they are more likely to demonstratesuccess56 In addition states can promotestronger connections among families teach-ers and care providers to strengthen parentsrsquoknowledge of developmentally appropriateactivities

Ready Families Provide Safe Stable andEconomically Secure Homes

The well-being of young children is signifi-cantly related to the economic success andwell-being of their parents57 There is alsostrong evidence of the detrimental effects ofeconomic hardship on child developmentChild poverty is associated with higher rates oflow birthweight and infant mortality substan-dard nutritional status and poor motor skillshigher risk of physical impairment lower cog-nitive scores and lower school achievement58

Nearly one in five US children below age five(19 percent) lives in poverty The rate is high-er for black children below age five (36 per-cent) and Hispanic children below age five(29 percent) than for white children belowage five (16 percent)59 Parents particularlythose who have very low incomes or are social-ly isolated for other reasons can benefit fromfamily support services and outreach effortsPolicies addressing housing family incomeasset development job creation workforcedevelopment and health insurance coverageall play an important role in helping workingparents provide a stable and nurturing homeenvironment

23

ldquoThe importance of a strong family and caring parents in a childs life cant be overstatedParents are a childs first and most influential teachersrdquo

ndash Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne

Child abuse and child neglect stall early learn-ing for many children They are associatedwith both short- and long-term negative con-sequences for childrenrsquos physical and mentalhealth cognitive skills and educational attain-ment and social and behavioral develop-ment60 Abuse and neglect affect a significantnumber of young children in America In2001 77 percent of all children who died fromabuse or neglect were younger than age four61

Moreover it is estimated that 12 percent ofchildren below age five have had some con-nection with the child welfare system

A parentrsquos mental health status is also criticalto school readiness Maternal depression islinked to greater risks for academic healthand behavior problems in children62 Amongindividuals receiving public assistance thedepression rate is estimated to be between 30percent and 45 percent63 Parental substanceabuse is another factor affecting childrenrsquosreadiness for school64 Therefore policies thataddress maternal mental health issuesparental substance abuse and child abuse andneglect can help promote school readinessand should be considered among the policyoptions

This nationrsquos parents are working harder andlonger than ever before Early attachments arecritical to child development65 With more par-ents of young children in the workforce theneed for family-friendly policies and supportsis becoming more apparent Policies such asthe federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993make it possible for some parents to spend thefirst important weeks of their childrenrsquos lives athome Although many aspects of creating fam-ily-friendly workplaces fall within the purviewof employers states can promote policies thathelp families better meet the needs of boththeir young children and their employersThese policies include for example paid fam-ily leave and child care tax credits for individu-als and employers States can also invite mem-bers of the business community to join schoolreadiness policy discussions to add their per-

spective and win new allies They can also rec-ognize businesses and employers for support-ing parents through family-friendly businessawards

Ready Families Are Supported By andConnected To Their Communities

Because the United States is such a diversenation educators policymakers and serviceproviders face a tremendous challenge inidentifying the needs of children and commu-nicating with families with different ethniccultural and linguistic backgroundsRegardless of home language and culturalperspective all families should have access toinformation and services and should fullyunderstand their role as their childrenrsquos firstteachers Although communities may be in abetter position to address these diversityissues states can play a role in supporting andguiding local efforts to develop communica-tions and outreach strategies for families ofvarying backgrounds

To effectively plan and implement early learn-ing programs for young learners with diversebackgrounds teachers and administratorsshould understand language learning andsecond-language acquisition and use research-based approaches to assess the abilities andlearning needs of young second-languagelearners It is also helpful when teachers andadministrators are familiar with the culturaland linguistic backgrounds of the childrenthey serve66 Efforts to improve communica-tion and cultural continuity between earlylearning programs and the home are also nec-essary Early childhood educators can collectrelevant information about the linguistic andcultural home environments of their studentsIn addition recruiting care providers andearly childhood educators with different eth-nic cultural and linguistic backgrounds canhelp bridge the cultural divide and ease com-munications between families and programstaff67



The NGA Task Force on School Readinessbelieves that the first five years of life are a crit-ical period for all child developmentdomainsmdashphysical well-being and motordevelopment social and emotional develop-ment approaches to learning languagedevelopment and cognition and generalknowledge68 The task force also recognizesthat states communities schools and familiesplay a critical supporting role for childrenfrom birth to age five Before age three achildrsquos brain grows with remarkable speed lay-ing the foundations for developing the skillsand competencies that children will need forsuccess in school and in life69 Learning anddevelopment in early childhood are nonlinearand episodic however meaning that childrenof the same age may naturally reach differentdevelopmental milestones at different pointsThe range of what is considered developmen-tally ldquonormalrdquo is far wider in the early yearsthan it is at any other stage of life70

Yet by age five most children will attain thefoundational skills across all developmentaldomains that are critical to school readinessSignificant numbers of children enter kinder-garten without these skills however and it isthese children who typically start behind andstay behind Research has unveiled significantdifferences on measures of cognitive skillsbetween minority and low-income childrenand their middle-class counterparts beginningbefore kindergarten and persisting as chil-dren continue through school71 Risk factorsfor school ldquounreadinessrdquo include poverty fam-ily instability child abuse and neglect poor-quality child care and limited access to healthcare and adequate nutrition72 Fortunatelythere is increasing evidence that early inter-vention high-quality early learning programsand related supports for young children andtheir families can be effective strategies in nar-rowing the achievement gap and ensuringthat children enter school ready to succeed73

The task force believes that while the familyplays the most important role in a childrsquos lifestate policies can support parents and othercaregivers in promoting childrenrsquos develop-ment before birth through infancy to the ele-mentary years and beyond These policiesshould seek to ensure that all young childrenhave access to high-quality care and learningopportunities at home and in other settings aswell as access to nutrition mental health pre-natal and child health and other necessaryservices States should also seek to ensure thatpolicies and programs adequately reach chil-dren in foster care and children with specialphysical cognitive emotional or other devel-opmental needs

Ready Children Are Supported AcrossDevelopmental Domains from Birth toKindergarten Entry and Beyond

Researchers and policymakers now agree on adefinition of childrenrsquos readiness that incor-porates five interrelated interdependentdimensions of development All five dimen-sions are critical to learning and underdevel-opment in one will negatively impact the oth-ers74

Physical Well-being and Motor DevelopmentA childrsquos health status affects his or her abilityto explore and learn by doing seeing hear-ing and experiencing Nutrition physicalhealth and gross and fine motor skills all havea bearing on early learning75 Primary and pre-ventive health care services for children in thefirst years of life support healthy growth anddevelopment increase early identification ofspecial needs and reduce morbidity and mor-tality Providing services to young childrenalso affords an opportunity to teach parentsabout prevention and child development andto help them develop parenting skills76

25

READY CHILDREN

ldquoEnabling every child to succeed is my number one priority It drives our agenda andfuels my enthusiasm Early childhood education and health care will enable every childto enter school ready to learnrdquo

ndash Ohio Governor Bob Taft

Social and Emotional DevelopmentYoung children build understanding by inter-acting with others and their environment77

Social and emotional development refers tochildrenrsquos capacity to experience regulateand express emotions form close and secureinterpersonal relationships and explore theenvironment all within the context of familycommunity and cultural expectations78 Putsimply social and emotional developmentforms the basis of childrenrsquos knowledge ofldquohow to learnrdquo79 Children learn best whenthey are able to cope with their emotions andcontrol their impulses when they can relatewith and cooperate with their peers and whenthey can trust and respond to the adultsresponsible for their care and education80

Children who can regulate their own emo-tions are also better at concentrating andfocusing on tasks two elements of cognitivedevelopment81 Children begin to developsocial and emotional capacities in early infan-cy Infants and toddlers like adults can devel-op serious psychiatric disorders such asdepression attachment disorders and trau-matic stress disorders that affect their success-ful social and emotional development82 Oncein kindergarten children lacking social andemotional skills often have a harder time get-ting along with their classmates may experi-ence negative feedback and stricter discipli-nary action from teachers and may quicklylose their eagerness to learn83 Services andsupports that promote young childrenrsquos socialand emotional development and mentalhealth (eg early intervention and mentalhealth services for infants and toddlers EarlyHead Start home visiting programs and class-room-based social competence interven-tions84) can contribute to childrenrsquos readinessto learn85

Approaches to LearningA positive attitude and enthusiasm are criticalto learning Children learn best when they aremotivated to apply their skills and knowledgeto further their understanding of the world

around them86 Curiosity persistence andattentiveness to tasks are critical to learning asare supportive nurturing environments thatencourage creativity imagination and directengagement in activities and play A longitudi-nal study of the nationrsquos kindergartners showsthat children experiencing some risk factorssuch as low maternal education receipt ofpublic assistance and living in a single-parenthousehold are less likely to be seen as eager tolearn by their teachers than are children notdemonstrating these risk factors Moreoverwhite and Asian children are more likely to beseen as eager to learn by their teachers thanare black or Hispanic children87

Language DevelopmentChildren learn best when they can communi-cate effectively and are encouraged in thedevelopment of emerging literacy skills88

Early language and emergent literacy areinterrelated skills that are the foundations forthe complex process of learning to read writeand communicate89 The process begins in theearliest years of life speaking reading aloudand singing to infants and toddlers stimulatestheir understanding and use of language andform the basis of emergent literacy behaviors(eg book handling looking and recogniz-ing picture and story comprehension andstory-reading behaviors)90 The quantity andquality of language and early literacy interac-tions during the preschool years affect thedevelopment of language and literacy skillsthroughout the early elementary years91

Preliminary findings of the National EarlyLiteracy Panel suggest that certain skills aredirectly linked to early literacy developmentincluding knowledge of letters and print con-cepts invented spelling listening comprehen-sion oral language and vocabulary andphonemic awareness92 As children learn printconcepts (eg letters have distinct forms let-ters are related to sounds and letters createwords) they also learn conventions of reading(eg words in print are read from left to rightand from top to bottom on a page) Literacy-



rich environments are important and earlyeducation settings that contain interactiveprint materials are associated with betteremergent literacy Engaging children simulta-neously in reading activities and phonologicaltraining has also proven to be an effectivestrategy93 Childrenrsquos language and preliteracyskills at kindergarten entry predict later aca-demic outcomes and a clear gap existsbetween children from economically disad-vantaged environments and their more afflu-ent peers94

Cognition and General KnowledgeChildren learn best when they can apply theirknowledge and skills to increase their under-standing of the world around them (eg plan-ning problem solving symbolically represent-ing everyday experiences comparing andcontrasting objects developing spatial andnumerical reasoning and drawing associa-tions)95 The skills and knowledge that supportproblem solving such as understanding num-bers shapes and mathematical operationscontribute to critical thinking and cognitivedevelopment General knowledge refers tochildrenrsquos depth and breadth of understand-ing about the social physical and naturalworld and to their ability to draw inferencesand comprehend implications96

Ready Children Have Access to High-QualityEarly Care and Learning Opportunities

Stable relationships with caring adults andsafe nurturing and stimulating environmentsare all fundamental to school readiness Whileparents typically provide the first layer of theseexperiences for children in the current econ-omy most mothers are now participating inthe workforce by choice or necessity As aresult 12 million young children or 61 per-cent spend at least some of their time in thecare of adults other than their parents97

Moreover increasing awareness of the benefitsof high-quality early learning opportunities isleading families to seek such programs regard-

less of their work and child care needs98

Therefore any discussion of school readinessshould consider the environments in whichchildren from birth to age five spend theirtime and the adults with whom they interact athome and in formal or informal early careand education settings States have variousoptions for addressing the challenges basedon their needs priorities and resources Thekey is to develop a comprehensive vision formeeting the needs of all children and decid-ing on strategic steps that will ensure progressover the long term

