Agenda item attachment · Dec 2 2019

Key Findings & Recommendations of the Universal Pre-K Study Joint City Council/School Committee Roundtable December 2, 2019

SCHOOL Agenda Importance of Early Childhood 1 • Education Overview of Universal 2 • Pre-Kindergarten Study CPS Provided Universal 3 Pre-Kindergarten Model Mixed Delivery Universal 4 Pre-Kindergarten Model Cost Comparisons 5 • Next Steps 6 Discussion 7 2 ELIE

- Pg RUEY Importance of Early Childhood Education Child Outcomes Associated with High Quality Early Education • Stronger social-emotional and self-regulation skills ANyl • Stronger early literacy & math skills • Reductions in referrals to special education • Reductions in grade-level retention An • Increased high school graduation rates • Increased college attendance rates 3

Universal Pre-Kindergarten Study • Key purpose: to provide roadmap for designing a UPK system for four-year-olds that best aligns with the realities & needs of our community. • The City of Cambridge and Cambridge Public Schools jointly contracted with Early Childhood Associates (ECA) in partnership with UMASS Donahue Institute, to: • Analyze and evaluate two models of universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) programs for four-year-olds. • Recommend a preferred model and provide a framework of essential elements required to build a high quality UPK system. • Prepare population projections for ages o to 17, and enrollment projection for Pre-K to 12th grade between 2020 and 2030.

UPK Models Evaluated Universal Pre-kindergarten is generally defined as a program supported with public funding that is available to all four-year-old children. I. A Public School Model II. A Mixed Delivery Model CPS converts the current JK Pre-kindergarten programs offered through a network of program to a pre-kindergarten and changes age eligibility providers, including CPS, Head Start, DHSP and from 4 ½ to 4 years old. community-based programs. • Nationally, the most common model of UPK is 00 Rohi mixed delivery system. 0010000 00 • This is the model recommended by ECA. 5

High Quality UPK The study emphasized the programs have these importance of high quality things in common: programming regardless of UPK model: • Meets needs of families in terms of location, hours, and weeks of care "Greater access to mediocre or • Equity of access low quality care has been shown to further disadvantage already • Diverse, competent and consistent staff at risk children." • Research-based curriculum • Developmentally appropriate indoor and outdoor learning environments L • Systems for establishing quality criteria and on-going evaluation • Robust family engagement and comprehensive services

Framework for UPK System The study identified 7 foundational components for pre-kindergarten systems and practices. • Decisions about each of these components are crucial to the design of a high quality UPK-regardless of model. Target Populations Costs and Financing 3 1 • All children • Free for all Or Or • Sliding scale fee based • Targeted subset on family income of children Program Delivery 2 • Public School Model Or Mixed Delivery Model

Framework for UPK System (Continued) Governance & Quality Assurance Administrative Structure • Quality Improvement 4 Leadership and oversight Systems • Curriculum Fiscal and operational • Learning Environment management • Equitable and inclusive • Program Dosage recruitment of families • Family Engagement Accountability Workforce Quality 7 5 • Data systems to • Teacher education & credentials monitor & evaluate • • Pipeline & career pathways Measures of program success Professional development • Compensation 1545-

How Many Four Year Old Children Live in Cambridge? Four Year-Old Population Projections • In 2019, approximately 913 1200 four-year-olds live in Cambridge. 1000 • Between 2020 and 2030, 800 the projected number of 600 four-year-olds will range from 852 to 1051. 400 • CPS kindergarten enrollment 200 data indicate that the 0 majority of children entering 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 JK or K have been in care outside of the home.

What are the programs serving 4- year-old children today? • CPS - JK programs • CPS - Special Start • CPS - Scholars College • CPS - Montessori • DHSP programs • Community-based programs • Private programs • For-profit programs • Family childcare 10

Overview of Model 1: UPK Provided by CPS "Expansion of CPS programming • Entry age becomes four years of to include all children who live in age by Sept 1 of enrollment year. Cambridge and turn 4 years old • CPS would eliminate mixed by Sept 1 of the enrollment year JK/K classrooms. represents more than a simple change to the entrance age to the • CPS would implement a new, developmentally appropriate public school system." pre-k curriculum. Staff credentials and professional development would be adjusted to reflect early childhood focus. • Indoor and outdoor environments would require re-tooling. 11

Challenges to Implementing Model 1 Lack of space is a key barrier to implementing a universal pre-k program hosted solely by the Classrooms Cambridge Public Schools. Required 39 to 47 JK/M4 Enrollment: 390 1 3 Classroom Equivalents: 19 Additional classrooms Currently needed for a UPK is: However, only 14 classrooms could be dedicated to UPK, 25 to 33 due to current practice of (estimate) combined JK/K classrooms. Between UMDI projects Universal Pre-K 2 2020-2030 enrollment of 767 to 946 12

Model 1 Challenges (Continued) Projected enrollment growth for grades K to 12 during next decade also impacts CPS's ability to add classrooms for four-year-olds. • According to UMDI's maximum projection scenario, CPS K-12 enrollment is expected to increase by 1,500 students between 2020 and 2030. • 52% of the projected increase (812) is in K-5th grade • Demand for elementary (K-5) classroom space is projected to increase by 20% or 37 classrooms to support the enrollment increases. 200 190 - 189 + 187 180 / 179 Projected Number 170 165 160 K-5 Classrooms SY 159 150 152 152152 154 20-21 to SY 30-31 140 130 120 [phone removed]-29 2029-30 2027-28 2030-31 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2020-21 13

CPS K-12 Enrollment Growth • Between 2008 and 2018, CPS added 1,112 K-12 students, an average annual increase of 2.1% • The UMDI maximum enrollment scenario (#5) projects an average annual increase of 1.9% over the 10 year period between 2020 and 2030 (+1,500). CPS K-12* Enrollment Growth Projected K-12* Enrollment Growth 2008 to 2018 2020 to 2030 (UMDI Scenario #5) 9,000 9,000 8,000 7,111 8,000 ------ 8,057 6,557 7,000 7,000 4---- 5,872 — 6,489 5,377 6,000 6,000 5,000 5,000 4,000 4,000 3,000 3,000 2,000 2,000 1,000 1,000 2013 2008 2018 2030 2025 2020 *K-12 enrollment does not include 3 or 4-year-olds (JK/Montessori/Special Start). 14

Model 1: Other Important Impacts and Considerations Studies point to the "crowd-out" effect of public pre-K programs on community Loved based providers: • Two-thirds of CBO program directors interviewed by ECA said that a public school-only program would negatively impact their programs. • Smaller programs are likely to close because of lost enrollment. • Cost of programs serving children o to 3 will increase • High likelihood that the availability of care decreases & cost of care increases for children ages o to 3. • High likelihood of less choice for families who need full day, full year options for four-year-olds. 15

Overview of Nationally, this is the Model 2-Mixed most common model. Delivery System ........... • The study strongly recommends a mixed • The system would include a mix of CPS delivery system for Cambridge, highlighting: Pre-k classrooms, DHSP program, • The value of high quality community community based programs focused on early childhood childcare centers, and development. Head Start programs. • Family need for choice in full day, year round programs. • The detrimental impact of a public school UPK (Model 1) on the availability & cost of programs for children o to age 3. 16

Challenges to Implementing Model 2 The biggest challenge today is that Cambridge does not have enough capacity in high quality programs. Addressing this will require: • Increasing the number of programs meeting state quality rating standards. • Developing a pipeline of qualified teachers & career pathways with a focus on a diverse workforce. • Increasing workforce compensation. • Implementing evidence-based curriculum. • Expanding professional development. 17

Cost Comparisons of Two Models ECA also compared the annual operating costs the two models. Costs were organized into three primary components: • Leadership & program administration • Classroom costs, including staff & materials • Quality assurance Estimated costs do not include cost of improving or building new classrooms MODEL 1 MODEL 2 CPS UPK Mixed Delivery $29.8 Million or $23.8 Million or $28K per student $23K per student When factoring in the cost of building new classrooms, Model 1 is significantly 18 more expensive than Model 2.

1 5 3 2 4 Gather more Gather additional Convene Convene Explore options & decisions information data regarding community- principals impacting and JK about based existing programs system teachers for in Cambridge: providers for Cambridge development. childcare feedback feedback • How many workforce, and input. and input. slots are Continued including filled with learning from credentials and Cambridge changes to compensation. children? preschool lottery and Gather • How many sliding scale information slots could fees. and feedback become from families in dedicated to ways that Cambridge Next Steps: children? engages and reflects diverse Program Planning population. 19

Options & Decisions Impacting System Development • Which model best meets the • Will family enrollment be centralized? needs of Cambridge • How will providers be enrolled? • Is the program free or is there a sliding scale fee for families • Will providers be paid per student based on income? or per classroom? • How to ensure that each What is the most appropriate participating program is governance & administrative diverse and inclusive? structure? • Will pre-K classrooms be One or Two 4-year-old only or mixed 3 and 4-year-olds? • If a universal program is preferred how would implementation of universal pre-K be phased?

6 10 8 7 9 Increase Provide Expand work Expand Family Expand Childcare financial Scholarship protessional to improve amounts in Quality Pilot. quality of support to development, Head Start order to expand including existing number of to expand programs, college courses offered in program hours. participating including programs and Cambridge. support to Expand support children. meet state to programs quality rating around cultural standards. proficiency. Next Steps: Expanded Efforts by Birth to Grade 3 Partnership 21

Discussion Draw. on 4 Numbers 0 to 9 atch. TICONDEROGA PO95S 22