History of Preschool in the US

Ever wonder about the history of preschool in the United States? In the 1960s only ten percent of the nation’s three and four-year olds were enrolled in a classroom setting.  Head Start, the first publicly funded preschool program, was created in 1965...

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Robeson County Partnership for Children uses CLASS tool and My Teaching Partner Coaching to assist in ECE classrooms

Robeson County Partnership for Children has been funding use of the CLASS tool and My Teaching Partner Coaching with teachers since 2013. My Teaching Partner is designed to address the complexity of being...

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Buncombe County Partnership for Children Receives NCWorks Local Innovation Grant

Buncombe Partnership for Children received a $400,000 grant to help expand the Western North Carolina (WNC) Early Childhood Workforce Development Program which addresses the shortage of early childhood educators. Buncombe will lead the initiative to increase the number of teachers...

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NEW RESEARCH: Birth-to-age-five early childhood education produces high returns.

New research from Nobel Laureate economist James J. Heckman and colleagues finds that comprehensive, birth-to-age-five early childhood programs can produce higher economic returns than those previously established for preschool programs serving 3- to 4-year-olds. Professor James Heckman and colleagues from...

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Pre-K, the Great Debate by Nicholas Kristof. The Opinion Pages, New York Times

Against all odds, prekindergarten is gaining ground. President Obama called again in his State of the Union address for Congress to support high-quality preschool for all, noting that 30 states are already moving ahead on this front (including New York). “Research...

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Pre-K, the Great Debate by Nicholas Kristof. The Opinion Pages, New York Times

Jan. 29, 2014 Against all odds, prekindergarten is gaining ground. President Obama called again in his State of the Union address for Congress to support high-quality preschool for all, noting that 30 states are already moving ahead on this front (including...

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Press Release – NC Partnership for Children Hosts Faith Summits Across State

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Heather Strickland – hstrickland@smartstart.org, 919-821-9564 NC Partnership for Children Hosts Faith Summits Across State Faith Leaders Will Discuss the Vital Role They Play in Building Strong Foundations for Children RALEIGH, NC—The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) is hosting a...

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CCDBG Reauthorization Bill Introduced in Senate

(ChildCare Aware of America) Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) have introduced a bill to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the primary federal grant...

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NC Child Care Workers Increase Education Levels

Between 2011 and 2012, more child care center directors, teachers and family child care providers have increased their levels of education, according to a study by the Child Care Services Association. The 2012 North Carolina Child Care Workforce Study The...

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Change the First 5 Years and You Change Everything

If we invest in programs that promote learning beginning at birth, the statistics will change, the stories will change, the future will change....

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