Care and Education Arrangements for Childrenfrom Birth to Age FiveStates face several continuing challenges inproviding quality care and early learningopportunities for all children from birth toage five Market forces are insufficient to sup-port a healthy supply-and-demand relation-ship that supports high-quality affordableearly care and education options for familiesHigh-quality settings are often hard to findand prohibitively expensive for low- and evenmiddle-income families99 Many publicly sup-ported programs are scattered across variousstate agencies making them difficult for fami-lies to access and causing service duplicationand administrative inefficiency

US children receive early care and educationexperiences through a continuum of formaland informal settings that includes parentsand other family friends neighbors childcare and early learning centers andprekindergarten programs Many childrenexperience more than one of these settingsbetween the time they are born and age fiveand all these settings offer opportunities forpromoting school readiness100 The type ofearly care and education setting chosen tendsto vary most particularly by age and familyincome Data for 2001 from the NationalHousehold Education Survey suggest thatamong children from birth to age six whowere not yet in kindergarten and who were in

27

nonparental care and education settings 34percent were in center-based care 23 percentwere in relative care and 16 percent were innonrelative care (ie friend or neighborcare) Children below age three and low-income children were more likely to be inhome-based family friend and neighbor careChildren ages three to six and higher-incomechildren were more likely to be in a center-based child care arrangement including nurs-ery schools and other early childhood educa-tion programs Factors such as race and eth-nicity maternal education and maternalemployment status (ie full time or part time)impact care arrangements to a lesser extent101

Regardless of the early care and education set-ting (eg home center or school) or the agegroup that it serves (eg infants toddlers orpreschoolers) the quality of the experience isassociated with warm and responsive adultslanguage-rich environments and ampleopportunities for learning and exploring102 Informal early childhood care and educationprograms (ie center-based care orprekindergarten programs) quality rests onboth structural characteristics (eg staff-childratios and requirements for teacher educa-tion) and process features (eg interactionsbetween staff and children and curriculumand teaching practices) High-quality pro-grams offer small classes with well-preparedteachers foster close teacher-child relation-ships and encourage family involvementSuch programs also emphasize and connectsocial-emotional and academic learning103

Nationally two-fifths of children ages six andyounger who regularly receive nonparentalcare are cared for by family friends or neigh-bors (Nonparental care is also referred to askith-and-kin informal or license-exemptchild care) Most children in this care settingare infants and toddlers and parents typicallychoose family friend and neighbor carebecause it is flexible is provided by known andtrusted individuals and sometimes offers

shared language culture and values104 Thistype of care is largely unregulated and often isnot connected to professional resource net-works or state early care and education sys-tems With so many young children in theircare family friend and neighbor providersare a largely untapped link to support chil-drenrsquos early learning experiences States andcommunities can offer them informationmaterials equipment and training on nutri-tion child development early learninghealth and safety and other topics States canalso include family friend and neighbor carerepresentatives in local and state planning andpolicy bodies develop early learning stan-dards that are applicable to informal care set-tings and offer training guidance andresources to these providers on how to applythe standards in their daily activities with chil-dren Family friend and neighbor careproviders can also be integrated into statecareer development systems and subsidy reim-bursement systems States can also encouragestronger connections between these providersand local and state child care resource andreferral agencies105

Programs and Services for Children from Birth toAge ThreeIn the first three years of life children learn inthe context of relationships with family mem-bers and other important caregivers Allinfants need ample time with their parents atthe very beginning of their lives to form thesecritical relationships However many parentsdo not have the option of staying home fulltime with their newborns Moreover infantsand toddlers living in high-risk environmentsneed additional supports to promote theirhealthy growth and development Just overhalf of all children below age three (52 per-cent) are in nonparental care at least some ofthe time and most of this care is family friendand neighbor care rather than center-basedcare106 For most families high-quality infantand toddler care is typically the most expensiveand the hardest to find but comprehensive



programs can produce substantial benefits inthe first three years of life107 For example thefederal Early Head Start program for low-income infants toddlers and pregnantwomen has yielded early gains in measures ofchildrenrsquos readiness family self-sufficiency andparental support of child development At cur-rent funding levels however Early Head Startserves just three percent of those eligible108

States can consider expanding Early HeadStart or developing similar voluntary compre-hensive initiatives for children in the very earlyyears In addition they can play a role ininforming parents about what very young chil-dren need of the benefits of high-qualityinfant and toddler care and how to recognizeeffective programs Moreover states canexpand subsidies and other strategies to makesuch care affordable They can expand capaci-ty improve the quality and increase the afford-ability of infant and toddler early care and edu-cation options for families through incentivesstandards and professional development andtraining States can also connect providers tospecialists in infant and toddler developmenthealth and mental health expand develop-mental screening services and provide par-ents caregivers and early childhood educa-tion providers with easy access to informationon child development in the very early years

Prekindergarten Programs for Three- and Four-Year-OldsThe federal Head Start program provides com-prehensive early care and education services tomore than 900000 eligible low-income andspecial needs children With evidence thathigh-quality prekindergarten programs helpclose the achievement gap and provide chil-dren with the skills they need to be successfulin kindergarten and beyond support is grow-ing for states to increase prekindergarten pro-grams for four-year-olds (and often three-year-olds) Many states are expandingprekindergarten services through publicschools or in combination with local childcare Head Start and other community pro-

grams The quality of a prekindergarten pro-gram is determined by the educational attain-ment and in-service training of teachers thesize of classes and groups the effectiveness ofthe curriculum attainment of national accred-itation and the degree to which learning stan-dards are linked to K-12 expectations109

Support infrastructure and accountabilitymeasures are also critical to quality110

Recognizing the importance of learning inthese out-of-home experiences 38 states nowinvest in prekindergartenmdashspending close to$25 billion to serve about 740000 childrenmdashand that number is increasing111 Despite theincreasing investments however many work-ing families still struggle to find and pay forhigh-quality programs Moreover findinghigh-quality affordable care for the hoursbefore or after the typical half-day preschoolprogram is also a formidable challenge

