The state was one of nine in the country to receive grant awards out of a field of 35 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., that competed for the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grants.
The announcement was welcome news as state officials struggle with a budget crisis that threatens all sectors of government, including education programs. It’s been well-documented that early learning programs help improve a child’s school readiness. So much of a child’s future – including the ability to succeed in a public or private school setting – is shaped in the early years.
The grant will fund programs to help some 73,000 youngsters over the next four years hit the ground running when they start kindergarten. Here’s how the money will be used.
• Expand the state’s kindergarten readiness assessment to include all incoming kindergartners by the 2014-15 school year.
The assessments provide teachers data they need to meet the needs of young learners and helps parents to become engaged in their child’s education from day one.
• Offer awards and incentives to those who work with and care for pre-school children.
• Help early learning programs improve the quality of care and education they provide to young children.
The state has been a leader in early learning, working with the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington and Harvard University to apply science and academic rigor to early learning programs and policies.
In addition, the state partners with the nonprofit Thrive by Five Washington to ensure that early learning receives the attention it deserves.
Excellence in education starts at an early age. The state just received a financial shot in the arm to keep building on the programs it has in place that recognize the importance of early learning.
