The years between Pre–K and third grade are vital to creating the foundation for later school success. As it stands now, large numbers of children enter kindergarten without crucial learning abilities and emotional competencies, undermining their school and career prospects. These gaps continue to widen throughout early elementary school, and by third grade, children's school paths begin to diverge dramatically.
The last few decades have witnessed many attempts to reduce these gaps, often focusing on Pre–K or elementary school. Despite these efforts, successes have been modest and difficult to scale up across districts and states.
Pre–K to 3 Education: Promoting Early Success provides educational leaders and practitioners with an overarching framework and practical strategies for developing and sustaining effective PK–3 programs—programs that strengthen and effectively align instructional, family engagement, social-emotional, and after-school supports. Each of these four domains are critical for children's later school success; by coordinating powerful strategies across these domains, we can improve the odds that confront too many young children in our Pre–K and school systems.
Developing successful Pre–K to 3 initiatives
Sessions focus on elements of PK–3 initiatives that are proven drivers for early success in instruction. These components include:
- Language and literacy: data-driven instruction and increased time in the classroom on learning activities
- Curriculum alignment: strategies to help districts, administrators and teachers align curriculum across content areas and PK–3 grades.
- Family engagement: techniques for building reading, numeracy, and rich conversations into daily routines at home; involving parents in literacy-rich activities at the school; strengthening teacher-parent relationships through home visits and other approaches.
- Socio-emotional behaviors and climate: strategies for effective behavior management, strengthening self-regulation and executive functioning; and creating a positive climate in classrooms and school-wide.
- After-school: strategies for integrating in-school curricula with after-school practices, increasing participation in out-of-school programs, and partnerships with community providers of after-school activities.
- Alignment across PK to third grade: best practices for developing common planning time across grades, integrating data on children’s learning and behavior across grades.
- Integration: successful techniques for effectively layering interventions over time and for integrating school, family, and after-school interventions around important goals such as increased vocabulary.
Sessions present successful instructional approaches for English-language learners, children with disabilities, and children from diverse linguistic, immigrant, and ethnic backgrounds.
Additional sessions focus on building district-level buy-in, scale-up processes, policy supporters for PK–3, and accountability and evaluation:
- Building district- and community-level buy-in and leadership: strategies include collaborative visioning with comprehensive stakeholder involvement, building buy-in “ground up” from a small number of pilot sites, and partnering with community providers.
- Policy supports: examples include union contract supports for PK–3, blended funding strategies, and state- and federal-level policy initiatives.
- Building supports for accountability and evaluation: techniques for building data infrastructure across the PK–3 years; developing culturally sensitive assessments of children's development; assessment of teaching skills, quality of programs, and system-level change.
Examining best practices
Drawing on the latest research, case studies, and presentations from successful leaders and practitioners, institute participants examine the nuts and bolts of successful PK–3 education programs. Questions to be explored include:
- What strategies best develop effective instruction in language and literacy across these years?
- What strategies best support children’s self-regulation and socio-emotional development in PK–3?
- What are the best ways to support intensive family engagement in PK–3?
- What are emerging strategies for aligning supports across grades, across the school and after-school hours, and across developmental domains?
- What are the best ways to measure student progress and to assure accountability?
- How do I develop a theory of action for PK–3 in my school or district?
- What are the critical policy supports at the district, institutional, city, state, and federal levels for successful PK–3 implementation and scale-up?
- How can culturally anchored PK–3 be implemented for diverse populations of families and students?
- What are the best ways to engage community providers in PK–3 initiatives?
Hands-on interactive format
Hands-on, interactive format
Institute sessions use a variety of interactive formats: large-group presentations, small-group discussions, success stories from practitioners, in-depth case studies from selected districts and cities, and panels. Since full participation and preparation are required throughout the institute, participants are expected to free themselves of all work obligations during the program. The program begins mid-day on November 13 and ends mid-afternoon on the 15th.
Building a national support network
By participating in Pre–K to 3 Education: Promoting Early Success, you become part of a national network of educational practitioners, administrators and policymakers, sharing information and best practices, as well as collaborating to expand effective PK–3 programs. You will receive feedback on work you are doing in your district and learn about the latest research. In addition, post-institute consultation will be available for participating teams.