States have an opportunity to integrateprekindergarten initiatives with community-based child care programs This strategywhich many states are now adopting builds onexisting infrastructure to serve greater num-bers of children It also provides an opportu-nity to integrate child care and prekinder-garten program standards and learning guide-lines to ensure consistent high levels of quali-ty regardless of the setting112 In many casesintegrating child care and prekindergartenprograms for four-year-olds has also improvedthe quality of care for infants and toddlers113

Ready Children Are Supported and CaredFor in the Face of Family Instability or SpecialNeeds

Children with special needs and children infoster care should not be overlooked in schoolreadiness policy discussions These childrenare at exceptionally high risk of physical emo-tional and developmental delays and are themost likely to benefit from school readinessinterventions Yet these children are typicallyserved under separate state systems often

29

compartmentalized from the broader earlychildhood population and consequently areleft out of the school readiness equationStates can ensure that all systems that serveyoung children including prekindergartenchild care mental health foster care earlyintervention and maternal and child healthsystems are connected to one another andrecognize their collective role in promotingschool readiness for all children They canalign eligibility guidelines streamline in-takeprocedures cross-train professionals in childdevelopment and encourage cross-programreferrals and joint outreach and informationefforts to parents States can also integrateservice delivery efforts colocate programsand partner with community organizations toprovide comprehensive services

Children with Special NeedsPremature birth genetic conditions such asDown Syndrome and physical disabilitiessuch as hearing impairment or cerebral palsypose significant developmental challenges foryoung children Environmental risk factorssuch as parental drug or alcohol addictionextreme poverty family mental health prob-lems and exposure to violence abuse or neg-lect can also cause developmental delays114

Fortunately early intervention is effective inhelping children overcome these challengesEarly intervention screening can help identifywhether children need for exampleenhanced educational experiences or physicaloccupational or speech and language therapyHome visiting programs and parent supportgroups are also effective strategies115 Earlyintervention services can be delivered inhomes Early Head Start programs child careand preschool programs or other early child-hood settings Federal funding sources forearly intervention efforts include Parts B and Cof the Individuals with Disabilities EducationAct (IDEA) Early Head Start and MedicaidrsquosEarly and Periodic Screening Diagnosis and

Treatment (EPSDT) program State mentalhealth systems can provide consultation andeducation services to early care and educationproviders to promote early identification andreferrals for children with social-emotionaldevelopment challenges The infrastructurefor some early intervention programs and serv-ices already is in place in states and an oppor-tunity exists for further service integration andcollaboration with other early care and educa-tion efforts

Children in Foster CareChildren below age five account for nearly 30percent of all children in foster care and thispercentage is growing at an alarming rate116

Moreover infants and young children tend toremain in foster care longer than do older chil-dren approximately 20 percent of childrenbelow age six remain in out-of-home care forsix years117 Young children in foster care oftendisplay severe physical developmental andemotional needs Nearly 80 percent are at riskfor medical and developmental problemsrelated to prenatal exposure to maternal sub-stance abuse more than 40 percent sufferfrom physical health problems and more thanhalf display developmental delaysmdashalmost fivetimes the percentage found among children inthe general population118 At the same timemost of these children lack access to basichealth care and early intervention services thatcould help them overcome these challengesFinally a significant number of children in fos-ter care experience multiple placements thatnegatively impact their social and emotionaldevelopment Early intervention and screen-ing health and mental health treatment andfamily support services to foster parents andbiological parents can promote early identifi-cation of childrenrsquos developmental challengesand encourage secure healthy stimulatinghome environments119



Ready Children Are Supported by ReadyStates Ready Schools Ready Communitiesand Ready Families

Responsibility for school readiness lies not withchildren but with the adults who care for themand the systems that support them Starting atthe top states are responsible for makinginformed policy decisions committing suffi-cient resources and connecting programs andservices to all children who need them Acrossall early care and education arrangements forinfants toddlers and preschoolers states haveresponsibility for setting program standards forhealth safety and staffing and learning stan-dards for what children should be encouragedto know do and experience They determineprofessional development criteria and decidepolicies for compensation and program evalua-tion States also play a role in promoting rela-tionships with the higher education and earlycare and education professional communitiesto improve the professional development andtraining system In addition they provide incen-tives and scholarships for early childhood pro-fessionals to seek higher credentials and train-

ing Finally states can support parents by pro-viding information on child development andquality care and education options pursuingstrategies to make high-quality care moreaffordable and giving parents an equal voice inschool readiness policy discussions

Across all systems that serve young childrenincluding prekindergarten child care fostercare early intervention and maternal and childhealth states can improve cross-system collabo-ration and recognize the role each system playsin promoting school readiness for all childrenStates can align eligibility guidelines streamlinein-take procedures cross-train professionals inchild development and encourage cross-programreferrals and joint outreach and informationefforts to parents States can also integrate serv-ice delivery efforts colocate programs and part-ner with community organizations to providecomprehensive services Finally states can bringtogether stakeholders including familiesschools and communities to identify chal-lenges develop priorities and implement solu-tions at the state and local levels

31

The NGA Task Force on School Readinessbelieves that governors are in a critical posi-tion to support parents communities andschools in ensuring that all children enterkindergarten ready to reach their full poten-tial States have multiple options for achievingthis goal and many states are already leadingthe way in coordinating intersections amongprograms services and policies in supportingevidence-based practices and in seeding inno-vation at the local level

Governors can provide leadership over effortsto promote school readiness and focus the tal-ent and energy of public and private stake-holders on a clear vision and common agendafor young children In particular governorscan focus on building ldquoready statesrdquo by sup-porting a coordinated and comprehensiveinfrastructure for early childhood integratingdata systems and supporting evaluation effortsto inform decisions and holding decision-makers and stakeholders accountable formeasurable results Finally governors can pro-vide flexibility to local communities to matchresources with needs in exchange for positivechild outcomes

Achieving school readiness cannot be accom-plished by any single agency or individual Itrequires public-private partnerships andstrong leadership from governors Workingtogether with communities schools and fami-lies states can continue to build the founda-tion for all childrenrsquos bright futures


