February 25, 2014

Update on The Big Lift

February 25, 2014

• Last June, asked for a plan to roll out preschool; to match Measure A funds

• Today will present our plan and report on fundraising progress

• First, a quick update on The Big Lift– Growing participation– Working together across silos– Building excitement about helping

kids

Background

The sobering facts

42% of county 3rd graders are not reading proficiently• 60%+ for Latino, African American, and Pacific Islander

childrenSource: Dataquest

Those behind tend to stay behind 88% of dropouts could not read proficiently by 3rd grade

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Longitudinal Study of Youth

Why this matters: Before 3rd grade, children learn to read. After 3rd grade, they must read to learn.

The Big Lift Plan• Overall Goal: Go from 58% reading at grade level by 3rd

grade to 80% by 2020

• Overall Goal: Go from 58% reading at grade level by 3rd grade to 80% by 2020

Strategy: Pursue a “big lift” on education outcomes via collaboration• Provide quality preschool for 3- & 4-

year-oldsMake a big

system policy

change

Greater readiness

Goal: Increase % of children ready for kindergarten from 50% to 80%

Better attendance

Goal: Reduce chronic absence by 50%

Inspiring summers

Goal: 80% of kids reading below level attend a quality program

Family engagement

Goal: integrate family engagement principles county-wide

Sustain progress through

The Big Lift Plan

o Raise short-term matching funds:1. New funds: foundations, government, businesses, and

individuals • Received $550,000 in Race to the Top funds• Kellogg, SV2, President Obama’s Social Innovation Fund

have already expressed interest in The Big Lift• Convening top Bay Area foundations this Spring

2. Leveraged funds: from other county spending on early learning• $11 million identified to help support The Big Lift

3. In-kind funds: facilities, technology, professional development from SMC communities and leading businesses

o Explore long-term funding: to cover $30-40M per year:

Social impact bonds (submitting an application with Irvine Found.)

State and Federal sources

Progress point #1: Implementing our fundraising plan

Our emerging PPLC collaborative

Strategic

Advisors

Steering Committee

Members of the collaborative

SchoolReadi-ness

Inspiring

Summers

Attend-

ance Matte

rs

Family &

Comm.

Engage.

Our Collaborative Structure

Progress point #2: Building community will


Strategic

Advisors


40+ top county leaders

Michael GarbKitty Lopez

Sheryl Young Peter Fortenbaugh

Ben OconReverend Thomas

SkillingsJan ChristensenDr. Judith Greig

Regina Stanback Stroud

Joe RossTony RoehrickAlisa MacAvoyAmy Gerstein Dr. Craig Baker

Ellen WrightMargi PowerAnd more…

Jackie SpeierLenny MendoncaEmmett CarsonAnne Campbell

Carole GroomErica WoodBill Youstra

Bryan NeiderJohn Adams

Rosanne FoustMichael BrownriggAmy Buckmaster

Tom MohrMemo Morantes

Lorne NeedleKerry Lobel

Charles CollinsTed Lempert


Strategic

Advisors

Steering Committee

30+ leaders of education, direct

service, & communityorganizations


Strategic

Advisors

Steering Committee


90+ county organizations


Strategic

Advisors

Steering Committee


SchoolReadi-ness

Inspiring

Summers

Attend-

ance Matte

rs

Family &

Comm.

Engage.

4 work groups:100+ experts


Held successful convenings:

100 top county leaders 90 summer program providers40 school superintendents &

assts.50 school board leaders7 local community briefings

What is planned:o Engage business community

o Bay Area Councilo Silicon Valley Leadership Groupo Chambers of Commerce, SAMCEDA

o Progress Seminar in Aprilo Foundations’ convening in Springo Family & Community orgs.

convening

Progress point #3: Bringing siloed organizations

together behind a common agenda

Designed an inclusive process that engages current providers:

o Worked with 40 top practitioners and experts in early learning for 6 months e.g. 4Cs, First 5, SMC Community College District, Peninsula YMCA, StarVista, SVCF, PalCare, Peninsula Family Services, SMCOE, SSFUSD, Jefferson Elem., Head Start, Community Gatepath, SMC School Boards Association

o Drew on best practices, nationally and Preschool for All in Redwood City and SF

o Considered our fit with emerging state and federal initiatives such as TK and Race to the Top, so we could be ready to leverage new funds

o Agreed to focus on 11 communities where help is needed most:

