Colorado received some welcome news Tuesday when the federal government named our state a finalist for the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge fund.
Colorado is one of five finalists invited to apply for what would amount to a $30 million federal grant for the state. Last year, Colorado narrowly missed out on the first round of Race to the Top grants. The second round of grant money would be used to ensure that young children are ready to learn by the time they enter kindergarten. Currently, many teachers face a wide disparity among incoming kindergarteners, from children who are ready to learn to read and write to those who have not yet held a book in their hands. Gov. John Hickenlooper and Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia have identified specific areas to address if the funding comes through:
» Improve programming in licensed settings and implement a shared services model in high-needs communities for business stability and quality improvement.
» Integrate early childhood learning and development guidelines within all early learning system elements.
» Leverage the state's comprehensive assessment systems to ensure early identification and effective interventions and supports for children with high needs, leading to kindergarten readiness.
» Create a highly qualified early childhood workforce through a competency-based system that supports both formal and informal education opportunities and allows an evaluation of educator effectiveness, linked to Colorado's K-12 system.
» Expand the kindergarten entry assessment to ensure that Colorado's children are on the right path to achievement at third grade and beyond.
» Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of delivering early learning services to families at the local level by streamlining state governance with a new early childhood office in the Department of Human Services.
Plenty of discussion has revolved this legislative session in Colorado and among state educators around the importance of increasing third-grade reading proficiency. Yet, little attention and even less funding have been available to help children and parents prepare before they enter school in order to achieve those reading goals. That connection between early childhood programs and public schools has to be established for Colorado to create a foundation for success.
Hickenlooper, Garcia and state educators deserve support for their pursuit of the federal money, but most of all, for establishing that link.