PreK-3rd Initiatives in Illinois:

The New Schools Project

Chris Maxwell, DirectorErikson Institute

Chicago, IL

Presentation Agenda PreK-3rd as Reform: Why? What?

Erikson Institute’s New Schools Project

Lessons Learned from the Ground Level: What Administrative Actions Matter Most?

Discussion

Mrs. Jones is a new administrator who just took over as principal of Wildwood Academy. Her teaching background is in secondary English. Wildwood serves 420 children, PreK-8th grade. Many of the children entering the early grades are new residents of the city and from low-income family backgrounds.

Teachers are stopping by to “bend” Mrs. Jones’ ear: A 2nd grade teacher complains that all PreK and Kindergarten

must do is play - - - “Don’t those teachers know we have standards to meet here?”

The 4th grade teacher requests to have her old PreK job back. As she notes, “The 4th grade teacher was so weak our last principal shifted her to PreK and bumped me up to 4th.”

The kindergarten teachers share the student learning portfolios they keep. “These show how much progress our children really do make even though it doesn’t always show up on the district assessments.”

Are these situations that actually arise for school administrators?

What questions, or tensions, do they bring up for a principal, like Mrs. Jones, who wants to build a high quality PreK-3rd program?

PreK-3 as Reform: Why?

Educational outcomes and disparities

PreK important, but benefits may fade (Brooks-Gunn, 2003)

Multiple years of quality primary education make a difference, but often lacking: Achievement gaps increase (Reynolds, et al, 2010; Stuhlman & Pianta, 2009)

New knowledge about foundational learning (Dickinson, 2006)

PreK-3 as Reform: What? High Quality Teaching,

Learning, Assessment Aligned from PreK through 3rd Grade

Informed by Knowledge of Early Learning and Development: Relationships Active, Interactive Social, Emotional, Physical,

and Intellectual Flexible

Partnerships with Families

Collaboration and Continuous Learning Among Staff

What Value Does PreK-3 Add?

Respects PreK-3rd as unique segment of the educational continuum

Bridges the Best of Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education (K-12)

School administrators as Leaders for Change and Knowledgeable Brokers of Culture

Healthy Social Development

Teacher• Attitudes

• Knowledge

• Skills and Practices

Child

High Quality PreK-3 Classrooms

•Family and cultural connections

•Caring, inclusive community

•Developmentally supportive practices

•Intellectually challenging, content – area teaching

•Assessments as guides

Professional Development + Collaborative Coaching + Consultation

Strong School Leadership for PreK-3

PreK- 3 Professional Learning Community

Erikson Institute New

Schools Project

•Motivation, Perceived Competence to Learn

•Healthy Social Development

•High Academic Achievement

ISAT Scores - Reading

On average, 3rd graders in NSP schools gained more than 7 percentage points in reading on the 2010 ISAT compared with a CPS district average of 2 points.

Mean ISAT Reading Achievement% Meets or Exceeds

ISAT Scores - Math

On average, 3rd graders in NSP schools gained 11 percentage points in mathematics on the 2010 ISAT, compared with a CPS district average of 4 points.

Mean ISAT Mathematics Achievement% Meets or Exceeds

Other Erikson PreK-3rd Initiatives

Exploring PreK-3rd Grade: A Dialogue on Educational Reform

AUSL PreK-3rd Task Force

EME Innovations: PreK-3rd Professional Development Initiative Funded by i3

School Leadership For PreK-3rd:

What Principal Actions Matter Most?

A re-imagined vision for PreK-3rd grade:

Internalize the research-based rationale for PreK-3rd

Build up from early childhood rather than push down from the higher grades

PreK – 3rd Leadership

Invest in Resources to Support Active & Interactive Learning and Social Competence

People First Staff PreK-3rd Professional

Development

Materials and Experiences

PreK – 3rd Leadership

Know developmentally-meaningful curriculum and instruction: Use available tools to support supervision of high quality PreK-3rd practices

Build assessment systems for PreK-3rd that reflect the learning continuum

Recognize and help span the gray areas between “developmentally appropriate practice” and “rigor”

PreK – 3rd Leadership

Establish Time, Structures, Skills, and Expectations for Collaboration Teacher Teams Support Team Family Outreach (e.g.,

Home Visits) and Collaboration

PreK – 3rd Leadership

Set Policies and Practices that Promote Continuity, Flexibility, and Variability Among Children

Looping

Multi-Age Groupings

PreK – 3rd Leadership

Protect the long-term view:And then the kids came - - - then the

standards - - then NCLB . . . . ???

Funding for the New Schools Project Provided By:

Chicago Public Schools Joyce Foundation McCormick Foundation Perkins Hunter Foundation Fund at The Chicago

Community Trust. Polk Bros Foundation W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation

PreK-3 Resources: Foundation for Child Development:

www.fcd-us.org New America Foundation:

http://earlyed.newamerica.net

More Info on NSP andPreK-3rd Forum

NSP Website: http://www.erikson.edu/newschools

PreK-3rd Forum (under ‘Events’): Watch Video of Presentations Download White Paper on PreK-3rd Grade Reform Download Speaker Notes

http://www.erikson.edu/newschools/nspevents/nspprek3.aspx