Pre Kindergarten

High quality prekindergarten programs for all California children is a major policy initiative for the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA). CCSESA provides technical assistance and policy development to extend efforts for building leadership, advocacy, and capacity towards the goal of statewide universal prekindergarten for California's young children.

The 2006 - 2010 project is funded by The Packard Foundation and expands CCSESA's efforts focusing on:


  1. Working with statewide prekindergarten partners to extend collaboration on policy and funding issues for high-quality prekindergarten programs;
  2. Strengthening the prekindergarten organizational and advocacy capacity of County Superintendents, in addition to Education Coalition members;
  3. Coordinating the development and dissemination of prekindergarten planning resources on a county and statewide basis; and
  4. Building partnerships to improve prekindergarten systems.

CCSESA continues to work closely with statewide partners on developing policy strategies and on disseminating prekindergarten research, data, funding information, and technical assistance resources.

Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory Committee

The Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory Committee, established by Senate Bill 1629 (Chapter 307, Statutes of 2008), co-chaired by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell and Secretary of Education Glen Thomas, is charged with developing policy and an implementation plan for improving the quality of early education programs. 

2009 Committee Meeting Dates and Materials:

  1. June 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  2. August 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  3. October 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  4. December 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
     
  5. 2009 Interim Report

2010 Advisory Committee dates

Additional information including a list of Advisory Committee Members can be found on the California Department of Education's website.

Resources & Publications

County

  1. 2008 Matrix of PreK Programs Administered/Operated by County Offices of Education

State

  1.  California Department of Education Resources
    1. P-16 Council Report and Achievement Gap resources
    2. Preschool Learning Foundations
    3. CDE-Child Development Division Resources
    4. Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory    Committee Webpage
  2.  California Preschool Instructional Network
  3.  Preschool California
  4.  First 5 California and First 5 Association
  5.  California School Boards Association
    1. CSBA State and Federal Preschool/Early Learning Landscape Webinar (March 2009)
    2. CSBA-CCSESA Webinar Archive 06-27-2008: Preschool Learning Foundations & the Board's Role
  6. California Head Start Association 
  7. County and Local PreK Planning Resources
  8. Ready for K with ESEA

National

  1. RAND "California Preschool Study"
    1. Study 1- Who Is Ahead and Who Is Behind? Gaps in School Readiness and Student Achievement in the Early Grades for California's Children
    2. Study 2 - Early Care and Education in the Golden State
    3. Study 3 - Prepared to Learn: The Nature and Quality of Early Care and Education for Preschool-Age Children in California
    4. Study 4 - Preschool Adequacy and Efficiency in California: Issues, Policy Options, and Recommendations
  2.  PreK Now
  3.  National Institute for Early Education Research
  4.  PreK to Grade 3 Resources: Foundation for Child Development
  5. Disparities_in_Early_Learning and Development: Lessons from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort
  6. Covering the Pre-K Landscape: New Investments in Our Littlest Leaners
  7. New Beginnings: Using Federal Title I Funds to Support Local Pre-K Efforts

For more information and resources related to Pre-Kindergarten click here.

 

Staff Contact

Gaye Smoot
Assistant Executive Director
1121 L Street, Suite 510
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 446-3095
gsmoot@ccsesa.org