This document discusses strategies for advocating for universal pre-K in Forsyth County, North Carolina. It outlines messaging tailored for specific audiences to promote the benefits of pre-K, including improved educational and life outcomes for children, economic and social benefits for the community, and support for working families. It also addresses maintaining high quality standards, estimating enrollment needs, current funding sources, and a path forward to achieve universal pre-K by 2020 through a community-wide planning process.

1. September 28, 2016
Goodwill Industries of Northwest NC

2. The Road Map
I. Advocacy Strategies
II. Quality Standards
III. Funding
IV. The Way Forward

3. MAKING THE CASE …
• Universal Pre-K Benefits the Entire
Community
– For Business, Education, Faith, Community, and
Other Opinion Leaders (Grass Tops), as well as
– Parents, Grandparents, Extended Families, and
the General Public (Grass Roots)
… by Fashioning Messages
I. Advocacy Strategies

4. When it comes to ensuring children begin kindergarten with the
knowledge and skills they need, do you think NC should be doing more,
less, or is doing enough?
Source: First
Five Years
Fund, July
26-30 survey
of 500
registered
voters
I. Advocacy Strategies

5. Advocacy Campaign –
Grass roots community engagement
• A campaign to reach all households of all walks of life.
• Face-to-face, person-to-person base-building, as well as
• Text, email, Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media
• Reaching families and voters from all walks of life.
• Examples include
– Neighborhood networks and organizations
– Local school groups
– Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs)
– Adult education programs
– Houses of worship and other faith groupings
– Professional and civic organizations

6. Messaging for Specific Audiences
• Universal Pre-K will benefit children throughout
their school years and into adulthood.
• High Quality Programs are Effective –The earliest
months and years represent a critical window of
opportunity to develop a child’s full potential –
socially, cognitively, and academically.
• Pre-K Nurtures a Child’s Mind at the Most Critical
Time – In the earliest years of life, well before
entering kindergarten children develop faculties and
skills when they are most cognitively adaptive and
rapidly developing new neural pathways.

7. 1. Universal Pre-K will benefit children throughout
their school years and into adulthood (cont.)
• Benefits That Last a Lifetime –
– improved post-secondary educational attainment,
– increased
• income,
• home ownership,
• health status, and
• less contact with the criminal justice system
• Simply Take Health, as an Example–
– NC’s historic Abecedarian Project
– Four Decades of Great Outcomes
• healthier than adults who did not receive early childhood education.
• Indicators include
– lower rates of high blood pressure,
– obesity,
– hypertension,
– diabetes,
– heart disease, and
– stroke.
Messaging for Specific Audiences

8. 2. Universal Pre-K provides far-reaching economic
and social benefits to the community.
• Reduces: Remediation, enabling schools to focus on student
progress rather than redress.
• Reduces: Dropout rates, special education costs, medical costs,
and use of law enforcement, courts, and incarceration;
• Increases: Lifetime earnings and health outcomes;
• Produces: A more prepared
– citizenry,
– workforce, and
– military
Messaging for Specific Audiences

9. 3. Quality Pre-K prepares children to succeed in school.
• Increases: Social and emotional maturity.
• Increases: Math and literacy.
• Reduces: Behavior problems and special education
participation.
• Reduces: Number of children held back in school.
• Supports: All children reading and computing at
grade-level by grade 3, one of three principal goals of
our school district.
Messaging for Specific Audiences

10. 4. Quality Pre-K helps close the achievement gap.
• Closes: Achievement gaps among students of different
demographic and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Especially beneficial for minority and lower-income
households.
• Accelerates: Social-emotional development, cognitive
skills, language development, and exposure to new
words.
• The NC Pre-K Program shown to reduce the achievement
gap by 31% in math and 37% in reading.
Messaging for Specific Audiences

11. 5. Universal Pre-K supports working families.
• Reduces: Portion of $8400 /child /year burden.
• Enhances: Parenting skills by bringing families
in contact with resources that can support
parents earlier in their child’s development.
• Pre-K facilities often function as hubs for
community health and the early identification
of developmental and health issues.
Messaging for Specific Audiences

12. 6. Universal Pre-K improves public safety.
• Disrupts: School-to-prison pipeline.
• Adults who do not have a high school diploma are
three times more likely to be incarcerated than
adults who have graduated.
• Attracts: Judges, sheriffs, police chiefs, district
attorneys, court counselors, juvenile defenders, and
other public safety and justice personnel to the
Champions Table.
Messaging for Specific Audiences

13. 7. Universal Pre-K provides a significant return on
investment
• Nobel Laureate James Heckman calculates long term savings of $7 for
every $1 spent on early childhood education.
– Examples of how savings accrue:
• Decreased need for special education services
• Reduced costs for remediation
• Higher levels of educational attainment, increased earnings, and less need for
public assistance
• Decreased contact with criminal justice system
• Improved health outcomes
• Potentially greater return in NC because of high quality of the NC Pre-K
program (Thank you, Timothy Bartik, Duke University!)
Messaging for Specific Audiences

