The BEST Initiative will build leadership support for early childhood education within targeted Pennsylvania school districts in order to increase school board support for and funding of quality early learning programming. Two objectives are planned and will be focused on simultaneously throughout the three-year initiative:

1. Support mechanisms for existing school board members to share information with their colleagues about the benefits of quality early childhood education.
 
2. Outreach to support and educate individuals in the early learning community who are interested in learning about additional leadership opportunities within their local school districts.

A Steering Committee comprised of state organizations working with school boards, leaders in community engagement, current and former Pennsylvania school board members, PennAEYC staff, Department of Education staff and education advocates will function as the advisory board for this initiative.

Two Outreach Coordinators were hired in June 2010 and have analyzed data on Pennsylvania school districts use of resources to support early childhood programming.  Early Childhood Education programming engagement level data has been complied and school districts “scored” to determine which school districts to target for this initiative (this will be the pre-initiative rating). School Districts received a rating of low, moderate, or high engagement dependent upon the following seven (7) factors:

1. Full-day versus part-day percentage of Kindergarten classrooms
2. Percentage of ABG funding used to support Pre-Kindergarten
3. School district participation in Pre-K Counts
4. Percentage of Title 1 funding used to support early learning programming
5. School district funding for four-year-old Kindergarten
6. School district participation on community engagement transition teams
7. School district support of Head Start or child care in school buildings

School district’s engagement level “score” has been combined with the child “at-risk” level within the district using the Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s 2008-09 Reach and County Risk Assessment as an additional consideration in determining targets.  

Data from the OCDEL Reach and County Risk Assessment for FY 2008-09 shows there are approximately 280 school districts in Pennsylvania showing little to no financial support for school district pre-kindergarten programming. The BEST Initiative will target 25 percent of these 280 school districts (70 districts) and work to build that needed support by providing information and education to school board members and district administrators.

Because research consistently shows children at risk of school failure benefit from quality early learning opportunities, those districts that are located in counties categorized in the high- or moderate-risk range that currently do not financially support early childhood programming will receive preference. With the strategy of focusing on both approaches simultaneously, current school board members of targeted schools will receive education on the importance of quality early childhood programming through presentations (including district-specific cost-saving data) while efforts are made to inform emerging community leaders of  leadership opportunities within those districts.

In addition, current supportive leadership in school districts will be asked to join the school readiness effort and serve as a member to foster peer support and offer real-life illustrations of the benefits for districts that support quality early childhood programming. The mentoring effort will partner a lead early education supporter in a school district with a current school board member within the targeted districts. These mentors will be identified within the school district, school board, local AEYC affiliate chapters, community engagement teams and other leading early childhood partners. The mentoring program details will be developed by the Steering Committee and Outreach Coordinators will identify and invite mentors to participate throughout the initiative. It is the goal of the BEST Initiative to identify 15 mentors by June 2011 and another 20 by June 2012. Mentors will be identified to work within two (2) specific districts (35 total mentors to cover the 70-district target) but may expand efforts to neighboring districts if opportunities arise.

Over three years, the BEST Initiative will demonstrate success by:

1. Increasing school district early childhood programming engagement in at least one of the seven factors in 50 percent (35 of the 70) of targeted districts

2. Showing documented participation by school board members in each of the 70 targeted districts in early childhood education activities (for example: attendance at early childhood community events or transition activities)

 

3. Offering information to at least 35 individuals in the early learning community who are interested in learning about additional leadership opportunities within their local school districts

4. The development of a school board mentoring program comprised of 35 school district early childhood education leaders.