1. Bayshore2. Brisbane3. Cabrillo4. Jefferson

Elementary5. La Honda/

Pescadero6. Pacifica

7. Ravenswood8. Redwood City9. San Bruno Park, 10.San Mateo-Foster

City11.South San Francisco

Progress point #4: Developed a strong planning process & preschool rollout plan

Our approach built on six principles

1. Build on existing preschool programs & supports2. Get stakeholders to agree on what quality is3. Adopt a quality rating system that helps preschools improve

4. Start with a manageable number of communities5. Ask communities and families to make commitments to support good results6. Use evidence-based strategies

Big Lift Preschool

Plan

The Big Lift Way…

We’re changing the system in

The Big Lift Way, where everyone:

has skin in the game works together leverages all possible resources is accountable for better results

for kids

1. Build on existing preschool programs & supports2. Get stakeholders to agree on what quality is3. Adopt a quality rating system that helps preschools improve

4. Start with a manageable number of communities5. Ask communities and families to make commitments to support good results6. Use evidence-based strategies

Plan uses two powerful ways to strengthen SMC preschools

1. Increase quality of existing programs• County has a patchwork quilt of

preschools of uneven quality• Unite them behind a common

framework to improve quality

2. Increase access by adding new spaces• Short-term, add spaces in

existing quality preschool programs

• Longer-term, add new facilities

Increase Quality

Incr

ease

Ac

cess

The linchpin: Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS)

Improving

How we will use rating system1. Assess the programs in our targeted communities

2. Drive continuous improvement in Big Lift sites -- as well as encourage adoption across the county

3. Evaluate progress and ensure accountability

Tier 3 and above qualify to be Big Lift sites and get funding

Below Tier 3 will be “pipeline sites” and get technical assistance to improve and become eligible for Big Lift sites

Fundamental ways The Big Lift will help preschools

1. Direct financial supports to classrooms• Including staffing, teacher

planning and release time, learning materials



2. High quality professional development for teachers• Education, training,

coaching, and bachelor’s degree cohort






3. Improved facilities • To provide a healthy and

appropriate learning environment


4 fundamental ways The Big Lift will help preschools





3. Improved facilities • To provide a healthy and

appropriate learning environment

4. Enhanced, age-appropriate curriculum that supports literacy• Addition of early math

instruction

Other supports that will be provided

Special needs• Early screening/connection to

services

Dual language learners

Health & nutrition

Deeper family engagement

• Assess practices, provide training,• Leverage Virtual Pre-K , Raising a

Reader

• The Big Lift funds will be used to:– Create new classrooms in the target

communities

• Facilities costs for new classrooms include:– Ensure classrooms meet or exceed

California childcare licensing code (Title 22)

– Funds to furnish classrooms with developmentally appropriate furniture and learning materials

• Leveraged activities:– Potential support and partnerships with

the San Mateo Human Services Agency, Rebuilding Together, the San Mateo Building Trades Council

Our approach to increasing access

Ensuring preschoolers’ gains don’t fade out

Work with K-12 on strong transitions, information sharing, attendance, and data for evaluations

Engage local summer providers to offer quality experiences

Develop partnership with families to support their children’s learning and attendance

Evaluating our progress with data

• We will answer key questions about impact

• Preschool programs will participate in a data system that captures detailed implementation data

• Independent evaluation will look at short- and long-term measures of progress and impact

Listen-ing/

Speak-ing

Reading Writing Math Work Study Skills

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

64 5745 52

7271 7455 62

7563

5543 50

68

Second Grade Proficiency Rates for One- and Two-Year PFA

Participants and Non-Partici-pants

1 Year PFA 2 Years PFA Non-PFA

% o

f St

uden

ts

Initial Target GoalsGoals: cumulative quality preschool spaces by year

Year Two

2020

Year One

5600 enhanced

spaces3000 newspaces

Total: 8600

new spaces300100010

0

500

enhanced spaces

1300

600 Total:

Budget

Big Lift two-year budget:

$10M

$11 million in leveraged funds identified

Federal and state preschool funds

First 5 Bridges to SuccessFirst 5 EQuIPRace to the TopAB 212 Teacher training and

retention

Our community selection process

Goal: An objective process, rigorous enough to identify communities that can produce results

Step 1: Invite the eleven identified communities to an information session

Step 2: Ask communities to collaborate and submit an application• School district’s readiness to support transitions and

collect data • Community’s ability to match some funds support

summer learning• Including new $, in-kind donations like facilities, or

leveraged funds Step 3: Create a selection committee representing a range of community leaders

“We need to start early - even before kindergarten - to nurture children’s natural curiosity. It’s a first

step in creating the skilled workforce that allows the U.S. to compete

globally.”-- Rick Stephens, Senior VP, Human

Resources, Boeing

It is a big lift, but SMC can do it

Documents

February 25, 2014