Chalkbeat

Colorado officials leading the state’s new universal preschool program originally planned to ban religious lessons and activities during state-funded class time. Not anymore.

In the latest round of proposed state rules posted publicly on Wednesday, they have removed an explicit ban on religious instruction during universal preschool hours. The rules, which would take effect next summer, are set to be considered by a state advisory committee on Jan. 11 and adopted in February.

The new draft rules mark the latest in a series of flip-flops by state officials on the subject of religious education in its new $322 million preschool program. The state’s shifting approach stems partly from the program’s rushed rollout, and partly from a new legal landscape shaped by recent U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions permitting the use of public funds for religious education.

Practically speaking, the state’s decision to remove the ban on religious instruction could attract more faith-based preschools to the universal preschool program, which provides tuition-free classes to more than 60% of the state’s 4-year-olds this year. Currently, there are 40 faith-based preschools among more than 1,900 preschools in the program. Because of mixed messages about whether religious instruction was allowed, some faith-based preschools may have decided not to participate this year.

State officials declined to comment Thursday about why they eliminated the ban on religious instruction in the proposed preschool rules. Ian McKenzie, a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, said the department will comment following the conclusion of a trial in a federal lawsuit brought by two Catholic preschools challenging the universal preschool program’s nondiscrimination rules.

“We’re just letting the trial finish before any comments on any of its content,” he said Thursday.

The trial centers not on religious instruction, but on whether religious preschools in the universal preschool program have to accept students from LGBTQ families. It began Tuesday and is expected to finish late this week or early next week.

Colorado always planned to offer universal preschool classes in a variety of settings, including public school classrooms, private child care centers, and faith-based preschools. They never planned to let faith-based preschools teach religion during state-funded classes.

But state officials at the early childhood department ran out of time to make rules on the topic before the program launched in August. There was a widely distributed fact sheet that talked about religious instruction being prohibited, but no official rules. That allowed faith-based preschools participating in the program to incorporate religious stories, songs, and prayers however they wished this year.

In October, the state proposed rules that would do what officials had intended all along: ban religious instruction in universal preschool. But in December, the conservative group Advance Colorado threatened to sue if the state followed through with the proposed ban. With the state’s latest draft rules, it appears the state has shelved its plan for now.

Faith-based preschools participating in the universal program differ widely in how much religion they incorporate into their preschool classes.

Leaders at Grand Junction’s Landmark Preschool, which is housed in a Baptist church, say religion is incorporated into everything they do, including math and reading. One morning last fall, a class of 4-year-old preschoolers recited Bible verses with their teacher.

“OK, here we go,” said teacher Corrie Haynes to the 13 children sitting in front of her on a green rug. “Philippians 4:19. My God shall supply all your needs,” they said together. Next, they sang songs about God and talked about sin and forgiveness.

At King Baptist Child Development Center and Preschool in Denver, preschool classes look much different. The school, which is owned by the adjacent church, uses a secular curriculum and doesn’t incorporate religious content during the school day.

Telaya Purchase, assistant director of the center, said during an interview with Chalkbeat earlier this school year that children can participate in what’s called a devotional before school starts at 9 a.m. That includes the Pledge of Allegiance, the Lord’s Prayer, and the song “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” She also said children say grace at meals, but can skip it if they choose.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Proposed ban on religious instruction in Colorado’s state-funded preschools may spark legal fight

2023-11-28T23:24:42+00:00

When teacher Corrie Haynes asked the preschoolers gathered on the green rug in front of her what sin is, a little boy answered confidently: “All the bad things we do.”

“Very good,” she said.

Next, the 13 children, most wearing maroon or blue polo shirts and dark skirts or pants, learned that everybody sins — even teachers, moms and dads, and the church pastor — and that although God hates sin, he doesn’t hate people who sin.

“He still loves us very much even when we sin,” Haynes said.

A minute later, Haynes led the 4-year-olds in a song about manners: “Always say thank you, always say please. When we’re ungrateful, God is not pleased.”

Such religious content has long been woven through the lessons at Landmark Preschool, which is nestled inside Landmark Baptist Church in the western Colorado city of Grand Junction. What’s different this year is that state taxpayers are covering the bill — more than $100,000 — for 20 preschoolers to attend classes there.

Colorado explicitly invited faith-based preschools to participate in its new $322 million universal preschool program, which despite a rocky rollout has proven popular with families. But state officials have sent mixed messages about whether preschools can offer religious instruction during state-funded class time. Prior to the launch, they said it was forbidden. Now, they say it’s not, but that next year it could be.

Debates about public funding for religious education come amid an ongoing conservative push to break down long-held ideas about the separation of church and state, including in a lawsuit underway now over a religious charter school in Oklahoma. Colorado’s Constitution, like those in many other states, prohibits using public money for religious purposes. But a series of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions has hollowed out such provisions.

In order to participate in Colorado’s universal preschool program, preschools, including Landmark, had to sign a contract agreeing to a variety of conditions, including that they would not discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity. That requirement is now the subject of two lawsuits — one by a Christian preschool in Chaffee County and the other by two Catholic parishes that run preschools near Denver. The contract that providers signed did not mention religious instruction.

Lauren Weber, the director of Landmark Preschool, said such instruction is “built into pretty much everything we do.”

But some experts say mixing public dollars and religious education clashes with the nation’s historical underpinnings.

“If our taxpayer money is funding religious exercise … then we are putting ourselves in a position of the state and the church getting entangled in a way that the founders were trying to avoid,” said Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado Boulder.

State plans to restrict religious lessons in universal preschool

Colorado early childhood officials have proposed a ban on religious instruction in a set of rules they plan to approve next spring. It’s not clear where that would leave programs like Landmark, where leaders hope to open two additional universal preschool classrooms next year.

Such questions are playing out amid a rapidly changing legal landscape. The latest shift came in June 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in a Maine voucher case called Carson v. Makin. The court ruled that Maine could not exclude schools that offer religious instruction from a state-funded program open to secular private schools. The ruling built on a series of decisions in which the high court has grown more sympathetic to the idea of using public money for religious purposes, including religious education.

Steven Green, a law professor at Willamette University who specializes in church and state issues, said the shift has come as the share of Christians in the United States shrinks and the share of people without a religious affiliation grows.

Amid these demographic changes, “We’re seeing a kind of circling of the wagons and a feeling of being dispossessed of privilege, particularly white, conservative Christians,” he said.

That narrative has created growing support for measures that allow or inject religion into public life, he said.

Green said that five or six years ago, Colorado could have banned religious instruction during state-funded preschool classes fairly easily. But the U.S. Supreme Court has mostly invalidated state constitutional provisions that prohibit public funds for religious purposes. Now, such provisions — often referred to as Blaine amendments — are “pretty much unenforceable,” he said.

Michael Bindas, a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest law firm, agreed. He also said the ruling in the Carson case, which he argued on behalf of the plaintiffs before the Supreme Court, makes clear that asking faith-based schools to eliminate religious instruction during state-funded class time amounts to religious discrimination.

If Colorado adopts the proposed rules banning religious instruction during state-funded preschool hours, he said, “I suspect it will be tied up in years of litigation.”

Welner worries that some preschools’ religious teachings could send damaging messages to children. He raised the possibility of a young transgender child attending universal preschool in a faith-based program that’s intolerant of transgender people.

“There is something disturbing, to me at least, about using taxpayer money to subsidize the education of a child in an environment that is essentially attacking the kid’s identity,” he said.

Parent choice was part of the universal preschool vision

Colorado’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, has championed state-funded preschool for all since hitting the gubernatorial campaign trail in 2017. Two years later, during his first term, voters approved a nicotine tax to help pay for the program.

Parents began applying last winter, using an online form to choose up to five preschools they liked. The state matching system then assigned their child to a spot at one of them. Despite some confusion about the application process, families flocked to join, and enrollment quickly exceeded the state’s projections. Today, nearly 50,000 children are getting tuition-free preschool through the program, most of them 4-year-olds.

From the beginning, state leaders planned to offer universal preschool in all kinds of settings — in public schools, faith-based centers, and homes licensed by the state. The idea was to give parents lots of choices, more than were offered under the state’s previous smaller preschool program for children with risk factors. That was mostly offered in public school classrooms.

Of the more than 1,900 preschools that joined the universal program, 39 are faith-based, according to state data. Together, they serve about 930 children.

Allowing faith-based preschools to participate in publicly funded early childhood programs is nothing new. The federal Head Start preschool program, plus a number of states and cities, have done it for years. But unlike Colorado’s universal program, those programs — including Denver’s long-running taxpayer-funded preschool tuition assistance program — generally prohibit religious instruction during the government-funded portion of the day.

Such a restriction was on Colorado’s radar, too. An open records request found that in October 2022, the state’s universal preschool director sent a fact sheet to more than 50 local universal preschool officials stating that faith-based preschools could participate, as long as they didn’t use state funds for religious programming. Some of those local officials posted that condition on their websites.

But somehow, amid the chaos leading up to the launch, the issue got lost. Last spring, the state ran out of time to create rules on things like class size, curriculum, and teacher training, so it told participating preschools to “keep doing what you’re doing.” State leaders pledged to come up with rules by the start of the second year in August 2024 and are in that process now.

In October, state officials told Chalkbeat by email that there’s nothing in writing prohibiting religious instruction in universal preschool. A spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Early Childhood declined to comment about why the department didn’t establish rules on the issue from the outset.

Will this Christian curriculum be used in preschools next year?

Landmark Preschool opened in 2012 and serves children from infancy through preschool, about half of them from low-income families. It has the second highest rating on the state’s five-level scale for child care quality.

Landmark Preschool in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The school has two universal preschool classrooms, one that is play-based and one that is more structured, teaching skills like cursive writing. Both use the Abeka curriculum, a program popular with Christian schools and homeschooling families that describes the Bible as the foundation for all learning.

Currently, there are no state rules governing curriculum in universal preschool, but state officials plan to create a list of acceptable curriculums before the second year of the program starts. It’s not clear what the criteria will be or whether programs like Abeka will pass muster.

Weber, the center’s director, and Christy Barrows, an administrator at Landmark’s adjoining K-12 school, say they received repeated reassurances from local universal preschool officials that their program and curriculum would be acceptable.

“We’re very open about who we are and what we teach,” said Weber. “I tell all my tours, ‘Find the right fit for you, and if it’s not (here), that’s OK.’”

The preschool welcomes all children, including those from LGBTQ families, she said. But hiring decisions are not as simple.

“We have the Christian values and morals and beliefs,” Weber said. “That hire may not be a good fit for our center, because we will be teaching these values, and if you don’t believe in these values, that’s really hard to be hired.”

Bible lessons shape storytime at Landmark Preschool

Inside Haynes’ preschool classroom, it was time for a Bible story on obedience — specifically obedience to God. Between pauses to settle antsy children, Haynes told about a young girl who was stolen from her family and forced to work for the powerful general Naaman, who had leprosy.

“There were huge sores all over Naaman’s skin, and all these sores would keep getting worse and worse,” Haynes explained. But the girl stepped in to help, suggesting Naaman should visit a prophet.

“The little girl could have said, ‘It serves Naaman right to have leprosy. I’ve been taken away from my home and made to work as a servant,’” Haynes said.

Instead, “the girl chose to do what was right and forgive even though no one had told her to do it.”

Weber, who sat nearby observing the class, is waiting to see what new rules universal preschool leaders put in place and whether Abeka will make the approved curriculum list.

“Right now, it’s working out just fine, but in the future what does it look like?” she said. “We’re just going to take it year by year and see what we do.”

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Child care aid: Colorado lawmakers want more parents to get it — and more providers to accept it

2024-03-08T22:19:00+00:00

Colorado helps about 17,000 lower-income families pay for child care each year through its child care subsidy program. That’s only a fraction of the families eligible for assistance, and yet there are millions of dollars left on the table every year.

Theresa Ramirez, a single mother in Fort Collins, can attest to one reason why. Although she submitted her annual renewal paperwork early, a lag in getting it processed forced her to quit working for weeks after her baby’s subsidy was canceled.

Now, lawmakers are considering a bill that would overhaul the program, making it easier for families to access, boosting aid for some families, and making it more attractive for providers who accept subsidies. The bill would also cover full tuition for child care employees with kids in child care regardless of family income — a major benefit given the industry’s chronically low wages.

House Bill 24-1223, sponsored by three Denver area Democrats, will be heard in the House Health and Human Services Committee on March 12.

The proposed improvements to Colorado’s subsidy program — officially called the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program or CCCAP — come at a time when many families are struggling with the cost of living and some child care providers are raising tuition to cover their expanding costs. While lawmakers and advocates say it’s high time for fixes that allow more families to get subsidies and entice more child care providers to accept them, one of the bill’s co-sponsors said the price tag could be large. State legislative staff have not yet released the bill’s fiscal note, a detailed analysis of how much it will cost.

Kyle Piccola, vice president of communications and advocacy at Healthier Colorado, said he’s pleased the state is taking a “big holistic approach” to the child care subsidy bill.

“It’s a program that definitely needs improvement,” he said.

Rep. Lorena Garcia, a co-sponsor of the bill, said she’s encountered no opposition to the spirit of the bill, but acknowledged the cost could be a stumbling block for some lawmakers.

“I’m confident we’ll get it to a place where we’ll get it done,” she said.

Colorado’s $156 million child care subsidy program is funded by the federal government, the state, and counties. It’s available to homeless families as well as lower-income families in which parents are working, looking for work, or going to school. Most families who qualify for subsidies still pay a portion of child care costs in the form of a co-pay.

Several advocates and providers interviewed said the subsidy application, which is different in every county, can be invasive and intimidating. That can lead parents to skip it even if they need the help.

Nearly two-thirds of the state’s 64 counties use less than 75% of their subsidy dollars annually and this year, the program is on track to have up to $7 million in leftover funding, according to the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

“It’s underutilized,” Garcia said.

More aid for families and incentives for child care providers

The bill would make a number of changes required by newly released federal rules aimed at reducing the cost of child care and some changes that are Colorado specific. Key provisions of the bill include:

Limiting parent co-pays to no more than 7% of family income, down from the current cap of 14%.
Creating a uniform statewide application that doesn’t ask for extraneous information, such as custody agreements or child immunization records.
Allowing families to get or continue receiving child care aid for 90 days while their application or renewal paperwork is being reviewed, a provision that will help parents start working immediately and keep children in care.
Paying child care providers who accept subsidies based on the number of subsidized children enrolled, not on the number of days those children attend. Currently, providers can lose money for days the child is absent above the number allowed by their county.
Making child care employees eligible for full subsidies regardless of their family income.

Overall, the bill aims to better serve families that currently receive subsidies, attract new ones, and incentivize more child care providers to accept subsidies.

This year, nearly 26,000 Colorado children get subsidized care through the program, only about 11% of eligible children, according to estimates from Healthier Colorado. Just over 2,000 child care providers accept state subsidies, fewer than half of the state’s providers.

What parents and providers are saying

Ramirez, who lives with her four children in Fort Collins, described CCCAP subsidies as a lifeline that allowed her to work starting when her youngest child, 13-month-old Sarai, was six weeks old.

Ramirez brings home about $1,300 a month from her work cleaning houses. Her co-pay is $4 a month at The Family Center/La Familia, a family resource center that runs a highly rated child care program in the northern Colorado city. Her daughter loves it there, she said.

But when Ramirez lost her subsidy for a few weeks after her renewal application stalled, she had no choice but to bring Sarai home and decline all cleaning jobs. It’s the kind of wrinkle the subsidy bill could help fix.

Under the bill, such cancellations would be averted by giving families what’s called “presumptive eligibility,” essentially a 90-day grace period in which subsidies would start or continue while officials review applications or renewals.

Ramirez said anything in the bill that streamlines and strengthens the application and renewal process will make a difference for families like hers.

Corinne Bernhardt, executive director of Young Peoples Learning Center in Fort Collins, said the plan to give full subsidies to employees will help about a quarter of her 25 staff members. It will also make it easier to hire new employees amid industry-wide labor shortages.

The center’s current staff discount for child care isn’t always enough to get qualified candidates with young children in the door, she said.

“To have to say, ‘Well, we can give you a 50%-off discount, but it’s still going to cost you $1,500 a month to bring your kid here, but we’re only going to pay you $17 an hour,’ a lot of people are like, ‘OK, I guess I’m just going to stay home,’” she said.

Bernhardt said she also likes the provision requiring that providers be reimbursed based on enrollment instead of attendance because it will reduce administrative hassles for her staff.

Overall, she believes by making much needed improvements to the state’s subsidy program, the bill will help Colorado’s economy.

“Parents can’t go into the workforce, if they can’t find child care,” she said.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Is 24 preschoolers in a classroom too many? Colorado will soon decide.

2024-02-23T16:00:00+00:00

As Colorado leaders prepare for the second year of the state’s popular new universal preschool program, they’re grappling with a hotly debated question.

How many 4-year-olds in a classroom is too many?

Since the $322 million preschool program launched in August, the state has allowed classes of up to 24 children and required one staff member for every 12 students. But many experts and observers believe those numbers are too high and undermine the state’s promise to provide high-quality preschool. They want class sizes capped at 20 and staff-to-student ratios limited to 1 to 10.

Last fall, state leaders appeared ready to phase in the 20-student class size and 1-to-10 ratio limits by 2025. But they’ve faced months of pushback, mostly from private preschool providers. A state advisory committee has also recommended the rules allowing higher class sizes and ratios stay in place.

The final decision rests with Lisa Roy, executive director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. She said in a statement she’s weighing research on the topic and feedback from the advisory committee, and will decide by March 28.

The class size debate highlights one of the key tensions in Colorado’s new preschool program: the need to balance what’s best for young children with cold financial realities. Not only is early childhood education a notoriously low-margin business, but there’s limited state funding for the program.

This year, about 39,000 4-year-olds receive 10 to 30 hours of tuition-free preschool through the program — 62% of that age group in the state. Next year, enrollment is expected to rise.

Because preschool is funded per student, many providers who’ve argued for keeping universal preschool classes of 24 students have warned they’ll lose tens of thousands of dollars annually if they have to drop down to 20 children per classroom and one staff member for every 10 students.

In addition, some say such rules would lead to tuition hikes for hours not covered by universal preschool, push providers to drop out of the universal program, or force them to close their doors permanently.

Dozens of preschool providers and early childhood groups have submitted written comments to the state in recent months about the proposed preschool quality rules. A few providers have endorsed smaller class sizes and lower staff-to-student ratios — but most have not, and several have sharply criticized them.

One private provider suggested that lower class sizes and ratios make sense for preschools run by public schools — which serve most young students with special needs — but not for private preschools. A few commenters noted that Montessori preschools often incorporate 24 or more children of varying ages because students work more independently in such programs.

Ron Montoya, who with his wife owns a Goddard School child care franchise in Westminster, said in an interview that class sizes of 20 would mean he’d have to cut eight universal preschool seats — four from each of his two 4-year-old classrooms.

Fewer spots for children, he said, run counter to “the mandate from the voters and from the governor.”

Universal preschool is one of Gov. Jared Polis’ signature initiatives and is funded partly with a voter-approved nicotine tax. Preschools get about $6,000 for every child enrolled for 15 hours a week. That funding is set to increase by only 2% — about $120 — next year.

Montoya also worries that lost revenue stemming from the proposed class size cap could make it harder to pay teachers a competitive wage.

Class size data hard to pin down

One of the biggest unanswered questions in the class size conflict is how many of the 1,932 preschools in Colorado’s universal program actually have classes of 24 students and staff-to-student ratios of 1 to 12. The state doesn’t track that number.

That makes it hard to know how many universal preschool seats would be lost by changing class size rules. Some preschool providers say thousands of seats would disappear statewide. At the same time, state officials say up to 150 new preschools are poised to join the universal program for the 2024-25 school year, adding new slots to the total.

While Colorado’s licensing rules have long allowed 24 4-year-olds in preschool classes and staff-to-student ratios of 1 to 12, many providers operate with lower numbers for logistical or historical reasons.

Some classrooms simply don’t have the square footage required by the state to accommodate that many kids. Plus, Colorado’s previous state-funded preschool program, which served children with risk factors mostly in public schools, capped class sizes at 16 and staff-student ratios at 1 to 8.

The Durango school district in southwest Colorado continues to run its 13 preschool classrooms with 16 children per class and one staff member for every eight students even though it’s no longer required.

“I think it’s best for kids,” said Jennifer Baufield, the district’s early childhood coordinator. “Our teachers are better able to meet their needs.”

Much is expected of early childhood teachers and smaller class sizes make it easier, she said: “Being a preschool teacher is a stressful job.”

The Denver district, Colorado’s largest, has taken a different tack than Durango. It bumped up class sizes from 16 to 20 when the state’s new universal preschool began last summer.

But Priscilla Hopkins, the district’s executive director of early education, said that’s as high as the district will go except for Montessori classroom settings.

“I like keeping class sizes as manageable as possible because you want strong supervision and high-quality programming and attention for students,” she said.

Denver’s move to a maximum 20 students per class will lead to around 20 preschool classroom closures across the district next year because it will take fewer classrooms to hold the same number of students.

“We are just being efficient and consolidating programs,” Hopkins said.

Experts say smaller class sizes are better

Early childhood groups, including the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, recommend preschool class size maximums of 20 children and staff-to-student ratios of 1 to 10.

Many states with large, publicly funded preschool programs hew to those limits, too.

At a December meeting of the state’s Early Childhood Leadership Commission, co-chair Susan Steele acknowledged the tension in creating high quality preschool with limited funding, but said other states have managed.

“How can they have higher [teacher training] requirements? How can they have lower group sizes? How is that possible other places and not in Colorado? I mean, it doesn’t make sense to me,” she said.

Research on class size is mixed, with some studies finding social, behavioral, or literacy gains for children in smaller classes and others finding no effects. A 2017 study that analyzed decades of research concluded that class size caps of 20 and staff-to-student ratios of 1 to 10 “are largely adequate for most children.”

The same year, another group of researchers that analyzed dozens of studies on staff-to-student ratios concluded that other efforts to boost preschool quality, such as staff training, might yield “better payoffs” than reducing ratios.

Alissa Mwenelupembe, managing director of early learning at the National Association for the Education of Young Children, said it’s clear that young children profit from deep connections with trusted adults.

“There is a point in the size of the group where those deep connections cannot happen,” she said. “The reality is the smaller the group size, the more individual attention and support children can get in the classroom.”

But Mwenelupembe is also sympathetic to preschool providers who’ve long operated with 24 children per class and fear losing money if Colorado’s proposed stricter limits come to pass.

“I think it’s really challenging to turn a ship,” she said. “At the end of the day, we do think lower ratios are better, but we also can’t let go of the fact that early learning programs have to be able to be viable businesses.”

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

¿Son 24 alumnos de preescolar por salón demasiados? Colorado pronto decidirá.

2024-02-29T20:20:57+00:00

Read in English

Mientras líderes en Colorado se preparan para el segundo año del popular programa nuevo de preescolar universal en el estado, también están tratando de resolver una pregunta muy discutida.

¿Cuántos alumnos de 4 años en un salón de clases son demasiados?

Desde que el programa de preescolar universal de $322 millones se lanzó en agosto, el estado ha permitido que los salones de clases tengan hasta 24 niños, y requiere que haya un empleado por cada 12 alumnos. Pero muchos expertos y observadores creen que esas cantidades son demasiado altas y socavan la promesa del estado de proporcionar educación preescolar de alta calidad. Quieren que el tamaño de las clases se limite a 20 alumnos y la relación entre la cantidad de alumnos y el personal (o cociente) a 10 por cada uno.

El otoño pasado, líderes estatales aparentaban estar listos para lanzar los límites de clases con 20 estudiantes y cocientes de 10 a 1 para el año 2025. Pero han enfrentado meses de oposición, en su mayoría de proveedores privados de educación preescolar.

Lisa Roy, directora ejecutiva del Departamento de la Primera Infancia en Colorado, está examinando estudios sobre el tema y comentarios de un comité asesor, y tomará una decisión a más tardar el 28 de marzo.

El debate sobre la cantidad de alumnos por salón resalta una de las tensiones clave en el nuevo programa de preescolar universal en Colorado: la necesidad de balancear lo que es mejor para los niños con las realidades financieras impersonales.

Este año, alrededor de 39,000 niños de 4 años recibieron entre 10 y 30 horas de enseñanza preescolar gratis a través del programa—el 62 por ciento de todos los niños de esa edad en el estado. El próximo año, se espera que la cantidad de alumnos inscritos aumente.

Debido a que la enseñanza preescolar se financia por estudiante, muchos proveedores que han luchado para mantener 24 estudiantes por salón de preescolar universal advierten que perderán decenas de miles de dólares anualmente si tienen que reducir la cantidad a 20 alumnos por salón y a 10 estudiantes por cada integrante del personal. Algunos dicen que quizás tengan que aumentar las mensualidades o hasta cerrar permanentemente sus puertas.

Docenas de proveedores preescolares y grupos dedicados a la primera infancia han enviado comentarios escritos al estado en meses recientes sobre las propuestas reglas de calidad preescolar. Un par de proveedores han respaldado la reducción en la cantidad de alumnos y un menor cociente entre alumnos y el personal—pero la mayoría no lo han hecho, y varios los han criticado intensamente.

Un proveedor privado sugirió que las reducciones en la cantidad de alumnos y el cociente alumnos/personal tienen sentido en preescolares administrados por escuelas públicas—los cuales atienden a la mayoría de los estudiantes con necesidades especiales—pero no en preescolares privados. Un par de personas comentaron que los preescolares Montessori con frecuencia incorporan 24 niños o más de diversas edades porque los estudiantes trabajan con más independencia en esos programas.

Ron Montoya, quien con su esposa es dueño de una franquicia de la guardería Goddard School en Westminster, dijo en una entrevista que si el tamaño de las clases se reduce a 20 alumnos eso significará que deberá eliminar ocho espacios de preescolar universal—cuatro en cada uno de sus salones para alumnos de 4 años.

Ofrecer menos espacios para niños, dijo, va en contra del “mandato de los votantes y del gobernador”.

El prescolar universal es una de las iniciativas distintivas del gobernador Jared Polis y se financia en parte con un impuesto en la nicotina aprobado por los votantes.

A Montoya también le preocupa que los ingresos perdidos debido al propuesto límite en la cantidad de alumnos por salón cause que sea más difícil pagarles un salario competitivo a los maestros.

Datos sobre la cantidad de alumnos por salón son difíciles de encontrar

Una de las preguntas más importantes que quedan sin contestar en el conflicto del tamaño de las clases es cuántos estudiantes en los 1,932 preescolares que participan en el programa universal de Colorado realmente tienen clases con 24 estudiantes y 12 estudiantes por cada empleado. El estado no da seguimiento a esa cantidad.

Eso hace que sea difícil saber cuántos espacios de preescolar universal se perderían si se cambian las reglas. Algunos proveedores de educación preescolar dicen que miles de espacios desaparecerán alrededor del estado. A la vez, los funcionarios estatales dicen que hasta 150 preescolares nuevos están preparándose para unirse al programa de preescolar universal para el año escolar 2024-25, y agregarán nuevos espacios al total.

Algunos salones en Colorado simplemente no tienen el espacio físico que el estado requiere para acomodar a 24 niños. Además, el programa preescolar anterior financiado por el estado, a través del cual se atendía a niños con factores de riesgo principalmente en escuelas públicas, limitaba el tamaño de sus clases a 16 alumnos y la cantidad de estudiantes por cada empleado a ocho.

El distrito escolar de Durango en el sudoeste de Colorado sigue administrando sus 13 salones de educación preescolar con 16 niños por salón y un integrante del personal por cada ocho estudiantes, aunque ya no es un requisito.

“Creo que es lo mejor para los niños”, dijo Jennifer Baufield, la coordinador de la primera infancia en el distrito. “Nuestros maestros pueden cubrir mejor sus necesidades”.

El distrito de Denver, el más grande en Colorado, implementó un método diferente al de Durango. Aumentó el tamaño de sus clases de 16 alumnos a 20 cuando el nuevo programa de preescolar universal del estado empezó el año pasado.

Pero Priscilla Hopkins, la directora ejecutiva de educación temprana en el distrito, dijo que esa cantidad será la más alta que el distrito usará, excepto en entornos de aprendizaje Montessori.

“Me gusta mantener tamaños de clases lo más manejables posible [para ofrecerles] una sólida supervisión y programas y atención de alta calidad a los estudiantes”, dijo.

Los expertos dicen que las clases más pequeñas son mejores

Grupos dedicados a la primera infancia, incluidos el Instituto Nacional para el Estudio de la Educación Temprana en la Universidad de Rutgers y la Asociación Nacional para la Educación de los Niños Pequeños, recomiendan máximos de 20 niños por salón de clases y cocientes de 10 alumnos por cada empleado.

Muchos estados con programas preescolares grandes respaldados con fondos públicos también mantienen esos límites.

Durante una reunión en diciembre de la Comisión estatal de Líderes en la Primera Infancia, la copresidenta Susan Steele reconoció la tensión entre crear un preescolar de alta calidad con fondos limitados, pero dijo que otros estados han logrado hacerlo.

“¿Cómo pueden tener requisitos más altos [de capacitación para maestros]? ¿Cómo pueden tener tamaños más pequeños de grupos? ¿Cómo es posible eso en otros lugares y no en Colorado? Digo, no tiene sentido para mí”, dijo.

Los estudios sobre el tamaño de las clases muestran resultados variados; algunos estudios encuentran más beneficios sociales, de comportamiento o lectoescritura en los niños en salones con menos alumnos, mientras que otros no encuentran diferencias. Un estudio de 2017 que analizó décadas de investigaciones concluyó que límites de 20 en el tamaño de las clases y cocientes de 10 alumnos por cada empleado “son en gran parte adecuados para la mayoría de los niños”.

Ese mismo año, otro grupo de investigadores que analizó docenas de estudios sobre los cocientes entre la cantidad de alumnos por cada empleado concluyó que otros esfuerzos para mejorar la calidad de la educación preescolar, como la capacitación del personal, pueden dar “mejores resultados” que reducir los cocientes.

Alissa Mwenelupembe, directora gerencial de aprendizaje temprano en la Asociación Nacional para la Educación de los Niños Pequeños, dijo que queda claro que los niños pequeños se benefician de conexiones profundas con adultos confiables.

“Llega un punto en el tamaño del grupo en el que esas conexiones profundas no suceden”, dijo. “La realidad es que, mientras más pequeño sea el grupo, más atención individual y apoyo podrán recibir los niños en el salón de clases”.

Pero Mwenelupembe también entiende a los proveedores preescolares que han estado funcionando con 24 niños por salón durante años y que temen perder dinero si se aprueban los límites más estrictos en Colorado.

“Al final del día, pensamos que los cocientes más bajos son mejores, pero tampoco podemos ignorar el hecho de que los programas de aprendizaje temprano tienen que ser negocios viables”.

Ann Schimke es reportera senior de Chalkbeat y cubre temas relacionados con la educación en la niñez temprana y la alfabetización temprana. Para comunicarte con Ann, envíale un email a aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Traducido por Alejandra X. Castañeda

Colorado’s free preschool application in 2024: Here’s what parents need to know

2024-01-17T20:34:24+00:00

Colorado families can start applying for the state’s free preschool program for the 2024-25 school year on Feb. 29.

The $322 million program, which launched in August, is open to all 4-year-olds and some 3-year-olds. More than 39,000 4-year-olds are currently enrolled in the program — about 62% of that age group in the state. About 10,000 3-year-olds are also enrolled.

After a chaotic and confusing application rollout last spring and summer, state officials made several changes to this year’s process. The goal is to make it easier for families already connected to a preschool to stay with that program for universal preschool. The state also is making a change to ensure that children in poverty get access to full-day tuition-free preschool.

Here’s what families need to know about the preschool program and the online application.

Who gets free preschool and how much do they get?

Two groups of children qualify: All 4-year-olds and some 3-year-olds who need extra help.

The preschool program is primarily designed for children in the year before they go to kindergarten — children who turn 4 before the state’s Oct. 1 cutoff date. Most 4-year-olds will get 15 hours of preschool a week, though some preschool providers offer only 10 hour-a-week schedules.

