Interactive Data Tool: 10 Characteristics of Preschool-Age Children Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 9/20/2017 on 9/20/2017 With support from the Heising-Simons Foundation’s Education program, Urban Institute has developed an interactive tool that shows national, state, and local characteristics of 3- to 5-year-olds, including whether the children are enrolled in preschool, whether their families are low income, or whether their parents are immigrants. With key data points on immigration status, language spoken at home, and parental English proficiency, this tool paints a more dynamic picture of the linguistic and cultural diversity of the preschool-age population.
Tips and Resources From the Family Engagement Impact Project Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 8/4/2017 on 8/4/2017 This summer marks the conclusion of the Family Engagement Impact Project (FEIP), an investment by the Heising-Simons Foundation’s Education program totaling more than $3 million to better coordinate family engagement efforts across organizations. The project supported multiple collaborations between school districts, community organizations, and early childhood providers. Through this investment, FEIP sought to improve some of the ways communities, professionals, and parents engage in children’s learning, and to promote positive educational outcomes for low-income immigrant children from birth through age 8.
Californians Support Leading Climate and Clean Energy Policies Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 8/2/2017 on 8/2/2017 Last week, California Governor Jerry Brown signed new laws to extend a groundbreaking policy to curb climate change and to improve air quality in polluted neighborhoods. The legislation was approved by two-thirds of lawmakers with bipartisan support, continuing the state’s long tradition of practical policies that improve both the economy and the environment. These new laws …
The Effects of Transitional Kindergarten on California’s Students Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 6/28/2017 on 6/28/2017 Students who attend California’s transitional kindergarten (TK) program enter kindergarten with stronger math and literacy skills than students who did not attend TK, according to a new study released today by grantee American Institutes for Research (AIR).
2016 State of Preschool Yearbook Released Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 5/24/2017 on 5/24/2017 Student enrollment in state-funded preschool programs has reached an all-time high, according to the 2016 State of Preschool Yearbook published by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). However, access to high-quality programs still varies significantly from state to state.
The Impact of Transitional Kindergarten on English Learner Students Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 5/22/2017 on 5/22/2017 A new study released last week by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) reveals that English learner students who attend California’s transitional kindergarten program enter kindergarten with stronger English language, mathematics, and literacy skills than English learners who do not. The report, Transitional Kindergarten in California: The Impact of Transitional Kindergarten on English Learner Students, is the …
New Consensus Study Assesses the Long-term Effects of Pre-K Education Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 4/18/2017 on 4/18/2017 This week, Education grantee Brookings Institution hosted leading pre-K researchers who presented six consensus statements about the effects of pre-K education, with the goal of informing further research in this area. The consensus statements are part of a report, “The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects,” that includes the role of curriculum, challenges …
Accounting for Violence: Four Questions for Danielle Sered, Director of Common Justice Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 3/24/2017 on 3/24/2017 In Brooklyn, NY, grantee Common Justice provides wraparound services to crime victims and operates the first alternative-to-incarceration program in adult U.S. courts to focus on…
Grantee’s “Early Childhood Workforce Index” Highlighted on CBS This Morning Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 2/23/2017 on 2/23/2017 CBS This Morning recently ran a short segment highlighting the need for adequate compensation for the early childhood education workforce, citing evidence from The Early Childhood Workforce Index, a report created by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) at UC Berkley and supported by the Heising-Simons Foundation’s Education program. The Early Childhood …