Universal preschool, once a dream, is on the slow and steady path to becoming a reality in San Mateo County. A dedicated group of San Mateo County professionals, representing early childhood development, schools, nonprofits, city and county government--a subcommittee of the Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council (PPLC) and its Big Lift initiative--have been meeting twice a month since last August to develop a model for assuring two years of high-quality preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds in San Mateo County.

The strategic goal of the Big Lift is to get 80 percent of students reading at grade level by third grade by 2020. Toward that end, the committee, headed by Michael Garb of the PPLC and the First 5 Commission, and Jeanie McLoughlin, director, Early Learning Support Services at the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE), is scheduled to present their model preschool plan to the San Mateo

 County Board of Supervisors in January 2014.

The short-term goal is to target communities where third-grade reading proficiency is below the countywide average of 58 percent, and within those communities prioritize children who are most at risk, typically English language learners and those from low-income families.

"We know that for children who have not attended a high-quality preschool there's a readiness gap when they come to kindergarten, and that gap only widens over time," says McLoughlin. "One of the key purposes of the Big Lift and the preschool initiative in particular is to close that opportunity gap."

Learn more about the plan here.

In September 2013, a new model early childhood education program opened at the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) Tower Road facility in San Mateo. Serving toddlers and preschoolers, the newly licensed program brings together typically developing children and children with special needs, and teachers trained to serve both populations.

"We began planning last May and our long-term vision is to create a lab school that will be a model to show what inclusion in early childhood education can look like," says Maryanne Patterson, State Preschool Program Manager at SMCOE. The program employs a collaborative model where teachers plan the curriculum together and co-teach. Children with special needs rotate into the regular classroom and benefit from circle time, outdoor play, art activities and meals together.

"Young children are typically accepting of other kids no matter what their abilities are," says Patterson. "This program promotes inclusion and acceptance, and gives kids the opportunity to have a longer exposure with each other."

The program grew out of a mandate from the federal government under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide a more natural environment for children with special needs along with the requirement that at least 10 percent of enrollment in Head Start include children with special needs. The Institute for Human and Social Development, a Head Start grantee in San Mateo, is a subcontractor with this program providing enrollees for the Tower Road program.

The new program meant fulfilling multiple licensing requirements and significant training for both the Tower Road staff and the Head Start staff. Working with families on school readiness and parent engagement is yet another component of the program. "Everyone is very excited about this new model," notes Patterson, "and we hope to expand it soon." Down the road, the model could be used at other school sites that currently serve both typically developing children and those with special needs in separate programs.