14. 8. Universal Pre-K builds upon our existing system
• Our NC Pre-K Program integrates multiple funding streams – federal
Title I & Head Start, and state NC Pre-K – under one, state-sanctioned,
evidence-informed, high quality service model.
• “The Jewel of North Carolina’s Education System,” NC Pre-K is
consistently ranked nationally as one of the top five Pre-K programs in
the country, based on meeting all the critical indicators of a high quality
program.
– High quality curriculum, high facility and material standards, low student-
teacher ratios, and highly-trained educators with sound foundational
requirements, certifications, and continuing professional development.
– Better verbal skills, more developed social-emotional skills, longer attention
spans, and other factors leading to success in school.
– Reduced remediation and of special education services.
Messaging for Specific Audiences

15. 9. Building upon our existing Pre-K system positions our
community to compete for new state and federal Pre-K funds
• Anticipates: increased state and federal funding for early childhood,
particularly Pre-K.
• In the past year alone, Congress has:
– Reauthorized Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Maternal,
Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program (MIECHV);
– Included support for early childhood education in the Every Student
Succeeds Act (ESSA), which also authorizes Preschool Development Grants
for states; and
– Appropriated nearly $1 billion in new money for Head Start and Early Head
Start.
• State legislature has restored more than $20 million in recurring, early
education investment since 2014.
• Positions Forsyth County for additional public investments as funds become
available at the state and federal.
Messaging for Specific Audiences

16. So, Let’s Get to Work …
Rallying and deploying our grass roots and grass
tops champions, and the messages they will carry!
• What are the several, interconnecting paths forward to produce,
disseminate, and respond to our messages and potential counter-
messages?
• How to best recruit and retain champions from all walks of life?
• Events
• Data
• Websites
• Videos
• Apps
• Print & Visual Media (free & purchased)
• More…

17. Ready, Set … Table Talk …
• What’s working for you in this argument or
case statement?
• What can strengthen the argument or the
plan?
• What kinds of resources can you or your
organization contribute in helping to make
our case?

18. II. Quality
Maintaining and Improving High Standards
While Expanding Pre-K Availability
• “Children’s experiences before they enter school
matter – research shows that children who
experience high-quality care and education, and
who enter school well prepared, are more
successful in school and later in their lives.”
(NC Foundations Task Force. 2013. p.1)

19. NC Programs and Initiatives
• North Carolina has numerous programs and
initiatives that promote children’s learning
and development.
• Although focusing on somewhat different
areas of development, all are designed to
improve the quality of programs and
services in North Carolina and, in turn,
benefit young children and their families.

20. Ensuring High-Quality
• Work group identified common components
that have been determined to characterize
high-quality programs, environments, and
experiences for young children
• To ensure high-quality experiences for
young children, there are several areas in
which Forsyth County needs to continue to
place emphasis.

21. Common Ideals
• Attract and retain teachers by helping them
to gain the specialized knowledge required
and earn degrees in early childhood
education, resulting in improved
compensation.

22. Common Ideals
• Use high-quality, research-based and
developmentally appropriate standards,
curriculum and assessments in all settings;

23. Common Ideals
• Ensure that programs engage families and
support children’s comprehensive needs;

24. Common Ideals
• Build on the use of existing state systems to
deliver preschool programs in high-quality
child care, Head Start, and school settings.

25. Component: Curriculum
• The National Association for the Education of
Young Children (NAEYC) describes a curriculum
for young children as an “organized framework”
that delineates the following:
– The content that children are to learn;
– The process through which children achieve the
identified curricular goals;
– What teachers do to help children achieve these goals;
and
– The context in which teaching and learning occur.”
(NAEYC, 2009).

26. Component: Curriculum
• Curriculum in preschool settings can be
defined as “everything that students learn.”
• It can be implicit or explicit, planned for or
spontaneous [and]
• Play is truly the most important part of a
curriculum for young children (Study.com, 2016)

27. Component: Curriculum
Indicators of appropriate curriculum for young
children
• Children are active and engaged;
• Goals are clear and shared by all;
• Curriculum is evidence-based;
• Valued content is learned through investigation and
focused, intentional teaching;
• Curriculum builds on prior learning and experiences;
• Curriculum is comprehensive;
• Professional standards validate the curriculum’s subject-
matter content; and
• The curriculum is likely to benefit children (NAEYC, 2009)

28. Component: Screening & Assessment
• Effective, ethical, appropriate, and reliable
screenings and assessments are a
fundamental part of a high-quality preschool
experience.
• Must be used for the purpose in which they
are intended.

29. Component: Family Engagement
Meaningful family engagement in children’s
early learning supports school readiness and
later academic success.
• Increase and support family engagement,
partnerships, and two-way communication;
• Use an evidence-based Family Engagement
Curriculum;
• Assign a Family Advocate/Educator to all Pre-K
classrooms.

