PreK-3rd Grade Work Elevated in New Round of Race to the top – ELC

Last week, the US Departments of Education and Health and Human Services released the application for the next round of the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge program. This new round includes a notable change: implementing PreK-3^rd grade approaches to sustain gains made in preschool programs has been elevated to a competitive priority. Interested states that have not previously received a RTT-ELC grant can vie for a portion of the $280 million available.

Applicants that include the PreK-3^rd grade competitive priority in their proposals could earn up to 10 additional points, which could significantly boost their chances. In previous rounds, PreK-3^rd grade work was included only as an invitational priority. So while grantees could use a portion of their funding for this work, including it in their proposal did not earn them any points.

To meet the priority, states must develop a plan to improve the quality, alignment, and continuity of teaching and learning from preschool through third grade. The examples of acceptable activities under this priority have also expanded to include:

• improving teacher preparation and professional development programs to emphasize the developmental sciences, developmentally appropriate content, strategies for identifying and addressing the needs of children experiencing social and emotional challenges, and family engagement; and
• building or enhancing data systems to monitor children’s progress toward critical educational benchmarks in the early years and the early elementary grades.

Under the priority, states are also encouraged to focus on:

• Standards alignment from preschool through third grade, and across all domains of school readiness, including social-emotional development ;
• smoothing transitions; and
• family engagement strategies.

These are just several examples of the activities states could include in their plans. States could propose other ideas as long as they address PreK-3^rd grade quality, alignment, and continuity of teaching and learning.

We are particularly pleased to see teacher preparation and professional development programs included. Early grade teachers typically have the option of obtaining an early childhood teaching license that covers age 3 through grade 3 or an elementary teaching license that covers kindergarten through fifth grade. While preparation for each of these is vastly different, both qualify a teacher for placement in the K-3 grades. Elementary teacher prep programs typically emphasize classroom management and content focused on the later grades. Early childhood teacher prep programs emphasize family engagement, child development, strategies for teaching early readers. Regardless of the path a teacher takes they are likely missing essential knowledge and skills necessary to teach young learners. (Read more about this in Getting in Sync: Revamping Licensure and Preparation of Teachers in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and the Early Grades.)

Addressing this disparity requires improving both teacher pre-service preparation and in-service professional development.

Other changes to the application include:

• a rural-community focused competitive priority that encourages states to address the special needs of children in rural areas; and
• moving the requirement for states to have an Early Childhood Advisory Council from an eligibility requirement to a program requirement, meaning that the councils do not have to be up and running at the time of the application, but applicants would need to explain their plan to maintain or reinstate a council at least throughout the duration of the grant. Federal funding for state early childhood advisory councils ended in 2012.

The first RTT–ELC competition was held in 2011 and awarded grants to nine states: California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Washington. In 2012, the next five highest-rated states from the first round received funding: Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wisconsin.

States have until October 16 to submit their application and award will be made by the end of 2013.

Read our full coverage of the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge here.