Goals and Objectives

Preamble

The State of Illinois supports many early learning programs for children from birth to age five and their families. The Governor and General Assembly took a major step forward in 2003 with the creation of the Illinois Early Learning Council. With a membership including top state officials and non-government stakeholders appointed by the Governor, the Early Learning Council is charged with enhancing, coordinating and expanding programs and services for children birth to five statewide. The Council will build on existing early childhood programs and planning initiatives to achieve a comprehensive early learning system, to ensure that all Illinois children are safe, healthy, eager to learn, and ready to succeed by the time they enter school.

The Early Learning Council is focused on several interrelated priorities: (1) refining quality early learning programs for children birth to three and three to five, that include ongoing child assessment, quality assurance and evaluation; (2) developing a plan and cost estimates for expanding access to quality early learning programs and linking these programs to others serving families with young children; and (3) developing the workforce to ensure an adequate and stable supply of highly-qualified and diverse individuals to staff these early learning programs.

Recognizing that the family is the first and primary influence on a child, the work of the Early Learning Council will incorporate into its goals and objectives sound and research-based parent/family involvement practices, using the National Standards for Parent and Family Involvement Programs as a foundation. The work of the Council will be respectful of family culture, diversity and language, and approach its goals and objectives to reflect that value. The goals and objectives of the Early Learning Council are delineated below:

Program Quality and Quality Assurance

GOALS:

• Enhance the quality of existing early childhood programs for children birth to five years of age.
• Design a high-quality, voluntary, universal preschool model for all three- and four-year-olds.
• Ensure high quality services are provided in all publicly funded early learning programs.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Identify research-based program models for a high-quality universal, voluntary preschool program for all three- and four-year-olds.
2. Identify research-based program models for at-risk children birth to three years of age.
3. Ensure written program standards exist and are implemented across birth-to-five programs.
4. Develop incentives to enhance quality in child care and other birth to five programs.
5. Develop a highly effective, comprehensive and integrated system to provide training, technical assistance, and monitoring to ensure high quality services are provided in all publicly funded early learning programs.

Evaluation and Assessment

Goal:

• Develop child assessment and program evaluation systems that support both individual children's learning and development and programs' continuous improvement.

Objectives:

1. Develop guidelines for developmental screening and ongoing assessment of individual children in early learning programs to facilitate appropriate instruction and document children’s progress.
2. Develop guidelines for using child and program data for self-assessment of program effectiveness to inform continuous improvement efforts in early learning programs.
3. Develop an evaluation plan for early learning programs funded by education dollars.
4. Serve as a resource for other ELC committees regarding assessment and evaluation issues.
5. Explore capacity to share service delivery and child outcome data across programs and service systems for evaluation and program planning purposes.

Expansion

GOALS:

• Expand access to high-quality preschool for all three- and four-year-olds by building upon and enhancing existing programs and beginning with those children most at-risk for school failure.
• Expand access to high-quality early childhood programs for all at-risk children under three years of age.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Complete an inventory of existing early learning programs in Illinois and develop a process for ongoing assessment of needs.
2. Develop and implement a plan to serve all at-risk three- and four-year-olds in high-quality early learning programs.
3. Develop and implement a plan to provide universal, voluntary access to high-quality preschool for all three- and four-year-olds, in a variety of settings.
4. Develop and implement a plan to serve all at-risk children ages birth to three in high-quality early learning programs, as a component of universal plan.
5. Integrate infrastructure costs with program costs.
6. Develop and implement a financing policy to support a high-quality, comprehensive, accessible birth to five early learning system.

Linkage and Integration

GOAL:

• Improve coordination and integration across early childhood programs and systems to address the comprehensive nature of children’s healthy development and readiness for school.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Align program requirements across early childhood programs.
2. Link children in license-exempt child care to early education programs and develop strategies to enhance the early learning of children in license-exempt care.
3. Improve transitions from birth to three to three to five programs and from three to five programs to school.
4. Link early learning programs to other early childhood providers, programs and services to meet comprehensive needs of children 0-5 and their families – primary health care, Early Intervention (Part C), public benefits/social services.
5. Foster and support local collaboration and planning efforts related to early childhood program and systems and link local efforts to the Council at the state level.

Workforce Development

GOAL:

• Ensure an adequate and stable supply of highly-qualified and diverse early childhood professionals to provide high-quality early care and education.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Build the capacity of the higher education system to ensure more early childhood professionals have opportunities to receive early childhood degrees.
2. Ensure that high-quality, ongoing professional development opportunities are available for all early childhood professionals.
3. Establish a professional structure for standardized roles across the early learning system and for awarding credentials to early childhood professionals who have reached specific levels of achievement.
4. Address early childhood labor market and working conditions to ensure that children and families have access to a qualified, diverse, and stable early childhood workforce.

For more information, contact the Governor's office at (217) 782-0244 or Ounce of Prevention Fund at earlylearningcouncil@ounceofprevention.org