CONCLUSION


The task force wants tothank these individualsfrom the research andpolicy communitieswho contributed theirtime expertise and input

Thabiti Anyabwilesenior associateCenter for the Study of Social Policy

Julie Bosland program directorInstitute for Youth Education andFamilies National League of Cities

Elizabeth Burke-Bryant executive director Rhode IslandKIDS COUNT

Shannon Christian associatecommissioner Child Care BureauAdministration for Children andFamilies US Department of Healthand Human Services

Julie Cohen senior policy analystZERO TO THREE NationalCenter for Infants Toddlers andFamilies

Dawn Denno consultant Officeof Early Childhood Education OhioDepartment of Education

Linda Espinosa associate professor Department of LearningTeaching and CurriculumUniversity of Missouri-Columbia

Mark Ginsberg executive director National Association for the Education of Young Children(NAEYC)

Anne Goldstein director StatePolicy Initiatives ZERO TOTHREE National Center forInfants Toddlers and Families

Marilou Hyson associate executive director ProfessionalDevelopment NAEYC

Sharon Lynn Kagan directorOffice of Policy and Research andassociate dean for policy TeachersCollege Columbia University

Jane Knitzer director NationalCenter for Children in Poverty

Joan Lombardi director TheChildrenrsquos Project

Erica Lurie-Hurvitz director ofpublic policy ZERO TO THREENational Center for Infants Toddlersand Families

Jana Martella director EarlyChildhood and Family EducationCouncil of Chief State School Officers

Kelly Maxwell research investiga-tor Frank Porter Graham ChildDevelopment Institute University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill

Ruth Mayden director Programfor Families with Young ChildrenDivision of System and ServiceReform Annie E Casey Foundation

Sam Meisels president EriksonInstitute

Matthew Melmed executivedirector ZERO TO THREENational Center for Infants Toddlers and Families

Susan Neuman director of dis-semination and national leadershipCenter for the Improvement of EarlyReading Achievement University ofMichigan

Robert Pianta professor of education Curry School ofEducation University of Virginia

Peter Pizzolongo assistantdirector Professional DevelopmentNAEYC

Michele Plutro education specialist Head Start BureauAdministration for Children andFamilies US Department of Healthand Human Services

Karen Ponder executive directorNorth Carolina Partnership forChildren

Craig Ramey director Center forHealth and Behavior GeorgetownUniversity

Adele Robinson senior directorPublic Policy and CommunicationsNAEYC

Lawrence J Schweinhart president HighScope EducationalResearch Foundation

Catherine Scott-Little assistantprofessor human development andfamily studies School of Humanand Environmental SciencesUniversity of North Carolina atGreensboro

Timothy Shanahan directorCenter for Literacy University ofIllinois at Chicago

Ann Segal former consultant tothe Annie E Casey Foundation

Ruby Takanishi presidentFoundation for Child Development

CONTRIBUTORS


1 Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development Board on Children Youth andFamilies National Research Council and Institute of Medicine From Neurons to Neighborhoods TheScience of Early Childhood Development ed Jack P Shonkoff and Deborah A Phillips (WashingtonDC National Academy Press 2000) 182-218

2 Ibid 5

3 James J Heckman ldquoPolicies to Foster Human Capitalrdquo JCPR Working Paper 154 (Chicago IllNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research 2000)

4 Sharon Lynn Kagan et al Reconsidering Childrenrsquos Early Development and Learning Toward CommonViews and Vocabulary (Washington DC National Education Goals Panel 1995)

5 Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development and Commission onBehavioral and Social Sciences and Education National Research Council Committee on EarlyChildhood Pedagogy Eager to Learn Educating our Preschoolers ed Barbara T Bowman et al(Washington DC National Academy Press 2001)

6 Nicholas Zill and Jerry West Entering Kindergarten A Portrait of American Children When They BeginSchoolmdashFindings from the Condition of Education 2000 NCES 2001-035 (Washington DC USGovernment Printing Office 2001)

7 Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development 5

8 Rima Shore Ready Schools A Report of the Goal 1 Ready Schools Resource Group (Washington DCNational Education Goals Panel 1998) 6

9 Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development 1-16

10 T Hawley Starting Smart How Early Experience Affect Brain Development (Washington DC ZEROTO THREE and The Ounce of Prevention Fund 2000) and Caroline Leavitt et al ldquoGood NutritionmdashThe Imperative for Positive Developmentrdquo in Well-Being Positive Development Across the Life Courseed Marc Bornstein et al (Mahwah NJ Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc 2003) 35-49

11 L N Masse and W S Barnett ldquoA Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Abecedarian Early ChildhoodInterventionrdquo in Cost Effectiveness and Educational Policy ed H Levin and P McEwan (LarchmontNY Eye on Education 2002) 157-76 W S Barnett Lives in the Balance Age 27 Benefit-Cost Analysisof the HighScope Perry Preschool Program (Ypsilanti Mich HighScope Press 1996) and A ReynoldsJ Temple D Robertson and E Mann Age 21 Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Title I Chicago Child-ParentCenter Program (Madison Wis Waisman Institute University of Wisconsin 2001) 157-76

12 US Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics National Assessment ofEducational Progress The Nationrsquos Report Card Reading Highlights 2003 (Washington DC 2003) 13

13 Valerie E Lee and David T Burkham Inequality at the Starting Gate Social Background Differences inAchievement as Children Begin School (Washington DC Economic Policy Institute 2002) 21-22

14 Ibid

NOTES


15 Kristin Anderson Moore and Zakia Redd ldquoChildren in Poverty Trends Consequences and PolicyOptionsrdquo Child Trends Research Brief Publication No 2002-54 (Washington DC Child TrendsNovember 2002)

16 US Census Bureau ldquoTable POV01 Age and Sex of All People Family Members and UnrelatedIndividuals Iterated by Income-to-Poverty Ratio and Racerdquo Current Population Survey 2003 AnnualSocial and Economic Supplement (Washington DC 2004) athttpferretblscensusgovmacro032003povnew01_100htm

17 Martha J Cox and Kristina S M Harter ldquoParent-Child Relationshiprdquo in Well-Being PositiveDevelopment Across the Life Course ed Marc Bornstein et al (Mahwah NJ Lawrence ErlbaumAssociates Inc 2003) 191-204

18 Ibid

19 Committee on Family and Work Policies Board on Children Youth and Families National ResearchCouncil and Institute of Medicine Working Families and Growing Kids Caring for Children andAdolescents ed Eugene Smolensky and Jennifer Appleton Gootman (Washington DC NationalAcademy Press 2003) 3-1-3-3

20 Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics Americarsquos Children Key National Indicatorsof Well-Being 2002 (Washington DC US Government Printing Office 2002) 10

21 National Institute of Child Health and Development Early Child Care Research Network ldquoChild CareStructure to Process to Outcome Direct and Indirect Effects of Child Care Quality on YoungChildrenrsquos Developmentrdquo Psychological Science 12 (2002) 199-206

22 Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development

23 A Reynolds et al ldquoLong-Term Effects of an Early Childhood Intervention on EducationalAchievement and Juvenile Arrest A 15-Year Follow-up of Low-Income Children in Public SchoolsrdquoJournal of the American Medical Association 285 No 18 (May 9 2001) and F A Campbell et alldquoEarly Childhood Education Young Adult Outcomes from the Abecedarian Projectrdquo AppliedDevelopmental Science 6 (2002) 42-57

24 Linda Espinosa ldquoHigh Quality Preschool Why We Need It and What It Looks Likerdquo NIEER PolicyBrief (Rutgers NJ National Institute for Early Education Research 2002)

25 Joan Lombardi Time to Care Redesigning Child Care to Promote Education Support Families andBuild Communities (Philadelphia Pa Temple University Press 2003) 8-9

26 Ibid

27 S L Kagan and E Rigby ldquoState Policies that Work Improving The Readiness of Children for SchoolrdquoPolicy Matters Project Brief No 2 (Washington DC Center for the Study of Social Policy 2003) 3

28 Arthur Rolnick and Robert Grunewald ldquoEarly Childhood Development Economic Development witha High Public Returnrdquo Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Fed Gazette (March 2003) 10

29 Heckman

30 For more information see M Flynn and C Hayes Blending and Braiding Funds to Support EarlyCare and Education Initiatives (Washington DC The Finance Project 2003)


31 S L Wagner ldquoAssessment in the Early Childhood Classroom Asking the Right Questions Acting onthe Answersrdquo Applied Research in Child Development no 4 (fall 2003) 4

32 National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Association of EarlyChildhood Specialists in State Departments of Education Early Childhood Curriculum Assessmentand Program Evaluation Building an Effective Accountable System in Programs for Children Birththrough Age 8mdashJoint Position Statement of the National Association for the Education of YoungChildren and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education(Washington DC National Association for the Education of Young Children and the NationalAssociation of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education 2003) athttpnaeycorgaboutpositionsasp

33 Robert C Pianta and M Kraft-Sayre Successful Kindergarten Transition Your Guide to ConnectingChildren Families amp Schools (Baltimore Md National Center for Early Development and LearningPaul Brookes Publishing Co 2003)

34 Shore

35 Pianta and Kraft-Sayre 3

36 Ibid

37 Ibid

38 D A Bruns and R M Corso ldquoWorking with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Familiesrdquo Eric Digestno ED455972 (Champaign Ill ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood EducationAugust 2001) at httpwwwericdigestsorg2002-2diversehtm

39 Anna Lovejoy ldquoAligning the Goals of Preschool and K-12rdquo Governors Forum on Quality PreschoolBriefing Papers (Washington DC National Governors Association Center for Best Practices 2003)

40 Marielle Bohan-Baker and Priscilla M D Little The Transition to Kindergarten A Review of CurrentResearch and Promising Practices to Involve Families (Boston Mass Harvard Family Research ProjectApril 2002) 2-3

41 Ibid

42 National Institute for Early Education Research Percent of Population Ages 3 and 4 Who are Enrolledin School Census 2000 (New Brunswick NJ National Institute for Early Education Research 2004)at httpnieerorgresourcesfactsindexphpFastFactID=10

43 Shore 9

44 Catherine Scott-Little et al Standards for Preschool Childrenrsquos Learning and Development Who HasThem How Were They Developed and How Are They Used (Greensboro NC SERVE 2003)

45 National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Association of EarlyChildhood Specialists in State Departments of Education Early Learning Standards Creating theConditions for SuccessmdashA Joint Position Statement of the National Association for the Education ofYoung Children and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments ofEducation (Washington DC National Association for the Education of Young Children and theNational Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education 2002) athttpnaeycorgaboutpositionsasp


46 Ibid

47 Susan Neuman et al The State of State Prekindergarten Standards in 2003 (Ann Arbor Mich Centerfor the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement 2003) athttpwwwcieraorglibraryarchive2003-01indexhtm

48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid

50 Pianta and Kraft-Sayre

51 J Brooks-Gunn et al eds Neighborhood Poverty (New York NY Russell Sage Foundation 1997)

52 C Katz et al Strengthening Families in Americarsquos Cities Early Childhood Development (WashingtonDC National League of Cities 2003)

53 Katz et al

54 Cox and Harter 199

55 Ibid 191-204

56 D S Gomby et al eds ldquoHome Visiting Recent Program Evaluationsrdquo Future of Children 9 (1999) 1

57 Center for the Study of Social Policy ldquoState Policies that Work Improving the Economic Success ofFamilies Policy Matters Project Policy Brief No 1 (2003) 1

58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau

60 R Chalk et al ldquoThe Multiple Dimensions of Child Abuse and Neglect New Insights into an OldProblemrdquo Child Trends Research Brief (Washington DC Child Trends May 2002)

61 Cindy Oser and Julie Cohen Americarsquos Babies The ZERO TO THREE Policy Center Data Book(Washington DC ZERO TO THREE Press 2003)

