萝莉网

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
James Minichello
703-774-6953
jminichello@aasa.org 

Resource Designed to Create Positive Change in America鈥檚 Schools

Alexandria, Va. 鈥� February 28, 2022 鈥� Today, , the nation鈥檚 leading organization for school system leadership, released a toolkit aimed at supporting all providers of early learning, especially school districts, as they embrace the significant responsibility of providing early childhood education.

Designed by , the is a resource offering actionable practices that provide educators with a gateway to explore and define ways to make a positive difference in the lives of the nation鈥檚 50 million public school children and their families.

Established in 2017, the cohort consists of a group of superintendents, central office administrators, building principals, teachers and educational leaders from across the U.S. committed to supporting school systems nationwide.

鈥淭his toolkit was created to serve as a 鈥榞o-to鈥� resource for district leaders to enact meaningful change to support and prepare their schools for success in early childhood education,鈥� said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. 鈥淓ducators must take steps to ensure bold strategies in early childhood education that will impact practices in the classroom, the community and all school levels. We thank all of our partners who contributed to this initiative.鈥�

鈥淔rom centering practice on equity and committing and providing continuous professional development for early educators, to cultivating relationships with local early childhood education partners and nurturing participation among parents, this toolkit truly aligns with the Head Start model,鈥� said Yasmina Vinci, executive director, National Head Start Association. 鈥淣o doubt, this resource will support educators in their important work to create environments where all students thrive, and all families can weather crises and reach for opportunity.鈥�

AASA鈥檚 National Panel on Early Learning鈥攖he key supporters of the toolkit鈥攊s comprised of the nation鈥檚 leading experts in the field, including the , , the , and .

鈥淔or 30 years, First Book has focused on elevating educational equity for kids from low-income families, and that starts at the earliest ages,鈥� said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO, First Book. 鈥淕iven that the challenges in early learning have significantly increased over the course of the pandemic, the need to collaborate on this critical issue has never been more important. This resource offers a framework for implementing the best early childhood education practices based on specific, local needs. Every school district leader in the country can benefit from this toolkit. First Book is at the ready to support Title I schools nationwide, from early childhood through high school.鈥�

鈥淲e know that the number-one predictor of reading scores in high schools is reading scores from first grade. If you want to have success in school, it is so critical to start early,鈥� said Benjamin Heuston, executive director, Waterford.org. 鈥淲e are proud to partner with 萝莉网on this project to help educators understand that there is clear research in this area, and that there are tools and approaches readily available to help outcomes for our young learners.鈥�

Three school districts highlighted in the toolkit were , and 鈥攖o examine best practices that have been well-established to help children and families be successful.

The toolkit provides seven strategies designed to offer educators a blueprint for success. They are:

鈥� Promote Equity from the Start
鈥� Improve Alignment and Transitions
鈥� Establish Partnerships with the Early Childhood Education Community
鈥� Engage Families and Communities Early
鈥� Support Strong Executive Function and Social Emotional Learning
鈥� Provide Ongoing Professional Development for Early Educators
鈥� Self-Assessment Tools for the early childhood education community

鈥淭oday, early learning programs vary in quality, delivery style, content and purpose,鈥� said Deborah Bergeron, deputy director for community engagement and innovation, National Head Start Association  and Early Learning Cohort lead. 鈥淭his free toolkit provides districts with resources designed to fit the needs of their specific school systems based on the culture of their communities. The toolkit uses research-based practices so districts can feel confident when building their early learning programs.鈥�

鈥淭hroughout the past five years, the 萝莉网Early Learning Cohort has been collecting, studying, sharing and implementing proven strategies to make early childhood matter most,鈥� said Edward Manuszak, superintendent, , and cohort lead superintendent. 鈥淭his resource was created for superintendents and other administrators to sustain appropriate practices to connect their districts with their families and children they serve.鈥�

Through on-site visits, collaborative meetings and virtual webinars, the Early Learning Cohort has assembled research-based strategies to ensure high returns on investment of their early learning programs, especially for disadvantaged students.

鈥淲e鈥檙e always looking for additional strategies to implement and by being part of this learning community, it鈥檚 helped to keep our focus on continuous improvement and what we can do better to serve our children and families,鈥� said Peter Finch superintendent, West Valley (Wash.) Schools, and Early Learning cohort lead superintendent.

鈥淓arly learning matters,鈥� said Mort Sherman, associate executive director, AASA. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 make early learning foundational, if we don鈥檛 make it a core component of what we do in American education, how would it be possible to improve education?鈥�

to access the Early Childhood and Learning Toolkit. To learn more about the program, visit the . Superintendents and other school system leaders can also contact Sherman at msherman@aasa.org, or Debbie Magee, director, 萝莉网leadership network, at dmagee@aasa.org for more information.

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About AASA
, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA鈥檚 mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit .