Introduction This study examines arts education access for students served by California’s district community day schools, county community schools, and juvenile court schools; which we collectively refer to as court and community schools (CCS). Although CCS serve a small percentage of the state’s school-age population and operate differently from traditional public schools, CCS students have […]
Carolina Zamora
SRI Author
Creativity Challenge: The State of Arts Education in California – Full Report
Introduction California has long maintained ambitious goals for arts education. The state Education Code requires schools to offer courses of study in four arts disciplines to all California K–12 students. In 2005/06, with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, SRI Education researchers conducted a study of arts education in California. Our goal was […]
The Role of California’s County Offices of Education and Implications for Arts Education
Introduction With support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, SRI Education conducted a statewide study examining the role County Offices of Education (COEs) play in supporting arts education in California. This study follows a 2007 study of arts education in California, An Unfinished Canvas, and its recent 2020 update, Creativity Challenge. A key finding […]
Sparking Connections: Evaluations of Mobile Messaging on Responsive Caregiving
Mobile messaging programs are a low-cost, scalable approach to building parents’ knowledge and capacity to support their children’s development. These programs directly deliver simple and straightforward information, tips, and activities that parents can incorporate into daily routines.
A Summary of PDG B-5 Grantee’s Coordinated Eligibility and Enrollment Activities and the Impact of COVID-19
In this report, we summarize the initial 23 Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) renewal states’ planned CEE activities as they were written into their grant applications in late 2019.
Using Arkansas’ Administrative Data to Inform Suspension & Expulsion Prevention Policy Implementation
Young children are suspended and expelled from early childhood education programs at high rates. Evidence indicates that this form of exclusion can have negative implications for children’s development and later school success (Adamu & Hogan, 2015; U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 2016). In response, the 2014 reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant requires states to develop policies to prevent the use of exclusionary practices in early childhood programs. As state administrators seek to implement policies that reduce suspension and expulsion, many are interested in learning how to better prepare the workforce to address the behavioral challenges that lead to suspension and expulsion (Conners et al., 2018). The administrators at the Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education (AR DCCECE), which administers the state Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to support the care of more than 3,500 children birth to age 5 each year, have implemented a set of policies and initiatives intended to support young children’s social-emotional (SE) development, reduce the use of exclusionary practices in their Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) funded programs, and promote overall child care program quality. These initiatives aim to reduce the use of exclusionary practices while giving teachers and providers the necessary tools for creating environments and interactional approaches that support positive social-emotional development.
This report summarizes the existing administrative data infrastructure and recommendations for the Arkansas Suspension and Expulsion Work Group with the next steps to support better use of administrative data. Its purpose is to inform the implementation of Arkansas’ expulsion prevention policy and the use of supports that enable providers to meet the needs of children with challenging behaviors. The recommendations in this report are based on our work with the Arkansas Suspension and Expulsion Work Group led by AR DCCECE.
Using Data to Support a Comprehensive System of Early Learning and Care in California
Early learning and care systems are housed in various agencies making it challenging for families and policymakers to assess the relationships between programs. Early childhood integrated data systems (ECIDS) offer policymakers and agencies with information so that they can make informed decisions about programs. This brief informs Californians about the value of an ECIDS and its alignment to the state’s new “cradle-to-career” data system initiative.
With support from the Heising-Simons Foundation, SRI studied lessons learned from other states’ early childhood integrated data systems (ECIDS)initiatives and analyzed the legislative opportunities in California to draft a public brief aimed to engage future stakeholders. In 2019, the California legislature approved a bill (S.B.75) which established a priority for a “cradle-to-career” data system. This initiative can be leveraged towards coordinating early learning and care systems for the youngest Californians and their families. Continuous stakeholder engagement is crucial for making an ECIDS that is useful. This brief offers national ECIDS examples and incorporates resources to learn about the system and how to become engaged in California’s initiative.