62 S K Ahluwalia et al ldquoSymptoms of Depression Among Welfare Recipients A Concern for TwoGenerationsrdquo Child Trends Research Brief (Washington DC Child Trends December 2001)

63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16

66 R M Santos and M M Ostrosky ldquoUnderstanding the Impact of Language Differences on ClassroomBehaviorrdquo What Works Issue Brief No 2 (Champaign Ill Center on the Social and EmotionalFoundations for Early Learning 2004)

67 Ibid

68 Kagan et al Reconsidering Childrenrsquos Early Development and Learning



70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam

72 Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development and Commission onBehavioral and Social Sciences and Education

73 Ibid

74 Ibid

75 Jerry West Kristin Denton and Elvie Germino-Hausken Americarsquos Kindergartners Findings from theEarly Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 NCES 2001-070R (WashingtonDC US Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics 2001)

76 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices The First Three Years A Governorrsquos Guide toEarly Childhood (Washington DC National Governors Association Center for Best Practices 2000)at httpwwwngaorgcenterdivisions11188C_ISSUE_BRIEF^D_163100html

77 West et al

78 Rebecca Parlakian Before the ABCrsquos Promoting School Readiness in Infants and Toddlers(Washington DC ZERO TO THREE 2003)

79 ZERO TO THREE Heart Start The Emotional Foundations of School Readiness (Washington DCZERO TO THREE 1992)

80 Kagan et al Reconsidering Childrenrsquos Early Development and Learning and C Raver ldquoEmotionsMatter Making the Case for the Role of Young Childrenrsquos Emotional Development for Early SchoolReadinessrdquo Social Policy Report XVI no 3 (2002) at httpwwwsrcdorgsprhtml

81 Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

82 Ibid


84 C A Kusche and M T Greenberg ldquoPATHS in Your Classroom Promoting Emotional Literacy andAlleviating Emotional Distressrdquo in Social Emotional Learning and the Elementary School Child AGuide for Educators ed J Cohen (New York NY Teachers College Press in press)

85 Jane Knitzer ldquoUsing Mental Health Strategies to Move the Early Childhood Agenda and PromoteSchool Readinessrdquo in Starting Points Meeting the Needs of Our Youngest Children (New York NYCarnegie Corporation for New York and the National Center for Children in Poverty 2000)


87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian

91 G Reid Lyon and Vinita Chhabra ldquoThe Science of Reading Researchrdquo Educational Leadership 61 no6 (March 2004) 16

92 Dorothy Strickland and Timothy Shanahan ldquoLaying the Groundwork for Literacyrdquo EducationalLeadership 61 no 6 (March 2004) 75

93 National Research Council Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children (Washington DCNational Academy Press 1998) S B Neuman and K Roskos ldquoAccess to Print for Children of PovertyDifferential Effects of Adult Mediation and Literacy-Enriched Play Setting on Environmental andFunctional Print Tasksrdquo American Education Research Journal 30 951-22

94 Lyon and Chhabra and C J Lonigan ldquoDevelopment and Promotion of Emergent Literacy Skills inChildren at Risk of Reading Difficultiesrdquo in Preventing and Remediating Reading DifficultiesBringing Science to Scale ed Barbara R Foorman (Baltimore Md York Press 2003) 23-50

95 Marilou Hyson et al ldquoBringing Developmental Theory and Research into the Early ChildhoodClassroom Thinking Emotions and Assessment Practicesrdquo in Handbook of Child Psychology 6th edIV (forthcoming)

96 West et al

97 Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics 10

98 Suzanne M Bianchi ldquoMaternal Employment and Time with Children Dramatic Change or SurprisingContinuityrdquo Demography 37 no 4 (2000) 139-54 at httpnieerorgdocsindexphpDocID=48

99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid

101 Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics ldquoTable POP8A Child Care Percentage ofChildren from Birth Through Age 6 Not Yet in Kindergarten by Type of Care Arrangement andChild and Family Characteristics 1995 and 2001rdquo

102 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development The NICHD Study of Early Child Care(Washington DC April 2001)

103 Espinosa

104 Institute for a Child Care Continuum at Bank Street College of Education Frequently AskedQuestions About Kith and Kin Care (New York NY Institute for a Child Care Continuum at BankStreet College of Education 2004) at httpwwwbankstreetedugemsICCCFinalFAQpdf

105 Ibid

106 Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics

107 Lombardi 8-9

108 John M Love et al Making a Difference in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers and Their Families TheImpacts of Early Head Start (Princeton NJ Mathematica Policy Research Inc 2002) athttpwwwacfdhhsgovprogramscoreongoing_researchehsehs_reportshtmlmaking



109 Marcy Whitebook et al NAEYC Accreditation as a Strategy for Improving Child Care Quality(Washington DC National Center for the Early Childhood Work Force 1997)

110 Elisabeth Wright ldquoThe Case for Quality Preschoolrdquo Governorsrsquo Forum on Quality Preschool BriefingPapers (Washington DC National Governors Association Center for Best Practices December2003)

111 W Steven Barnett et al The State of Preschool 2004 State Preschool Yearbook (New Brunswick NJNational Institute for Early Education Research 2004)

112 Rachel Schumacher et al Meeting Great Expectations Integrating Early Education ProgramStandards in Child Care (Washington DC Center for Law and Social Policy 2003)

113 Joan Lombardi et al Building Bridges from Prekindergarten to Infants and Toddlers A PreliminaryLook at Issues in Four States (Washington DC The Trust for Early Education and ZERO TOTHREE 2004)

114 Cindy Oser and Julie Cohen Improving Part C Early Intervention Using What We Know AboutInfants and Toddlers with Disabilities to Reauthorize Part C of IDEA (Washington DC ZERO TOTHREE Policy Center 2003)

115 Ibid

116 According to the National Center for Children in Poverty the number of children below age five infoster care has increased by 110 percent compared with a 50-percent increase for all children CherylDicker et al ldquoPromoting the Emotional Well-Being of Children and Familiesrdquo Policy Paper No 2Improving the Odds for the Healthy Development of Young Children in Foster Care (New YorkNational Center for Children in Poverty January 2002) 3

