Last week, the U.S. Department of Education proposed significant revisions to the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program. For the first time since 2010, the Department is broadly updating the program, including an Early Learning Intervention Model as an option for struggling public schools.
Under the draft regulations, school districts that choose to use the Early Learning Intervention Model must implement each of the following:
- Offer full-day kindergarten;
- Establish or expand a high-quality preschool program;
- Provide educators, including preschool teachers, with time for joint planning across grades to facilitate effective teaching and learning and positive teacher-student interactions.
The proposed model also includes methods for evaluation, compensation, support for educators and other professional development opportunities.
Read the full draft regulations here.
FFYF is thoroughly reviewing the draft regulations and will be submitting formal comments to the Department.
The fact that the Administration is proposing policies that recognize the critical link between quality early learning and K-12 academic achievement is a solid sign of progress. We welcome the chance to discuss strategies for integrating early childhood education in public schools throughout the country, especially for at-risk children.