Who should attend
We strongly encourage teams of between four to eight to register with diversity in representation across the following dimensions:
District- and school-level representation (e.g., superintendent or assistant superintendent, union representative, curriculum coordinator, special educators, EL specialists, principals, teachers, parent liaison, school guidance counselor)
PK–elementary representation (teachers and administrators from different grade levels)
Content areas (district or school staff whose work focuses on language and literacy, social-emotional development, and family engagement)
Community organizations, including funders and organizations involved in school reform.
Program Schedule
The program will begin with registration at 8:00 A.M. on Thursday, November 13 and end at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 15. A complete schedule will be posted in the coming weeks.
Faculty
Richard Weissbourd, Institute Co-Chair, Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate school of Education (HGSE) and Harvard Kennedy School. His work focuses on vulnerability and resilience in childhood, the achievement gap, moral development, and effective schools and services for children.
Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Institute Co-Chair, Professor of Education, HGSE. His research focuses on the development of young children in immigrant families, and the effects of public policies (particularly anti-poverty policies and early childhood intervention) on children’s development.
Barbara Bowman, founding member and Professor of Early Childhood Education and Administration at the Erikson Institute. Bowman’s research focuses on early education, cultural diversity, and education of at-risk children. She has extensive experience working with communities and policymakers to improve outcomes for children, including chairing the Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy for the National Research Council.
Linda Espinosa, Professor Emeritus of Early Childhood Education at the University of Missouri, Columbia and former Co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. Her research and policy work focus on effective curriculum and assessment practices for young children from low-income families who are dual language learners.
Ellen Galinsky, President and Co-Founder of Families and Work Institute, Co-Director of the National Study of the Changing Workforce, Co-Director of When Work Works, Director of The Supporting Work Project, and Director of Mind in the Making. She researches and speaks across the country on work-family issues and the science of early learning.
Nonie Lesaux, Marie and Max Kargman Assistant Professor in Human Development and Urban Education Advancement, HGSE. Her research focuses on the reading development and the developmental health of children who are at risk for learning difficulties, including children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and with language difficulties.
Karen Mapp, Lecturer on Education, HGSE. Her research and practice expertise is in the areas of educational leadership and educational partnerships among schools, families, and community members. She has served as Deputy Superintendent for the Boston Public Schools for Family and Community Engagement and President of the Institute for Responsive Education.
Kathleen McCartney, Dean and Gerald Lesser Professor of Early Childhood Development, HGSE. Her research informs theoretical questions on early experience and development as well as policy questions on child care, early childhood education, poverty, and parenting.
Lisbeth Schorr, Lecturer in Social Medicine at Harvard University, Director of the Project on Effective Interventions and the Pathways Mapping Initiative, and founding Co-Chair of the Aspen Institute's Roundtable on Community Change. Her work seeks to improve outcomes for vulnerable children, youth, families and neighborhoods by helping people identify “what works.”
Ruby Takanishi, President, Foundation for Child Development. She works in partnership with the Board of Directors and staff of the Foundation to realize the Foundation's mission. She has a key role in leading the programs and managing the fiscal well-being of the Foundation. From 1986–1996, she was Executive Director of the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development. She currently serves as Treasurer on the Board of Grantmakers for Education.
Additional faculty to be announced.
General Information
Program Fee
The comprehensive program fee of $975 covers tuition, all instructional materials, some meals, and refreshments. In addition, post-institute consultation will be available for teams who attend.
The reduced program fee is made possible through generous grants form the Foundation for Child Development and the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation.
The follow-up consultation is supported by the Strategic Knowledge Fund, co-funded by the Foundation for Child Development and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Registration
Teams of four to eight are strongly encouraged to register, with diversity in representation across the district, grade level and content area.
Payment or a purchase order is due 30 days after registration. Participants are responsible for their own travel expenses; please wait for registration confirmation before making travel arrangements.
Cancellation Policy
The Harvard Graduate School of Education reserves the right to cancel the program or change faculty at its discretion. In the unlikely event of program changes, the school is not responsible for non-refundable travel arrangements or other planning costs incurred.
Accommodations
A limited number of discounted rooms are available to participants at:
Sheraton Commander Hotel
$185 per night plus tax
Call 888-627-7121 by October 22
Reference: Pre–K to 3 Institute
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