117 Ibid 5

118 Linda McCart and Charles Bruner Child Welfare and School Readiness Making the Link forVulnerable Children (Des Moines Iowa State Early Childhood Policy Assistance Network June 2003)8-9 at httpwwwfinebynineorgpdfCWSRpdf

119 Ibid and M Dozier and M Manni ldquoRecognizing the Special Needs of Infantsrsquo and Toddlersrsquo FosterParents Development of a Relational Interventionrdquo Zero to Three Bulletin 22 (2002) 7-13

Hall of the States 444 North Capitol Street Suite 267 Washington DC 20001-1512 2026245300wwwngaorg

Copyright copy 2005 by the National Governors AssociationAll rights reserved

ISBN 1-55877-369-X


Foreword iii

Acknowledgements iv

Executive Summary 1


Introduction 11

Ready States 15

Ready Schools 19


Ready Families 23

Ready Children 25

Conclusion 32

Contributors 33

Notes 34


for Bright Futures
















iii

F O R E W O R D





























ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS





Core Principles







EXECUTIVE SUMMARY






Ready States



What States Can Do







3





What States Can Do






What States Can Do






Ready Schools



What States Can Do






What States Can Do





What States Can Do







Ready Communities



What States Can Do




What States Can Do




What States Can Do




Ready Families



What States Can Do







What States Can Do






What States Can Do





Ready Children



What States Can Do












What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5





Foreword iii

Acknowledgements iv

Executive Summary 1


Introduction 11

Ready States 15

Ready Schools 19


Ready Families 23

Ready Children 25

Conclusion 32

Contributors 33

Notes 34


for Bright Futures
















iii

F O R E W O R D





























ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS





Core Principles







EXECUTIVE SUMMARY






Ready States



What States Can Do







3





What States Can Do






What States Can Do






Ready Schools



What States Can Do






What States Can Do





What States Can Do







Ready Communities



What States Can Do




What States Can Do




What States Can Do




Ready Families



What States Can Do







What States Can Do






What States Can Do





Ready Children



What States Can Do












What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5



















iii

F O R E W O R D





























ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS





Core Principles







EXECUTIVE SUMMARY






Ready States



What States Can Do







3





What States Can Do






What States Can Do






Ready Schools



What States Can Do






What States Can Do





What States Can Do







Ready Communities



What States Can Do




What States Can Do




What States Can Do




Ready Families



What States Can Do







What States Can Do






What States Can Do





Ready Children



What States Can Do












What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5
































ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS





Core Principles







EXECUTIVE SUMMARY






Ready States



What States Can Do







3





What States Can Do






What States Can Do






Ready Schools



What States Can Do






What States Can Do





What States Can Do







Ready Communities



What States Can Do




What States Can Do




What States Can Do




Ready Families



What States Can Do







What States Can Do






What States Can Do





Ready Children



What States Can Do












What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5







Core Principles







EXECUTIVE SUMMARY






Ready States



What States Can Do







3





What States Can Do






What States Can Do






Ready Schools



What States Can Do






What States Can Do





What States Can Do







Ready Communities



What States Can Do




What States Can Do




What States Can Do




Ready Families



What States Can Do







What States Can Do






What States Can Do





Ready Children



What States Can Do












What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5







Ready States



What States Can Do







3





What States Can Do






What States Can Do






Ready Schools



What States Can Do






What States Can Do





What States Can Do







Ready Communities



What States Can Do




What States Can Do




What States Can Do




Ready Families



What States Can Do







What States Can Do






What States Can Do





Ready Children



What States Can Do












What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5






What States Can Do






What States Can Do






Ready Schools



What States Can Do






What States Can Do





What States Can Do







Ready Communities



What States Can Do




What States Can Do




What States Can Do




Ready Families



What States Can Do







What States Can Do






What States Can Do





Ready Children



What States Can Do












What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5





Ready Schools



What States Can Do






What States Can Do





What States Can Do







Ready Communities



What States Can Do




What States Can Do




What States Can Do




Ready Families



What States Can Do







What States Can Do






What States Can Do





Ready Children



What States Can Do












What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5








Ready Communities



What States Can Do




What States Can Do




What States Can Do




Ready Families



What States Can Do







What States Can Do






What States Can Do





Ready Children



What States Can Do












What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5





Ready Families



What States Can Do







What States Can Do






What States Can Do





Ready Children



What States Can Do












What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5






What States Can Do





Ready Children



What States Can Do












What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5








What States Can Do







What States Can Do







What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5






What States Can Do


















11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5













11

INTRODUCTION




for Bright Futures























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5


























13





















15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5
























15

READY STATES



















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5




















17















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5


















19

READY SCHOOLS





















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5






















21











READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5














READY COMMUNITIES



READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5




READY FAMILIES









23



















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5




















25

READY CHILDREN






















27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5























27

















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5




















29













31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5
















31





CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5








CONCLUSION


































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5





































CONTRIBUTORS



2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5






2 Ibid 5












14 Ibid

NOTES





18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5








18 Ibid








26 Ibid



29 Heckman






34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5








34 Shore


36 Ibid

37 Ibid




41 Ibid


43 Shore 9




46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5





46 Ibid


48 Shore 12-16

49 Ibid




53 Katz et al


55 Ibid 191-204



58 Moore and Redd

59 US Census Bureau




63 Ibid


65 Ibid 1-16


67 Ibid




70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5






70 S L Wagner 4

71 Lee and Burkam


73 Ibid

74 Ibid



77 West et al





82 Ibid





87 West et al 46


89 West et al 46

90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5




90 Parlakian






96 West et al



99 Lombardi 8-9

100 Ibid



103 Espinosa


105 Ibid


107 Lombardi 8-9










115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5











115 Ibid


117 Ibid 5




final report - fcd-us.org › assets › 2016 › 04 › bright... · final report of the nga task...

Documents