30. Additional Recommendations
• Work toward a more consistent and fair
compensation system
• Support Managers’ Leadership Skills
• Provide common training for all child
development staff through a comprehensive
training plan
• Partner with local universities and colleges

31. Most Critical?
All of it!
• If we are going to provide the best possible
experience for young children and their
families in Forsyth County, then we must
include all of the components of high-
quality.
• They all work together to support children’s
growth, development and learning.

32. Table Discussion
1. Which component(s) of high-quality experiences
for young children will be most difficult for this
community to provide? Why?
2. Which component(s) of high-quality experiences
for young children will be the easiest for this
community to provide? Why?
3. How can Pre-K programs be designed and staffed
to promote parents’ involvement in their
children’s education?

33. Estimating Number of Students Served
Year Live Births
2014 4,548
2013 4,522
2012 4,624
2011 4,581
2010 4,693
Year 4-Year-Olds
2015 4,685
2016 4,695
2017 4,675
2018 4,654
2019 4,616
2020 4,448
2025 4,509
Year Kindergarten
2015-2016 4,297
2014-2015 4,621
2013-2014 4,602
2012-2013 4,514
2011-2012 4,304
2010-2011 4,398
2009-2010 3,998
Based on these data we project an age cohort of approximately 4500 children
eligible for entry into a universal Pre-K system.
III. Funding

34. Pre-K Student Eligibility
Year Enrollment
1 65% enroll
2 80% enroll
3 90% enroll
Based on this data we project an age cohort of approximately
4,500 children eligible for entry into a universal Pre-K system.
90% is 4,050
III. Funding

35. Primary Factors 4 Year Olds
Class Size 18 Pupils/class
Staffing 1 teacher & 1 teacher assistant/ class
Length of School Year 10 months
Hours of Operation 6.5 hours/day or 8 hour/day
Other factors include:
DCDEE facility and costs standards for serving 4-year old children
$8,400/student
III. Funding
Pre-K Cost Factors

36. III. Funding
Current Funding Scenario for Pre-K Programs

37. 4 Year Olds Enrollment
4,500 90% Rate 4,050
Publically Funded Currently Enrolled 1,184
Universal Pre-K To be enrolled 2,866
Pre-K Cost Calculation
COST
2,866 $8,400/student $24,074,400
III. Funding

38. Pre-K Return on Investment
Estimated $48,000 in benefits accrued to the
public per child from Pre-K participation, with
an estimated return of $7 for every dollar
invested
III. Funding

39. Pre-K Funding Options
Local Option Sales Tax
Increase or earmark local property tax revenue
Social Impact bond financing
Tax Credits
Parent Fees and Sliding Scale
III. Funding

40. Pre-K Current Funding Complexity
State Funds Federal Funds
How do we simplify? Ideas ….
III. Funding

41. Pre-K Mixed System
Private
Childcare
Give parents options? Good or not?
III. Funding

42. Impact on Current Childcare System
For Example—
Four-year-old classes help fund high cost of
caring for infants
How does Universal Pre-K impact childcare
programs?
III. Funding

43. What about the Pre-K model that serves all 4-
year-old children with sliding scale fee?
Is this a preferred model?
III. Funding

44. IV. The Way Forward
• Meetingstandardsforhighqualityprograms
• Developingauniform,comprehensivesystem
• Maintainingamixedsystemofpublic & privateproviders
• BuildingSystemCapacity
• GainingCommunity-wideSupport
• EstablishingUniformCompensationPractices
• InvolvingFamilies
• AccomplishingTransitions
• AttainingDiverseEnrollment

45. A Path to Universal Pre-K
Hold on To Your Hat
and Cell Phone … For
the Next Slide!

46. Universal Pre-K in Forsyth County by 2020

47. The Way Forward…
…will require a community-wide planning
process that includes all the parties
committed to the creation of a quality
universal Pre-K system.

48. THANK YOU
Universal Pre-K Initiative Steering Committee
Nikki Byers, Executive Director, Imprints Cares
Joe Crocker, Director, Poor and Needy Division, Kate B. Reynolds
Charitable Trust
Matt Ellinwood, Director of the Education and Law Project, North
Carolina Justice Center
Bob Feikema (convener), President & CEO, Family Services
Sharee Fowler, Director of the Department of Not-for-Profit
Management and Arts Management, Salem College
Khari Garvin, Director, Great Expectations, MDC (for KBR)
Katura Jackson, Executive Director, Work Family Resource Center
Tanya McDougal, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Forsyth County
Department of Social Services
Eva Phillips, Ready Schools Coordinator, Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County Schools
Larry Vellani, Chief Executive Director, Smart Start of Forsyth County
Jenny Whitley, Director, Teaching & Learning, Smart Start of Forsyth
County