Corbett Administration Awards $2.7 Million in Early Childhood Education Community Innovation Zone Grants
 
The Corbett Administration is awarding nearly $2.7 million in Early Childhood Education Community Innovation Zone Grants to 12 communities to expand local programs that help bridge the achievement gap for at-risk young children, the Pennsylvania Departments of Public Welfare (DPW) and Education (PDE) announced on October 6, 2014.
 
"This grant will provide communities with much-needed funding to expand their successes and ensure children are entering kindergarten ready to learn," Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq said. "Preparing students for school success requires collaboration of the family, school and community. We all want our children to succeed, and we all can play a part in building a bright future for our students."
 
The grants will target innovations for individual at-risk communities serving select elementary schools.
 
Grantees will receive up to $75,000 annually to build upon and expand successful programs to connect early childhood providers, families and schools. Grantees include: school districts, nonprofit organizations, universities, social services agencies, foundations and early childhood education programs.
 
Each grant recipient will partner with other schools, early childhood and community organizations serving children, and families near the target elementary school.
 
"What's unique about these grants is their laser focus on individual at-risk elementary schools," DPW Secretary Bev Mackereth said. "Grantees can intensify and expand their successful programs and receive more intensive state supports and assistance. These grants are almost incubators to learn more about what's working and how we can make these successes a reality for similar communities throughout the commonwealth."
 
The Early Childhood Education Community Innovation Zone Grants are part of Pennsylvania's Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant. In December 2013, Pennsylvania was awarded the $51.7 million grant. This grant builds upon Pennsylvania's successes to provide high-quality early learning opportunities to close the achievement gap for at-risk children such as those in low-income families, English language learners, children with disabilities and developmental delays, and children experiencing homelessness.
 
Pennsylvania will award 38 additional three-year grants in 2015-16. 
 
This initiative is part of Pennsylvania's Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grant. For more information on other initiatives funded by this grant, visit the Department of Education website.
 
A list of grant recipients is below. The grants cover the period of Oct. 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015. 

1. Allegheny County - Pittsburgh Public Schools, serving Pittsburgh Arsenal Elementary School (Pittsburgh Public Schools) - $75,000
2. Allegheny County - Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children, serving Faison Elementary School (Pittsburgh Public Schools) - $75,000
3. Chester County - Chester County Intermediate Unit, serving Jordan Bank Elementary School (Oxford Area SD) - $75,000
4. Dauphin County - The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, serving Downey and Foose elementary schools (Harrisburg SD) - $74,830
5. Fayette County - Private Industry Council of Westmoreland / Fayette, Inc., serving Masontown Elementary School (Albert-Gallatin Area SD) - $70,287
6.  Greene County - Community Action Southwest, serving Jefferson-Morgan Elementary School (Jefferson-Morgan SD) - $75,000
7. Lebanon County - Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13, serving Northwest Elementary School (Lebanon SD) - $75,000
8. Luzerne County - Greater Nanticoke Area School District, serving KM Smith and Kennedy elementary schools (Greater Nanticoke Area SD) - $27,738
9. Montgomery County - Pottstown School District, serving Barth, Franklin, Lincoln, Rupert elementary schools - $75,000
10. Philadelphia County - Drexel University, serving Alain Locke, McMichael Morton, Samuel Powell, Martha Washington elementary schools (Philadelphia SD) - $74,914
11. Philadelphia County - Parent Power (What Will You Do With Yours?), serving General George Meade Elementary School (Philadelphia SD) - $73,316
12. Venango County - Child Development Centers, Inc., serving Hasson Heights Elementary School (Oil City Area SD) - $75,000  

 

More than 250 schools in 26 school districts have registered teachers to be able to use Pennsylvania's Kindergarten Entry Inventory. The tool provides a snapshot of children's skill levels as they enter kindergarten this year. Download a list of participating schools.

Pennsylvania's Kindergarten Entry Inventory is a reliable reporting tool that provides a consistent statewide measure to identify a child's cognitive and non-cognitive skill levels and evaluate aggregate data for better P-3 alignment. As part of the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant, the Inventory is available to all Pennsylvania schools at no cost. The Kindergarten Entry Inventory is not designed as a high stakes assessment for comparison among early childhood programs, of teacher effectiveness or for placement of children. Download an infographic for more information. 

Using the Kindergarten Entry Inventory, teachers observe and report a child's skills in the first 45 calendar days on 30 standards-based indicators that address cognitive and non-cognitive skills. These indicators directly align with the Pre-Kindergarten Early Learning Outcomes Framework.  Having a comprehensive picture of the strengths and needs of students and classroom trends, teachers can adjust their instruction, access resources and professional development, and partner with families to meet the unique needs of their students.

 

This touchpoint of a child's skills when they enter kindergarten provides an opportunity for families, teachers, schools and communities to work together to improve student achievement. For example, schools and early childhood programs can evaluate aggregate information to align expectations, curriculum, professional development and family involvement to best prepare students for kindergarten.

This initiative is part of Pennsylvania's Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grant. For more information on other initiatives funded by this grant, visit the Department of Education website.

Radio show guest shares mimicking, modeling and their role in early learning

The October 3 Quality Early Learning Radio welcomed librarian Darlene Marshall from the Mengle Memorial Library in Brockway, who shared how young children learn through mimicking or modeling the actions of those around them.

  

Also discussed was the research of Dr. Jill Stamm to prevent dyslexia, as well as the "Brain Boxes" containing toys, books and other activities developed by Dr. Stamm and used by parents with their children when they visit the Mengle library.

 

The show is part of the Ask the Expert series broadcast every other Friday morning on WCED 1420 AM, 96.7 and 107.9 FM in DuBois and www.wcedradio.com. Past episodes include spotlighting early education and money saved.

Listen to the October 3 Quality Early Learning Radio.