Starting this year, 4-year-olds from families with incomes at or below 100% of the federal poverty level — up to $31,200 for a family of four — will qualify for 30 hours of tuition-free preschool a week.

In addition, 4-year-olds in families with income between 100% and 270% of the federal poverty level — $31,200 to $84,240 for a family of four — who also fall into at least one of the categories below qualify for 30 hours a week:

Speak a language other than English at home.
Have a special education plan, also known as an IEP.
Homeless
In foster care

Remember, not every preschool offers a 30-hour a week schedule — or if they do, has open seats available. That means qualifying for 30 hours of free preschool through the state isn’t a guarantee that a child will get it.

Compared to 4-year-olds, only a small number of 3-year-olds — children two years away from kindergarten — qualify for tuition-free preschool. This year, about one-third of 3-year-olds in universal preschool are children with disabilities and the rest are from low-income families or have other risk factors.

Only 3-year-olds who have special education plans are guaranteed free preschool. The number of hours depends on what’s spelled out in their special education plan. Parents of these 3-year-olds should fill out the state’s online application.

If there’s enough funding, 3-year-olds with one of the other risk factors listed above may get at least 10 hours of free preschool a week. Parents of these children can skip the state application and apply for free preschool directly through their local school districts.

What about 5-year-olds who aren’t in kindergarten yet?

A small number of 5-year-olds are eligible for free preschool in the year before they attend kindergarten. Specifically: Those living in school districts with kindergarten cut-off dates earlier than the state’s Oct. 1 cut-off whose birthdays fall between the two cut-off dates. For example, a child in a district where children must turn 5 by July 30 to attend kindergarten, will qualify for free preschool if they turn 5 in August or September.

Five-year-olds who could go to kindergarten but have been held out by their families — a practice often called redshirting — aren’t eligible for free preschool in that year.

When can I fill out the universal preschool application?

This year’s application will open on Feb. 29, about a month later than last year.

Starting then, certain families will get to preregister, specifically those who want to send their child to the preschool where the child is currently enrolled, where a sibling is enrolled, or where the parent is employed. These families will get an email from the state that links to a universal preschool application preloaded with their current preschool. Once the family accepts the placement, the match will be confirmed immediately.

To ensure you get a preregistration link, talk to your current preschool or child care provider about your plans to stay with the program for universal preschool. The provider will then let the state know about all continuing families.

Families not eligible to preregister can still fill out the universal preschool application starting on Feb. 29 but they won’t be matched to a preschool until April. Families who apply after that will get their preschool matches in June.

Starting in late June, walk-ins will be allowed. That means families can apply for universal preschool by calling or visiting a local preschool directly. If that preschool is participating in the state program and has space, staff there will help families apply and secure a spot.

Unlike last year, some parents of 3-year-olds can skip the state’s online application and apply for preschool directly through their school districts. This includes parents of 3-year-olds from low-income households, or who are learning English, are homeless, or in foster care. Parents of 3-year-olds with special education plans still have to apply using the state’s online application.

What do I need to fill out the application? Are there income requirements?

If you qualify for preregistration, you’ll receive a link from the state with a prepopulated application. If not, you’ll create your online application using an email address or phone number. Most families will need about 15 minutes to fill it out. The application is offered in English, Spanish, and Arabic.

Families with incomes at or below 270% of the federal poverty line will need to upload proof of income, such as pay stubs or tax forms, when they apply for universal preschool.

My child has a disability. What’s the application process?

Families will get a link from the state with a preloaded universal preschool application if their child will be 3 or 4 next school year, has a special education plan — also known as an IEP — and are already getting services for their disability through their local school district.

If the family of a child with a special education plan is not currently connected to their local district — perhaps they recently moved — they can fill out the universal preschool application when it opens. Once they indicate on the application that their child has an IEP, the district will reach out to them about next steps. Most preschoolers with IEPs will be placed in classrooms run by their school districts.

Parents who are worried their preschooler may be delayed in speech, learning, or development but don’t have a diagnosis or IEP, should contact Child Find, a state program that screens children suspected of having a disability. Check this list for Child Find coordinators by region.

Can I pick my 4-year-old’s preschool?

Yes. Families who don’t qualify for preregistration or want a program other than the one their child currently attends will be asked to pick up to five preschools and will be able to rank their choices. Options include school-based preschools, faith-based preschools, preschool programs inside child care centers, and state-licensed home-based programs.

Search and map functions are available within the universal preschool application to narrow down the choices. There are some cases where preschool providers can turn down a universal preschool applicant. For example, a school-based preschool might turn away a child who lives outside district boundaries or an employer-based preschool that mainly provides care to children of company employees may decline a child of a non-employee.

Can I pick my 3-year-old’s preschool?

Possibly, but you won’t have as many choices as 4-year-olds do. It all depends on your school district since districts are in charge of placing 3-year-old preschoolers. Some districts primarily serve 3-year-olds in district-run classrooms while others work with community child care programs to serve 3-year-olds. When you fill out the universal preschool application, you’ll select your school district and then work with them on preschool placement.

My district’s school choice application is due before the universal preschool application opens. What should I do?

Families who want to send their child to a district-run preschool run may have to fill out two applications. First up is the district’s school choice form. Next, fill out the universal preschool application when it opens.

If your child or a sibling already attends your favored district-run preschool, or you work there, the state will send you a preregistration link to a universal preschool application preloaded with your preschool choice in late February.

If you have no current affiliation with a district-run preschool, the state will send you a link to the general universal preschool application using your contact information from the school choice form. Fill out the application and choose your top five preschools and you’ll find out your child’s preschool match in April.

What if I need more hours than what my preschooler is eligible for?

You can still pay for extra hours above and beyond what the state covers for free, as long as the preschool offers more hours. You can also see if you qualify for financial help through other means, such as the state’s child care subsidy program or a local tuition assistance program. Here’s a rundown of the options.

I have more questions. What should I do?

Contact the local group that’s coordinating the universal preschool program in your county or region. Here’s a county-by-county list of all the groups — the state calls them Local Coordinating Organizations or LCOs — with email addresses.

You can also contact the state’s help desk from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays. The number is 303-866-5223 and the email is cdec_upkcolorado@state.co.us.

Do you have a question you don’t see answered here or can’t find the answer to elsewhere? Let us know at co.tips@chalkbeat.org and we’ll do our best to find an answer.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Ya comenzó el periodo de solicitud para el preescolar gratis de Colorado. Esto es lo que necesitas saber.

2023-02-11T22:02:46+00:00

Nota: Este artículo trata sobre la solicitud de preescolar gratis de 2023 y parte de la información está desactualizada. Para obtener información actualizada sobre la solicitud de preescolar gratis de 2024, lea nuestro artículo actualizado aquí.

Chalkbeat Colorado es un noticiero local sin fines de lucro que informa sobre las escuelas públicas en Denver y otros distritos. Suscríbete a nuestro boletín gratis por email en español para recibir lo último en noticias sobre educación.

La solicitud para el nuevo programa de preescolar gratis de Colorado empezó a las 8 a.m. del martes, un momento importante en el camino a la apertura del nuevo programa el próximo verano.

El programa, financiado en parte por un impuesto sobre la nicotina aprobado por los electores del estado, ofrecerá entre 10 y 15 horas semanales de preescolar gratuito para todos los niños de 4 años de Colorado, y algunos serán elegibles para 30 horas semanales. Además, algunos niños de 3 años serán elegibles para obtener 10 horas semanales.

Los funcionarios del estado esperan que unos 30,000 niños se inscriban en el programa universal de preescolar en su primer año. Eso representa más o menos la mitad de los que serán elegibles.

Esto es lo que las familias necesitan saber acerca del proceso en línea para solicitar el preescolar:

¿Quién recibirá el preescolar gratis, y cuántos años deben tener los niños?

Tres grupos de niños calificarán: los de 4 años, algunos de 3 años que necesitan ayuda adicional, y un pequeño grupo de 5 años que todavía están demasiado pequeños para ir al Kinder.

Permítenos explicarte. El programa de preescolar nuevo está diseñado para niños en el año antes de ir al Kinder; es decir, los niños que cumplan 4 años antes del 1 de octubre, la fecha límite del estado. El estado pagará por 15 horas semanales de preescolar para estos niños y no habrá costo adicional para los padres. Algunos proveedores de preescolar podrían ofrecer 10 horas a la semana; por ejemplo, un distrito escolar que ofrece clases de K-12 solamente cuatro días por semana.

Algunos niños de 4 años recibirán 30 horas semanales de preescolar gratis, los cuales incluyen niños de familias de pocos ingresos, los que hablan un idioma que no es inglés en el hogar, los que no tienen hogar, los que estén en hogares de crianza, y los que tengan discapacidades.

El programa de preescolar nuevo también cubrirá 10 horas semanales para los niños de 3 años que estén en esos mismos grupos.

¿Y qué tal los niños de 5 años que todavía no están en Kinder?

Algunos niños de 5 años calificarán para el preescolar gratuito y algunos no. Si un niño vive en un distrito escolar cuya fecha límite para cumplir 5 años y entrar al Kinder es antes del 1 de octubre, calificará para el preescolar si cumple años después de la fecha límite y antes del 1 de octubre. Por ejemplo, si vive en un distrito en el que tiene que cumplir 5 años a más tardar el 1 de agosto para ir al Kinder, calificará para el preescolar gratuito si cumplirá 5 años en septiembre.

Los niños de cinco años de edad que cumplen los requisitos de edad para ir al Kinder, pero sus familias prefieren retrasar la entrada a la escuela (una práctica conocida como redshirting en inglés) no podrán asistir al preescolar gratuito en el programa estatal nuevo.

¿Qué necesito para llenar la solicitud? ¿Hay algún requisito de ingresos?

Muchas familias necesitarán unos 15 minutos solamente. La solicitud está disponible en inglés, español y árabe, y los padres deben poder completarla en un celular o computadora.

Las familias cuyos ingresos del hogar califiquen para horas adicionales, o les permitan inscribir a un niño de 3 años, necesitarán subir documentos para comprobar los ingresos. Las familias que ganen hasta un 270% del límite federal de pobreza (unos $81,000 anuales para una familia de cuatro) están en esta categoría.

Si eso describe tu familia, esta página de preguntas frecuentes (FAQ) explica cuáles documentos el estado aceptará como prueba de los ingresos del hogar.

Las familias que califiquen para el preescolar de niños de 3 años o para horas adicionales para niños de 4 años por razones aparte de los ingresos (por ejemplo, su hijo(a) tiene una discapacidad o está aprendiendo inglés) no necesitarán mostrar evidencia de los ingresos.

Esta página de preguntas frecuentes (FAQ) tiene los detalles sobre cuáles documentos el estado aceptará como prueba de los ingresos del hogar.

¿Cómo sabré cuántas horas recibirá mi hijo(a)?

El sistema de solicitud en línea te dirá para cuántas horas es elegible tu hijo(a) después de que indiques algunos datos. Estos son los cuatro posibles resultados:

No serás elegible. Tu hijo(a) no tiene suficiente edad, tiene demasiada edad, o no vive en Colorado.
10 horas: Si tu hijo(a) tiene 3 años y cumple uno o más de los criterios de elegibilidad.
15 horas: Si tu hijo(a) tiene 4 años.
30 horas: Si tu hijo(a) tiene 4 años y cumple uno o más de los criterios de elegibilidad.

¿Podré elegir el preescolar de mi hijo(a)?

Sí. A las familias se les pedirá que elijan hasta cinco preescolares que les gustarían para su hijo(a) y podrán ponerlos en orden de preferencia. Las opciones incluyen preescolares en escuelas, preescolares en iglesias, programas preescolares dentro de centros de cuidado/guarderías, y preescolares en hogares con licencia del estado.

También habrá un mapa y buscador disponible para afinar los resultados. Puedes buscar el programa en el que tu hijo(a) ya está, o explorar opciones nuevas. En cada preescolar se les dará prioridad a los niños que ya están inscritos allí, si uno de sus hermanos está inscrito, o si uno de sus padres trabaja allí.

En algunos casos los proveedores de preescolar podrían no aceptar a un estudiante asignado por el sistema de solicitud. Por ejemplo, un preescolar dentro de una escuela podría rechazar a un estudiante que vive fuera de los límites geográficos del distrito, o es posible que un preescolar dentro de una empresa y que principalmente recibe a los estudiantes de sus empleados no inscriba al hijo(a) de alguien que no es empleado. (Durante el proceso de solicitud, los padres verán una banderita azul para indicar si los preescolares seleccionados les dan prioridad a determinados estudiantes.)

Mi hijo(a) tiene una discapacidad. ¿Cuáles programas de preescolar puedo elegir?

Si tu hijo(a) tiene un plan de educación especial (oficialmente conocido como un IEP, o Individualized Education Program), entonces necesitará asistir a un preescolar del distrito escolar. Esto se debe a la manera en que están escritas las leyes de educación especial.

Si tu hijo(a) no tiene un IEP y te preocupa algún retraso en su desarrollo, comunícate con Child Find, el programa estatal de intervención temprana para niños de 3-5 años.

Mi hijo(a) tiene 3 años. ¿Cuáles programas de preescolar puedo elegir?

Los niños de 3 años principalmente asistirán a preescolares operados en distritos escolares. Algunos niños de 3 años podrían no tener opciones fuera de escuelas, pero solamente si sus distritos escolares tienen colaboraciones con preescolares privados. Esto se debe a la manera en que las leyes estatales de preescolar están escritas.

Los padres de niños de 3 años no podrán seleccionar centros preescolares específicos en el formulario de solicitud del estado. En vez de eso, ellos elegirán su distrito escolar local. Esto se debe a que los distritos escolares son los encargados de asignar a los niños de 3 años a programas preescolares específicos.

¿Qué hago si el proveedor de preescolar de mi hijo(a) no está en la lista?

Los proveedores de preescolar no están obligados a participar en el programa estatal de preescolar universal, pero más de 1,000 ya están participando, y se espera que más de ellos también lo hagan. Los funcionarios del estado dicen que, si los padres no encuentran el preescolar que quieren en el sistema de solicitud, deben comunicarse con el proveedor y alentarlo a que participe.

¿Qué pasa si necesito más horas de las que mi hijo(a) es elegible para recibir?

Tienes la opción de pagar por las horas adicionales a las que el estado cubre gratuitamente, siempre y cuando ese preescolar las ofrezca. También puedes ver si calificas para recibir ayuda financiera por otros medios, como el programa estatal de subsidios para cuidado de los hijos para familias de pocos ingresos, el Colorado Child Care Assistance Program.

¿Necesito llenar la solicitud lo antes posible?

Puedes hacerlo ahora, pero no quedarás fuera si esperas un par de días o semanas. El sistema no atiende en orden de llegada. Sin embargo, las familias que llenen la solicitud durante el primer periodo de solicitud tendrán más opciones y sabrán primero a cuál preescolar han sido asignadas.

El primero periodo de solicitud es del 17 de enero al 24 de febrero, y las familias sabrán cuál es su preescolar el 30 de marzo. (El primer periodo iba a cerrar el 14 de febrero, pero se lo extendió después de que los oficiales descubrieron algunos errores en el sistema.)

Las familias todavía puede llenar la solicitud después del 24 de febrero, y sabrán más tarde en la primavera cuál es su preescolar.

Ya llené la solicitud para el preescolar del estado. ¿Tengo que llenar también la solicitud para elegir la escuela (school choice) de mi distrito escolar?

Posiblemente. Algunos distritos también quieren que los padres llenen formularios para seleccionar la escuela (school choice) si desean que su hijo(a) asista a un centro preescolar del distrito. Eso incluye los distritos de Denver y Jeffco, los dos más grandes. Si eliges un preescolar del distrito, visita la página web de inscripción de tu distrito local para ver si también quieren que solicites allí.

La solicitud estatal determinará si tu hijo califica para recibir educación preescolar gratuita, y en caso afirmativo, por cuántas horas. Esa solicitud también asignará a los niños de 4 años a un centro preescolar específico. El sistema para elegir la escuela del distrito recolecta más información para que los niños puedan inscribirse en el programa que les fue asignado. En el caso de niños de 3 años, el sistema de elección de escuela del distrito es el que asigna a las familias a un centro preescolar específico.

Si las familias no llenan el formulario del distrito, los funcionarios del distrito dicen que se pondrán en contacto con ellas y trabajarán con ellas para que lo hagan. En algunos casos, los retrasos en llenar el formulario del distrito podrían resultar en que las familias tengan menos opciones de preescolar.

¿Qué hago si decido no inscribir a mi hijo(a) en el preescolar que me asignaron?

Tienes la opción de no aceptar el preescolar que el estado le asignó a tu hijo(a). Sin embargo, es posible que tengas que volver a solicitar.

¿Cuándo comenzará el preescolar gratuito en Colorado?

En agosto o septiembre, todo depende de la fecha en que comenzará el programa de preescolar que se te asignó. Las familias se enterarán de su asignación con anticipación, pero la inscripción gratuita no comenzará hasta fines del verano.

Mi hijo califica para el preescolar gratuito. ¿Mi centro de preescolar puede cobrarme cargos o matrícula adicionales?

Sí y no. Depende de cuántas horas semanales de preescolar tu hijo(a) necesita.

Los centros que están participando en el programa de preescolar universal de Colorado no pueden cobrarles dinero adicional a las familias – inscripción, cuotas de suministros o cuotas de actividades – por las horas gratuitas para las que el niño o niña es elegible a través del programa estatal.

Sin embargo, los centros pueden cobrar por las horas que le proporcionen a un niño(a) adicionales a las horas gratuitas concedidas por el estado. Por ejemplo, si un niño de 4 años asiste a 20 horas de preescolar a la semana, pero solamente es elegible para 15 horas gratuitas, el proveedor puede cobrar inscripción por las cinco horas adicionales, más los gastos de suministros o cuotas por actividades para esas horas adicionales.

Tengo más preguntas. ¿Qué debo hacer?

Tienes tres opciones:

Visitar la página de preguntas frecuentes sobre el preescolar universal del estado.
Comunicarte con el grupo local que está coordinando el programa de preescolar universal en tu condado o región. Aquí hay una lista por condado de todos los grupos — conocidos por el estado como LCO, o Local Coordinating Organizations — y sus direcciones de email.
Comunícate con el escritorio de ayuda del estado de lunes a viernes, 6 a.m. a 10 p.m., excepto los días feriados estatales. El teléfono es 303-866-5223 y su email es cdec_upkcolorado@state.co.us.

¿Tienes alguna pregunta que no ves aquí y no puedes encontrar respuesta en otro lugar? Escríbenos a co.tips@chalkbeat.org y haremos lo posible por conseguirte la respuesta.

Ann Schimke es reportera senior en Chalkbeat y cubre temas sobre la niñez temprana y la alfabetización en la niñez temprana. Para comunicarte con Ann, escríbele a aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

This Colorado county aimed to create thousands more child care slots. Here’s how it went.

2024-02-03T00:14:19+00:00

A little over a year ago, Grace Luchavez opened a child care program in her Grand Junction home in western Colorado. Today, the former nursing assistant cares for a handful of children in a living room accessorized with a colorful alphabet rug and lined with toy bins.

Five miles away, a new state-of-the-art child care center is going up in a former alfalfa field, rising steadily from a skeleton of metal beams and concrete. A longtime local child care provider will operate the center, which will be the first in Clifton, an unincorporated community with more than 1,000 small children, many from low-income families.

Luchavez’s child care business and the future Clifton center represent some of the fruits of an ambitious campaign to double the number of child care slots and boost child care quality in Mesa County. The effort began in 2017 and was originally dubbed Child Care 8,000 for the number of slots county leaders hoped to reach. At the time, the county was losing child care seats by the dozens, parents were hamstrung by long waitlists, and employers were struggling to keep working parents on the job.

Jeff Kuhr, who then headed the county health department and was the chief architect of Child Care 8,000, believed high-quality child care could improve child and family well-being, and by extension, community well-being. It could help address everything from low elementary test scores to high suicide rates and workforce turnover.

Today, leaders and advocates in Mesa County say parents have more child care choices, quality is higher, and it’s easier for prospective child care providers to get into the field. But the county fell short of its ultimate goal: Instead of 8,000 child care slots, it has 5,000. That represents about 800 more slots than there used to be, but still not enough to meet the need.

Child Care 8,000 no longer exists as an official county initiative, but leaders say its message and momentum live on.

“We’re not done for sure, but definitely making strides,” said Stephanie Bivins, director of Mesa County’s early childhood council, a group that supports child care providers and families with young children.

Stephanie Bivins, director of Mesa County's early childhood council, stands last fall in front of the building that will house the new Clifton child care center.

She said Child Care 8,000 created a stronger early childhood ecosystem by getting county agencies, city leaders, local colleges, and businesses to work together on child care in an unprecedented way. The effort brought in new grant money, streamlined parts of the process for opening a child care business, and dramatically expanded free training for child care teachers.

Kuhr said more needs to be done to raise wages for early childhood staff, but he’s proud of what the effort has accomplished.

“It changed the values of Mesa County,” he said, “It put early childhood education on the map.”

Finding child care that’s still far away

Parent Kaycie Crider knows what it’s like to scramble for child care. When she had her first child five years ago, “I ended up rearranging my entire life to stay home,” she said.

She cared for her daughter while working from home in the tiny ranching town of Colbran in eastern Mesa County. She assisted a real estate broker with paperwork on a contract basis. But things got tricky when her second child, a son, grew into a busy, inquisitive toddler.

“He was too active … climbing on counters when I was trying to put on my professional voice and answer the phone,” she said. “It just was too crazy.”

Last summer, Crider, who now sells commercial playground equipment, decided to put her children in child care a few days a week. She found a licensed home-based provider near Grand Junction who’d opened about six months before. She also relied on her father to care for the children one day a week. She and her husband, a lineman for the local power utility, took turns caring for the children on Fridays.

The hard part of Crider’s child care search wasn’t finding open slots, but finding them in a convenient location for an affordable price. Last fall, her commute to work in Palisade was an hour and 20 minutes, partly because she drove 12 miles out of her way to drop the kids at child care each morning.

This winter, she switched her son and daughter to a Grand Junction child care center partly because tuition was lower — $78 a day instead of $110 — and partly so her son could be around more kids his age. Her commute each way is eight miles longer now.

Ideally, Crider said, there’d be more child care options in or near Colbran. The local school district operates a preschool that her 4-year-old daughter now attends tuition-free two days a week through the state’s universal preschool program. But her son, who just turned 3, won’t qualify for more than a year.

Planning for healthy children and a healthy county

When Child Care 8,000 launched in 2017, the 8,000-slot goal represented about 60% of the county’s population of children age 12 and younger — the approximate proportion who needed child care either because both parents work or their household is led by a single parent who works.

Curtis Englehart, executive director of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, which helps recruit companies to the area, said child care is a big issue for the business community.

“It can be right up there with cost of living,” he said. “If child care remains a huge barrier … then getting businesses to relocate or expand, they won’t have the workforce to do it.”

Bivins, who was early childhood coordinator for Mesa County Public Health before moving to the early childhood council in 2021, started her work on Child Care 8,000 by gathering data at five child care centers. She discovered they were operating at about 70% capacity, not because of a lack of demand, but because they couldn’t find qualified staff.

“There were so many costs associated with entering the field,” she said. “To get [an entry-level Child Development Associate credential] is about two grand and these folks are making minimum wage. They can’t afford that.”

Bivins and the rest of the team set about making it easier and cheaper for people to enter the field and advance once they were in it. They gave out scholarships for training courses, offered stipends so prospective providers could afford to take off work for child care credential exams, and dramatically expanded coaching and technical assistance for new providers.

“Now, we have a full career pipeline that we’ve built over the last few years,” she said.

The work of Child Care 8,000 was funded through a variety of sources, including a state 2Generation Opportunities grant, county health department dollars, and federal COVID aid.

Several employees at the Grand Junction’s Eureka! McConnell Science Museum — which launched a full-day preschool program three years ago — have taken advantage of the free early childhood classes and training.

They include staff who worked at the museum’s reception desk and in other non-child care jobs. The financial help allowed them to land full-time early childhood jobs with benefits, said Jenn Moore, the museum’s executive director.

“They would never have done it without the county providing these financial offsets just because it’s too expensive,” she said.

Englehart said although it’s still particularly tough to find infant care in the county, it’s getting easier for families to find child care generally — and for businesses to take a chance in the region. In 2023, 10 companies relocated or expanded to the Grand Junction area, creating 150 new jobs.

“Progress is definitely being made,” he said.

Employers expand child care options for employees

In a field marked by low pay, high stress, and lots of regulation, Child Care 8,000 was always destined to be a huge lift. And perhaps unsurprisingly, the topline goal of increasing the number of child care seats from 4,200 to 8,000 by the end of 2020 — a 90% jump — never materialized. Instead there was a more modest 20% increase in child care capacity.

“I didn’t ever expect that this was going to happen quickly” said Kuhr, who left his job at the health department last summer. “I feel like we’ve made some headway but we still have a ways to go.”

Mesa County did exceed its goal on child care quality, boosting the proportion of providers with one of the top three ratings on the state’s Colorado Shines rating system from 10% in 2017 to 40% today. That’s higher than the original goal of 30% and the statewide average of 24%.

There have been other high-profile gains, too. In the past few years, several local employers have opened centers to provide child care to their workers. Both Grand Junction and Community Hospital have opened child care centers for their employees — together creating 184 new seats.

Jennifer Knott operates the new child care center at Community Hospital and will also operate the center opening in Clifton later this year.

County leaders also have high hopes for the Clifton project, which will create nearly 200 new child care slots, plus space for early childhood offices, training, and conferences.

In addition, a center that will serve employees of the Eureka museum along with four other nonprofits, is slated to open in 2025, provided the nonprofits can raise enough money for construction.

Several people involved in Child Care 8,000 said it shouldered much of the work that should have fallen to the county’s early childhood council, which was dysfunctional when Child Care 8,000 began. Today, under Bivins’ leadership, the council is well-regarded.

“That council is completely changed and it’s awesome,” said Kuhr.

Giving families flexibility and an attractive setting

One day last fall, Luchavez distracted a toddler who was on the brink of bumping a wobbly baby by asking him to tell a visitor his age.

“How old are you?” she said, from her perch on a blue pillow that looked like a beach ball. “Show your fingers.”

Gazing at Luchavez, who was holding up her own fingers as a hint, the 2-year-old rested his fists on his chin, with both index fingers pointing skyward. Then he hopped on a blue ride-on car and inched around the living room.

Grace Luchavez takes the children she cares for to her yard for outdoor playtime.

As a licensed home-based provider, Luchavez provides the cozy setting and flexible hours that lots of families seek, especially for infants and toddlers. Some days, she starts at 6:15 a.m. and sends the last child home around 7 p.m. — a long day for her, but priceless for parents who work 12-hour shifts.

During the pandemic, Luchavez worked nights as a nursing assistant at St. Mary’s Medical Center. But when a colleague struggled to find child care for her young son after her husband died, Luchavez offered to help out on her days off. From there, she decided to get a state license so she could accept more children and turn it into a full-time business.

Luchavez has a warm personality, calm demeanor, and lots of experience with children. She’s the mother of three adult daughters and used to help out at her sister’s child care program in Montrose. Still, she initially had doubts about whether she could jump through the hoops required to enter the highly-regulated world of licensed child care.

“Maybe I will not be able to pass or maybe I’ll not get that license,” she recalled thinking when she started the journey.

But she credits her coach from the early childhood council for helping every step of the way.

While Child Care 8,000 has encouraged home-based child care providers like Luchavez to enter the field, there are still fewer seats in home settings than before the pandemic. Bivins said the county is still working its way back from a huge deficit of such providers. But 2023 was a good year, with a net gain of 38 home-based child care slots in the county — a 9% increase from 2022.

Today, Luchavez gets calls about twice a week from parents looking for child care.

“Sorry, I’m already full,” she tells them.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Will Colorado lawmakers save a team that helps Spanish-speaking child care providers get licensed?

2024-01-25T22:13:26+00:00

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Nehife Sanchez raised five kids as a stay-at-home mom and always helped her relatives and friends when they needed child care. Her youngest is 15, and the only child she takes care of regularly now is her granddaughter.

So when she was watching Univision with her husband one night in 2022 and saw an ad for a course to get certified in child care, she decided she was ready to take her love of caring for kids to the next level.

“Really, I always wanted to have something like this,” Sanchez said.

After taking the course, she was motivated to apply for a child care license. But Sanchez almost quit several times, not having realized all that it would require — background checks, visits to her local government office, inspections and changes to her home, buying the right materials, and taking more courses. She credits having Spanish-language help from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood with helping her persevere when, for example, she was shunted between county offices amid confusion about which one was responsible for her.

Lawmakers could soon provide more support to people like Sanchez. A bill introduced in the Colorado legislature this session is looking to keep and expand the department’s bilingual support team. The legislation’s sponsor, Democratic state Rep. Junie Joseph, said she hopes it is one small piece of a solution to the larger problem of the shortage of child care.

“We have a large population that could provide that service,” Joseph said. “But we have to make all of our community members feel supported.”

Joseph, who is bilingual herself, is sponsoring House Bill 1009 to make funding for the support permanent. If the bill is passed, the state would give the department an additional $235,000 per fiscal year to pay for the bilingual licensing unit.

Joseph says that the bill is important to her for many reasons, including as a way to increase the number of safe, quality, child care spots available across the state.

“We know this has been an underserved community,” said Carin Rosa, director of the licensing division for the department.

Sanchez said the Spanish-speaking team at the state department always answered her calls, responded to her emails, and helped her find solutions. She calls them her guardian angels.

Helping providers get licensed and avoid scams

In 2022, the early childhood department was able to hire a team of three bilingual staff members who help people through the licensing process to become licensed child care providers. The department used COVID relief money to do it. But that funding won’t be available after September.

Right now, the department says it is actively processing 25 applications for Spanish speakers, and is supporting another 69 who are already licensed but say they prefer their support in Spanish. They expect that number to grow as more people learn about their ability to access licensing.

Part of the reason for the expected increase is that in 2021, Colorado made it legal for people who can’t prove legal residency to pay for and earn certain work licenses including in childcare or education. Word has been slow to spread, and advocates say even local government employees are sometimes unaware of that new access.

Carla Colin, a program manager for the Latino Chamber of Commerce in Boulder, is supporting the bill because she believes it makes sense to help businesses.

“We don’t think language should be a barrier for a business,” Colin said. Supporting people in the language they understand “puts those in home businesses in a better position instead of working in the shadows.”

Joseph and Colin also see the bill’s purpose, and the early childhood department’s outreach to Spanish speakers, as an important part of discouraging scammers and those who overcharge and underdeliver.

Groups have popped up that claim to help Spanish speakers and those without legal status navigate the application process for professional or business licenses. But they often charge thousands of dollars, and sometimes may not actually deliver what they promise.

Colin said people sometimes call her to find out if they’re being lied to. But people often hesitate to report who the bad actors are.

Colin said she hears reports of people paying these groups more than $5,000 for a child care license.

“It’s an outrageous amount of money and especially for someone who might not be working yet,” she said.

Getting accurate information to people and support from the proper authorities is necessary, she said. She wishes the government would work more closely with teams like hers that work directly with the community.

At the early childhood department, much of the bilingual team’s first year after they were hired in 2022 was trying to get the word out. Rosa said the team has connected with some groups that work with the Latino community, translated documents, and created Spanish trainings. But the team is limited and hasn’t always been able to meet the requests for more training in the community.

Building trust and creating awareness takes time, state officials said.

If the bill is passed, one goal for the funding is to have the state’s website translated so people can find more information easily, and to do some other technology upgrades that would allow the team to carry their own caseload instead of just assisting other team members when they’re working with Spanish speakers.

Technology changes would also allow reports to be automatically generated in Spanish for Spanish-speaking providers, such as after an on-site inspection.

Rosa said the department knows Spanish speakers who apply for licenses often have had to use a child or friend who spoke English to interpret for them at on-site inspections or other meetings.

“That never felt right to us,” Rosa said.

“We really want children to have caregivers that reflect their communities, their families,” Rosa added.

Nehife Sanchez got Spanish-language help from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood in her quest to become a licensed child care provider.

And if things go well, the department leaders would like to eventually add support for languages other than Spanish. For now, they’re starting by collecting data on what the preferred language is for each applicant and existing provider.

Because she primarily speaks Spanish, Sanchez was first relying on her husband, who is bilingual, to make calls for her when he was home from work, before they learned about the bilingual licensing team.

After an eight-month process that Sanchez said she was only able to complete with the bilingual team’s hand-holding — and her own persistence — , Sanchez became a licensed home care provider in August.

She’s now in the process of getting the word out and trying to recruit families. She’s hoping to have more than 10 children in her care in the next year, which might eventually allow her husband to quit his day job so they can work together at home. He’s taken the same courses as her, and they plan to keep learning together about how to help children learn.

It’s the dream, she said.

Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado’s free preschool application is open. Here’s what you need to know.

2023-02-15T01:22:09+00:00

Note: This story is about the 2023 free preschool application, and some of the information is out of date. For updated information about the 2024 free preschool application, read our updated story here.

The parent application for Colorado’s new free preschool program opened at 8 a.m. on Tuesday — a major milestone in the march toward the program’s launch next summer.

The program, funded in part by a voter-approved nicotine tax, will offer 10 to 15 hours a week of tuition-free preschool to 4-year-olds statewide, with some eligible for 30 hours a week. In addition, some 3-year-olds will be eligible for 10 hours a week.

State officials expect about 30,000 children to opt into the universal preschool program in its first year. That’s about half the number that will be eligible.

Here’s what families need to know about the online preschool application:

Who gets free preschool and what age do they have to be?

Three groups of children qualify: 4-year-olds, some 3-year-olds who need extra help, and a small number of 5-year-olds who are too young for kindergarten.

Let us explain. The new preschool program is designed for children in the year before they go to kindergarten — children who turn 4 before the state’s Oct. 1 cutoff date. The state will pay for 15 hours a week of preschool for these students at no cost to parents. Some preschool providers may offer only 10 hours a week — for example, a school district that offers K-12 classes only four days a week.

Some 4-year-olds will get 30 hours of free preschool a week, including those from lower-income families, who speak a language besides English at home, are homeless, in foster care, or have disabilities.

The new preschool program will also cover 10 hours a week of preschool for 3-year-olds in these same groups.

What about 5-year-olds who aren’t in kindergarten yet?

Some 5-year-olds will qualify for free preschool and some won’t. Children who live in school districts with kindergarten cutoff dates before Oct. 1 will qualify if they turn 5 after the district’s cutoff date and before Oct. 1. For example, a child in a district where children must turn 5 by Aug. 1 to attend kindergarten, will qualify for free preschool if they turn 5 in September. (The application may indicate these children are not eligible. State officials say families should contact the group coordinating universal preschool in their area if this happens. Search this county-by-county list to find contact information for the right local group.)

Five-year-olds who could go to kindergarten but have been held out by their families — a practice often called redshirting — won’t be able to get free preschool through the new state program.

What do I need to fill out the application? Are there income requirements?

Many families will need about 15 minutes and not much else. The application is offered in English, Spanish, and Arabic, and parents should be able to complete the application on a cell phone or computer.

Families whose household income qualifies their 4-year-olds for extra hours or allows them to enroll a 3-year-old will need to upload documents that prove their income. Families that earn up to 270% of the federal poverty limit — about $81,000 a year for a family of four — fall into this category.

If that describes you, this FAQ lays out which documents the state will accept for proof of household income.

Families who qualify for 3-year-old preschool or extra hours of 4-year-old preschool for reasons other than income levels — perhaps their child has a disability or is learning English — won’t need to show proof of income.

Check this FAQ for details about which documents the state will accept for proof of household income.

How do I know how many hours my child will get?

The online application system will tell you how many hours your child is eligible for after you enter a few pieces of information. There are four possibilities:

Not eligible: Your child is too young, too old, or doesn’t live in Colorado.
10 hours: If your child is 3 and meets one or more of the eligibility criteria.
15 hours: If your child is 4.
30 hours: If your child is 4 and meets one or more of the eligibility criteria.

Can I pick my child’s preschool?

Yes. Families will be asked to pick up to five preschools they’d like their child to attend and will be able to rank their choices. Options include school-based preschools, church-based preschools, preschool programs inside child care centers, and state-licensed home-based preschools.

Search and map functions are available to narrow down the choices. You can look for the program your child already attends or explore new options. Children will be prioritized for a spot in a preschool if they’re already enrolled there, if a sibling is enrolled there, or if a parent works there.

There are some cases where preschool providers may not accept a preschool match made by the application system. For example, a school-based preschool might turn away a child who lives outside district boundaries or an employer-based preschool that mainly provides care to children of company employees may not enroll the child of a non-employee. (During the application process, parents will see a blue banner indicating if selected preschools prioritize certain students.)

My child has a disability. What preschools can I pick?

If your child has a special education plan — officially called an Individualized Education Program, or IEP — your child will be served in a preschool classroom run by your school district. That’s because of the way special education laws are written.

If your child doesn’t have an IEP and you’re worried about a developmental delay, contact Child Find, the state’s early intervention program for 3- to 5-year-olds.

My child is 3. What preschools can I pick?

Three-year-olds will mostly be served in preschool classrooms run by their school districts. Some 3-year-olds may have non-school options, but only if their district partners with private preschools. That’s because of the way the state’s preschool law is written.

Parents of 3-year-olds won’t be able to select specific preschools on the state application. Instead, they’ll select their local school district. That’s because school districts are in charge of matching 3-year-olds to specific preschool programs.

What if I don’t see my child’s provider on the list?

Preschool providers don’t have to participate in the state’s universal preschool program, but more than 1,000 have chosen to and more are expected to sign up. State officials say if parents don’t find the preschool they want listed in the application system, they should reach out to the preschool provider and encourage them to sign up.

What if I need more hours than what my preschooler is eligible for?

You can still pay for extra hours above and beyond what the state covers for free, as long as the preschool offers more hours. You can also see if you qualify for financial help through other means, such as the state’s child care subsidy program for low-income families, called the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program.

Do I need to fill out the application right away?

Families who fill out the application by Feb. 24, the deadline for the first round of applications, will have more options and find out sooner which preschool they matched with.

The first application window runs from Jan. 17 to Feb. 24. (The original end date was Feb. 14, but state officials extended it.) Families will find out their match on March 30. State officials said families can still apply after Feb. 24, including through spring and summer.

I filled out the state’s preschool application. Do I have to fill out my school district’s school choice application, too?

Possibly. Some districts also want parents to fill out school choice forms if they want a spot in a district-run preschool. That includes Denver and Jeffco, the two largest school districts. If you choose a district-run option, check your local district’s enrollment website to see if they want you to apply there as well.

The state application will determine whether your child qualifies for free preschool and if so, for how many hours. It will also match 4-year-olds to a specific preschool. The district school choice system collects more information so that children can be enrolled in the program they matched with. For 3-year-olds, the district choice system is where families get matched with a specific preschool.

If families fail to fill out the district choice form, district officials they’ll reach out and work with them to get it done. In some cases, delays in filling out the district form could mean families end up with fewer preschool options.

What if I decide against the preschool my child was matched with?

You can reject the preschool match the state makes for you. However it’s possible you’ll have to resubmit your application.

When does free preschool start in Colorado?

Not until August or September, whenever the preschool program you matched with starts. Families will find out their matches sooner, but tuition coverage doesn’t kick in until late summer.

My child qualifies for free preschool. Can my preschool charge extra tuition or fees?

Yes and no. It depends how many hours of care your child needs each week.

Preschools participating in Colorado’s universal preschool program cannot charge families additional money — tuition, supply fees, or activity fees — for the free hours the child is eligible for through the state program.

However, preschools are allowed to charge for any additional hours they provide to a child above the number of free hours granted through the state. For example, if a 4-year-old receives 20 hours of preschool a week, but is only eligible for 15 free hours, the provider can charge tuition for the additional five hours, plus supply or activity fees for that extra time.

I have more questions. What should I do?

You have three options:

Check out the state’s universal preschool frequently asked questions page.
Contact the local group that’s coordinating the universal preschool program in your county or region. Here’s a county-by-county list of all the groups — the state calls them Local Coordinating Organizations or LCOs — with email addresses.
Contact the state’s help desk from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays. The number is 303-866-5223 and the email is cdec_upkcolorado@state.co.us.

Do you have a question you don’t see answered here or can’t find the answer to elsewhere? Let us know at co.tips@chalkbeat.org and we’ll do our best to find an answer.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Growing approach helps kick preschool expulsion habit

2015-11-10T20:45:45+00:00

Last year at preschool, Madison Walker would stomp her foot when she got upset. When her teachers sternly told her there would be no foot-stomping in the classroom, she simply stomped harder.

It was a power struggle with no victors.

Madison, who has autism, was miserable at school. Her teachers were frustrated, ultimately telling her mother, Kristin Miesel, that the girl might have to be physically removed from the classroom if her emotions continued to escalate.

Miesel, a school psychologist at a Jefferson County elementary school, chokes up remembering that moment.

“It’s like, ‘Really? You need to physically remove my child because she’s stomping her feet or getting upset like that?’” she said.

Fast-forward a year. Four-year-old Madison (a pseudonym to protect her identity) now attends preschool at Bal Swan Children’s Center in Broomfield, and Miesel has finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“This place is like heaven,” she said.

The center, where about one-third of children have special needs, uses an approach that Miesel and school leaders credit with creating a welcoming environment for every kind of child—even those who elsewhere might get kicked out for biting, hitting or other behaviors.

This 2011-12 data is from The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

It’s called the Pyramid Plus Approach and launched six years ago at four demonstration sites in Colorado, including Bal Swan. Today, it’s used at around 200 centers and preschools in the state.

While the program has grown slowly but steadily since 2009, it’s getting a closer look in light of recent state and national conversations about the alarming frequency of preschool expulsions.

Not only are preschoolers expelled at higher rates than their K-12 counterparts, a 2014 report from the U.S. Department of Education revealed that boys and students of color are disproportionately expelled from preschool.

Geneva Hallett, director of the Pyramid Plus Center at the University of Colorado Denver, said getting expelled at 3, 4 or 5 often leads to a lifetime trajectory that includes more of the same.

Bal Swan Director of Education Patti Willardson calls preschool expulsion her hot-button issue. She finds it frustrating that the default response to challenging children at some local centers is to send them to Bal Swan.

“We take as many kiddos as we can,” she said. “But I just keep telling other administrators, ‘You can’t depend on one school in the whole area to take these kids. You all need to learn to help them yourself.’”

A Full Toolbox

The Pyramid Plus Approach was created in Colorado, building off a free national framework for early childhood social emotional practices called the Pyramid Model. More than 24 school districts have adopted that model over the last eight years with support from the Colorado Department of Education.

The “Plus” in Pyramid Plus refers to its emphasis on including children with disabilities in early childhood classrooms.

Pyramid Plus includes an 18-session training and follow-up coaching. The idea is to give early childhood staff a full set of tools for teaching young children social-emotional skills and managing challenging behaviors.

Speech therapist Melissa Cain talks to a preschooler at the Bal Swan Children’s Center.

For example, teachers might learn when to ignore bad behavior so as not to reinforce it with a burst of attention. Or how to use puppets to demonstrate toy-sharing or teach students to be aware of their own emotional state.

At Bal Swan, you won’t typically hear admonishments like “no,” “stop,” or “don’t.” Correction is rephrased in a positive way. You’ll also see teachers using the same social skills they tell students to employ, like getting someone’s attention with a tap on the shoulder.

Pyramid Plus also includes a series of parent classes called Positive Solutions for Families that offer many of the strategies and tools that teachers use in the classroom. Miesel said even with her background as a psychologist, she’s learned a lot from the sessions.

“The language they use here has been educational for us,” she said.

The Pyramid Plus Approach is not the only program aimed at cultivating healthy social-emotional development in young children, or the only one cited as a remedy to preschool expulsions. Another evidence-based program called The Incredible Years, run by the Denver-based Invest In Kids, provides similarly themed trainings to teachers and parents.

Early childhood mental health consultants, who are typically called in to help teachers work with the highest needs students, represent another expulsion prevention strategy, but their ranks are relatively small in Colorado.

Diminishing problems

Using Pyramid Plus doesn’t mean that aggressive or disruptive behaviors magically disappear. They may occur less often, but many Pyramid Plus advocates say the biggest transformation is in the level of confidence teachers display when problems do arise.

“When they have a plan and they know they can deal with these things. They don’t see challenging behavior as a problem anymore,” said Alyson Jiron, a Bal Swan counselor.

“It’s not like there’s kids that people are like, ‘Oh I don’t want that kid in my class,’” she said. “Truly, across the board now … everyone’s like, ‘We got this. We can do this.’”

The “calm box” is a place in the classroom where kids can go when they feel upset.

When a child recently jumped up on a table in the class Clarissa Villareal co-teaches, she ignored the behavior and instead focused her attention on a child nearby who had her feet on the floor. The table-stander soon got down on her own.

“A huge part of it is our reaction,” she said.

At Bal Swan and other centers that use the Pyramid Plus model, expulsion isn’t an option. In fact, providers sign an agreement beforehand stating they won’t resort to it.

Hallett said without that policy, expulsion could be a tantalizing option when the toughest cases rear up.

“That’s not a back door they can get out of…and that’s hard,” she said.

Slow build

While there are now 2,200 providers trained in the Pyramid Plus approach in Colorado, that represents only a fraction of the state’s early childhood workforce.

“It has been a slow steady build,” said Hallett. “The fact is this is very hard work.”

Pyramid Plus, which includes a 45-hour training costing up to $500 per person, can be a tough sell for time-crunched, cash-strapped childcare centers.

Elizabeth Steed, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver, said she’s visited hundreds of preschool classrooms and many don’t have the budget, leadership or staffing flexibility to take on the program.

“They feel very stretched already,” said Steed, who is a member of a state policy team promoting the Pyramid Model and inclusion practices.

Bal Swan, named for a philanthropist who donated to the school, is perhaps better positioned than smaller, less stable centers to embrace an effort like Pyramid Plus. Most of the school’s 350 slots are tuition-based. In addition, class sizes are small and the pay is above average. Willardson said teachers with a degree typically start at $18 an hour and go up to $23 — at many centers it’s closer to $13-14 an hour.

Thriving

These days, Miesel doesn’t brace herself for bad news when she picks up her daughter at the end of the day.

Even when Madison slips up, she knows its not a stepping stone to ultimatums or expulsion.

Take, for example, a recent day when Madison bit a classmate.

There were no gasps or scoldings. Instead, a teacher consoled the injured child and then enlisted Madison’s help to get an icepack and deliver it to the girl. Instead of being punished for hurting her friend, she was praised for helping her feel better.

Miesel admits she was mortified when she found out what happened, but Madison’s teacher and Willardson counseled her against overreacting.

“Don’t feed into it,” they told her.

While such a low-key reaction from teachers and parents can feel counterintuitive, it’s effective, said Willardson.

That’s what she likes about the Pyramid Plus approach.

“It’s changed our teaching skills … It’s changed our understanding of who children are,” said Willardson.

Colorado Catholic preschools make their case at trial challenging nondiscrimination rules

2024-01-03T03:56:38+00:00

Enrolling preschoolers from LGBTQ families would conflict with the religious beliefs and obligations of Catholic preschools, attorneys for two Denver-area Catholic parishes said Tuesday as the trial began in a lawsuit challenging the nondiscrimination rules in Colorado’s universal preschool program.

Two Catholic parishes that run preschools — St. Mary’s in Littleton and St. Bernadette’s in Lakewood — and the Archdiocese of Denver sued the state in federal district court in August. They argued that a nondiscrimination clause in an agreement required by the state for participation in the preschool program conflicts with their mission to provide a Catholic education. Senior U.S. District Judge John L. Kane, who is presiding over the trial, recently issued an order dismissing the archdiocese as a plaintiff.

Attorneys for the state said Catholic preschools under the archdiocese are being treated the same as other preschools in the program, and that the nondiscrimination agreement in question is similar to the ones some Catholic schools have signed in the past for other kinds of publicly funded programs.

The lawsuit could have big implications for the new $322 million preschool program, which launched in August and enrolls more than 60% of the state’s 4-year-olds this year. A win for the Catholic preschools could bring more faith-based schools into the preschool program, but it could limit the state’s ability to set nondiscrimination policies for an education program that it pays for.

A win for the state could deter some faith-based preschools from participating, but it means families with LGBTQ parents or children couldn’t be shut out of preschools because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The trial is expected to last several days, with the judge making the decision.

Four witnesses testified for the Catholic preschools on Tuesday, including the mother who said her family would have saved several thousand dollars if the Catholic preschool her 4-year-old attends had been able to participate in universal preschool this year.

Colorado’s universal preschool program offers 10 to 30 hours of tuition-free preschool a week to 4-year-olds. Families can pick preschool classrooms in public schools, private child care centers, faith-based programs, or state-licensed homes.

The two parish preschools that sued declined to join the program after the archdiocese instructed them not to sign the state’s nondiscrimination agreement, which prohibits discrimination based on religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity, among other factors. The lawsuit asserts that the nondiscrimination clause could prevent them from prioritizing children from Catholic families for enrollment, or force them to admit a child who identifies as a gender “at odds with their biological sex,” or a child whose parents “identify as gay or lesbian” or are “part of a same sex couple.”

The suit also argues that the state’s nondiscrimination rules would prohibit preschools from hiring employees who agree with the Catholic Church’s mission and teachings, including “that marriage is limited to one man and one woman for life.”

The lawsuit is one of two that religious preschools have filed over the state program. The other one, filed by a Christian preschool in Chaffee County that’s participating in the universal preschool program this year, also argues that the nondiscrimination provision could impede hiring, but didn’t focus on enrollment questions. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in October in that case, barring the state from punishing or withholding funds from the Chaffee County preschool even though some of its policies appear to violate the nondiscrimination agreement.

A third lawsuit was filed by several school districts last summer and deals with services and funding for preschoolers with disabilities as well as other high-needs students.

Nick Reaves, a lawyer for the Catholic preschools, said that in rare circumstances, schools overseen by the Archdiocese of Denver have turned away families on the grounds that their beliefs or practices conflict with what the school teaches. He said there have been no complaints from any LGBTQ families about any of the 36 preschools that operate under the archdiocese.

During her testimony Tuesday, Avery Coats, principal of the pre-K-8 school operated by St. Bernadette’s, described turning away a prospective fifth-grade student because the parents were a same-sex couple and school officials worried Catholic teachings would cause confusion and conflict in the family.

Of the more than 1,900 preschools that joined Colorado’s universal program this year, 40 are faith-based. Together, they serve about 900 children. State rules allow faith-based preschools to give children in their congregations priority for enrollment. But beyond that, they don’t allow enrollment decisions based on a family’s religion or beliefs.

While some families choose religious preschools to match their faith, others choose them because the schools are close to their homes or jobs, or because they offer full-day care or flexible schedules.

Lawyers for the Catholic preschools asked a state witness to clarify what kind of enrollment restrictions or conditions preschools in the universal program are allowed to have. For example, Reaves asked, could a Jewish preschool, as a condition of enrollment, ask parents to sign a statement of faith saying they won’t eat pork and will keep kosher?

The witness, Michael Cooke, who helped roll out the universal preschool program, said that the question hadn’t come up before but that the state wouldn’t object to an enrollment condition based on the preschool’s particular program.

“Where we would object is if there was something in a statement that a family needed to sign or acknowledge that is contrary to anything that’s in statute or in policy or rule,” Cooke said.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Reglas de Colorado sobre currículo de lectura le aplican a Aurora, pero eso es novedad para los funcionarios del distrito

2021-03-15T21:12:56+00:00

Algunas escuelas de Aurora tendrán que cambiar a un nuevo currículo de lectura para cumplir con una ley estatal que requiere materiales de lectura respaldados por ciencia — aunque los líderes del distrito inicialmente negaran que tendrían que cambiar.

Más o menos una tercera parte de las escuelas primarias y K-8 del distrito usan un programa que ha sido rechazado por los revisores del estado. Pero cuando un reportero les preguntó a mediados de febrero acerca de reemplazar el programa, los funcionarios del distrito resistieron la idea y dijeron que la ley no les requiere cambiar. El próximo día, después de que los oficiales de educación estatales confirmaran que la ley de 2019 les aplica a ellos, cambiaron su posición.

“El Departamento de Educación de Colorado (CDE) no ha establecido ningún plazo para que los distritos hagan cambios y nosotros seguiremos trabajando con el CDE a fin de hacer cualquier actualización necesaria,” dijo Corey Christiansen, portavoz del distrito, en una declaración escrita.

Comparado con algunos distritos grandes en Colorado, donde la amplia mayoría de las escuelas usan currículos inaceptables que tendrán que ser reemplazados, Aurora enfrenta un cambio relativamente leve. Pero entre la confusión del distrito en cuanto a la ley sobre la lectura, la comunicación no tan clara por parte de los funcionarios estatales, y la fricción que sigue habiendo entre el Superintendente de Aurora Rico Munn y la junta escolar, no se sabe cuándo el currículo de lectura tendrá alta prioridad en la lista de tareas “por hacer” del distrito.

En 2019, solo una cuarta parte de los estudiantes de tercer grado en Autora obtuvo una puntuación de dominio en los exámenes de lectura y escritura, lo cual está por debajo del promedio estatal. De los 38,000 estudiantes del distrito, un 47% están aprendiendo inglés (conocidos como English Learners), un grupo que representa un porcentaje desproporcional de los identificados como estudiantes con dificultad para leer.

Los funcionarios de educación del estado llevan tiempo diciendo que mejorar la enseñanza de lectura — y mejorar las puntuaciones de alfabetismo estancado en Colorado — es una de las mayores prioridades, pero tradicionalmente no se involucran en las decisiones de cómo los maestros deberán enseñar a leer. Eso está cambiando debido a una ley de 2019 con respecto a la lectura que requiere que esos currículos sean respaldados por ciencia y que los maestros de K-3 reciban nueva capacitación.

Pero a algunos defensores de la mejora en lectura, aunque estén alentados por las disposiciones más estrictas en la ley, les preocupa que los funcionarios del estado no van a darle seguimiento al asunto.

Hasta ahora, las señales han sido mixtas. Los funcionarios del estado le han dicho a Chalkbeat que ellos tienen el poder de bajar las puntuaciones de acreditación de los distritos si las escuelas no hacen un esfuerzo de buena fe por cumplir con las reglas para los currículos de lectura. Al mismo tiempo, han reconocido que los líderes de algunos distritos todavía están confundidos con respecto a la ley. Además, los funcionarios no tienen planes de comunicarse con los distritos para identificar los programas de lectura inaceptables hasta más tarde en esta primavera — dos años completos después de haber aprobado la ley.

“Yo pienso que esto es algo normal en cualquier situación nueva, en cualquier ley nueva a medida que la gente comienza a cumplirla,” dijo Melissa Colsman, comisionada asociada de aprendizaje de los estudiantes en el departamento de educación del estado. “Hasta que nos comuniquemos con ellos para darle seguimiento, no se siente como algo real todavía.”

Qué dice la ley

La ley sobre lectura en Colorado del 2019 (una actualización de la histórica ley de 2012, la Ley READ) tiene dos partes clave que tratan sobre la selección de un currículo para lectura. La primera y más conocida disposición requiere que los distritos compren programas de lectura aprobados por el estado si usan fondos de la Ley READ para la compra.

Como muchos distritos usan otros fondos monetarios para comprar el currículo de lectura, los administradores podrían suponer que por eso pueden seleccionar el currículo que quieren. Y ahí es que la segunda disposición de la ley de 2019 entra en juego.

Esa disposición requiere que todas las escuelas usen un currículo de lectura para los grados K-3 que tenga respaldo científico o esté basado en evidencia. Cuando revisó 30 programas el año pasado, el estado determinó que 10 programas en inglés y dos en español cumplían este requisito. El estado no ha emitido públicamente una lista de los programas de lectura que rechazó.

Wonders, el programa de lectura más ampliamente usado en las escuelas de Aurora, es uno de los aprobados por los revisores del estado. Pero un segundo programa llamado Units of Study for Teaching Reading, o más comúnmente como Lucy Calkins, no cumplió los requisitos. Lo mismo ocurrió con un programa complementario de fónica llamado Fountas & Pinnell Phonics, que es usado en todas las escuelas de Aurora que usan el programa Lucy Calkins.

Eso significa que un tercio de las escuelas primarias y K-8 de Aurora administradas por el distrito (una matrícula total de más de 5,000 estudiantes) usan un currículo de lectura inaceptable y no están cumpliendo la ley.

Pero durante una reciente entrevista telefónica, Starla Pearson (directora ejecutiva de currículo e instrucción de Aurora) dijo que el distrito no tiene planes de cambiar del programa Lucy Calkins y cuestionó la manera en que Chalkbeat interpreta la ley.

Christiansen, el portavoz del distrito que también estaba presente en la llamada, dijo “Nuestra recomendación es que le pidan aclaración sobre ese punto al [Departamento de Educación de Colorado].”

Más tarde el mismo día, él pidió aclaración escribiéndole al departamento, “Nuestro entender es que, al no usar fondos de la Ley READ para comprar el currículo, los requisitos de transición no se aplican a las escuelas de APS.”

Un portavoz del departamento de educación contestó la carta: “A todos los distritos se les requiere usar un currículo respaldado por ciencia o basado en evidencia, no importa cuál sea la fuente de fondos usada para efectuar la compra.”

Lindsay Drakos, copresidente de COKID, un grupo estatal que aboga por la dislexia, dijo que la comunicación del estado con respecto a qué es un currículo aceptable es poco precisa y deja demasiado espacio para confusión.

A ella le preocupa que esto es una señal de que el estado no va a hacer cumplir la ley de 2019 estrictamente.

“Nosotros tenemos la responsabilidad de ayudar a estos niños,” dijo ella.

Colsman, del departamento de educación del estado, dijo que implantar la ley de lectura de 2019 es una de las mayores prioridades de la Junta de Educación del Estado.

“Eso lo tomamos muy en serio,” ella dijo. “Vamos a estar trabajando… para asegurar que los distritos cumplan la ley si ahora están usando un programa que no está respaldado por ciencia ni basado en evidencia.”

Llenar las brechas en el currículo

Hace tres años, cuando Aurora adoptó los programas Wonders y Lucy Calkins, a las escuelas se les permitía escoger el currículo que quisieran. Aproximadamente dos docenas de las escuelas optaron por Wonders. Casi una docena seleccionó Lucy Calkins junto con el programa complementario Fountas & Pinnell Phonics.

(Las ocho escuelas chárter del distrito que tienen grados K-3 usan una variedad de programas de lectura, entre ellos Wonders y otras opciones aprobadas por el estado.)

Kerri Ampry-Smith, que este año ha estado enseñando Kinder completamente a remoto en la Fulton Academy of Excellence de Aurora, dice que generalmente le gusta el currículo de Wonders. Ella lo describe como bastante completo, con un componente de fónica bueno, libros que destacan varias culturas, y materiales que traducen fácilmente al mundo digital.

Dijo además que también tiene sus puntos débiles — la porción dedicada a enseñanza en pequeños grupos, por ejemplo — pero que es mejor que algunos otros programas de lectura que ha usado en los últimos 20 años. Ampry-Smith dijo que los maestros en su escuela originalmente seleccionaron Wonders porque ofrecía bastante guía para los muchos maestros nuevos de la escuela.

“Te dice exactamente qué hacer cada día,” dijo ella. “Eso es un apoyo enorme para los maestros nuevos.”

Desde 2015, el logro en lectura y escritura de tercer grado del distrito ha ido mejorando poco a poco cada año, y la proporción de estudiantes que cumple o supera los estándares estatales subió de un 18.4% a un 22.8% en 2019. El promedio del estado en 2019 fue un 41.3%.

Aurora es el distrito más diverso del estado, ya que sus estudiantes hablan más de 100 idiomas — y el más común es el español.

Cara MacCarthy, maestra de cuarto grado en la primaria Vaughn Elementary, dijo que tener Wonders en algunas escuelas y Lucy Calkins en otras causa un poco de inconsistencia, pero que era aún peor antes de 2017, cuando no había nada establecido.

MacCarthy, que antes enseñaba primer grado, recuerda pasar horas uniendo pedazos de varios programas. Otros maestros hicieron lo mismo.

“Podía ser completamente diferente de una clase a otra, y de una escuela a otra,” dijo. “Eso crea grandes interrogantes en cuanto a la igualdad.”

En 2017, “Hubo un gran suspiro de alivio cuando finalmente se adoptó un currículo, fuera Wonders o Lucy [Calkins],” ella señaló.

Los maestros de la Vaughn Elementary finalmente seleccionaron Wonders y si bien MacCarthy dice que no es perfecto, al menos ofrece una base sólida para empezar a construir.

¿Los niños están adivinando?

Aunque los revisores de currículo de Colorado rechazaron el programa Lucy Calkins la primavera pasada, los expertos en lectura y escritura lo criticaron, en parte porque alienta a los niños a adivinar palabras según la ilustración, el contexto, u otra información en la página. Los científicos han desacreditado ese método, diciendo que es un hábito empleado por personas con poca habilidad para leer, y que los estudiantes deben usar sus destrezas fónicas para pronunciar las palabras según el sonido.

Cuando se le preguntó si le preocupaba que el programa Lucy Calkins podría estar alentando a los estudiantes a adivinar, Pearson (que dirige la oficina de currículo e instrucción de Aurora) dijo, “Pienso que si eso es lo único que usamos, entonces sería un problema.”

También agregó, “Ciertamente no estoy aquí para confirmar o negar la efectividad de los materiales [de Lucy Calkins].”

Pearson dijo que las deficiencias en el programa Lucy Calkins se resuelven agregando el currículo Fountas & Pinnell Phonics. Pero no pudo decir si los estudiantes de Aurora pudieran estar recibiendo una enseñanza de lectura inconsistente por ser alentados a adivinar en algunas instancias y a pronunciar los sonidos en otras.

“Ya que no he estado presente en esos salones de clase…. no puedo decir si eso es lo que está ocurriendo o no,” dijo.

Aparte de promover que adivinen y no incluir enseñanza clave sobre fónica, los expertos han criticado el currículo Lucy Calkins porque apenas tiene apoyo para los estudiantes que están aprendiendo inglés. Una revisión del programa en 2020 por siete investigadores dijo que sus reclamos de “prácticas que son ‘especialmente poderosas’ o ‘de increíble apoyo’ para los estudiantes que están aprendiendo inglés no son consistentes con los estudios existentes.”

Traducción por Milly Suazo.

Pruebas de plomo en agua son requisito ahora para escuelas y centros de cuidado

2022-08-23T21:05:55+00:00

Una ley estatal nueva requerirá que aproximadamente 5,800 escuelas primarias y centros para cuidado de niños en Colorado hagan pruebas de plomo en el agua e instalen filtros, o que hagan las reparaciones correspondientes si encuentran niveles altos de plomo.

Las escuelas y los centros para cuidado de niños tendrán hasta el 31 de mayo para hacerle pruebas al agua, y tendrán que hacer reparaciones si el nivel de plomo es más de 5 partes por mil millones. Ese límite es el mismo límite establecido por el gobierno federal para el agua embotellada, pero menos que el usado previamente por la mayoría de los distritos escolares de Colorado.

Esta ley, que incluye unos $21 millones para pruebas y reparaciones, representa la primera vez que Colorado ha establecido regulaciones para los niveles de plomo en el agua potable de las escuelas y los centros para cuidado de niños. Fue aprobada a la misma vez que un número creciente de estados han aprobado leyes para resolver el problema de exposición a plomo en los niños después de la crisis de agua potable que ocurrió en el 2014 en Flint, Michigan.

Lo que debes saber acerca de la ley de plomo en Colorado

• Las escuelas primarias y los centros de cuidado de niños de Colorado tendrán que hacerle pruebas de plomo a todas las fuentes de agua potable antes del 31 de mayo de 2023.

• Si el nivel de plomo supera 5 partes por mil millones — un límite nuevo y más estricto — las escuelas y los proveedores de cuidado de niños tendrán que reparar la plomería o instalar filtros.

• Las escuelas y los centros de cuidado de niños tendrán que notificarles los resultados de las pruebas a los padres, y decir qué van a hacer para corregir los problemas.

• La ley incluye unos $21 millones para pagar por pruebas y reparaciones en las escuelas y los centros de cuidado de niños. Las escuelas Intermedias serán elegibles para obtener fondos si queda algún restante.

• La exposición al plomo puede causar problemas de habla, atención y conducta en los niños, y el agua potable es solo una de las fuentes de exposición a plomo posibles.

• Otras fuentes son las pinturas que tienen plomo, el polvo de pinturas que tienen plomo, y artículos importados como ollas de cocina, especias, dulces o joyería.

El plomo es una neurotoxina dañina que puede causar discapacidades de aprendizaje y problemas de comportamiento, y hasta un nivel bajo de exposición puede afectar el coeficiente de inteligencia (IQ) de un niño. Los niveles de plomo en los niños de Estados Unidos han bajado drásticamente desde la década de 1970, pero hay estudios que han demostrado que en muchos niños todavía se puede detectar la presencia de plomo.

Un estudio de 2021 publicado en la revista médica JAMA Pediatrics encontró que un 72% de los niños menores de 6 años en Colorado que pasaron por pruebas tenían niveles detectables de plomo en la sangre — pero a muchos niños del estado nunca se les hacen pruebas.

Generalmente, los legisladores, funcionarios escolares y defensores de Colorado alabaron la ley nueva por tomar medidas para asegurar que los estudiantes tengan agua potable segura en la escuela o el centro de cuidado, pero para algunas personas la ley no llegó tan lejos como ellas esperaban.

Jaquikeyah Fields, directora de comunicaciones en Colorado People’s Alliance (un grupo de justicia racial que ayudó a darle forma al proyecto de ley), describió la ley como un gran logro que puede servir como puerta a otras leyes futuras sobre el mismo tema.

“Pienso que el objetivo era lograr más”, dijo ella, pero de todos modos “es bastante buena”.

Bob Lawson, director ejecutivo de manejo de instalaciones y construcción en el Distrito Escolar Pueblo 60 (de 15,000 estudiantes), dijo que está complacido porque la ley establece un límite claro de plomo para agua en las escuelas.

“Al menos han hecho algo para establecer la norma que debemos seguir”, dijo él. “Eso es grande porque Colorado no tenía nada”.

Elin Betanzo, especialista en agua que ayudó a descubrir la crisis en Flint, dijo que es bueno tener legislación para asegurar que las escuelas tengan agua potable segura, pero que instalar filtros inmediatamente es mejor estrategia que hacerle pruebas a las fuentes de agua para luego corregir cualquier problema. Ella dijo que es de amplio conocimiento que el agua potable de las escuelas a menudo contiene niveles de plomo detectables.

Eso se debe en parte a que las plomerías vendidas como “libres de plomo” todavía tienen permitido contener una pequeña cantidad de plomo.

“El agua es un solvente universal. Cuando tiene contacto con plomo, ese plomo entra al agua”, dijo Betanzo, fundadora de la empresa consultora Safe Water Engineering, de Detroit.

“Quizás no sea hoy ni mañana... pero si hay plomo presente, tarde o temprano estará en el agua”.

Leyes en evolución

La nueva ley sobre plomo de Colorado cambió bastante desde que fue introducida, en parte por la resistencia de algunos lideres de escuelas y educación temprana. La versión final tiene menos requisitos, tanto en cantidad como en rigurosidad, que las primeras versiones.

El proyecto de ley original hubiese requerido que las escuelas y los programas de cuidado de niños instalaran filto en todas las fuentes de agua potable, instalaran una estación para llenar botellas de agua filtrada por cada 100 estudiantes, y condujeran pruebas de plomo anuales en el agua potable. Todas las fuentes de agua con un nivel de plomo más alto de 1 parte por mil millones tendrían que ser corregidas, y se hubiesen requerido letreros nuevos y otras notificaciones.

El límite de 1 parte por cada mil millones es el recomendado por la Academia Americana de Pediatria para las fuentes de agua, pero pocos estados lo han adoptado. En vez de eso, la mayoría que ha aprobado leyes recientes ha establecido el límite en 5 o 10 partes por mil millones. El límite de Maine es 4 partes por cada mil millones.

Los grupos que representan a proveedores de cuidado de niños opusieron el proyecto de ley, diciendo que las reglas propuestas serían onerosas y demasiado costosas.

Dawn Alexander, directora ejecutiva de Early Childhood Education Association of Colorado, dijo que sería injusto imponerle estándares estrictos a los establecimientos de cuidado de niños, porque muchos casos de envenenamiento con plomo se originan en los hogares de los niños, que no están sujetos a esas reglas. Durante su trabajo anterior en el departamento de salud del condado de Wed, ella encontró que los investigadores usualmente descubrían que los altos niveles de plomo eran causados por pintura de plomo en la residencia de los niños.

“Simplemente no tiene sentido tener estas… imposiciones en negocios que ya están teniendo dificultades, ya que realmente no son la fuente que está generando esos problemas extremos de salud en los niños de nuestro estado”.

Alexander dijo que está complacida con la versión final de la ley: “Realmente es una ley mucho más razonable”.

Los proveedores de cuidado de niños en el hogar con licencia podrán optar por no cumplir los requisitos nuevos.

Mark Anderson, pediatra en Denver Health, piensa que la ley es buena, especialmente cuando se trata de los fondos para ayudar a las escuelas y a los centros de cuidado a cubrir el costo de las pruebas y las reparaciones.

“Si el costo ya no es una inquietud, no veo ninguna razón para no eliminar el plomo del agua”, dijo.

Por otro lado, Anderson señaló que el agua no es la fuente principal del alto nivel de plomo en los niños de Colorado.

“Uno tendría que tomar muchísima agua para exponerse si la concentración es 15 [partes por mil millones] o menos”, él dijo.

Anderson, que es parte de una red regional de expertos en salud ambiental de los niños, dijo que en su mayoría, los niveles altos de plomo en niños surgen de exposición a pintura con plomo, polvo de pinturas con plomo, o una categoría que el llama “productos importados” y que incluye ollas y artículos para cocinar, especias o dulces de otros países.

Los investigadores han encontrado que los niños que viven en códigos postales con poblaciones predominantemente negras o hispanas tienen más probabilidad de tener un nivel de plomo alto que los niños que viven en códigos postales cuyos residentes son predominantemente de raza blanca.

Esfuerzos en las escuelas después del caso de Flint

Después de la crisis de agua en Flint, algunos distritos escolares de Colorado empezaron voluntariamente a hacerle pruebas al agua y corregir cuando los niveles de plomo alcanzaban 15 o más partes por mil millones — el nivel usado en ese momento por la Agencia de Protección Ambiental para que las compañías de agua tomaran acción.

A partir de 2017, algunos distritos de Colorado aprovecharon un programa estatal voluntario de grants que paga por pruebas de plomo en las escuelas, pero el programa no cubría los costos de reparación y no fue usado ampliamente.

Los funcionarios del distrito escolar de Denver, el más grande de Colorado, empezaron a usar el estándar de 15 partes por mil millones, y luego cambiaron a un límite de 10 partes por mil millones en 2019. Durante los últimos seis años, el distrito reemplazó 264 sistemas de plomería, e instaló 83 filtros en fuentes de agua.

Sin embargo, la ley nueva requerirá trabajo adicional porque hubo pruebas anteriores que encontraron unas 150 fuentes de agua con niveles por encima del límite nuevo, pero por debajo del anterior.

Joni Rix, gerente del programa ambiental del distrito, dijo que aunque algunas de esas fuentes están en escuelas intermedias y secundarias (que no son el enfoque de la ley nueva), el distrito les va a instalar filtros.

Esas reparaciones, dijo ella, costarán “bastante dinero” — aproximadamente $1,000 cada una para instalarles un filtro inicialmente, y luego $70 en mantenimiento anual.

La Representante del Estado Emily Sirota, demócrata de Denver y una de las auspiciadoras de la legislación, dijo que quienes prepararon la ley usaron estimados altos al momento de asignar los fondos de recuperación de COVID a la ley nueva. Los funcionarios de salud del estado dijeron que esperan cubrir la mayor parte posible de los costos de pruebas y remediación, pero que los detalles están por verse.

En el distrito Pueblo 60, cinco escuelas obtendrán reparaciones este mes para cumplir con el límite nuevo de 5 partes por mil millones. Aunque los funcionarios del distrito les hicieron pruebas a todas las fuentes de agua en el 2017 y 2018, usaron el límite de 10 partes por mil millones para determinar dónde se harían reparaciones.

Los funcionarios en el distrito Mesa County Valley, en el oeste de Colorado, hicieron reparaciones en cinco de las 42 escuelas después de participar en el programa estatal voluntario de grants hace varios años. Aparte de los edificios en los que se instalaron plomerías nuevas o estaciones para llenar botellas, ninguna escuela tuvo un nivel de plomo más alto del límite nuevo de 5 partes por mil millones.

Desde entonces, el distrito ha construido dos escuelas nuevas pero no ha recibido instrucciones de los funcionarios de salud del estado en cuanto a si se requiere hacer pruebas de plomo.

“Si ellos quieren que hagamos pruebas en esos lugares nosotros con mucho gusto lo haremos, pero no veo por qué nosotros debamos hacerlo”, dijo Eddie Mort, coordinador de mantenimiento del distrito.

Una portavoz del Departamento de Salud Pública y Ambiente de Colorado, que supervisa la implementación de la ley nueva, dijo que no se ha decidido todavía si las escuelas o centros de cuidado de niños que hicieron pruebas de agua en los años recientes tendrán que hacer una serie nueva de pruebas.

“La decisión final podría ser que no habrá una solución ‘unitalla’ para todas las escuelas del estado que hicieron pruebas previamente”, dijo en un email.

Ann Schimke es reportera senior en Chalkbeat y cubre temas de niñez temprana y alfabetización temprana. Para comunicarte con Ann, envíale un mensaje a aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Más niños en Colorado podrían obtener 20 horas semanales de preescolar gratis

2022-09-21T21:42:42+00:00

Los niños de familias de bajos y hasta medios ingresos de Colorado probablemente serán elegibles el próximo año para 20 horas semanales de preescolar gratis. Esto es dos veces las 10 horas semanales garantizadas para todos los niños de 4 años según la ley estatal sobre el programa preescolar.

Los niños que hablan español u otros idiomas en el hogar, o que tengan discapacidades, también serán elegibles para recibir las horas de preescolar adicionales. De igual manera, serán elegibles los niños sin hogar, los que estén en hogares de crianza (foster care) o que no vivan con sus padres por otras razones. Por ejemplo, es posible que sean elegibles los niños que estén siendo criados por sus abuelos.

Cuando los legisladores y líderes de educación en la niñez temprana presentaron por primera vez el preescolar universal, dijeron que todos los niños de 4 años obtendrían por lo menos 10 horas semanales, pero que habría más horas para los niños de más necesidad. Lo que no quedó claro fue quién recibiría las horas adicionales, ni cuántas horas serían.

Ahora se están recibiendo las respuestas a esas preguntas.

Colorado está proponiendo que las familias con ingresos de hasta un 270% del límite federal de pobreza (aproximadamente $75,000 para una familia de cuatro) califiquen para obtener las horas de preescolar adicionales. Ese nivel de ingresos es mucho más alto que el límite del programa preescolar actual.

La media de ingresos en Colorado es $75,231 según los datos del Censo de EE.UU.

Kelly Altizer, a cargo del grupo que supervisa las iniciativas de preescolar universal en el Contado de Adams, dijo que el aumento en la elegibilidad “para mi, es una noticia genial.”

Además, señaló que el aumento en el límite de ingresos permitirá que una mayoría de familias en el distrito Westminster, donde fue administradora, califique para las 20 horas de preescolar.

Todavía falta que las reglas sean finalizadas por Lisa Roy, jefe del Departamento de Niñez Temprana, pero se espera que ella acepte la recomendación.

El programa de preescolar existente del estado está en su último año y será reemplazado por el programa universal en el otoño de 2023. El programa actual les brinda servicio a unos 21,000 estudiantes (en su mayoría de 4 años) provenientes de familias de pocos ingresos o que tienen otros factores de riesgo, como por ejemplo retrasos en el habla o destrezas sociales deficientes.

El programa preescolar nuevo, que podría matricular una cantidad triple de estudiantes, se financiará con dinero del programa preescolar actual y fondos de un impuesto a la nicotina aprobado por los electores de Colorado en 2020.

Ann Schimke es reportera senior de Chalkbeat y cubre temas de niñez temprana y alfabetización temprana. Para comunicarte con Ann, envíale un mensaje a aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Pruebas para detectar dislexia: Colorado busca identificar a los estudiantes temprano

2021-04-02T20:35:20+00:00

El distrito escolar de Denver tendrá un programa piloto de pruebas para detectar dislexia este otoño, después de que los padres frustrados las pidieran por años, los grupos de trabajo del distrito las recomendaran, y la pandemia causara un retraso en la educación.

Y el programa piloto de Denver no es el único. El Distrito Escolar Boulder Valley empezó un programa piloto de pruebas de dislexia en 10 escuelas el otoño pasado y ya ha evaluado a 345 estudiantes de Kinder.

También es posible que comience un programa piloto estatal en los próximos meses, pero la escasez de solicitantes significa que su futuro es incierto.

Los funcionarios de educación en Colorado estaban listos para seleccionar cinco escuelas primarias para participar en el programa piloto de un año (con un costo de $92,000) a fines de abril. El viernes, último día para solicitar, solamente cinco escuelas lo habían hecho y los funcionarios de educación están todavía determinando si esas cinco cumplen los requisitos para participar.

Las nuevas iniciativas para detectar dislexia en Denver y Boulder (además del posible programa piloto del estado) han surgido en medio de un empuje nacional para mejorar la lectura, que incluye prestarles más atención a los estudiantes que tienen discapacidades que dificultan la lectura. Los expertos calculan que la dislexia afecta entre un 5% y 15% de la población. En Colorado, eso podría representar más de 100,000 niños en edad escolar.

La dislexia es una discapacidad de aprendizaje que dificulta la lectura. Las personas con dislexia tienen problemas para identificar sonidos, descifrar palabras, y deletrearlas.

“Estos niños no pueden distinguir entre los sonidos ‘eh’ e ‘ih’ de palabras en inglés como como ‘pen’ y ‘pin,’” dijo Robert Frantum-Allen, director de educación especial de las Escuelas Públicas de Denver, y que también sufre de dislexia. “Uno les puede mostrar letras, pero ellos no las entienden porque todas parecen iguales.”

Los tres programas piloto cubren diferentes grados escolares y usan diferentes herramientas de evaluación. Los programas de Denver y Boulder incluyen evaluaciones en español para los estudiantes que estén aprendiendo inglés, mientras que el programa estatal no las tiene.

En Denver, los padres han estado por años pidiéndole dos cosas al distrito: Una mejor manera de evaluar a los estudiantes para detectar dislexia, y el uso de métodos basados en ciencia para enseñar a leer.

En septiembre de 2019, Nicole Wallerstedt le contó a la junta escolar el caso de su hija Finley. El año antes, Finley se había ‘descarrilado por completo’ del tercer grado, dijo su mamá. Tercer grado es cuando muchos estudiantes cambian de ‘aprender a leer’ a ‘leer para aprender’. Finley no pudo hacer la transición y se quedó rezagada.

Fue un año lleno de lágrimas, ansiedad social, citas de terapia, y días de ausencia en la escuela. Wallerstedt dijo que observó cómo su hija, que siempre había sido bulliciosa y amigable, se retraía en su mundo. Finalmente, un diagnóstico de dislexia hizo que pudiera recibir ayuda y acomodos en la escuela, y logró que Finley regresara a ser como siempre, dijo ella.

“Imagínense qué tan diferente fuera si a Finley le hubiesen hecho una prueba de detección al salir de Kinder y [su dislexia] se hubiese identificado temprano,” Wallerstedt dijo. “Ella no se hubiese sentido tan mal. Habríamos tenido un plan. Y no hubiese habido ningún estigma.

“Aparte de que no se habría quedado rezagada en el tercer grado.”

‘No hay mala intención’

A principios de 2019, un grupo de trabajo de Denver formado por padres, educadores y defensores de las personas con discapacidad había recomendado que todos los estudiantes que entraran en el distrito fueran examinados para detectar predictores de futuros problemas de lectura, incluida la dislexia. Y en abril de 2020, un grupo de trabajo del distrito recomendó que se pusieran a prueba dos herramientas particulares de detección.

El grupo sugirió que se examinara a todos los alumnos de Kinder y primer grado de 20 escuelas utilizando una herramienta llamada Shaywitz DyslexiaScreen, que al parecer cuesta $1 por estudiante. Esta herramienta, administrada por un maestro, identifica a los estudiantes como “en riesgo” o “sin riesgo” de dislexia.

El grupo también recomendó que se pruebe un segundo método de detección, más caro, en 10 de las 20 escuelas. La evaluación, conocida como Predictive Assessment of Reading, cuesta $7 por estudiante y se les daría a los estudiantes que tuvieron una puntuación de “riesgo” en la evaluación Shaywitz. La meta sería darles más información a los maestros sobre dónde los estudiantes en riesgo pudieran necesitar ayuda adicional.

Y algo importante es que la Predictive Assessment of Reading está disponible tanto en inglés como en español, según el primer informe del grupo de trabajo. Eso es crítico para las Escuelas Públicas de Denver, que bajo la orden de un tribunal federal tienen que ofrecer materiales de currículo en ambos idiomas.

“Ha llegado el momento de iniciar nuestro programa piloto de detección de la dislexia”, escribió Holly Baker Hill, facilitadora del grupo de trabajo y especialista en educación especial del distrito.

Pero 11 meses más tarde, el programa piloto todavía no ha comenzado. El retraso ha frustrado a los padres y estudiantes.

En una reunión de la junta escolar celebrada el mes pasado, Forest Hansen, estudiante de segundo grado, dijo que había estado vendiendo mascarillas faciales cosidas por su abuela para recaudar dinero a fin de que Denver pudiera iniciar el proyecto piloto. Forest tiene dislexia, algo que no sabía hasta que su familia pagó por unas pruebas privadas. Con la ayuda de un tutor externo, le va bien en la escuela. Forest dijo que quiere que otros niños reciban ayuda también.

“Dr. Hill, yo creo que usted ahora está escuchando,” dijo Forest. “Mi mamá le enviará este cheque.”

El cheque era por la cantidad de $136.

Los funcionarios del distrito dijeron que ellos nunca abandonaron la idea de un programa de detección de dislexia. Frantum-Allen, director de educación especial de Denver, dijo que la pandemia de COVID-19 (que empezó justo antes de que el grupo hiciera sus recomendaciones) puso el proyecto piloto en pausa.

“No hay mala intención y no estamos tratando de ocultar nada,” dijo él. “Estamos tratando de lidiar primero y primordialmente con las prioridades de esta crisis.”

Ahora que los maestros están siendo vacunados y las escuelas han reabierto para el aprendizaje en persona, Frantum-Allen dijo que el distrito tiene planes de reanudar el trabajo relacionado con el programa de dislexia, el cual dijo será parte de un proceso más amplio para identificar a los estudiantes con problemas de lectura.

“Lo veo como una forma de identificar las verdaderas necesidades para poder ayudar a los maestros a satisfacerlas”, dijo Frantum-Allen.

Un examen estatal modesto

En 2019, los defensores de la dislexia impulsaron una ley estatal que autorizara la detección de la dislexia en todo el estado para los niños con problemas de lectura, pero terminaron respaldando una propuesta más modesta para un programa piloto en cinco escuelas. Se supone que comenzara el pasado otoño, pero se pospuso. Este invierno se abrió un nuevo plazo para solicitar, pero con menos solicitudes de las esperadas, el futuro del piloto está en el aire.

Si sigue adelante tal como está previsto, los estudiantes de Kinder a tercer grado de las escuelas participantes serán examinados a partir del otoño.

Un grupo de la Universidad de Oregón dirigirá el proyecto piloto, que además de detectar el riesgo de dislexia en los niños, busca mejorar la calidad de la enseñanza de la lectura y de los programas de intervención mediante un programa desarrollado por la universidad llamado ECRI (Enhanced Core Reading Instruction).

Nancy Nelson, profesora de investigación de la Universidad de Oregón que está ayudando a dirigir el proyecto piloto, dijo que el objetivo es garantizar que los niños reciban el tipo adecuado de enseñanza de lectura: es decir, explícita y sistemática, con ayuda especial para los niños que tienen dificultades para leer y que está alineada con las lecciones de toda la clase. El proyecto piloto incluirá mucha capacitación para el personal de las escuelas, y posiblemente comience a finales de esta primavera.

“Pasar por una prueba de detección no significa que un niño va a ser asignado a educación especial,” Nelson dijo.

De todos modos, el formato del programa piloto tiene la intención de darles a los niños un acceso mucho más temprano a ayudas especializadas en vez de esperar hasta que se hayan rezagado demasiado, dijo ella.

El piloto incluye un sistema de detección de dos pasos, donde el primero se basa en la prueba de lectura Acadience, que ya está siendo usada en muchas escuelas de Colorado para cumplir con la ley estatal sobre la lectura, la Ley READ.

Los estudiantes identificados por la prueba Acadience recibirían 30 minutos diarios adicionales de instrucción sobre habilidades básicas de lectura, con lecciones que anticipen lo que se cubrirá al día siguiente durante las lecciones de toda la clase. Los líderes del proyecto calculan que un 20 a 25% de los estudiantes estarán en este grupo, pero la proporción podría ser más alta en algunas escuelas.

Después de dos meses, los estudiantes que no progresen con las clases adicionales pasarían por una segunda evaluación, esta vez con información proveniente de varios exámenes y fuentes, e incluyendo el historial familiar de dificultad para leer. El personal de la escuela entonces intensificaría la instrucción para los estudiantes identificados.

Los que todavía no mejoren probablemente calificarán para servicios de educación especial, estando en una categoría general (conforme a una ley federal) conocida como ‘discapacidad específica de aprendizaje’, y que incluye la dislexia. (Las escuelas no diagnostican la dislexia, y no se necesita un diagnóstico oficial para que los estudiantes entren en la categoría de discapacidad de aprendizaje específica.)

Nelson dijo que entre un 5% y 10% del total de estudiantes en los grados K-3 de la escuela podrían terminar calificando para educación especial.

El programa piloto del estado solamente incluirá exámenes de lectura en inglés. Nelson dijo que los protocolos del programa piloto requerirán modificarse para funcionar en español u otros idiomas, y que aunque eso es un paso importante, su equipo de trabajo quiere primero demostrar los resultados posibles para los estudiantes que reciban la instrucción en inglés.

Todos los niños del Kinder - eventualmente

El distrito Boulder Valley comenzó su programa de detección de dislexia el otoño pasado, evaluando a 345 estudiantes de Kinder en 10 escuelas, entre ellas una escuela chárter. Los funcionarios del distrito volverán a examinar una muestra aleatoria de esos niños esta primavera para determinar si el momento del examen durante el año produce alguna diferencia. Hasta entonces, el distrito no dará a conocer el número de estudiantes que resultaron tener características de “alto riesgo” de dislexia en el examen.

“Todavía estamos definiendo la validez”, dijo Michelle Qazi, directora de lectura de Boulder Valley, señalando que a los padres no se les notificó el pasado otoño si sus hijos estaban en la categoría de alto riesgo, pero se les notificará al final de este año escolar.

Para la mayoría de los estudiantes, el programa piloto de Boulder utiliza una evaluación gratuita llamada Mississippi Dyslexia Screener. Los niños cuyo primer idioma es español son evaluados con la versión en español de un examen de lectura común combinado con un examen de ortografía de otra evaluación.

Qazi dijo que los estudiantes que obtengan una puntuación de alto riesgo en el examen de dislexia no necesitarán automáticamente servicios de educación especial. El distrito ya usa un programa de fonética de alta calidad — llamado Fundations — para todos los estudiantes de primaria, dijo. Saber qué estudiantes de Kinder tienen rasgos de dislexia a través del proceso de detección ayudará a los maestros a darles una ayuda más intensiva a los que la necesiten, dijo.

“Este es un dato más que puede ayudarnos a reducir el número de niños que se quedan rezagados”, dijo Qazi.

El proyecto piloto de Boulder, de tres años de duración, se ampliará a 22 escuelas el próximo año y al resto de las 37 escuelas de primaria y K-8 del distrito el año siguiente. Qazi dijo que el otoño pasado el distrito capacitó al personal que normalmente administra los exámenes de visión y audición para realizar los exámenes de dislexia. Algunas pruebas de detección se hicieron en persona y otras en línea. El distrito cuenta con un presupuesto de $102,000 para el programa piloto.

Traducción por Milly Suazo.

Four takeaways from the rocky rollout of Colorado’s popular new free preschool program

2023-12-13T23:03:04+00:00

With its new universal preschool program, Colorado joins a small but growing group of states that offer tuition-free preschool to all 4-year-olds.

So far, the program is popular with families, but there have been lots of bumps in the road, including three lawsuits against the state and the threat of a fourth. Some of the hiccups and headaches are usual new-program fare while others stem from the program’s rushed rollout by a new state agency.

Despite the problems, the $322 million program is a big deal. Funded partly with a nicotine tax that Colorado voters passed easily, it’s cutting preschool tuition costs for thousands of families and helping more Colorado children get ready for kindergarten. Nearly 50,000 preschoolers are enrolled this year, more than double the number served in the state’s previous smaller preschool program.

Universal preschool has long been one of Gov. Jared Polis’ signature initiatives and its launch last August represents the second and harder half of the governor’s ambitious early childhood agenda. Free full-day kindergarten, which kicked off in 2019, was the other major component.

Here’s a closer look at four key issues that have cropped up during the preschool program’s first six months.

A surge in demand led to tough decisions — and could again

More than 38,000 4-year-olds — 60% of that age group in the state — are enrolled in universal preschool this year. That’s about 8,000 more 4-year-olds than the state expected. In addition, the program includes more than 10,000 3-year-olds with risk factors.

The surge in demand meant state officials had to spread the money more thinly than planned. Last summer, just weeks before preschool was set to start, they told thousands of families that their children wouldn’t get free full-day preschool, only half-day, because there wasn’t enough funding. Some of the students who lost out — low-income students and English language learners — are those who stand to benefit the most from extra preschool.

The state has already taken steps to remedy this problem for about 3,000 children next year, specifically those living in poverty. A proposed rule would prioritize those 4-year-olds for full-day classes. At the same time, the state expects even more 4-year-olds — as much as 64% of that group — to enroll in universal preschool next year. With next year’s state budget not yet set, the possibility of another surge in demand, and a slew of new rules under consideration, it’s unclear how far the money will go.

State leaders promised high-quality preschool. It will take years.

One of the casualties in the race to stand up the new preschool program were rules governing program quality. State officials ran out of time to craft those rules, so they told participating preschools last spring to “keep doing what you’re doing.”

That means preschools are required to meet only basic health and safety standards this year, not other benchmarks of quality, such as small class sizes, highly trained teachers, and strong curriculum. Some participating preschools already embrace high-quality practices, but not all do. That leaves the current universal preschool landscape a mish-mash of superior programs, mediocre programs, and everything in between.

Experts say quality standards matter because when preschool is done well, it can have short- and long-term benefits for children — boosting academic skills, increasing the likelihood of graduating from high school, and even improving adult job and health outcomes.

Colorado officials are planning to adopt some quality rules for the 2024-25 school year and a separate set of rules on preschool staff credentials for the 2025-26 school year. But with some likely to be phased in over time, four or more classes of universal preschoolers may graduate from the program before a binding set of quality requirements take hold.

Colorado faces lawsuits as church-state legal landscape changes

Although faith-based preschools make up a tiny fraction of Colorado’s universal preschool providers, they’ve played an outsize role in recent legal challenges over the program’s policies.

Two of three lawsuits the state is facing over universal preschool revolve around a non-discrimination agreement state officials asked participating preschools to sign. The agreement bans discrimination based on various factors, including religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity, but a Christian preschool in Chaffee County and two Catholic preschools in metro Denver sued over the provision last summer.

In October, a federal judge blocked Colorado from withholding universal preschool funds or disciplining the Chaffee County preschool even though its policies on employee hiring and bathroom and pronoun use appear to violate the non-discrimination clause.

The lawsuit by the Catholic preschools, which is set to go to trial in early January, is broader. Like the Chaffee County case, it takes issue with the possibility of hiring staff who don’t reflect the schools’ religious tenets, but it also challenges the state’s mandate to accept all children and families regardless of religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The schools argue that enrolling all children conflicts with their religious beliefs and mission to provide a Catholic education.

There’s likely another battle over religion on the horizon. That’s because of a proposal to ban religious instruction during universal preschool classes starting next fall. The state intended to put that ban into place from the outset, but didn’t follow through — allowing participating faith-based preschools to incorporate religion however they see fit this year. That omission, set Colorado up for a conspicuous mid-stream flip-flop. The conservative group Advance Colorado has already threatened to sue if the state goes through with the proposed ban, citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing public funding for religious education.

Class size debate is another symptom of funding challenges

This year, universal preschool classes can have up to 24 4-year-olds. That’s higher than most early childhood experts recommend, so the state has proposed capping the number at 20 starting next fall. A related rule would require one staff member for every 10 children, down from one per 12 this year.

But some participating preschools literally banked on having 24 students per class and 12 students per staff member. (The state pays about $6,000 per child for half-day preschool.) If the proposed changes are adopted, these providers stand to lose tens of thousands of dollars next year and some have said they would pull out of the program altogether.

The class size dilemma, especially in a field known for razor-thin margins and low pay, is another example of the tension between Colorado’s promise of high-quality preschool-for-all and the reality of limited funding. Although universal preschool’s $322 million price tag sounds like a hefty sum, preschool providers, school districts, and lawmakers have questioned whether it’s enough to support the program Colorado leaders envisioned.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

How Colorado used COVID early childhood aid to spark innovation

2023-12-06T00:23:57+00:00

Much of the federal relief aid sent to Colorado’s child care providers during the pandemic helped keep doors open and businesses solvent.

But one small stream of federal COVID funding — $23 million — was used for innovation in the sector rather than its survival. That money was distributed through the CIRCLE Grant program and helped fund more than 200 projects around the state. The projects included weekly bilingual preschool classes for Armenian-American children, a training program for Head Start parents working as classroom aides, and a loan program to help child care employees cover emergency expenses.

While the grant funding represents a fraction of the $678 million in federal COVID relief sent to Colorado’s early childhood sector, program leaders are proud of the grassroots efforts it sparked.

“Once again, we are seeing that folks that are closest to the problems have the best solutions,” said Jennifer Stedron, executive director of Early Milestones Colorado, which distributed the CIRCLE grants.

The yearlong grants ranged from $10,000 to $300,000. Many of them focused on making child care more accessible to families. In some cases, that meant creating new infant and toddler classrooms or sending mobile preschools to underserved neighborhoods. In others, the goal was to better meet specific needs, say, by adding programs for bilingual students or children with disabilities.

The nonprofit Armenians of Colorado Inc. used its $35,000 CIRCLE grant to pilot a free Saturday preschool class that incorporated both English and Armenian. A dozen children attended the program last spring at the First Baptist Church of Denver, some who didn’t know a word of Armenian and some who spoke only Armenian. They listened to poems and stories in Armenian and also did activities in English, including one on the Easter bunny.

The idea was to “show the kids you can use both languages to have academic and social interactions,” said Simon Maghakyan, an activist in the Armenian community and a CIRCLE Grant consultant for Armenians of Colorado. “It’s important they see value in both.”

Some of the children, who ranged in age from 2 to 5, had never attended any kind of preschool, he said. For most, it was “their first introduction to either language in the written form.” The two languages have different alphabets.

The Armenian community has deep roots in Colorado, with some of the earliest immigrants arriving in the late 1800s. Statewide, there are about 5,000 people of Armenian descent. The Armenian Genocide during the World War I era, as well as more recent displacements, have gradually brought more Armenians to the United States and Colorado.

But it’s still a relatively small group, and because of assimilation pressures and the dominance of English globally, it can be a struggle to maintain the Armenian language, Maghakyan said. That’s why the Saturday preschool program is important. The CIRCLE grant supplied only enough money to plan and run a three-month pilot, but leaders with the organization hope to find a way to keep it going in the future.

Besides funding new programming for children, many CIRCLE grant projects focused on supporting the chronically underpaid early childhood workforce with increased wages, training, or other benefits.

The Denver nonprofit WorkLife Partnership used its CIRCLE grant to offer a program that’s usually available to employers for a fee to child care providers free of charge. The program helps employees quickly access small loans at a lower interest rate than payday lenders would charge.

The process is simple: Employees struggling with a large or unexpected expense, such as a security deposit, utility bill, or car repair, can request a $1,000 loan through WorkLife with no credit check or collateral requirement. The money lands in their bank account in as little as 24 hours. They then pay back the loan through monthly payroll deductions over the course of a year. With interest and a $20 administrative fee, the total repayment on a $1,000 loan is $1,116.

Logan Jones, financial services manager for WorkLife, said, “it’s really designed to be an anti-payday loan.” It helps employees, especially those with bad credit, avoid exorbitant interest rates when they’re in crisis.

He said about 15 employees at two participating Denver area child care centers have taken advantage of the loans, most often for housing costs. Borrowers don’t have to say why they’re seeking the loan, but many do later in voluntary surveys, he said.

Jones said that although the loan benefit was offered free to child care providers through the CIRCLE grant, many didn’t take advantage of it because there were so many CIRCLE grant opportunities and offers at the same time.

“It needs to be staggered out longer,” Jones said.

Stedron, of Early Milestones, agreed that the one-year grant timeline was too short.

“I wish they could have gone on forever, certainly more than one year,” she said.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado free preschool program matches more than 27,400 families, seats still available

2023-06-21T23:24:04+00:00

More than 27,400 Colorado families have accepted preschool matches through the state’s new universal preschool program, according to the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

That represents more than 32,000 children, more than half the state’s 4-year-olds, according to state estimates. The state had a goal of serving between 40% and 60% of eligible children in the program’s first year.

There are still plenty of seats available, though. The department currently reports more than 24,000 tuition-free preschool seats remain open across the state and are still available for families who apply by the July 13 deadline for the next round.

Beginning this fall, all Colorado 4-year-olds are eligible for between 10 and 30 hours of free preschool a week. Families who have certain qualifying factors are eligible for more hours of free preschool. Three-year-olds with qualifying factors may be eligible as well. Qualifying factors include low household income, speaking a language other than English at home, or having a disability.

Many participating preschools offer additional hours, but families have to pay tuition for that care.

According to a press release from the Colorado Department of Early Education, 90.7% of children have been matched to one of their preferred providers, with 78.6% of families being matched to their first choice.

Two additional rounds of matching are planned for the summer for new applicants or those who have not selected a provider yet. Families who applied in the third round will find out their match June 29. Families who apply by July 13 will find out later in the summer who their provider will be.

Enrollment in tuition-free preschool in Colorado is still open on a rolling basis. Out of Colorado’s 64 counties, all still have slots available. There are 1,930 participating preschool providers offering 56,866 seats, about 43% of which are still open.

Some rural counties have just one or two providers offering a few dozen seats, but even in those communities, the state reports open seats. Among populous Front Range counties, Denver still has more than 2,000 seats available, about 40% of the total and Arapahoe had almost 5,000 available seats, more than half the total.

The early childhood department estimates that families will save about $6,000 per year on average.

Sara Martin is an intern with Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Sara at smartin@chalkbeat.org.

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott grants $1 million to Colorado early education nonprofit

2023-06-09T18:49:29+00:00

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott has awarded $1 million to a small, low-profile Colorado non-profit, whose leaders remain a bit stunned.

“The whole thing was very surreal,” said Heather Tritten, executive director of Parent Possible, which provides support for early childhood services. “When I look at who else has been funded in Colorado — organizations that are far bigger than Parent Possible, it feels very unreal that we were funded by MacKenzie Scott and that she wanted to invest in us.”

Parent Possible, which was founded in Colorado in 1991, works to equip parents with tools and education to prepare their children to learn. The nonprofit believes that investing in early childhood systems helps increase literacy and encourages students to graduate high school — which helps break the cycle of poverty.

It serves some of Colorado’s most low-income residents. According to its 2022 annual report, 87% of its client households earn less than twice the federal poverty limit. That would be less than about $49,720 for a family of three this year.

Tritten said Parent Possible was contacted in December to discuss a possible donation with an anonymous organization. In March, Scott’s foundation, Yield Giving, called to say it would donate $1 million to Parent Possible.

In the 15-minute conversation, they told her, “good luck with your organization and the important work you’re doing,” she said.

Tritten said the foundation will let Parent Possible use the funds for whatever is most important.

Scott, who as of last year was the fifth richest woman in the United States, has given away more than $14 billion since 2019. She has a 4% stake in Amazon as part of her divorce settlement with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. She has made waves in the world of philanthropy by making large gifts, including to schools and education nonprofits, with no strings attached. Last year, Scott gave $2.5 million to a Colorado Springs charter school.

The Parent Possible donation was announced this week.

Parent Possible provides 4,000 families with in-home visiting services and an additional 20,000 families in Colorado with virtual programs, like early learning education software and an app with learning tools and parenting help.

The app, called Vroom, was created with funding from the Bezos Family Foundation. It messages parents with suggestions for activities to do with their children every day.

Parent Possible provides some of its programs through partnerships with schools, family resource centers, departments of human services, and nonprofits. Its services are free of charge to Colorado families.

The home-visiting programs teach child development, how to promote the social and emotional development of young children and how to prepare 2- to 5-year-old children for preschool and kindergarten.

Parent Possible is still mapping out how to best use Scott’s donation to help the families it serves.

Tritten hopes to advance the group’s work and accomplish more than they had previously thought possible.

Sara Martin is an intern with Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Sara at smartin@chalkbeat.org,

These four states already have universal preschool. What can Colorado learn from them?

2022-04-27T21:19:58+00:00

When Colorado launches free preschool for 4-year-olds in 2023, it will join a half dozen other states that already offer universal preschool.

All of them have encountered the same tricky task Colorado leaders now face as they try to knit together a disparate patchwork of public and private preschools into an equitable and high-quality statewide system. We’ll take a look at some of the lessons learned in four states: Florida, Oklahoma, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Some, like Oklahoma, have offered the program for decades, while others, like Vermont — one of the few places to offer free preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds — have joined the club more recently. Wisconsin officials said they don’t consider their preschool program universal because school districts don’t have to offer the state-funded classes, though 99% do.

Colorado’s universal preschool program will offer 10 hours a week to all 4-year-olds, with children who have higher needs eligible for more. Funding will come from Colorado’s existing state-funded preschool program, which is for children from low-income families, or who have language delays, or other risk factors, and proceeds from a voter-approved nicotine tax.

Advocates in the four states cited ongoing challenges in everything from ensuring high-quality offerings to making part-day preschool work for families, but they also said the programs are generally popular. In all four states, at least 70% of 4-year-olds participated prior to the pandemic.

Sherry Carlson, chief program officer at the Vermont advocacy group, Let’s Grow Kids, said the state’s system is not perfect, but “usage is an indication that we’re on the right track.”

States	Year launched	Four-year olds enrolled	Quality benchmarks met	Min. hours/week	Bachelor's degree required for preschool teachers
Florida	2005	75%	2	15	No
Oklahoma	1998	70%	9	10-30	Yes
Vermont	2014	76%	7	10	In public school classrooms
Wisconsin	1984	70%	3	10-12	Yes

State-funded preschool in four states

Notes: The % of children served reflects this school year or the 2019-20 year. “Quality benchmarks met” is based on 10 standards used by the National Institute for Early Education Research. Oklahoma school districts have the option of providing 2.5 or 6 hours of preschool per day. Wisconsin provided funding for 4-year-old preschool starting in 1927. It was repealed in 1957 and reinstated in 1984. In Florida, families can choose a 540-hour school year program or a 300-hour summer preschool program.

The half-day problem

Colorado’s plan to offer 10 hours of preschool a week to most children is similar to preschool programs in states like Florida, Vermont, and Wisconsin. The problem is that half-day programs don’t work for a lot of families.

Professor Beth Graue, director of the Center for Research on Early Childhood Education at the University of Wisconsin Madison, studied Wisconsin parents’ preschool choices and found that many declined to enroll in the program because of the schedule.

“The half-day format is a nightmare for at least a third of all the parents we surveyed,” she said. “It’s curious to me in today’s day and age that people imagine that a half day would work.“

When universal preschool originally launched in Florida, the vision was to offer both a 3-hour and a 6-hour preschool day, but there was never enough funding for the longer day, said Madeleine Thakur, president of the advocacy group, The Children’s Movement of Florida. Some schools — those that receive federal funds for low-income students — cover the extra cost of full-day preschool for some students, but the coveted spots are in short supply.

In Vermont, momentum had been growing to increase the number of state-funded preschool hours beyond the current 10 a week, but the pandemic derailed that discussion, said Carlson.

“There is a lot of agreement, particularly among working families and schools, that more time would be better,” she said.

Teacher qualification conundrum

The four states profiled have various requirements for universal preschool teachers — Oklahoma and Wisconsin require them to have bachelor’s degrees, while Florida does not. Vermont is something of a hybrid — requiring bachelor’s degrees for universal preschool teachers in public school settings, but not for all teachers in private settings.

These differences reflect both ongoing national debate about whether teachers with four-year college degrees provide better preschool experiences than those without, and the reality that such requirements pose a major financial barrier in light of the field’s low pay.

The National Institute for Early Education Research, which ranks states annually on preschool access and funding, includes bachelor’s degree requirements among 10 benchmarks showing whether states have key quality standards in place. Experts say preschool can produce short- and long-term benefits for kids, but only if it’s high quality.

Colorado’s existing preschool program doesn’t require bachelor’s degrees and meets only four of the institute’s 10 benchmarks.

Carlson, who estimated that 60% of Vermont’s universal preschoolers are served in private settings, said the more lenient degree requirements for those classrooms was one of the concessions made when the program began. The state has put money toward helping preschool teachers further their education, but more needs to be done, she said.

Carlson’s advice to Colorado: “Be willing to compromise with a plan [that says] this is where we’re starting and we’re going to keep working to get to … where the vision was.”

Thakur, of Florida, said many wonderful preschool teachers don’t have bachelor’s degrees currently so it shouldn’t be a requirement at the inception of a universal program. Plus, with teachers in private preschool settings often paid much less than public school counterparts, it’s not fair to require the degrees, she said.

Who’s got access?

The idea behind universal preschool is to serve every child whose parents want a spot, but that can be hard to deliver on a consistent statewide basis.

Carlson said offering preschool in both public and private settings helps ensure access in Vermont, partly because private centers can often provide wraparound care that meshes with parents’ work schedules and locations. At the same time, some preschoolers with disabilities lose out on special education services if they attend preschool with private providers outside of their school districts, she said.

The goal should be to “put children and families at the center,” she said. “Then don’t let paperwork or artificial boundaries” get in the way.

Joe Dorman, CEO at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, said reaching rural children has been a struggle in his state. In some cases, it’s because of preschool staff shortages or a dearth of seats, but there are also some families who don’t see the value of preschool, he said.

“This has been one of our crown jewels,” he said. “It amazes me that people won’t take the time to look at the benefits and see the good that can come from it.”

Dorman said Colorado should educate parents about the free preschool program before children turn 4.

“Begin the promotional process early,” he said. “Ensure that families recognize this.”

Preschool and K-12: separate or together?

In some universal preschool states, school districts are in charge of overseeing the program locally and offer many preschool seats in public school classrooms. These factors make school districts a key player in the universal preschool discussion, but also raise questions about how close the association should be.

Experts from other states said it’s important that universal preschool be designed around the developmental needs of young children.

Thakur said Colorado leaders should be careful “not to bring the rigor of the K-12 system down into preschool.”

“You’ve really got to focus on relationships, making sure children learn how to communicate, cooperate, listen, and follow routines,” she said. “Those are the kinds of things that are a real down payment for the kindergarten teacher.”

Colorado’s existing preschool program is administered by school districts and 77% of students attend the program in public school classrooms, but planned changes could shake up public schools’ role in universal preschool.

Graue agreed that preschool should be developmentally appropriate, not narrowly focused on math and literacy, but also noted the downsides of divorcing preschool and K-12 policy.

During a statewide class size reduction effort in Wisconsin, for example, Graue said kindergarten classes went down to 15 children, but preschool classes in the same buildings were often much larger because they weren’t included in the state initiative.

In addition, although Wisconsin’s state-funded preschool classrooms in private settings must adhere to class size caps mandated by state child care regulations, public schools aren’t subject to those limits. Instead, each district establishes its own preschool class size rules.

“That’s the problem of the 4K [Wisconsin preschool] program working in this liminal space between K-12 and the child care system,” Graue said.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Lodging tax for child care? Pueblo voters said no, Ridgway voters said yes

2023-11-09T22:14:43+00:00

Voters in the City of Pueblo soundly rejected a lodging tax increase for child care, while those in the town of Ridgway easily passed a similar tax for affordable housing and child care.

The win in Ridgway, a popular outdoor recreation destination at the base of the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, points to the continued success of lodging tax measures for workforce housing and child care in tourist destinations. Meanwhile the loss in Pueblo, a former industrial city in southern Colorado, raises questions about the appetite for such taxes in communities where tourism isn’t the main draw.

Ridgway joins around 10 other other Colorado communities, including Estes Park and Eagle and Chaffee counties, that use taxes on hotel stays in part to support child care. The idea is that local workers power the tourism industry, so visitors should contribute to efforts that support a stable workforce.

Local leaders in Ridgway hope to use some of the new lodging tax proceeds to operate a child care center within a planned affordable housing project with up to 17 rental units. Construction is set to begin next year.

“Child care is pretty critical, particularly to the folks who are living in affordable housing, so they can afford to work,” said Kelly Goodin, director of community outreach at the affordable housing nonprofit Home Trust of Ouray County.

Tuesday’s ballot measure will increase lodging taxes in Ridgway by 2.5%, raising an estimated $100,000 in 2024. The proceeds will go toward tourism, housing, and child care efforts.

Goodin said the lodging tax revenue will help cover operating costs for the planned child care center, but that other funding sources will be needed as well. The new center will serve infants and toddlers — the most expensive age group to serve because state rules require lower staff-child ratios.

Colorado counties and local marketing districts, which are created by communities or regions to promote tourism, have been allowed to use lodging taxes to support child care or housing only since a change to state law in 2022. Before that, lodging taxes in these jurisdictions had to be used for tourism efforts. Some Colorado cities and towns have long had the authority to levy a lodging tax to support child care, but few have done so.

If Pueblo’s ballot measure had passed, it would have increased the lodging tax rate by 1.5%, generating more than $600,000 annually. The proceeds would have provided financial aid to Pueblo families who earn too much to qualify for state child care subsidies but still struggle with the cost of care.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

¿Cómo se califican los centros de cuidado infantil de Colorado?

2023-11-06T20:28:55+00:00

Cuando las familias envían a sus hijos pequeños a un centro de cuidado infantil o preescolar, quieren que ellos estén seguros, felices y entretenidos. ¿Cómo pueden saber si un programa está ofreciendo una atención de calidad?

El sistema de calificación de los centros de cuidado infantil de Colorado es una herramienta que puede ayudar. Las calificaciones son sencillas y se pueden encontrar haciendo una búsqueda rápida en línea. Ten en cuenta que no revelarán todo lo que los padres necesitan saber sobre un programa — hacer preguntas y visitar el sitio es importante también — pero son un buen punto de partida.

Aquí te explicamos cómo funciona el sistema de calificación de los centros de cuidado infantil de Colorado:

¿Cómo Colorado califica la calidad de los centros de cuidado infantil?

Colorado estableció un sistema de calificación de cinco niveles llamado Colorado Shines en 2015. Casi todos los centros de cuidado infantil y preescolares con licencia que atienden a niños desde el nacimiento hasta los 5 años tienen una de las calificaciones, y la calificación es válida durante tres años.

La calificación más baja es el Nivel 1, que indica que un proveedor cuenta con licencia estatal y cumple las normas básicas de salud y seguridad. La calificación más alta es el Nivel 5, y significa que el proveedor ha pasado por un proceso intensivo para demostrar que es de alta calidad en todos los aspectos de su programa — desde el currículo y sus prácticas comerciales, hasta la capacitación de los maestros e incluso los esfuerzos por utilizar libros y materiales en el idioma que el niño habla en su hogar.

Los programas con calificaciones de Nivel 3 y Nivel 4 también se consideran de alta calidad, pero obtuvieron menos puntos que los programas de Nivel 5 en algunas categorías.

¿Cómo puedo encontrar la calificación del preescolar o centro de cuidado infantil de mi hijo(a)?

Cualquier persona puede buscar las calificaciones de centros de cuidado infantil y preescolares en el sitio web del sistema Colorado Shines. Puedes buscar un proveedor específico, o todos los proveedores de un área geográfica. Además de la calificación, las listas incluyen horarios, información de contacto y otros detalles sobre los proveedores.

La versión en español del sitio web se puede ver haciendo clic en el enlace Spanish en la esquina superior derecha de la pantalla. El año que viene, el estado mejorará el sitio web para ofrecer más idiomas.

Los padres también pueden llamar al línea directa de información 211 del estado para obtener ayuda al buscar un centro de cuidado infantil o saber la calificación de Colorado Shines para un proveedor. Por último, pueden preguntarles directamente a los proveedores qué calificación de Colorado Shines tienen.

¿Todos los proveedores de cuidado infantil reciben una calificación?

La gran mayoría de los programas con licencia del estado que atienden a niños pequeños tienen una calificación de Colorado Shines. Estos incluyen centros de cuidado infantil (guarderías), preescolares privados, preescolares operados por distritos escolares y programas de cuidado infantil en un hogar. Las excepciones son los preescolares móviles, que ofrecen clases en autobuses adaptados o vans, y los preescolares forestales, que ofrecen sus servicios al aire libre.

Los proveedores sin licencia tampoco reciben calificaciones de Colorado Shines. Este grupo incluye a niñeras, babysitters y personas que cuidan un grupo pequeño de niños vecinos o parientes en un hogar privado.

¿Un proveedor de cuidado infantil que tiene una calificación alta puede haber sido objeto de investigaciones o multas del estado?

Sí. Una calificación alta de Colorado Shines significa que el proveedor generalmente usa buenas prácticas de cuidado infantil, pero los padres y empleados pueden presentar quejas si detectan algo alarmante y el estado puede investigar al proveedor basándose en esas quejas u otras inquietudes.

Los proveedores que estén en libertad condicional pueden mantener su calificación actual de Colorado Shines siempre y cuando estén trabajando para solucionar el problema. Sin embargo, el proveedor puede perder su calificación si viola las normas repetidamente.

Los padres pueden averiguar si un proveedor con cualquier calificación ha sido objeto de quejas, investigaciones estatales o multas en los últimos tres años haciendo clic en el botón azul View Details en la parte inferior de la pantalla de información del proveedor en Colorado Shines. Ellos pueden ver los reportes de las inspecciones estatales de rutina, y de las inspecciones estatales hechas debido a una queja, una lesión de un menor o por haber recibido una denuncia de maltrato o descuido de un menor.

Karen Enboden, del Departamento de Niñez Temprana de Colorado, dijo que los padres deben preguntarles a los proveedores sobre cualquier violación identificada por el estado, ya que el proveedor podría darles contexto adicional o explicar cómo se van a asegurar de que no volverá a suceder.

“No hay pregunta que no se pueda hacer”, dijo ella.

¿Un proveedor de cuidado infantil puede tener una calificación baja, pero seguir siendo de alta calidad?

Sí. Los proveedores de cuidado infantil no están obligados a subir en la escala de calificaciones en Colorado Shines y pueden decidir que permanecerán en un Nivel 1 o 2 porque no quieren pasar por todo el proceso requerido para obtener una calificación más alta. Por ejemplo, las calificaciones de Nivel 3-5 requieren que los evaluadores del estado visiten el centro para hacer una revisión en persona.

Eso no significa que los proveedores de Nivel 1 o 2 no cuiden bien a los niños. Simplemente significa que el estado no ha evaluado la manera en que esos proveedores manejan sus programas, salvo para asegurar que cumplen las normas básicas de salud y seguridad.

También hay que tener en cuenta que los programas de cuidado infantil nuevos entran automáticamente en el sistema con una calificación de Nivel 1 y puede tomar meses cambiar al Nivel 2 y más de un año para subir a Nivel 3 o superior. Eso significa que los programas nuevos podrían parecer de “baja calidad” en la lista, pero es porque no han tenido suficiente tiempo para obtener una calificación más alta.

Enboden dijo que los padres no deben necesariamente descartar un programa de Nivel 1 si se sienten cómodos después de haberlo visitado.

“Tenemos muchos programas nuevos en Colorado que van a estar en la lista de Nivel 1, pero es probable que están empezando su camino hacia la calidad”, ella explicó.

Si mi proveedor de cuidado infantil tiene una calificación baja en Colorado Shines, ¿en qué otras cosas debo fijarme para determinar si es de calidad?

No importa la calificación que tenga un proveedor, es importante visitarlo, observarlo y hacer preguntas antes de matricular a tus hijos. Los padres pueden preguntar cuántos niños hay en el salón de clases, cuánto tiempo se dedica a jugar, qué credenciales tiene el personal y si todos los empleados han pasado por una verificación de antecedentes.

Esta lista de verificación del estado — disponible en inglés y en español — es un buen resumen de las características en las que te debes fijar y las preguntas que debes hacer al visitar a un posible proveedor de cuidado infantil.

Ann Schimke es reportera senior de Chalkbeat y cubre temas relacionados con la niñez temprana y la alfabetización temprana. Para comunicarte con Ann, envíale un email a aschimke@chalkbeat.org

No, 1,000 Colorado child care programs are not about to close

2023-11-03T23:24:15+00:00

The headlines started appearing in July and August: A child care catastrophe was looming.

Nearly 1,100 Colorado child care programs would shutter and 83,000 young children in the state would lose care after federal COVID aid expired in September, according to projections from a national think tank.

The numbers were part of a state-by-state forecast put out by the left-leaning Century Foundation in June, intended to sound the alarm about the impact of lapsing funds — the so-called child care cliff. But Colorado officials say the nightmare scenario described in the report won’t come to pass.

“This is not at all what we are seeing in any shape or form,” said Mary Alice Cohen, director of the office of program delivery at the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

Several factors explain the disconnect between the alarming Century Foundation projections and Colorado’s on-the-ground reality. State officials say they chose to spread COVID relief money for early childhood — about $678 million from three federal packages and $45 million from the state — among many efforts with various expiration dates. At the same time, the state’s new universal preschool program is sending new money into the sector, and some communities are beginning to tap novel funding streams, like lodging taxes, for child care.

State leaders also want to continue COVID-era strategies that made the biggest impact.

“We are going to go after federal grant funding,” said Cohen. “We’re going to work with foundations to see which ones they want to pick up and continue.”

Meanwhile, some experts have raised questions about the Century Foundation’s methodology, suggesting the numbers of potential closures are significantly inflated. The group’s analysis relied on a 2022 survey that asked child care providers whether they would have closed during the pandemic without the help of COVID aid. It didn’t ask about the likelihood they’d close after the pandemic ended and the aid expired.

Julie Kashen, the lead author of the Century Foundation report, during a recent webinar for journalists, hinted that the numbers in the report were meant to push lawmakers to act.

“Congress pays attention to things that are scary. Like, I wish that wasn’t the way of the world but it is,” she said.

Kashen went on to say that while mass child care closures are a real possibility, they’re not a foregone conclusion, and that if they occur, they will happen “slowly and over time.”

Providers knew COVID aid was short term

When the pandemic hit, Jennifer Knott’s child care center in the western Colorado city of Rifle received an influx of COVID aid. The money paid for new handwashing sinks and air filtration systems, gloves, and cleaning supplies. It also helped make up for enrollment losses and covered the cost of the additional staff needed to comply with COVID-era health rules.

Jennifer Knott operates child care centers in Rifle and Grand Junction.

“The funding was instrumental in allowing us to make the adjustments that were required to stay open,” she said.

But by the time the funding ran out more than a year ago, enrollment was back up and the center had mostly returned to pre-COVID procedures. Knots, who recently opened a center called Adventure Academy in Grand Junction and has plans for a second one on the same site, said while her margins are thin, her finances are stable.

She wondered if providers facing dire consequences because of expiring COVID aid, “are people that maybe are not running their child care centers efficiently.”

“I’m not sure why people would be experiencing that,” she said.

Leaders of some early childhood councils, which are regional groups that support child care businesses, said while providers benefited greatly from federal money, they knew it was temporary.

“We really haven’t heard the rumblings of, ‘If that goes away, I’m going to close,’” said Stephanie Bivins, director of the Mesa County Partnership for Children and Families, an early childhood council.

Sarah Romack, executive director of the Chaffee County Early Childhood Council, said local providers have “always known it’s one- or two-time funds.” As those dollars run out, she said, “I don’t think they are gonna beat down our doors, like, “What happened?”

In addition, nine of 12 providers in the county participate in the universal preschool program, which means a monthly payment from the state at rates that, for some, are about the same or higher than what they charge in tuition.

Romack said along with the influx of COVID aid, the pandemic put a magnifying glass on long-standing problems in child care, a field notorious for low pay and high turnover.

“We’re starting to have more conversations about compensation and benefits than we ever did before,” she said.

Today, there are glimmers of progress. A Chaffee County lodging tax passed last year will fund a new grant program for child care providers. Local leaders are also talking about building two new child care centers — one in a planned housing development and the other in a housing complex for senior citizens.

Child care still doesn’t pay for itself

For Mary Nelson, executive director of Denver Cooperative Preschool, the federally funded stabilization grant she received during the pandemic did exactly what it was meant to do — shore up her program during a time of financial uncertainty.

She used it to offset a rent increase, pay extra cleaning costs, and beef up end-of-year staff bonuses.

“All of that funding provided a little relief,” she said. “The relief has gone away, but the stress and pressure still exist.”

The true cost of child care exceeds the amount most parents can pay, and as Nelson found out recently, what the state can pay.

She’d hoped to participate in the state’s universal preschool program, but the reimbursement rate was too low — it would have caused an annual shortfall of $85,000. As a result, she didn’t join, and ultimately lost some preschool families and their tuition dollars.

But Nelson doesn’t want to compromise the center’s long-standing priorities, including placing three teachers in every classroom and offering the best staff pay and benefits possible.

“It sometimes makes me wonder how long we can sustain some of these ideals,” she said.

Dora Esparza, the director of business services for Denver’s Early Childhood Council, said many child care providers in the city constantly struggle because they’re “basically selling a service at a financial loss.”

She said of the expiring COVID aid, “I don’t think it’s going to push them over the brink, but I think it’s a return back to being on the brink. That is just the day in the life of [early childhood education] providers.”

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

More Colorado communities ask voters to approve lodging taxes for child care

2023-10-31T23:24:20+00:00

When Michelle Oger told staff at her child care center in the mountain town of El Jebel they’d soon be getting a $500 monthly stipend, “Everybody was kind of in disbelief,” she said, “like, ‘Wait, really?’”

The promise of more money suddenly put new options within reach: Snow tires, car repairs, a vacation with the kids. One full-time teacher who worked at Starbucks on the weekends said she’d finally be able to quit the second job.

The new stipend for child care employees in Eagle County is funded through a lodging tax, a mechanism that Colorado communities, especially in mountain resort regions, are increasingly tapping to generate new dollars for housing and child care for people who live there. The idea is that local workers power the tourism industry, so visitors should contribute to efforts that support a stable workforce. Such taxes also reframe child care as a larger economic interest rather than just a mom-and-dad issue.

At least 10 Colorado towns, counties, or local marketing districts currently earmark some of their lodging tax revenues for child care. Besides Eagle County, they include Summit, Clear Creek and San Juan counties, and towns like Estes Park and Georgetown. In November, two more communities will ask voters to approve lodging tax measures to support child care: the City of Pueblo and the Town of Ridgway in western Colorado.

“Pueblo is the first non-mountain-resort town in the whole state to pursue this,” said Sarah Martinez, a Pueblo City Council member and the facilitator of a group that has worked for years to find ways to boost child care funding.

Once an industrial powerhouse in southern Colorado, Pueblo is not primarily a tourist destination. However, it does host several big events each year, including the Colorado State Fair, the Chile and Frijoles Festival, and a hotrod show.

While most lodging taxes for child care and housing have passed, Martinez worries Pueblo’s vote could be close. Among those opposing the city’s measure is the Pueblo Lodger’s Association.

If the measure, Question 2A, passes, it would levy a 1.5% tax on hotel and motel stays — about $1.77 a night — that would generate more than $600,000 annually. The proceeds would help Pueblo families who earn too much to qualify for state child care subsidies but still struggle with the cost of care.

The lodging tax in Ridgway, a Western Colorado town considered the Gateway to the San Juan Mountains, would help pay for an affordable housing project that would include a child care center.

Colorado counties and local marketing districts, which are created by communities or regions to promote tourism, have been allowed to use lodging taxes to support child care or housing only since a law change in 2022. Before that, lodging taxes in these jurisdictions had to be used for tourism efforts. Some Colorado cities and towns have long had the authority to levy a lodging tax to support child care, but few have done so.

Josh Mantell, fiscal advocacy and special projects manager at the Bell Policy Center, said he expects to see more communities seek lodging taxes for child care.

“The state does not have the revenue to properly and adequately fund a lot of what we should consider public priorities, and funding for child care is at the top of that list” he said.

“It’s great to see communities step forward and do what they need to do,” he said.

At the same time, he worries about the inequities that may emerge as some communities pass lodging taxes and others don’t or can’t.

Millions for child care in ski country

The lodging tax Eagle County voters approved in 2022 will raise about $3 million a year for housing and child care. Such funds are typically distributed in the form of grants or other types of financial aid that providers or parents apply for. Each taxing community comes up with a spending plan based on local needs.

The new $500 monthly stipends will start flowing to full-time child care employees in November. County officials also plan to use the lodging tax proceeds to hire a health consultant to work with local child care programs, offer providers help with mortgage or rental payments, and assist with building improvements that create more infant and toddler seats.

“What’s so great about lodging taxes is it’s sustainable funding,” said Sam Markovitz, Eagle County’s early childhood initiatives manager.

Oger, executive director at Blue Lake Preschool in El Jebel as well as another center in neighboring Garfield County, hopes the new stipends will help attract and retain employees. Although her employees in Garfield County don’t qualify for the Eagle County stipends, the center’s board decided to use other funding to ensure they get the same monthly payment as their Eagle County peers.

Teachers at Blue Lake make $22 to $31 an hour depending on their experience, and aides start at $20 — about the same as the Wendy’s restaurant down the road pays. While the center has a core group of veteran teachers, Oger said there are also employees who cycle through after discovering they don’t enjoy mountain life or can’t afford to live locally.

Although Blue Lake has raised staff pay three times in three years, Oger said, “It’s still not enough to keep up with the rising costs.”

Making child care a viable career

It was a big deal when voters in Estes Park’s local marketing district approved a lodging tax increase from 2% to 5.5% for housing and child care, said Carlie Bangs, Estes Park’s housing and child care manager.

“To feel like the community sees you and is willing to support you … is really impactful,” she said.

Most of the proceeds from the tax will go toward housing initiatives in the northern Colorado town, which bills itself as the “base camp” for Rocky Mountain National Park. About 12%, or $600,000, will go toward child care.

In December, centers will get a subsidy of $25,000 to $32,000, and home-based programs can qualify for $4,000. The goal is to ensure that teachers get at least $20 an hour and aides get at least $16 an hour. Additional lodging tax money will go toward tuition assistance for families, and rental, mortgage, or building improvement help for providers.

Bangs said $600,000 is more than adequate this year, since the town has only three child care centers and three licensed home-base programs. But with about 500 children under 5 in the area, Estes Park needs more child care seats.

Bangs hopes the influx of lodging tax dollars can help make caring for children a viable option for prospective providers.

“We want to incentivize people to get licensed,” she said. “We want it to be something they do because they can put food on their table and go on vacation and live a fulfilling life with that career.”

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Smaller class sizes in Colorado’s latest draft of universal preschool rules

2023-10-31T03:27:35+00:00

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Colorado officials want to cap preschool class sizes in the state’s new universal preschool program at 20 students next year and require at least one staff member for every 10 children in the room.

These proposed limits represent a notable change from an earlier plan that allowed classes sizes of 24 preschoolers and staff-student ratios of 1 to 12. Both are higher than what leading early childhood groups recommend.

National experts panned the earlier draft of Colorado’s universal preschool quality rules, saying that the state’s proposal set a low bar and could lead to bad outcomes for kids. The new draft rules, released Monday, are set to be finalized next spring and will take effect in the fall of 2024. A state advisory committee will weigh in, but Lisa Roy, executive director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, will make the final decision.

The new draft rules reflect the balance state officials are trying to strike between ensuring the high-quality program they promised and making the requirements attainable to a wide range of providers in a low-wage, high-turnover field. Universal preschool is available in lots of settings: school district classrooms, private child care centers, faith-based preschools, and licensed home-based programs.

State officials launched the $322 million universal preschool program in August without establishing rules on quality in part because they ran out of time. State preschool leaders told providers last spring to “keep doing what you’re doing.” That means wide variations in quality this year for the more than 48,000 children getting tuition-free preschool through the program.

Some children attend preschools with top scores on the state’s child care and preschool rating system, Colorado Shines, while others attend low-rated programs. Research shows that high-quality preschool produces positive short- and long-term outcomes for children.

Colorado’s rules on preschool quality, which will spell out requirements around curriculum, staff training, and child health screenings, will eventually bring more consistency to the universal preschool program, but it could take till 2026 or after to fully phase in all the requirements.

Aside from the lower class sizes and staff-student ratios, the new draft is largely similar to the first one. As in the original, it generally requires providers to use a curriculum from a resource bank approved by the state. In addition, preschool providers would be subject to on-site evaluations every three years. It also specifically states that faith-based preschools can’t include religious instruction in hours funded by universal preschool — a rule that is not in place this year, according to a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

Training requirements for preschool staff are a bit different in the new draft, with employees only required to have completed four hours of training on some topics next year, down from eight in the previous draft rules. The new draft institutes the 8-hour training requirement in either 2025 or 2026 — either the third or fourth year of the program — depending on the training topic.

The new draft also delays requirements for providers to offer or coordinate health and developmental screenings for preschoolers until the 2025-26 school year.

The new draft rules don’t address preschool teacher qualifications. A separate set of rules that will take effect in the fall of 2025 will set those requirements.

The state is collecting feedback on the latest draft of the universal preschool quality rules through at least Nov. 22.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org

Colorado rule change would give more universal preschoolers full-day classes

2023-10-26T15:00:03+00:00

About 3,000 more Colorado 4-year-olds will qualify for free full-day classes through the state’s universal preschool program next year under a draft rule that aims to better serve families in the lowest income bracket.

The proposed change would make 4-year-olds from families with incomes at or below the federal poverty level — about $30,000 a year for a family of four — eligible for full-day preschool at no cost to their families starting next August. This year, many children in this group lost out on tuition-free full-day classes because of a state funding shortfall. However, if voters approve Prop II on Election Day, the state would get more than $23 million, which could help cover the extra full-day preschool costs next year.

“This rule would provide crucial support to Colorado’s most vulnerable populations,” said Lisa Roy, executive director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, in a press release that cited high-quality preschool as a tool against poverty.

Colorado’s $322 million universal preschool program launched in August and offers free half-day preschool to 4-year-olds statewide, with some eligible for full-day classes. Some 3-year-olds also participate.

The proposed rule, announced Thursday by the early childhood department, represents the state’s effort to fix a key problem that surfaced last summer during the new preschool program’s tumultuous rollout.

State officials originally planned to give full-day preschool to a wide swath of 4-year-olds. That group included children with any of five risk factors, including those from lower-income families — defined as households with earnings up to 270% of the federal poverty level, or about $81,000 a year for a family of four. It also included English learners, children with special education plans, those in foster care, and those who are homeless.

But in July, just weeks before the first day of school, thousands of families were blindsided when they learned the state wouldn’t pay for full-day preschool as they’d expected. More families had applied for the program than state officials expected, triggering stricter eligibility requirements for full-day classes.

The longer days were thus offered to a much smaller group: children from families who met the income threshold and had a second risk factor. A group of school districts cited this 11th-hour shift among several grievances in their subsequent lawsuit against the state over universal preschool.

The tighter eligibility rules meant many children with only a single risk factor, including many from very low-income families, were out of luck. In some cases, school districts decided to cover the cost of the extra hours. In others, parents scraped together the money to pay the difference, settled for the free half-day program, or dropped out altogether.

The proposed rule is designed to more carefully target children with the greatest needs, a population that research shows stands to benefit the most from quality preschool.

The rule creates a sixth risk factor — “living in poverty” — that includes any preschooler from a family living at or below the federal poverty level. These children will then automatically fall into the more expansive “low-income” risk factor group, which includes all low and some middle-income families. Together, the two risk factors will make children eligible for full-day classes.

About 3,600 or 7% of Colorado’s more than 48,000 universal preschoolers are getting tuition-free full-day classes this year. That number could jump to about 6,600 next year under the proposed rule, according to state estimates.

With funding for universal preschool partly dependent on how much money the state’s nicotine tax brings in and how many children opt in, there’s still a chance the state could face a funding pinch in future years and limit the number of children who get full-day preschool at no cost to their families. However, the proposed rule would give children from the lowest-income families higher priority for full-day funding than they get now.

In addition, state forecasts on preschool participation and funding for next year indicate there’s enough money to serve the additional 3,000 4-year-olds expected to qualify for full-day classes.

State officials are collecting public comment on the proposed rule at least through Nov. 22, and expect to finalize it by the end of January.

Correction: Due to incorrect information provided by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, an earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the number of children enrolled in universal preschool this year. It is more than 48,000 not 37,000. It also incorrectly stated the percentage of universal preschoolers who get full-day preschool this year. It is 7% not 10%.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Child care ratings: Here’s what Colorado parents need to know

2023-10-16T16:56:42+00:00

When families send their young children to child care or preschool, they want them to be safe, happy, and engaged. So how can they figure out if a program is offering high-quality care?

Colorado’s child care rating system is one tool that can help. The ratings are straightforward and can be accessed through a quick online search. Keep in mind they won’t reveal everything parents need to know about a program — asking questions and visiting the site are important too — but they’re a good starting place.

Here’s a closer look at how Colorado’s child care rating system works:

How does Colorado rate child care quality?

Colorado launched a five-level quality rating system called Colorado Shines in 2015. Nearly all licensed child care and preschool providers who serve children from birth to 5 years old have one of the ratings, which are good for three years.

The lowest rating is Level 1, which indicates that a provider is licensed by the state and meets basic health and safety standards. The highest rating is Level 5, which means the provider has gone through an intensive process to demonstrate high quality in all aspects of their program — from their curriculum and business practices to teacher training and even efforts to use books and materials in a child’s home language.

Programs with Level 3 and Level 4 ratings are also considered high quality, but earned fewer points in some categories than their Level 5 counterparts.

How can I look up my child’s preschool or child care rating?

Anyone can look up child care and preschool ratings on the Colorado Shines website. You can search for a specific child care provider or for all providers in a specific geographic area. In addition to the rating, the listings include hours, contact information, and other details about providers.

You can access a Spanish version of the website by clicking on the “Spanish” link in the top right hand corner of the page. Within the next year, the state will upgrade the website to offer additional languages.

Parents can also call the state’s 211 hotline for help finding child care or determining a provider’s Colorado Shines rating. Finally, they can ask providers directly what Colorado Shines rating they have.

Does every child care provider get a rating?

The vast majority of state-licensed programs that serve young children have a Colorado Shines rating. These include child care centers, private preschools, preschools run by school districts, and home-based child care programs. Exceptions include mobile preschools, which offer classes in retrofitted buses or vans, and forest preschools, which offer programming in outdoor locations.

Unlicensed child care providers also do not receive Colorado Shines ratings. This group includes nannies, babysitters, and people who care for a small number of children who are neighbors or relatives in a home setting.

Can a child care provider with a high rating still have been subject to state investigations or penalties?

Yes. A high Colorado Shines rating means the program generally uses good child care practices, but parents and or staff members can still lodge complaints if they spot something alarming, and the state can investigate the provider based on those complaints or other concerns.

Providers who are placed on state probation can keep their existing Colorado Shines rating as long as they are working to fix the problem. However, the rating may be removed after repeated violations.

Parents can find out if a provider with any rating has been subject to complaints, state investigations, or penalties within the last three years by clicking on the blue “View Details” button at the bottom of the provider’s Colorado Shines listing. They can view reports of routine state inspections, and state inspections triggered by a complaint, a child injury, or a report of child abuse or neglect.

Karen Enboden, of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, said parents should ask providers about any violations identified by the state because the provider may be able to provide additional context or explain how they’ll ensure it won’t happen again.

“No question is off limits,” she said.

Can a child care provider have a low rating but still be high quality?

Yes. Child care providers are not required to move up the ratings ladder in Colorado Shines and may decide to stay at a Level 1 or 2 because they don’t want to jump through the hoops required for higher ratings. For example, Level 3-5 ratings require an on-site review by state evaluators.

That doesn’t mean Level 1 or 2 providers don’t take good care of children. It simply means the state hasn’t assessed how the providers run their programs other than to ensure they meet basic health and safety rules.

It’s also worth noting that new child care programs automatically come into the system with a Level 1 rating and it can take months to move to a Level 2 and more than a year to move to a Level 3 or higher. That means new programs may look “low-quality” on paper, but it’s because they haven’t had enough time to obtain higher ratings.

Enboden said parents shouldn’t necessarily shy away from a Level 1 if they feel comfortable after visiting the program.

“We do have a lot of new programs in Colorado and they are going to be listed as Level 1, but it’s probably because they’re just starting their quality journey,” she said.

If my child care provider has a low Colorado Shines rating, what other things should I look for that show quality?

No matter what rating a provider has, it’s important to visit, observe, and ask questions before enrolling your child. Parents may want to ask how many children are in the classroom at one time, how much time is dedicated to play, and what credentials staff have and if they all receive background checks.

This state checklist — available in both English and Spanish — provides a good summary of features to look for and questions to ask when visiting a prospective child care provider.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org

Colorado seeks dismissal of universal preschool lawsuit brought by school districts

2023-10-13T02:31:17+00:00

Attorneys for Gov. Jared Polis and other officials say a lawsuit filed against the state over Colorado’s new universal preschool program is based on a flawed interpretation of special education law and the state constitution.

That argument came in a motion to dismiss the suit filed Thursday in Denver district court. The motion represents the state’s response to an August lawsuit brought by six Colorado school districts and two statewide education groups claiming the universal preschool program is harming children with disabilities and breaking financial promises to families and school districts.

The motion to dismiss argues that the plaintiffs disapprove of the state’s choices on how to run the universal preschool program, but that state officials have the latitude to make those choices under the law.

“Plaintiffs’ concerns should be addressed through the policymaking process, not the judiciary,” the motion states.

During a press conference announcing the lawsuit on Aug. 17, several school district leaders said they’d tried to give feedback to state officials during the universal preschool planning process, but were ignored.

The lawsuit was filed by the Colorado Association of School Executives, the Consortium of Directors of Special Education, and the 27J, Cherry Creek, Harrison, Mapleton, Platte Valley, and Westminster school districts.

In the suit, the plaintiffs alleged that children would miss out on vital special education services or full-day preschool classes, or would miss preschool altogether, because of problems with the state’s online application and matching system. The lawsuit named Polis, who’s long championed the universal preschool program, and leaders at the Colorado Department of Early Childhood and the Colorado Department of Education as defendants.

The $322 million universal preschool program, funded partly through a state nicotine tax, launched in August and offers 10 to 30 hours of tuition-free preschool a week to all Colorado 4-year-olds, and 10 hours a week to some 3-year-olds.

More than 45,000 children are enrolled in the program, including in school district preschools, private preschools, and licensed home-based programs.

BridgeCare, the state’s online application and matching system, is at the center of the lawsuit. Starting last winter, preschools listed their offerings on the platform and families used it to apply for a spot. A computer algorithm then matched kids to seats.

But according to the lawsuit, the system didn’t always work, leading to confusion and frustration. In some cases, it led to preschool matches for students with disabilities that meant school districts couldn’t fulfill the requirements spelled out in federal special education law.

But Thursday’s motion to dismiss argues that federal special education law makes it the state’s obligation to ensure students with disabilities are properly served — and that school districts’ legal obligations to such students start only after the state matches the children to district preschools.

The motion also argues that while the Colorado Constitution’s local control provision gives school districts authority over things like instruction and teacher employment, it doesn’t grant them “unmitigated control over how students apply to and are matched in a state-funded preschool program.”

Finally, the motion asserts that the school district plaintiffs speculated they would see enrollment drop, lose funding, or have to turn preschoolers away on the first day of school, without concrete proof that those things happened.

At the August press conference on the lawsuit, a Westminster district leader described how the district had been forced to turn away a 3-year-old preschooler that morning.

The state is facing two other lawsuits over the universal preschool program, both brought by religious preschools claiming that state’s anti-discrimination requirements violate their religious beliefs.

The state has addressed some of the problems cited by the plaintiffs in the school district lawsuit in recent weeks. For example, in late September, the state began allowing preschools to enroll “walk-ins” on the spot instead of making them wait until they’d been matched through the state’s online system, a process that can take days or weeks.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org

Parents: Colorado’s universal preschool program now allows walk-in enrollment

2023-09-29T20:48:09+00:00

A recent change to Colorado’s universal preschool rules now permits “walk-in” enrollment, allowing children to start classes more quickly — potentially the same day their families show up at a local preschool.

The state made the change in late September after some preschool providers complained that they were forced to turn away families who showed up without having first filled out the online application and received a preschool match through the state’s computer system. Under that process, preschoolers sometimes waited a week or more to start class.

Now, as long preschools have open spots, children will be able to start the day they walk in or shortly thereafter. Their families still have to fill out the state’s universal preschool application, but generally they’ll be able to do that on the spot, and their child will be placed immediately. Preschools may also require parents to provide key documents, such as the child’s birth certificate, proof of address, and immunization records.

The rule change is one of the ways state officials have tried to address criticism from some preschool providers, advocates, and lawmakers that the program’s application process is confusing for families and limits how much preschool providers can help them.

Ian McKenzie, a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, said of the new rule in an email, “We are delighted to show it as a sign of the work [the department] is doing to meet the needs of families throughout the school year.”

Since the year is already well underway, the new walk-in rule won’t affect most universal preschool families. However, it will help those who have recently relocated or are just finding out about the program.

Currently, about 38,000 4-year-olds and 9,000 3-year-olds get 10 to 30 hours a week of tuition-free preschool through the new state program — more children than the state initially expected. The program is open to all 4-year-olds statewide. They can attend in public schools, private preschools, child care centers, and state-licensed homes. Three-year-olds with certain risk factors are also eligible for the program, with classes generally provided only in public schools.

Families can still apply for universal preschool this year, either by filling out the online application or going to a participating preschool provider directly.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Voter guide: Prop II asks Colorado voters to spend extra nicotine tax revenue on preschool

2023-09-28T23:15:01+00:00

Should Colorado be allowed to keep $23.7 million raised through a state nicotine tax to help fund preschool? Or should that money be refunded to sellers of nicotine products?

That’s the gist of Proposition II (pronounced “eye-eye”), one of two statewide ballot issues voters will consider this election season. If voters approve the measure, the money will go toward the state’s new universal preschool program.

The preschool program began this fall and serves 38,000 4-year-olds and 9,000 3-year-olds with 10 to 30 hours a week of tuition-free class time. While the program has proven popular with families, its rollout has been rocky at times.

In July, thousands of families who expected tuition-free full-day preschool found out their children would get less because the state didn’t have enough money. In August, school district officials sued over the program, claiming the state is harming students with disabilities and breaking funding promises to families and schools.

Some of the $23.7 million up for grabs through the ballot measure could help solve these problems, though there’s not enough to address all of them.

Here’s a closer look at Proposition II.

Will Prop II raise taxes?

No. It simply allows the state to keep $23.7 million raised through a nicotine tax Colorado voters approved in 2020. Because the tax raised more money than originally predicted, the state is required by the Taxpayers Bill of Rights, commonly called TABOR, to ask voters if it can keep the extra revenue generated.

If voters say yes, the state will get to keep any excess revenue in future years as well.

Voters easily approved a similar measure in 2015 that allowed the state to keep extra marijuana tax revenue.

If voters reject Prop II, the $23.7 million would be refunded to wholesalers and distributors of nicotine and tobacco products, and the tax rate on nicotine products will go down by 11.5%.

How would Prop II money be used?

If voters approve Prop II, the money will go toward Colorado’s $322 million universal preschool program — the same place most of the nicotine tax money from the 2020 ballot measure is already going.

Leaders of the campaign backing Prop II say the additional $23.7 million will help pay for half-day preschool spots next year, as well as for full-day preschool for some children with risk factors. Such children include 4-year-olds who come from lower-income families, English learners, students with special education plans, and those who are homeless or are in the foster care system.

Who supports Prop II and who opposes it?

Dozens of elected officials, community leaders, and organizations support Prop II, according to leaders of “Preschool for all Coloradans,” a campaign backing the ballot measure. Supporters include Children’s Hospital Colorado, the American Lung Association, Colorado Children’s Campaign, Colorado PTA, Great Education Colorado, and Executives Partnering to Invest in Children.

So far, there’s no organized opposition to Prop II.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org

Colorado parents: Need help paying for preschool? Check out these programs.

2023-08-29T20:00:33+00:00

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Starting this fall, Colorado is offering 10 to 15 hours of tuition-free preschool to all 4-year-olds as part of the state’s universal preschool program. More than 40,000 families have already applied, but the application process is still open and will be available throughout the year.

But what if you need more class time for your child than just 10 to 15 hours a week?

There are several ways to get financial help for those extra hours. The universal preschool program will pay for up to 30 hours of preschool a week for some children. They must be from low-income families and fall into one of the following categories: English language learner, homeless, in foster care, or have a special education plan. Simply being from a low-income family is not enough to qualify for 30 hours.

We’ve compiled a list of other programs that may help cover extra hours of preschool, including Head Start, the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, and, for Denver residents, the Denver Preschool Program. Summit County also offers tuition assistance for preschoolers, through its Summit Pre-K Program, though the application window generally runs from May 1-31.

Military families may be eligible for financial help through the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood program, which is for families who can’t access military-operated child care programs because of waitlists or the distance from their homes.

Finally, it’s worth asking your child’s preschool if they offer scholarships or discounts that could help lower the cost of care.

For questions about universal preschool or adding extra hours, contact the universal preschool help desk at 303-866-5223 or the local group in your county that is helping run universal preschool.

Here’s a quick look at some of the programs that can be combined with universal preschool to provide students with full-day classes.

Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP)

What is it: A state program that helps low-income families pay for child care, including preschool. Parents must be working, looking for work, or attending school.

Who’s eligible: Families whose children are citizens or legal permanent residents and whose household income is 200% to 270% of the federal poverty line. That’s $60,000 to $81,000 for a family of four. Each county sets its own income criteria, so check here for details based on where you live.

Financial aid: CCCAP covers most of the cost of child care for qualifying families, with the amount varying based on how much care a child needs above their universal preschool hours. Families who qualify also have to pay a parent fee — a co-pay that varies based on income, family size, and the number of children in child care.

How to apply: Online in English or Spanish, or contact your county’s department of human services.

What to know about combining with universal preschool: Only some preschools participate in the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program. Ask the universal preschool provider you selected if they take CCCAP, or find the provider name in the universal preschool application and click on the “View More Information” link. A pop-up box will tell you more about the provider, including if they take CCCAP or offer other financial help.

Some families who qualify for CCCAP may not receive assistance because of funding shortfalls — particularly once federal COVID stimulus dollars run out in 2024.

Denver Preschool Program

What is it: A Denver program that provides sliding-scale tuition help for 4-year-olds in preschool regardless of family income.

Who’s eligible: Denver residents who have 4-year-old children attending preschool regardless of immigration status.

Financial aid: Tuition credits range from $36 to $1,227 a month for up to 12 months, and are paid to the school on the family’s behalf. Use the Denver Preschool Program’s tuition credit calculator to estimate your monthly tuition credit. Credits are based on family size, income, and the quality of the preschool selected.

How to apply: Online any time in English or Spanish, or contact the Denver Preschool Program at (303) 595-4377 or info@dpp.org. Applications in PDF form are available in Chinese/Mandarin, French, Russian, Vietnamese, Somali, Amharic, and Nepali.

What to know about combining with universal preschool: Apply to universal preschool first and once your child is enrolled in a preschool, apply to the Denver Preschool Program. This is necessary because the Denver Preschool Program application requires that families list the preschool their child is attending. Most Denver preschools participating in universal preschool also participate in the Denver Preschool Program, but there are a few that don’t. Check here to find preschools participating in the Denver Preschool Program.

Head Start

What is it: A federally funded program that provides free preschool, health services, and family support to children from low-income families, regardless of immigration status.

Who’s eligible: Children who are 3 to 5 years old in families with a household income at or below the federal poverty guideline. That’s $30,000 a year for a family of 4. Children who are homeless, in foster care, or whose families receive public assistance are also eligible regardless of income.

Financial aid: Head Start is a free preschool program that provides part-time or full-time hours to the children it serves.

How to apply: Search here for providers near you and contact the center directly to apply. For help finding a Head Start provider, call 866-763-6481.

What to know about combining with universal preschool: Only certain preschool providers offer Head Start. The universal preschool application also shows whether providers participate in Head Start. For help, contact the Head Start provider you’re interested in or the local group that helps run universal preschool.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Marshmallows vs. chocolate: Kids tackle first day of school amid Colorado’s universal preschool launch

2023-08-23T18:03:20+00:00

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“Would you rather eat only chocolate or only marshmallows?” teacher Jordan Parsons asked the gaggle of preschoolers sitting on the rug in front of her.

Most of the 13 kids bounded to the left side of the rug, several gleefully jumping and shrieking at the thought of a marshmallow-only diet. A few chocolate-lovers drifted to the other side of the rug.

When Parsons asked which group was bigger, a member of Team Marshmallow confirmed the obvious: “This one,” he said brightly.

It was the first day of preschool at Denver’s Auraria Early Learning Center and part of the rolling launch of universal preschool in Colorado. The new $322 million program offers 10 to 30 hours a week of tuition-free preschool to 4-year-olds statewide and 10 hours to some 3-year-olds.

Up to 40,000 4-year-olds are expected to participate in the program this school year, double the enrollment of Colorado’s previous state-funded preschool program.

Many parents and early childhood advocates are excited about the state’s effort to help more families with preschool costs and prepare kids for kindergarten. At the same time, some aspects of universal preschool rollout have been rushed, confusing, and punctuated by eleventh hour changes.

Thousands of families who had expected the state to cover full-day preschool based on meeting certain criteria found out in late July the program would only pay for half-day classes. Most recently, school district officials sued over the program, claiming the state is harming students with disabilities and breaking funding promises to families and schools. Religious preschools also have sued, alleging that anti-discrimination requirements violate their religious beliefs.

But on Monday morning, the kids in Parsons’ classroom were unconcerned with legal questions and logistics. They were too busy with playground time, the “Would you rather?” game, and a story about a dinosaur named Penolope who ate her classmates.

The problems they did have were child-sized: A forgotten water bottle, outdoor playtime cut short by the melting heat, and a few pangs of homesickness that called for a break in the “cozy cove” — a large wooden hideaway stocked with a basket of toys.

A little girl in a pink and green sundress said her favorite part of preschool is “using scissors” — purple glittery scissors, to be exact.

A boy who proudly announced he’d just turned 4 in July, said he enjoys drawing — especially rainbows, like the one on his first-day-of-school shirt.

“I picked it out from Target,” he said of the green top.

Preschool students at Auraria Early Learning Center in Denver line up to go outside on their first day of school.

For her part, Auraria Early Learning Center Director Emily Nelson said she’s pleased with how universal preschool is shaping up. There have been challenges, but that’s true with any new system, she said.

“I feel good with where we’re at,” she said. “I feel like parents have the information they need.”

She’s heard some parents express relief that the state is helping defray tuition costs. Under universal preschool, the state covers the cost of 15 hours a week at the center, dropping monthly full-day tuition from $1,531 to $921. Some parents get additional assistance through campus scholarships or a taxpayer-funded tuition credit program called the Denver Preschool Program.

Like many providers across Colorado, Nelson had empty universal preschool seats on the first day of school — eight between her two 4-year-old classrooms. Statewide, about 56,000 4-year-old seats are available, well above the number that will be needed even if more families sign up in the coming months.

Nelson said having a few open seats is typical at this time of year, especially being on a college campus where classes are also just beginning. The center serves the children of students, faculty, and community members.

When the semester starts, parents think, ‘Oh child care, I need to figure that piece out,’” she said.

On Monday, the children at Auraria Early Learning Center had their own challenges to figure out. A ponytailed girl announced during storytime that she felt sad. Then she went into the cozy cove and emerged rejuvenated — ready to get back to her first day.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org

Colorado school district leaders sue state over free preschool program rollout

2023-08-17T19:05:37+00:00

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Six Colorado school districts and two statewide education groups sued the state Thursday, claiming Colorado’s universal preschool program is harming children with disabilities and breaking financial promises to families and school districts.

The Colorado Association of School Executives, the Consortium of Directors of Special Education, and six districts filed the lawsuit against Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, and the Colorado Department of Education in Denver district court on Thursday. The districts include Brighton-based 27J, Cherry Creek, Harrison, Mapleton, Platte Valley, and Westminster.

The groups allege that children will miss out on vital special education services, full-day preschool classes, or any preschool at all because the state’s online matching system is rife with problems. In several of the plaintiff districts, the first day of preschool was this week, but lots of children were missing from class rosters.

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood is running the new preschool program, but the Department of Education is in charge of ensuring that preschoolers with disabilities are served according to special education laws. Launching universal preschool has been one of Polis’ signature priorities since he hit the campaign trail in 2018.

The lawsuit marks the latest and probably most significant bump in the rocky rollout of the preschool program, which offers 10 to 30 hours of tuition-free preschool a week to all 4-year-olds in Colorado and 10 hours to some 3-year-olds. Technology problems, poor communication, and last-minute changes have left many preschool providers and parents confused and frustrated in the run-up to the program’s launch this month.

The lawsuit touches on many of the same issues, with one of the school districts’ most pressing concerns being how the matching system functions — or doesn’t.

Mat Aubuchon, executive director of learning services for the Westminster district north of Denver, described a mother who showed up to preschool Thursday with a three- and a four-year-old — and the school had to turn away the three-year-old because they couldn’t verify the child was correctly placed.

These problems could have been avoided, superintendents said at a press conference, if district administrators had been included years earlier in the preschool planning process.

“I’m saddened that we’re here today,” said Cherry Creek Superintendent Christopher Smith. “All we’re asking is to be part of the solution.”

Thursday’s lawsuit is the third one the state has faced over universal preschool. In June, a Christian preschool in Chaffee County sued the Department of Early Childhood, alleging that a non-discrimination agreement the state requires from universal preschool providers would prevent it from operating in accordance with its religious beliefs. Two Catholic parishes that operate preschools filed a similar lawsuit on Wednesday.

But the school districts’ lawsuit touches more directly on one of universal preschool’s stated purposes: to help children who need it most get a strong foundation for school.

A spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Early Childhood said the department would not comment on pending litigation.

In an emailed statement, Polis spokesman Conor Cahill lamented that the plaintiffs were distracting from the successes of universal preschool and pledged to defend the program “vigorously” in court.

“While it’s unfortunate to see different groups of adults attempting to co-opt preschool for themselves, perhaps because they want to not allow gay parents to send their kids to preschool, or they want to favor school district programs over community-based early childhood centers, the voters were clear on their support for parent choice and a universal, mixed delivery system that is independently run, that doesn’t discriminate against anyone and offers free preschool to every child no matter who their parents are,” Cahill said.

Jeremy Meyer, a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Education, said officials there are still reviewing the complaint.

“It is important to us to emphasize that CDE fundamentally values serving all students, and we are absolutely committed to ensuring preschool students with disabilities receive all the services they are entitled to under federal law to prepare them for success in school,” he said in an email.

A glitchy preschool algorithm creates district headaches

The state’s online preschool matching system — called BridgeCare — is at the center of the latest lawsuit. Starting last winter, preschools listed their offerings on the platform and families used it to apply for a spot. A computer algorithm then matched kids to seats.

But the system doesn’t always work. That’s led to long waits for parents on the state’s helpline, time-consuming manual fixes by regional groups tasked with helping run the new program, and preschool spots that go unfilled despite high local demand, according to the lawsuit.

In addition, district officials’ access to the platform is so limited they sometimes can’t properly place children with disabilities or even contact their families, according to the lawsuit. As a result, public schools can’t fulfill their legal obligation to such students and their parents, the plaintiffs said.

The lawsuit describes a last-minute effort in late July to give districts additional access to BridgeCare. In the Harrison district, it yielded days of fruitless back-and-forth between state and district staff about erroneous or missing sign-ups. Although district officials expected 124 students with disabilities to be matched with their classrooms, zero showed up on the list. State officials suggested the district “do some family outreach,” according to the lawsuit.

“We have failed students and we have failed their families,” Harrison Superintendent Wendy Birhanzel said during the press conference. “They will continue to lose instruction until changes are made.”

Bret Miles, executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives, said part of the reason for problems with BridgeCare is that the state didn’t spend the money needed to get a system with more capabilities.

“They bought a cheaper version of it,” he said.

Bret Miles, executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives, center, talks about his organization’s lawsuit at a press conference. He was joined by CASE Deputy Director Melissa Gibson, left, and CASE General Counsel Michelle Murphy, right.

Besides the matching system, the lawsuit alleges several instances in which state officials rolled back funding pledges, inappropriately diverted money for students with disabilities to the general education preschool fund, or are delaying payments.

The suit cites a promise by the state to pay for full-day preschool for students from low-income families, or who have one of four other risk factors. State officials announced in late July that only a fraction of those students — those from low-income families who also have a second risk factor — are eligible for tuition-free full-day classes.

The Westminster district north of Denver, where many students come from low-income families, will spend $2 million this year to ensure more than 170 4-year-olds whose families expected full-day classes will get them at no cost, according to the lawsuit. The Harrison district, which also has many students from low-income families, estimated it will have to spend several million dollars to cover full-day preschool for children the state now won’t cover.

The suit also claims the state reappropriated $38 million that was supposed to be used for preschoolers with disabilities into a pot of general education preschool dollars. In addition, it alleges the state plans to hold back some money until next June that districts need this year.

Scott Smith, Cherry Creek’s chief financial and operating officer, said when he and other district leaders raised concerns to state officials more than a year ago that there wouldn’t be enough money to fully fund the new preschool program, “We were continually disregarded.”

“That funding isn’t there and wasn’t there,” he said.

About 39,000 Colorado 4-year-olds have been matched with a preschool through the universal program so far. Most families were able to choose from a variety of preschool settings, including schools, child care centers, or state-licensed homes, but parents of students with disabilities were not. Such students — about 12% of the total — will generally be served in public schools, which have a legal responsibility to provide services spelled out in each child’s federally mandated special education plan.

The new $322 million preschool program is funded with proceeds from a voter-approved nicotine tax and dollars from the state’s previous, smaller preschool program, which was only for students from low-income families or who had other risk factors.

Through last school year, Colorado preschoolers who had diagnosed disabilities were served through the state’s “early childhood special education” program. School district teams placed the vast majority of those children in classrooms where at least half of students were typically developing kids.

This year, under the universal preschool program, integrating students with disabilities and their typical peers is still the goal, but the state’s electronic platform has taken over the role district officials used to play. That’s led to some children being matched to settings that don’t make sense or classrooms that don’t have the right balance of children, requiring convoluted change requests that have often further frustrated parents.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Fact-checking Gov. Polis’ statements on universal preschool and full-day classes

2023-08-16T00:14:45+00:00

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Thousands of Colorado families believed their 4-year-olds would get tuition-free full-day preschool through Colorado’s new universal preschool program. In July, they found out it wasn’t true.

The state didn’t have enough money for every child from a low-income family or with another risk factor to get full-day classes. Instead, only a fraction of them — those with low-income status and a second risk factor — would get the longer school day at no cost to their families. The rest had to come up with the extra tuition money themselves, drop down to a half-day program, or bow out altogether.

It was a blow to families, but also a blow to the $330 million universal preschool program that Gov. Jared Polis has made a signature priority of his tenure. For months, critics have charged that the program’s rollout has been rushed, messy, and confusing.

In a recent interview with 9News reporter Marshall Zelinger, Polis tried to explain why some children with risk factors wouldn’t get the 30 hours a week their families thought they were promised.

He provided a variety of answers: There’s not enough space. Families seeking full-day classes just want child care. Half-day preschool is better for kids.

So, what’s true?

Chalkbeat fact-checked some of the claims Polis made about universal preschool. Here’s what we found.

Is there enough space?

What Gov. Polis said: “There’s nothing even close to the space for full-day preschool.”

Fact check: This is partially true, but misleading. There are more than 24,000 full-day seats offered by Colorado’s universal preschool providers this year, according to April numbers from the state’s Department of Early Childhood. That’s more than enough for the more than 14,000 4-year-olds who have at least one risk factor and whose families were initially told their children would be eligible for tuition-free full-day classes.

The reason many of those 14,000 children are not being offered full-day preschool as their families expected is because the state doesn’t have enough money, not because it doesn’t have enough space. In some cases, full-day classes may be unavailable in a particular preschool or community, but on a statewide basis there are full-day seats available.

Polis is correct that there’s not enough physical space for full-day preschool for every 4-year-old who will participate in the universal program this year — more than 30,000 kids — but that was never the plan to begin with.

Child care vs. preschool

What Gov. Polis said: “Are you saying you want to pick your kid up at 2:30? Or five, right? If they say 2:30, then they’re in it for the full-day preschool because they value that academic experience. If they’re saying five, because I work and I can’t pick up my kid until five, they need a child care solution.”

Fact check: This is misleading. Polis’ comments suggest that parents wanted something out of universal preschool that wasn’t being offered, namely child care. But the state has long planned to offer full-day preschool hours to some families, clearly stating that in the application and other messaging. In some cases, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, which is running the new program, even used the word “care” to describe the extra hours of preschool. (On Facebook, for example.)

Finally, giving children educationally enriching experiences and supervising them while parents work aren’t mutually exclusive. It’s also worth noting that preschool classrooms, like infant and toddler classrooms, are governed by state child care rules — so in that sense, preschool is child care.

Is half-day preschool best?

What Gov. Polis said: “This is a half-day universal preschool program. That’s what the voters approved. It’s also developmentally appropriate. Kids benefit the most in that 15-to-20-hour range.”

Fact check: Not necessarily. A 2019 experimental study of preschoolers in the Westminster district north of Denver found that full-day students outperformed half-day students in early literacy, math, physical, and socioemotional development. Full-day students attended for 30 hours a week and half-day students attended for 12 hours a week.

The study was particularly notable because it used gold-standard methodology, with students randomly assigned to full-day or half-day classes. The authors, including Allison Atteberry, who was then at the University of Colorado Boulder, concluded that the study provided compelling evidence “that a full-day, full-week preschool supports young children’s development, at least among a sample of primarily low-income, Latinx children.”

Is universal preschool high-quality?

What Gov. Polis said: “We are funding high-quality preschool.”

Fact check: This is not true. While many participating preschools may offer high-caliber programming, state officials are not requiring providers to meet any particular quality standards during the program’s first year. All providers must meet basic health and safety standards, but those have long been necessary to get a state child care license. The state told providers in April to “keep doing what you’re doing,” and said rules on quality will be added for the 2024-25 school year.

Experts say preschool can produce short- and long-term benefits for kids, but only if it’s high quality. Class-size limits, staff credentials, teacher training requirements, and curriculum choice are often among the criteria used to measure preschool quality.

The universal preschool program has already backed away from class-size rules used in Colorado’s previous targeted preschool program, which was for students with risk factors. The targeted program, which ended in June, capped class sizes at 16 children, while the universal preschool program will allow classes of up to 24.

Elementary students get the same hours. Should preschoolers?

What Gov. Polis said: “I view preschool much like I view first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade. We don’t give more fourth grade hours to low-income families.”

Fact check: This is misleading. It may be true that fourth graders from low-income households don’t get extra hours of school, but they already get six or seven hours of class a day.

Since the inception of Colorado’s universal preschool program, state leaders have talked about giving students with the highest needs more preschool to help them get ready for kindergarten. The 2022 law creating universal preschool says to ensure equity, the state “must” invest in extra preschool for children in low-income families. As details of the new program unfolded last year, state officials spelled out what that additional programming would entail: 15 extra hours a week, for a total of 30.

Colorado has long made a point to provide extra help to children who face barriers to educational success — providing extra funding to their schools or direct support to their families. In fact, until the universal preschool program launched this month, Colorado’s publicly funded preschool program targeted only students from low-income families or who had other risk factors. In short, the state recognizes that some kids need more help than others and routinely crafts policy based on that distinction.

Letter informing parents their children won’t get tuition-free full-day preschool

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado school districts rush to fill job openings before school starts

2023-08-07T17:27:09+00:00

There were stay-at-home mothers looking for work that matched their children’s school schedules, a former Starbucks barista who had tired of starting at 5 a.m., and a 60-year-old former Molly Maid employee who said housecleaning had become too much.

All joined the bustle at an Aurora Public Schools job fair just a week before school was set to start and talked to recruiters about positions driving buses, working with preschoolers, preparing meals, or cleaning schools.

In Colorado and nationwide, acute staffing shortages have made it harder for school districts to deliver basic services. But Aurora hiring representatives were upbeat about the prospect of filling vacancies in the 39,000-student district — if not by the first day of school on Aug. 8, soon after.

Travis Brown, a lead trainer with the district’s transportation department, said interest from candidates is higher this year than last.

“Are things still lean? Yeah, they are,” he said. “But there’s definitely a change in the number of folks who are coming out. Job fairs like this would have been desolate a year ago.”

Last-minute hiring is nothing new for school districts. Many have faced shortages of special education, math, and science educators, mental health staff, and bus drivers for years. Last school year, 720 teaching positions and 570 classroom aide positions went unfilled across Colorado, according to data from the state’s annual educator shortage survey. Hundreds more jobs were filled through stopgap measures like hiring retired educators or long-term substitutes.

Cynthia Cobb, Aurora’s early childhood education director, welcomed a steady stream of candidates to her table during the first hour of Tuesday’s job fair, taking down contact information and explaining the credentials needed to work with young children. Her department had 43 positions to fill, a combination of lead teacher and classroom aide jobs.

Cobb said there are more vacancies than usual, because the district is adding 19 preschool classrooms this fall as part of the state’s new universal preschool program, which provides tuition-free classes to any 4-year-old whose family wants it.

But like Brown, she said there’s more interest from job seekers, too. That’s due in part to a wage boost that has made Aurora more competitive with neighboring districts, such as Denver and Cherry Creek. Aurora’s starting pay for preschool aides is now $20 an hour, up from $14 last year.

Noting that she received 75 applications through the job search website Indeed during the past week, she said, “It didn’t happen before.”

To sweeten the deal, Cobb also let candidates know that she has grant money that can help them pay for early childhood education classes at the Community College of Aurora — on top of free courses the state is already covering as part of an effort to develop more early childhood teachers.

Selena Canche, a mother of five, attended the fair to find something with more consistent hours than her part-time package delivery job through Amazon Flex. She hoped for work in one of the district’s cafeterias or early childhood classrooms.

“Being able to work where my kids go to school is the goal,” she said.

Renée Le Floch, the former house cleaner, left the fair with the promise of a job interview with the district’s nutrition department the next day. After years of physical work, she hoped to land something less taxing. Plus, she said, working around children is her dream.

At the booth for the district’s nutrition department — which is hiring for 50 positions — a poster advertised the starting wage at $13.80 an hour. But Bianca Mendoza, a staffing and marketing specialist for the district, quickly noticed it was out of date. The rate is now $15.26 an hour, she said.

The job is fun, said Mendoza. “You get to love on those kids, feed them, hear their stories.”

Monica Drees, the former barista, stopped by three tables at the fair, but said a nutrition services job was her top choice. It would offer flexible hours and let her capitalize on her experience in food service.

Plus, she said, Mendoza “seemed really nice.”

“I can learn how to do a job,” Drees said, “but mostly I want to like my coworkers.”

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat intern Sara Martin contributed to this report.

Colorado backtracks on full-time preschool for 11,000 kids with risk factors

2023-08-02T23:12:28+00:00

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Nikki Spasova expected her 4-year-old son to get free full-day classes through the state’s new universal preschool program since he’s still learning English.

But just two weeks before Kristian was set to start preschool, Spasova learned that wasn’t the case. Instead, the state program will cover just 15 hours of preschool, the same hours offered to Colorado children who don’t face barriers to success in school.

Colorado’s universal preschool plan called for children like Kristian to get up to 30 hours a week at no cost to their families, provided there was enough money. It turns out there isn’t.

In the final weeks before school starts, that shortfall triggered a provision in state law that tightened eligibility requirements so that only children who are low-income and have a second risk factor will receive full-day classes.

Instead of half of 4-year-olds being offered free full-time preschool, just 13% will.

Some of the affected children are learning English, like Kristian. Many more are from low-income families — and money for additional child care subsidies is limited, too. Meanwhile, the state is sticking to its plan to offer 15 tuition-free hours to all 4-year-olds, even those from well-to-do families — more hours than required by state law.

“To cut back on the ones who really need it does not feel fair,” said Jean Doolittle, the owner of Southglenn Montessori Preschool in Centennial where Kristian is enrolled. “Instead of taking a little bit from everybody, they took a lot from those who need it most.”

The decision illustrates the trade-off Colorado leaders made in designing the new preschool program, which launches this month. Many early childhood advocates cheered Colorado’s move from a preschool program that targets certain kids to one that’s open to all 4-year-olds, but as the program rolls out, some providers are concerned the universal model shortchanges children facing the toughest odds.

Four-year-old Kristian, whose native language is Bulgarian, is among nearly 11,000 Colorado children who won’t be offered tuition-free full-day preschool this fall. The news has left families and providers scrambling with only days or weeks before school starts.

At least one district — Aurora Public Schools — has decided to cover the cost of full-day preschool for families the state rejected for the extra help.

But many families will either have to come up with the extra tuition money, switch their child to a half-day program, or bow out altogether.

For Kristian’s parents, the last-minute switch means they’ll have to pay $428 a month more than they’d planned.

“We can barely make it,” said Spasova.

Preschool funding gets spread more thinly

When state officials asked voters in 2020 to approve a nicotine tax to help pay for universal preschool, they promised 10 tuition-free hours a week to any Colorado 4-year-old whose family wanted it. Last fall, they decided to offer 15. At the same time, state officials planned to provide 30 hours a week to children with the highest needs — those from low-income families, with limited English skills, with a special education plan, are homeless, or are in foster care.

The state’s online application told parents that extra hours for students with any one of the five risk factors “will be added” after their application is reviewed,

But when demand for the new program exploded, there wasn’t enough money for everything.

Dawn Odean, Colorado’s universal preschool director, said Colorado’s 2022 preschool law dictated which groups would get prioritized for preschool funding and didn’t guarantee that students with risk factors would get extra hours.

State officials expected about half of Colorado 4-year-olds — around 30,000 — to participate this year, but is on track to exceed that.

Conor Cahill, a spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis, said in an email Wednesday that sign-ups have hit 36,000.

That’s a number legislative staff worried about as far back as February, estimating it would cost $30 million more than the $322 million budgeted for universal preschool to serve all those additional children, according to a budget memo. To avoid too many signups in the first year, they recommended no extra funding for marketing universal preschool. The governor’s office used its own funds to pay for marketing and now touts that the state has surpassed its goals for enrollment in the first year.

Additionally, Cahill said the governor wants to offer 18 hours of preschool a week to all 4-year-olds by the end of his second term in 2026.

Odean, when asked how she would respond to families whose children have risk factors and who feel misled, said “that’s a hard one” and that the department is always looking at how they can give families more clarity.

“Are we getting to our most vulnerable?” she said. “I don’t think we know that at this point, but there is definitely all eyes on that consideration.”

In the Aurora district, officials expected about 1,200 universal preschool students to qualify for full-day funding because they have a risk factor, but only around 300 met the new criteria. Cynthia Cobb, Aurora’s early childhood education director, said the district will cover the cost of full-day classes for families the state rejected for extra hours.

“I’m grateful that the district has made the commitment that at this point we’re not changing any of their programming.”

Like other providers, she said the state application wasn’t clear. Since it indicated that families would get extra preschool hours if they had one risk factor, some families simply checked a single box even if they had multiple risk factors.

“So they may have said we speak another language at home and I’m done, I’ve got my risk factor,” said Cobb.

A pandemic baby faces language struggles

When the pandemic hit, Kristian had just turned one. He ended up spending lots of time with his parents on empty playgrounds or family hikes, but little time with people who might have exposed him to conversational English, Spasova said.

When he started at Doolittle’s home-based child care program a couple years ago, he knew two English words: “OK” and “hi.” Although he was shy, he started making big strides with English after about six months.

But his English still needs work and Spasova said she doesn’t feel confident enough to do it on her own.

“His head is jumbled. He will speak half a sentence in English and half a sentence in Bulgarian,” Spasova said. “It’s imperative for him to go to preschool so he can go to kindergarten next year and he will actually know some English.”

Kristian’s first day of universal preschool at Doolittle’s home was Monday. He’s among five children there who are participating in the state-funded program this year and one of two with a state-recognized risk factor.

Doolittle said the other family whose child has a risk factor opted for half-day preschool, but not Kristian’s family.

“That language obstacle is still humongous,” she said. “Him being here more hours is a huge benefit to him.”

Low-income families could lose out

Most of the 4-year-olds who have a single risk factor — and won’t qualify for 30 free hours of preschool a week — come from families considered low-income.

Michelle Dalbotten, who heads Step by Step, a Northglenn child care center, said some of her families fall into that category and recently found out their kids will only get 15 tuition-free hours a week.

“That’s where they may feel duped,” she said.

Under the universal preschool program, families qualify as low-income if they make less than 270% of the federal poverty level — about $81,000 for a family of four. That threshold means there’s nothing distinguishing very low-income families from families on the cusp of middle income.

Odean, from the Department of Early Childhood, said officials first need to see which preschoolers show up this fall, and then can use that data to make tweaks for next year.

She said the state officials could consider lowering the income threshold or establishing multiple tiers within the low-income category.

Melissa Mares, director of early childhood initiatives for the Colorado Children’s Campaign, said she’s hopeful that low-income families who aren’t offered full-day preschool through the universal program, may be able to use state child care subsidies or other funding sources to get the extra hours they need.

The subsidy application is separate from the universal preschool application this year, but the state plans to combine them in the future, she noted.

“What we’re hearing from families is they want it to be easy,” she said.

But Heather O’Hayre, Larimer County’s director of human services, worries that the subsidy program can’t compensate for the shortfall in the universal preschool budget — especially once federal COVID stimulus money runs out in 2024.

Already, there’s only enough money to provide child care subsidies to about 10% of eligible children, she said.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Letter informing parents their children won’t get tuition-free full-day preschool

Colorado offers free community college for prospective early childhood teachers

2023-07-18T20:40:56+00:00

Colorado residents interested in early childhood and five other high-demand careers can get training for free starting this fall at more than a dozen community colleges around the state.

It’s part of a new $40 million state program called Career Advance Colorado that’s intended to mint thousands of workers in shortage areas. Besides early childhood education, the program will cover tuition, course materials, and fees for up to two years of training for students studying education, construction, law enforcement, nursing, and fire and forestry.

“All these fields are in need of great folks to fill jobs that are open today and that are critical for our state’s success,” said Gov. Jared Polis in a recorded announcement about Career Advance.

The program is open to new students and those currently enrolled in one of the six target areas. For those already enrolled, the state will pay for their remaining coursework.

The offer of free training for prospective early childhood employees comes amid an ongoing shortage of child care and preschool teachers that’s led to shuttered classrooms at some centers. The need for qualified staff has become even more pressing as Colorado prepares to launch a major expansion of tuition-free preschool in August. More than 31,000 4-year-olds are expected to participate.

Career Advance is the latest effort by state policymakers to beef up the anemic pipeline of early childhood teachers. In recent years, the state used COVID stimulus money to pay for two introductory early childhood classes for hundreds of college students. It also offered scholarship and apprenticeship programs for students seeking early childhood credentials.

In Colorado, where the median preschool teacher wage is around $15.25 an hour, it’s hard to make a living in the early childhood field. The cost of college classes or student loan debt makes the barrier to entry even higher.

State officials and advocates recently have taken tentative steps towards addressing the field’s abysmal pay. As part of an effort to pay preschool teachers a living wage, the state pays a higher per-student rate in the new universal preschool program than it pays public schools for each K-12 student. In addition, the state recently unveiled a report recommending a series of statewide early childhood salary scales that would significantly boost pay. For example, the suggested rate would be at least $22 an hour for early childhood teachers in metro Denver and some mountain communities. The salary scales are not binding for preschool and child care providers, but show what workers in different regions would need to earn to make a living wage.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado’s free preschool program has 19,000 families signed up with at least 15,000 more expected

2023-05-16T21:09:12+00:00

Nearly 19,000 Colorado families have accepted their children’s preschool matches for next fall when the state’s new universal preschool program launches.

It’s the latest milestone in the sometimes chaotic journey toward one of Gov. Jared Polis’ signature priorities: tuition-free preschool for any 4-year-old whose family wants it. State officials expect more than 30,000 4-year-olds, which represents about half of Colorado kids that age, to participate in the program next year.

The state’s universal preschool program will be funded in part with a voter-approved nicotine tax and offered in school district classrooms, private child care centers, church-based preschools, and homes licensed by the state. Children will get 10 to 30 hours a week of tuition-free class time, depending on what schedules are available in their area and whether they come from lower-income families or have other risk factors.

The 19,000 families that have accepted their preschool matches so far all applied for a universal preschool seat in the first round, which closed at the end of February. The second application window closes Wednesday at 5 p.m. It’s open to families who have not yet applied for universal preschool, families who applied in the first round but didn’t get matched with a provider, and families who declined their first round preschool match.

More Colorado preschools have opted to participate in the universal program since the first application window closed, so there may be choices available now that weren’t available in January and February.

Families who apply by Wednesday will learn their preschool matches on June 1 and must accept or decline them by June 8. Once families accept their matches, they fill out the standard enrollment paperwork required by their preschool. State officials expect 4-year-olds from about 15,000 additional families to be matched with preschools in the second round.

After the second round closes, families can still apply for a universal preschool seat on a rolling basis.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org

Are there enough free preschool seats for Colorado 4-year-olds? It depends.

2023-04-26T11:00:00+00:00

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization covering schools in communities across America. Sign up for our free monthly newsletter The Starting Line to keep up with news about early childhood education.

Since Colorado leaders began planning a major expansion of state-funded preschool more than two years ago, parents and advocates have wondered: Will there be enough seats for everybody who wants one?

The answer: It depends.

On paper, there are plenty of seats. State officials expect only about half of Colorado’s 4-year-olds — around 31,000 children — to participate in the first year. Meanwhile, a Chalkbeat analysis found more than 56,000 preschool seats available for next fall.

“Right now, it’s looking really good,” said Dawn Odean, the state’s universal preschool director.

But things get stickier at the county level. Some parts of the state are awash in preschool seats and others don’t have nearly enough. Some families may also struggle to find preschools with the schedules and programming they want.

“The physical number of slots versus what parents actually need doesn’t necessarily align,” said Kelly Esch, who’s both the parent of a preschooler and executive director of an organization that provides early childhood coaching and resources in western Colorado’s Garfield County.

While Chalkbeat’s county-by-county analysis provides a snapshot of preschool availability across Colorado, there are plenty of factors it doesn’t account for — families who cross county lines for preschool or the uneven distribution of seats within counties. Plus, it’s possible more providers will join soon, adding new seats to the tally.

Odean said state officials plan to dig deeper into the data for trouble spots once parents select preschools for the coming year. Families of about 26,000 4-year-olds who applied for seats by the end of February will find out Wednesday what preschools they matched with and will have two weeks to accept or decline the offers. (Families can continue to apply through the summer and fall.)

The new preschool program will offer 10 to 15 hours a week of tuition-free preschool to 4-year-olds statewide, 30 hours a week to 4-year-olds who come from lower-income families or meet other criteria, and 10 hours a week to some 3-year-olds. The program is funded in part with a voter-approved nicotine tax and will be offered in school district classrooms, private child care centers, church-based preschools, and homes licensed by the state.

Esch, who lives in the small town of Newcastle, is pretty sure her son Oliver will land a universal preschool seat in the home of the beloved child care provider he’s been with since he was 10 weeks old. Not only does she offer hard-to-find all-day and summertime care, the provider runs a top-notch program, Esch said, and for a while even adjusted Oliver’s nap schedule so she could work with him one-on-one to overcome a speech delay.

Although Oliver should get priority for one of the provider’s two universal preschool spots, Esch still feels uncertain about how things will play out under the state’s new system.

“Are we in? Did it work?” she wondered as she awaited the official notification email.

Preschools have big decisions to make

While around 1,700 preschools have signed up to offer universal preschool classes next fall, the exact number of seats is still in flux at many programs. In some cases, that’s because of unfolding expansion projects or difficulty finding teachers to staff classrooms. In others, preschool providers are still considering whether to offer full-time or part-time slots or are uncertain about whether they can release unfilled seats reserved for students with disabilities or children of employees to the general public.

At Springfield Preschool, a highly rated school district program in southern Colorado, leaders haven’t yet decided how many hours a week to offer 4-year-olds next year.

Director Debbie Sharpe said the preschool will probably have enough spots for all interested families if it continues with half-day classes. But she knows Baca County is a child care desert and that full-day preschool would be a godsend to many locals. District officials will decide which schedule to offer in the next few weeks.

If the preschool moves to full-day, there won’t be enough seats for every child, Sharpe said. “Space is going to be a problem.”

Stacy Petty, who heads the group coordinating universal preschool in Garfield, Pitkin, and Lake counties, and part of Eagle County, expects shortages too.

“We didn’t have enough seats to support everyone in our region before [universal preschool].” she said. “We do have some expansion going on, which is going to help, but we still know we don’t have enough seats for everybody.”

Petty said based on preliminary interest, she expects 80% of eligible families in the area to seek a universal preschool seat — well above the 50% uptake Colorado leaders anticipate statewide.

In the Garfield RE-2 school district, based in Rifle, preschool expansion projects are underway at two elementary schools. Together, they’ll add around 80 new preschool seats, some by August and the rest by January.

Emily Kielmeyer, the district’s early childhood coach and coordinator, said she’s hopeful the expansion, which will bring the total number of preschool seats to 300, will be enough to accommodate every family that wants a spot.

“We knew the time was right with universal preschool coming,” she said of the expansion.

District officials say there’s been lots of residential growth in the area — people who left cities in search of smaller communities and outdoor space during the pandemic or who’ve gradually been priced out of “up-valley” housing in cities like Aspen.

“We have housing starts through the roof out here,” said district spokesperson Theresa Hamilton.

Thousands of families may still apply

It’s likely most families who want a universal preschool spot next year have already applied, but providers and advocates say they’re still fielding questions from families who are confused about the process.

Kelli Gabehart, the preschool director for the Elbert County school district southeast of Denver, discovered some parents haven’t applied because they erroneously believed universal preschool provides only 15 tuition-free hours a month. (It’s actually 15 hours a week.)

They’d say, “Oh, it’s not even worth applying for,” she said.

Some providers say they’ve provided computers and on-the-spot help for parents filling out the universal preschool application after finding that some longtime clients hadn’t signed up.

That’s the case at Family Star Montessori, which will offer a total of 36 universal preschool slots at its two Denver locations next year. Most are reserved for children from low-income families, but private pay families can enroll too.

Julia McConnaughey, the program’s senior director of community partnerships, said Family Star still has a few open spots for next year, and had even more earlier in the application process.

“I don’t think there was enough outreach to the public without schools doing the heavy lifting,” she said. “We had to personally ask every parent, ‘Hey did you apply? Did you choose Family Star as your first choice?’”

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org

No new quality rules for first year of Colorado’s free preschool program

2023-04-07T21:06:34+00:00

Colorado won’t require preschools to make quality improvements during the first year of the state’s new universal preschool program, which launches in August.

State officials have consistently pledged that the new program will provide high-quality preschool, which experts say can produce short- and long-term benefits for kids. But they announced this week what they called “keep doing what you’re doing” guidance. That means preschool providers can continue with their current practices and policies.

The decision to hold off on mandating new preschool quality standards is more evidence of Colorado’s rush to roll out the major new program on an extremely tight timeline — an issue that providers and advocates have raised repeatedly in the last year.

The universal program will offer 10-30 hours a week of tuition-free preschool to 4-year-olds statewide and 10 hours a week to some 3-year-olds. It’s funded in part with a voter-approved nicotine tax.

Dawn Odean, the state’s universal preschool director, said in a statement Thursday the new guidance was created to alleviate provider concerns about “the unknown” and allow them to prepare for the program launch.

The state’s decision means that next fall, more than 30,000 Colorado children who’ve signed up for universal preschool will attend preschools that vary widely in quality. Some will attend programs with the state’s top Level 5 rating, which indicates excellence in several categories. Others will go to preschools with the lowest Level 1 rating, which indicates the program is licensed by the state and meets basic health and safety standards.

There are various ways to measure preschool quality, but class size caps, staff credentials, teacher training requirements, and curriculum choice may be among the criteria. The National Institute of Early Education Research at Rutgers University rates states using 10 benchmarks of preschool quality. Colorado’s existing state-funded preschool program, which serves about 15,000 4-year-olds, only meets four of the benchmarks.

Colorado is allowing some providers to have 24 students per class this fall, higher than the 16-student maximum the current state preschool program allows and the 20-student maximum the institute’s benchmark recommends.

Leaders from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, which is running the universal preschool program, said they’ll adopt quality standards in the fall that will take effect in the summer of 2024.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado delays free preschool program matching date to April 26

2023-03-29T03:04:31+00:00

It will be another month before Colorado families know where they can send their children for preschool under the state’s new universal preschool program.

Families were supposed to learn which programs they had matched with on Thursday. But on Tuesday, officials with Colorado’s Department of Early Childhood announced they plan to tell families on April 26.

As reported by Chalkbeat, more than 20 education and early childhood groups had asked the state to push back initial matches due to problems with the algorithm that meant some families might miss out on top choices and other families might be offered seats that didn’t meet their needs. They feared the program was being rushed, and families would end up frustrated.

State officials held firm to the initial March 30 matching date until just two days prior. Denver Public Schools even sent an email to parents Tuesday afternoon telling families to watch their texts and emails for state notifications this Thursday.

Tuesday evening, state officials said in a press release that to “maximize the likelihood of families receiving their first or second choice, allow for additional time that will enable providers to fully consider their capabilities to expand their offerings in the coming school year, and give families the opportunity to fine-tune their preferences, the department is extending the release of the first round of matching until April 26, 2023.”

More than 29,000 families have signed up for a free 4-year-old preschool spot, and more than 1,800 providers are participating, according to the Department of Early Childhood.

The initial enrollment period closed Feb. 24, but families can still apply.

The program, a major policy initiative of Gov. Jared Polis, will offer 10 to 15 hours a week of tuition-free preschool to every 4-year-old in the year before they enter kindergarten. Some children, including those from low-income households, those who are learning English, and those with disabilities, are eligible for 30 hours a week. Some 3-year-olds are also eligible for 10 hours a week of free preschool.

The program is funded in large part by a voter-approved nicotine tax.

Providers and school district officials identified a number of problems with the March 30 match date. Some providers struggled to reach families with incomplete applications, worrying they might lose out on priority points that would increase access to their top choice. Families who got priority at one program were given the same boost for all their choices, potentially displacing other families. State officials said that happened because they did not pay for a more sophisticated algorithm that could have better ranked preferences.

Bureau Chief Erica Meltzer covers education policy and politics and oversees Chalkbeat Colorado’s education coverage. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

Free preschool program’s matching system not ready for prime time, Colorado education groups worry

2023-03-24T22:15:20+00:00

On March 30, about 26,000 Colorado families are scheduled to find out what preschool their children can enroll in next fall as part of the state’s new universal preschool program.

But more than 20 education and early childhood groups have unsuccessfully sought to delay those notifications because they see too many problems. An inadequate computer algorithm and confusion about the process mean some families might lose out on top choices and others might be offered seats that don’t meet their needs. It’s also not clear Colorado will have enough money to offer all the hours many families believe are guaranteed.

The groups spelled out their concerns in two letters sent last week to the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, the new state agency in charge of the universal preschool program. Echoing critiques that have bubbled up consistently over several months, they said the rushed rollout has left too many unanswered questions and could tarnish public perception of the program during its first year.

“It’s our first time. Let’s do this right,” said Diane Smith, executive director of the Douglas County Early Childhood Council, which was one of 16 groups to sign one of the letters.

The other letter, which raised similar issues, came from five groups, including the Colorado Association of School Executives, the Colorado Association of School Boards and the Colorado Rural Schools Alliance. Chalkbeat obtained copies of the letters through a public records request.

Lisa Roy, executive director of the Department of Early Childhood, said state officials are working with the groups that signed the letters to address their concerns, but aren’t planning to change the March 30 notification date because it would push other key deadlines back.

She said about 86% of approximately 26,000 4-year-olds who applied for universal preschool by late February have been matched with their first-choice preschool. The rest — around 3,600 children — either didn’t match with any preschool or got matched with a lower-ranked choice.

“There’s high expectations I know for a new state government department to know everything, but … we’re a startup department and this is a startup initiative,” Roy said.

Some families face more challenges with preschool applications

Both preschool providers and representatives from groups that signed the letters agree that many Colorado families applying for the universal preschool program will get matched with their top choices. But they worry about families who face more barriers in navigating the brand-new process.

Once Colorado families are notified and begin accepting their matches on March 30, seats will fill up rapidly — leaving fewer options for families who had problems applying.

Elsa Holguin, president and CEO of the Denver Preschool Program, a group that signed one of the letters, said her staff has tried to reach families who skipped checkboxes or made other errors on the universal preschool application. But some parents didn’t list email addresses and their voicemail boxes are full, so staff must call repeatedly. She said more time before the match notification would help ensure such families are contacted and matched with a preschool.

One of the two recent letters noted that state preschool officials have called this year a “learning year” and asked for patience and grace from preschool providers.

But families “don’t have the same ability to count next year as a learning year when they are depending on us to serve their students and ensure a positive educational experience,” the letter said. “We are very concerned about the frustration and questions we’re already hearing from them.”

Kari Thibodeau, director of Parker Landing Child Development Center in Douglas County, has been on the receiving end of such questions after she contacted 11 families whose children she expected would be matched with her next year, but weren’t on the list she received.

Some of the parents became so worried about losing the chance to stay at the center their kids have attended since infancy, they’ve offered to send Thibodeau screenshots of their universal preschool application to prove they chose Parker Landing.

Thibodeau sympathizes, but tells them she doesn’t control how the state’s matching system works.

“I just want to make sure I’m not going to frustrate my families because they get paired with another school,” she said. “They’re all nervous.”

Families can still apply for a universal preschool seat now, but they may have fewer choices and will find out their matches later.

Problems with computer algorithm and funding uncertainty

Another issue raised by the letter writers is that the computer matching system erroneously pushed some families to the front of the line for all five of their preschool choices. While families are supposed to get that boost for a preschool their child already attends, a program a sibling attends, or one where a parent works, the algorithm applied those priority points to every preschool choice on a family’s application.

“To allow families to have preferred placement in the lottery system for five providers when their preferred status should only apply to one site unfairly prioritizes those students over all other applicants in the system,” the letter from the five education groups stated.

Roy said the computer algorithm gives families priority points for all their preschool choices because the state didn’t pay to make it more specific. That may be fixed next year.

“It costs a lot of money,” she said. “We plan on shifting that but have to have the funding to do so.”

There are also questions about whether the state will have enough funding to provide 30 hours of preschool a week to certain 4-year-olds as universal preschool messaging indicated. Eligible children include those who come from lower-income families, are English learners, are homeless, or are in foster care.

Roy said because of higher-than-expected interest in universal preschool the state is analyzing the cost now and won’t have an answer about which preschoolers will get the 30 hours until weeks after the March 30 matches go out.

The letter from five groups including the Colorado Association of School Executives warned that telling parents after the fact they won’t get the hours they expected could create “credibility issues.”

That could leave preschool providers “facing the ire of parents when programs have to charge them tuition or to refer to other funding sources when the 30-hour programs are not funded as advertised,” the letter said.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that while some of the state’s promotional materials suggest qualifying families will get 30 hours of preschool, the state has not actually promised to provide those hours.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

New coalition seeks Colorado tax code changes to fund child care, education, nursing, and more

2023-03-04T00:18:03+00:00

A new coalition of Colorado groups wants to reform the state tax code to pump more public money into child care and other types of caregiving, including K-12 education, nursing, support for people with disabilities, and hospice.

The Colorado Children’s Campaign and the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition are leading the Growing Our Future Coalition, which consists of 18 groups as well as parents and care providers. The coalition held a virtual kickoff meeting in February and another one Thursday. The group’s first official meeting will be in April.

“Broadly speaking, we would like to see caregiving, in all the ways that it shows up for children and families, to be respected, prioritized, and funded,” said Melissa Mares, director of Early Childhood Initiatives at the Colorado Children’s Campaign, during Thursday’s meeting.

The coalition’s launch comes at a time of change and trepidation across Colorado’s child care landscape. The state is working to roll out a major expansion of tuition-free preschool after three years of a pandemic that exacerbated workforce shortages and strained providers financially. Parents report desperate struggles to find child care.

Leaders of the new coalition said they’re still deciding what tax code changes they’ll propose, but they hope to bring forth a statewide ballot initiative in 2024 or 2026. They said they’re still working to connect with other Colorado groups working on fiscal reform.

The idea for the Growing Our Future Coalition originated in 2021 when the Colorado Children’s Campaign and the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition won grants from two groups of national funders to pursue systemic changes in child care and related fields.

“One of our core guiding principles has been [that] if we are not uncomfortable about the size of transformation we’re talking about, we’re not thinking big enough,” Mares said during the kick-off.

In an interview with Chalkbeat on Friday, Mares said the coalition could consider a range of possible tax code changes, including changing Colorado’s flat income tax — currently 4.4% — to a progressive income tax that asks wealthier families to pay a larger proportion of their earnings than lower-income families. Other possibilities include new taxes on second homes or certain services.

Mares said these changes would not necessarily require a repeal of the state’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights, a 1992 constitutional amendment that requires voter approval for all new taxes and limits increases in state revenue to the rates of population growth and inflation. Known as TABOR, this provision requires the government to return money to taxpayers when a strong economy produces a surplus, rather than save it or invest in new programs.

Mares said by asking voters to approve any changes, the coalition’s work would fit with the spirit of TABOR.

Colorado voters have resisted many ballot measures that would raise taxes or hold onto TABOR refunds to fund education, such as Proposition CC and Amendment 73. They’ve also voted twice to reduce the income tax rate.

But they also approved a nicotine tax to fund universal preschool, limited deductions for high-earners to pay for school lunch, and agreed to give up some tax refunds to pay for affordable housing.

Mares said coalition leaders hope to overcome potential voter resistance to tax code changes by including lots of people and organizations in the effort.

“One of the things we bring to the table is a vision for a much, much broader coalition than has ever tried before on tax reform measures.”

At Thursday’s kick-off meeting, which included written materials and interpretation in Spanish and Dari, a broad definition of caregiving was on display, with leaders talking about including prenatal to end-of-life caregivers in their work.

These organizations currently make up the coalition:

Bell Policy Center
Black Child Development Institute - Denver
Clayton Early Learning
Colorado Association of Family Child Care
Colorado Children’s Campaign
Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition
Colorado Fiscal Institute
Council for a Strong America
Denver Indian Family Resource Center
Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance
Early Milestones Colorado
Family Resource Center of Roaring Fork Schools
Raise Colorado Coalition
Rose Community Foundation
Small Business Majority
The Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning
Valley Settlement
Women’s Foundation of Colorado
Individuals, including parents, child care providers, a community leader, and a home visitor

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado extends free preschool application deadline, allows revisions

2023-02-15T00:45:07+00:00

Colorado has extended the deadline for families to apply for free preschool to Feb. 24.

The original deadline was Feb. 14, but state officials announced Tuesday that they would extend it by 10 days. They also said they would reopen already-submitted preschool applications starting Feb. 17 so that families can re-rank their five preschool choices or make different choices. The deadline for those families to make changes is also Feb. 24.

The last-minute extension and revision decisions come amid several stumbles that have led to confusion and frustration among parents and preschool providers as the state rushes to roll out universal preschool by next fall. The new program, one of Gov. Jared Polis’ signature priorities, will offer 10 to 30 hours a week of tuition-free class time to 4-year-olds statewide and 10 hours a week to some 3-year-olds.

A spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, which will run the free preschool program, said last week the state decided to reopen all preschool applications because some participating preschools didn’t realize they had to list the number of seats they have in each category — half-day morning, half-day afternoon, full-day, and so on. Those errors meant that families may have signed up for preschool offerings that don’t exist.

Although the errors affected a subset of the nearly 28,000 applicants, the department is letting all families who submitted applications make revisions because some incorrectly believed it was a first-come, first-served system and rushed through their preschool applications the day the system opened Jan. 17. In addition about 150 more preschool providers signed up to offer preschool through the new program after the application first opened, so early birds may have had fewer choices than later-submitting families.

The state has promised to send families who submit their preschool applications by Feb. 24 an email on March 30 informing them which preschool their child matched with and what steps they should take to enroll. Families can still apply for preschool after Feb. 24, but they’ll be informed of their matches at a later date.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Fears flare that Colorado free preschool could shortchange kids with learning delays

2023-02-06T11:00:00+00:00

As state leaders prepare to launch Colorado’s free preschool program next fall, some educators and advocates fear young children with disabilities will lose out under the new system.

They say 3-year-olds could be rejected for a spot and 4-year-olds could receive less preschool than they’re due because of the narrow way the state asks about children with disabilities on its preschool application form.

In addition, school district officials say that unanswered questions about special education funding and confusion over how two state agencies will work together on the preschool program are a troubling sign for a major new program that will start in a matter of months.

While many early childhood advocates and providers have praised Colorado’s plan to significantly expand publicly funded preschool, there’s ongoing concern that the rollout is being rushed.

“I think the [Colorado Department of Early Childhood] was pushed into something very quickly,” said Callan Ware, executive director of student services in the Englewood district south of Denver.

Ashley Stephen, business services director for the Platte Canyon district, said she’s excited about universal preschool, but also nervous because communication from the state “so far has been a little bit harried and a little bit unclear.”

The 7-month-old Department of Early Childhood is responsible for running the new preschool program, with the Colorado Department of Education overseeing some aspects related to students with disabilities. The program will offer 10 to 15 hours a week of tuition-free preschool to 4-year-olds statewide, with some eligible for 30 hours. Some 3-year-olds will be eligible for 10 hours a week.

Despite concerns about how the preschool program is unfolding, there’s no option to slow things down. In the last 2½ weeks, more than 22,000 families have applied for a seat and thousands more are expected to join them in the coming months.

Amid this surge, advocates worry that some children with disabilities, especially those from marginalized populations, could slip through the cracks as their families encounter confusing terminology, bureaucratic barriers, and uncertainty about their rights.

“I support and appreciate the idea of universal preschool programming,” said Pam Bisceglia, executive director of Advocacy Denver, an advocacy group for people with disabilities. “My question is whether those programs are going to be filled with children of parents who enjoy privilege.”

Preschool application poses challenges

Children with disabilities are supposed to get priority for 10 hours a week of class time at age 3 and 30 hours a week at 4.

But Heather Hanson, whose 9-year-old son was diagnosed with a speech delay as a toddler and later with dyslexia, believes the state’s new preschool program will make it even harder than it is now for young children with disabilities to get the help they need.

The universal preschool application is part of the reason. It asks parents if their child has “an active Individualized Education Program” — a fancy name for a federally required learning plan for students 3 and older with disabilities.

But many children don’t get such plans until after they enroll in school. A young child with a delay may not even have been evaluated or received a diagnosis. Even when children are identified as toddlers, their plan has a different name and acronym than the one on the preschool application.

Hanson, who served on a special education subcommittee during the universal preschool planning process, called the wording on the application “horrible” and “discriminatory.”

“All of those really big words should not be used,” she said. Even the word “disability” might deter some parents.

Lucinda Hundley, who heads the Colorado Consortium of Directors of Special Education, said, “We don’t want to miss children because of an answer on a computerized registration system.”

Risk factors change under universal preschool

Currently, Colorado children with disabilities can be routed to state-funded preschool in one of two ways. Those who have Individualized Education Programs get classes through the preschool special education program. Another group of children who have one of 10 risk factors — such as language delays or poor social skills — qualify for a state preschool program that will end after this school year. Kids in that second group don’t have to have a diagnosis or special learning plan to qualify for free preschool.

But under the new universal preschool program, the state will use fewer risk factors to decide who can attend for free at age 3 and get extra hours at age 4. One of them is the Individualized Education Program. The others consider whether the child is homeless, an English learner, in foster care, or comes from a lower-income family.

Hundley said there’s no way for a parent who suspects their child might have a disability to flag their concern when applying for universal preschool.

Officials from the early childhood department and education department said in an email that state law requires the Individualized Education Program criteria on the universal preschool application. Hundley said it’s unlikely the law would disallow additional criteria that might help capture students with potential disabilities.

Several advocates said the wording should be simpler and more general: “Do you think your child could use some extra help?” or “Do you have concerns about your child’s speech or behavior?

Laurie Noblitt, director of elementary and early learning for the Fountain-Fort Carson district, said her district has fielded calls from parents whose 3-year-old children don’t qualify for free preschool according to the application system. They say things like, “I’m really worried about my child’s language, they’re only speaking in one- or two-word phrases,” she said.

In such cases, Noblitt said, the district helps get the child evaluated and into preschool, but she worries about the families who don’t make that phone call.

Three-year-olds whose parents don’t know how to navigate the system stand to lose out on free preschool altogether and 4-year-olds with disabilities could get just 15 hours a week, half what they’re supposed to.

Hanson said those extra hours can make a big difference since students with disabilities sometimes need double or triple the repetition and exposure to classroom learning compared with their typically developing peers.

The low number of hours offered to 3-year-olds also puts a burden on parents, said Elisa Aucancela, executive director of El Grupo Vida, a nonprofit that supports Hispanic families who have children with disabilities.

Her brother, who has a 3-year-old daughter with a disability, is “still struggling due to the part-time [hours] for 3-year-olds” she said. “It’s a really difficult challenge for some families because what are they going to do for the other half of the time when they need to work?”

Special education funding in question

Several school district leaders worry about how the state is handling $33 million that used to go to school districts to help cover preschool special education costs. They fear the money — which amounts to $36,000 a year in small districts like Englewood and up to $4 million in large districts — now will be mixed into the general universal preschool funding pot, and won’t be set aside for services for students with disabilities.

If that happens, districts will have to use local dollars to cover lost state money since they’re legally required to cover special education services. Hundley said that means funding for staff like psychologists and speech therapists who provide mandated services to students with disabilities gets diverted from other district priorities.

Even though state funding for special education has increased in recent years, districts still cover about two-thirds of those costs out of their local budgets.

State officials estimate they’ll spend at least $33 million — and possibly more — on what they call “general education” seats for students with disabilities. But Hundley said school districts want the state to direct that money specifically to special education services, which is how it has been used in the past.

Beyond money, the uncertainty about funding raises questions about how two state agencies — the early childhood department and the education department — are divvying up overlapping responsibilities.

In response to Chalkbeat’s questions about funding for preschoolers with disabilities, the education department first referred questions to the early childhood department. After the two agencies signed an agreement this week outlining how they’d work together, the early childhood department referred questions to the education department. On Friday, the two departments released emailed answers together. Neither granted an interview.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

17,000 and counting: Families apply for free preschool in Colorado

2023-01-25T22:12:59+00:00

Around 17,000 Colorado families have applied for the state’s free preschool program in the week since the application opened on Jan. 17, a state official announced at a Wednesday meeting.

The early burst of interest in the new preschool program could mean enrollment will exceed the 30,000 children state officials estimated would participate during the first year. The initial application window runs through Feb. 14, though families can still apply after that.

The universal preschool program, one of Gov. Jared Polis’ signature priorities, launches next fall. It will offer 10 to 15 hours a week of tuition-free preschool to 4-year-olds statewide, with some eligible for 30 hours a week. In addition, some 3-year-olds will be eligible for 10 hours a week.

At Wednesday’s online meeting of more than 100 early childhood leaders and advocates,, Michael Cooke, the state’s early childhood transition director, said 2,100 of about 16,800 applications submitted so far are for 3-year-olds.

She described the application’s opening day as a doozy, but said, aside from a brief slowdown early on, “the system managed it beautifully.”

While many families have submitted applications, many have lingering questions about what preschools their children will be matched with. State officials have said children will be prioritized at preschools where they’re already enrolled, where a sibling is enrolled, or where a parent works. But families won’t find out their preschool matches till at least mid-March.

On social media and elsewhere, parents have raised small and large concerns since the application opened. Some have wondered how to ensure their preschoolers continue in dual-language classrooms or get assigned to specific teachers who stay with students for multiple years.

Some parents are upset that they can’t enroll “redshirted” children — those who they plan to hold out of kindergarten next fall — for the state’s free preschool program. (The program is primarily for children the year before they are eligible for kindergarten.)

Cooke said on Wednesday that 1,600 preschool providers across Colorado have opted to participate — with at least one in all 64 counties. That’s a jump from the 1,027 providers that were signed up shortly before the application launched.

Providers will get around $6,000 per child for providing 15 hours a week of class time for the school year. They include schools, churches, child care centers, and state-licensed homes.

Do you have a question about Colorado’s universal preschool program? Let us know at co.tips@chalkbeat.org and we’ll do our best to find an answer.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

La temporada de solicitud para preescolar gratis empieza en enero

2022-12-22T17:21:13+00:00

Muchos padres de Colorado han empezado a seleccionar las escuelas K-12 de sus hijos para el próximo año en plataformas en línea operadas por sus distritos escolares.

Pero ese no es el caso de los padres de niños que estarán en preescolar.

Esto cambió; en años anteriores, los padres podían usar el mismo proceso de solicitud para inscribir a sus hijos de 4 años en programas preescolares de los distritos.

Ahora que el preescolar universal gratuito del estado empezará el próximo otoño, la mayoría de los padres solicitarán el preescolar usando una nueva y separada solicitud en línea que estará disponible el 17 de enero. Las publicaciones y preguntas recibidas por los funcionarios del distrito en medios sociales sugieren que este proceso separado de solicitud y el cambio en el plazo ha confundido a algunos padres de preescolar.

“Están confundidos. No entienden por qué es diferente”, dijo Mackenzie Nickum, que dirige los servicios de inscripción en el distrito Jeffco (donde el periodo de inscripción en K-12 es del 6 de diciembre al 13 de enero).

Todo esto se debe a que el estado está haciendo algo completamente nuevo — este es un programa de preescolar financiado por impuestos de sus contribuyentes y estará abierto a todos los niños de 4 años y algunos más pequeños. El programa nuevo reemplazará un programa de preescolar más pequeño financiado por el estado y que estaba disponible únicamente para niños de familias con pocos ingresos o que tuvieran otros factores de riesgo.

Los líderes de educación en la niñez temprana de Colorado llevan meses trabajando para preparar el programa nuevo, y esto incluye un sistema de solicitud a nivel de estado que asignará a los niños a los proveedores de preescolar participantes que sus padres hayan elegido.

La solicitud será “casi tan fácil como hacer un pedido en Amazon”, dijo Lisa Roy, directora ejecutiva del Departamento de Niñez Temprana de Colorado. “Es un proceso nuevo, pero realmente tomamos en cuenta qué cosas funcionan para los padres”.

El próximo año, todos los niños de 4 años serán elegibles para 10-15 horas semanales de preescolar gratuito en escuelas, iglesias, centros de cuidado y hasta hogares licenciados por el estado. Algunos niños de 4 años serán elegibles para 30 horas semanales, y algunos de 3 años serán elegibles para 10 horas.

Roy dijo que el sistema de solicitud de preescolar del estado les dará prioridad a factores como el deseo de que el niño continúe en el mismo programa en que está inscrito ahora, querer que asista a la misma escuela que sus hermanos, o para conseguir espacio donde trabaja uno de sus padres. Además, no se trata de un sistema “en orden de llegada”, dijo ella, y por lo tanto quienes soliciten primero no tendrán prioridad automáticamente sobre las familias que soliciten después.

Las familias también podrán optar por no aceptar un programa de preescolar si su situación cambia. Por ejemplo, dijo Roy, si un preescolar consigue espacio en la escuela en que sus padres pensaron que su hermano de tercer grado estaría, no están obligados a aceptar el espacio si el estudiante de tercer grado luego asiste a otra escuela.

Algunos distritos escolares de Colorado, incluso Jeffco, han publicado notas en sus páginas web para avisar a los padres que este año la inscripción en los preescolares del distrito no se hará a través de los sistemas de inscripción internos.

De todos modos, hay muchas preguntas.

Una madre publicó en un grupo de madres de Lakewood en Facebook: “Voy a inscribir a mi hija en preescolar, y estoy bien confundida. Espero hasta enero de 2023 para solicitar, ¿y qué pasa si no la aceptan?”

Nickum dijo que las inquietudes de algunos padres surgen porque los espacios en los preescolares de distrito históricamente son altamente codiciados y demasiado pocos en algunos horarios o lugares. Este año, el distrito de Jeffco inscribió unos 2,200 preescolares.

Ella dijo que el próximo año el distrito tendrá más espacios de preescolar, en parte porque el tamaño de las clases subirá de 16 a 20 estudiantes.

En Denver, el periodo de school choice empieza el 13 de enero, cuatro días antes del periodo de solicitud para preescolar.

Priscilla Hopkins, directora ejecutiva de educación temprana del distrito, dijo que el distrito se comunicará con los padres a principios de enero para explicarles que el preescolar no será parte del proceso y que ellos deberán esperar a que la solicitud del estado esté disponible.

Los funcionarios del estado también lanzarán una campaña de información a principios del año.

Hopkins dijo que está sumamente entusiasmada con el cambio a un preescolar universal, pero dijo que la transición es complicada y que todavía se están resolviendo muchos detalles.

Ella espera que Denver tenga suficientes espacios en el preescolar universal para cada familia que necesite uno, aunque no todas las familias obtengan espacio en su programa preferido. Actualmente, el distrito tiene unos 5,400 preescolares.

Ann Schimke es reportera senior en Chalkbeat y cubre temas de niñez temprana y alfabetización temprana. Para comunicarte con Ann, envíale un mensaje a aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado recruits providers for its free preschool program. Parents are next.

2022-12-20T23:42:23+00:00

Jennifer Piper, a longtime home-based child care provider in Loveland, is brimming with questions about how Colorado’s new universal preschool program will work when it launches next fall.

She recently sent a bulleted list of 14 questions to local officials, including basic ones about teacher qualification and curriculum requirements.

The state needs to win over providers like Piper to meet its ambitious goal of quickly building a preschool program capable of serving every 4-year-old in the state as well as some 3-year-olds.

And there are early signs that they are ready to sign on. More than 250 preschool providers, offering a total of 12,000 seats, have signed up for the universal program so far, according to state officials.

Colorado’s universal preschool program is one of Gov. Jared Polis’ signature priorities and represents a major expansion of tuition-free preschool in the state. The $335 million program is slated to serve 30,000 4-year-olds next year and even more in future years, according to state estimates. It will replace a smaller state-funded preschool program that currently serves about 19,000 children from low-income families or who have other risk factors.

In addition to serving more children, the new universal program will provide more class time to most students and, in most cases, pay preschool providers a higher per-pupil rate than the current program does. The state’s early childhood department, which was created less than a year ago, will run the universal program, with early childhood councils or other groups administering it locally.

For many early childhood leaders and advocates, recent rapid-fire decisions on the new program have prompted excitement and hope that more Colorado children will benefit from high-quality preschool. When the preschool application opens for families on Jan. 17, officials hope to offer a variety of placement options — in schools, churches, child care centers, and state-licensed homes.

But some key questions remain, including what quality standards universal preschool providers will have to meet. Those rules won’t be out until spring.

It’s a “building the plane as we fly it situation,” said Christina Taylor, CEO of the Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, which will run the preschool program in the county.

“I’m feeling optimistic but … this first year is kind of a crapshoot,” she said.

A key money question answered

One major question about the program has already been answered.

In mid-November, state officials released the per-pupil dollar amount they’ll pay to providers in the universal preschool program. The annual rates will play a major role in determining whether providers join the universal preschool system, and whether they’ll be able to pay their staff a living wage, as state leaders promised.

On average, providers will get $4,834 for preschoolers attending 10 hours a week; $6,040 for 15 hours a week; and $10,646 for 30 hours a week. Preschool classes will run 9 months a year on a similar schedule to K-12 grades.

Generally, preschool providers are pleased with the rates, which vary somewhat by county or region.

“I do think some places are going to be able to increase pay for their staff with this funding,” said Diane Smith, director of the Douglas County Early Childhood Council, which will coordinate universal preschool programming in the county.

Mark Arbitrio, who owns Ivybrook Academy in Castle Rock, said the rates are about the same as the tuition he currently charges for 15 hours a week of preschool. He hopes to fill all 48 of his center’s 4-year-old seats as part of the universal program next year.

Arbitrio, whose own 4-year-old son will be in the inaugural universal preschool class, opened his Ivybrook franchise in 2020 after he got laid off from General Electric. He’s hopeful the offer of free preschool for 4-year-olds next year will boost enrollment for younger children too — potentially convincing parents to enroll the siblings of 4-year-olds who otherwise would have stayed at home because of the cost.

“We’ll get a lift from this,” he said.

Taylor said Larimer County providers have mostly been positive about the rate, which is more per child than what the state currently pays for 10 hours — although one corporate-run preschool leader told her it “wasn’t quite as attractive as they were hoping.”

But the bigger issue is finding enough staff to lead preschool classes, she said. Ongoing worker shortages, exacerbated by the pandemic, have forced some local preschools and child care centers to close classrooms even when they have enough children to fill them.

In rural Elbert County, all five school districts plan to participate in universal preschool, said Llan Barkley, executive director of the county’s early childhood council, which will coordinate universal preschool there.

But the county’s preschool rate — $4,724 per child for 10 hours a week — is less than what most of the districts there get for preschoolers in the state’s current program. Unlike the universal preschool rate, the current preschool rate is based on the K-12 school finance formula, which gives some small rural districts substantially more per-pupil funding than most urban or suburban districts.

Barkley said she’s emphasized to district officials that despite the lower per-pupil rate next year, they’ll be able to have preschool classes of 20 children instead of the current 16, which will bring in additional funding. She expects most districts will stick with the current 10-hour-a-week schedule next year even though universal preschool rules allow 4-year-olds to get 15 tuition-free hours a week.

Schools in Elbert County, like those in many rural areas, operate only four days a week. Barkley said it will be more feasible for the districts to stick to a 10-hour-a-week preschool program so schools have time to offer morning and afternoon sessions.

Getting the message to parents

Colorado officials estimate that half of the state’s 4-year-olds will attend free preschool next year, but with the application set to open in less than a month, many Colorado parents know little to nothing about the program.

Barkley described a typical parent reaction this way: “What? What is this? Can you explain it? I don’t understand.”

She said local districts have sent informational fliers home in students’ take home folders, but it can be hard to answer parents’ questions when some details aren’t yet available from the state.

Piper, the home-based child care provider in Loveland, said the vast majority of her families haven’t paid much attention to universal free preschool because they already get free or nearly free child care. That’s because they qualify for state child care subsidies for low-income families. Some pay nothing. Others pay $24 to $240 a month, she said.

Leaders from the Larimer County early childhood council have already sent out postcards about universal preschool to all county families with 3- or 4-year-olds, and plan to send out another in January. State officials said they’re planning to launch a public awareness campaign about universal preschool in early 2023.

Arbitrio, of Ivybrook Academy, said, “I think our families are going to be thrilled.”

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

It’s school choice season in Colorado, but applying for universal preschool comes a bit later

2022-12-16T21:55:47+00:00

Many Colorado parents have begun to select their children’s K-12 schools for next year through online platforms operated by their school districts.

But not preschool parents.

That’s a change from years past, when parents could use the school choice process to enroll their 4-year-olds in district-run preschool programs.

Now, with the state’s universal preschool launching next fall, most parents will apply for preschool using a new and separate online application that opens Jan. 17. Social media posts and questions fielded by district officials suggest the separate application process and timeline has jangled the nerves of some preschool parents.

“They’re confused. They don’t know why it’s different,” said Mackenzie Nickum, the director of enrollment services in the Jeffco district, where the K-12 enrollment window runs from Dec. 6 to Jan. 13.

The short answer is that the state is doing something brand new — rolling out a taxpayer-funded preschool program open to all 4-year-olds and some younger children. The new program will replace a smaller state-funded preschool program for children from low-income families or who have other risk factors.

Colorado early childhood leaders have been working for months to build the new program, including a statewide application system that will match children with participating preschool providers their parents choose.

The application will be “almost as easy as buying on Amazon,” said Lisa Roy, executive director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. “This is a start-up, but we have really taken into consideration what works for parents.”

Next year, all 4-year-olds will be eligible for 10-15 hours a week of tuition-free preschool in schools, churches, child care centers, or state-licensed homes. Some 4-year-olds will be eligible to attend for 30 hours a week and some 3-year-olds will be eligible for 10 hours.

Roy said the state preschool application system will prioritize factors such as the desire for preschoolers to continue in the program where they’re enrolled now, or to get a spot at the school a sibling attends, or where a parent works. Also, it’s not a first-come, first-served system, she said, so early applicants won’t automatically get priority over families who apply later in the application window.

Families will also be able to reject a preschool match if their situation changes. For example, Roy said, if a preschooler lands a spot at a school parents thought their third grader would attend, they aren’t obligated to accept the seat if the third grader ends up elsewhere.

Some Colorado school districts, including Jeffco, have posted notes on their websites alerting parents that enrollment in district-run preschools won’t happen through in-house enrollment systems this year.

Still, questions abound.

One mother posted in a Lakewood moms Facebook group, “I’m so confused with enrolling my daughter into preschool. Do I wait until January 2023 to apply and what if she doesn’t get in?”

Nickum said some parents’ concerns stem from the fact that historically, preschool spots in district classrooms have been highly coveted, with too few seats to meet demand in some locations or time slots. This year, Jeffco has about 2,000 preschool seats.

The district will offer more preschool spots next year — nearly 2,800 — in part by raising preschool class sizes from 16 to 20 students.

In Denver, the school choice window opens on Jan. 13, four days before the preschool application window opens.

Priscilla Hopkins, the district’s executive director of early education, said the district will communicate with parents in early January to explain that preschool won’t be part of that process and parents will have to wait for the state application.

State officials will also launch a preschool awareness campaign early next year.

Hopkins said she’s excited about the shift to universal preschool, but said the transition is complicated and lots of details are still unfolding. She expects Denver to have enough universal preschool spots for every family that wants one, though not every family will get its first choice. Currently, the district serves about 5,400 preschoolers.

“We’re all in this boat of change management,” she said.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado proposal boosts universal preschool hours, sets per-child funding

2022-11-16T23:19:27+00:00

All 4-year-olds who enroll in Colorado’s free preschool program next fall could be eligible for at least 15 hours a week of tuition-free classes, and some students could be eligible for double that if Colorado’s early childhood chief approves a new proposal next week.

Previously, state leaders had promised families only 10 hours of preschool a week — an amount many worried wouldn’t do much to help working parents who need longer stretches of care for their children. Besides upping the base hours, the latest proposal also gives a sizable subset of 4-year-old preschoolers — those from lower-income families, who are dual language learners, or who have disabilities, for example — 30 hours a week of preschool.

“We’re very excited about the opportunity there to see all children afforded an opportunity for half-day preschool programming, and [for] those children who need those extra supports the most, to get them to full-day preschool programming,” said M. Michael Cooke, the state’s early childhood transition director during a meeting with county officials Wednesday morning.

The proposed rules, which also include detailed information on how preschool funding will be parceled out, represent the latest step in the state’s flurry of preparations for the launch of universal preschool next fall. Funded in part with a voter-approved nicotine tax, the new program will replace the state’s smaller current preschool program and give children access to tuition-free spots in public school classrooms, private preschools, and home-based settings.

A state advisory committee will review the proposed rules Thursday afternoon and a public comment session will be held Monday. Lisa Roy, executive director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, then will decide whether to approve the rules. It’s possible she could make changes based on the committee’s recommendations or her own judgment.

The state also revealed this week how much it will pay providers for each preschooler they enroll next fall. For students who attend 15 hours a week, it will be an average of $6,040 a year and for students who attend 30 hours a week it will be $10,646 a year. (Some 3-year-old preschoolers will get 10 hours a week under the program and providers will get $4,834 a year for them.)

Those dollar amounts, which will vary by location, are derived from an elaborate formula that takes into account factors such as regional cost of living, staff costs, county poverty rates, and costs associated with rural settings.

“We’re very pleased with where this came out,” Cooke said. “We think this is a win for families and for providers.”

One of the big questions about the formula’s payments is whether they will enable providers to pay preschool staff a living wage, as state leaders promised last winter. Currently, some preschool teachers, particularly those who work in private settings, make so little they qualify for public assistance.

In Colorado, the median preschool teacher wage is around $15.25 an hour.

The proposed rates are higher than what preschool providers would have received if the rates were tied to the K-12 school finance formula.

The proposed full-time average of $10,646 per preschooler is about $1,000 more than what schools get paid for each K-12 student on average. But preschool is inherently more expensive to operate.

For example, under the universal preschool program, classes will be capped at 20 students and required to have one staff member for every 10 students. In contrast, K-12 classrooms can have a single teacher for 30 or more students.

The answer to the living wage question remains unclear — in part, because the state released average per-pupil funding, not more locally specific numbers. In addition, it’s possible that preschool providers who have mixed-aged classrooms will receive the rate for only some children — diluting the power of universal preschool money to boost pay.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

A look inside Colorado’s yearslong push to change how schools teach reading

2022-11-02T17:02:45+00:00

A roomful of second graders spent a recent fall morning learning about a bossy mother named “Mama E” who follows her kids around reminding them to say their names.

The whimsical story was part of a phonics lesson at Denver’s Bradley International School. The point was that adding an “e” at the end of a word changes the first vowel from short to long — for example, pin becomes pine because the “i” says its name.

Teacher Megan Bobroske challenged the children sitting elbow to elbow on a rainbow striped rug in front of her — could Mama E live at the front of the word instead of the back? A little boy named Peter piped up: “She has to be at the end of the word.” he said. “Imagine if she’s on the front of the line, she’s going to be too busy saying her name.”

Peter and his classmates were learning a rule about the English language that they applied over and over that day — when reading and writing “hope,” “cute,” “tape,” and “slide.” Such lessons reflect both a districtwide and statewide shift in how children are taught to read in Colorado.

Gone by the wayside are reading programs that encourage children to figure out what a jumble of letters says by looking at the picture or using other clues to guess the word — a debunked strategy still used in some popular reading curriculums. Now, there’s a greater emphasis on teaching the relationships between sounds and letters in a direct and carefully sequenced way. It’s part of the science of reading, a large body of knowledge about how children learn to read.

Some teachers are pleased with the new reading curriculums rolling out at their schools, but there are bumps, too — confusing technology, new ways of grouping students, or an overwhelming amount of material, to name a few.

The hope is that better curriculum materials combined with a recent statewide teacher training effort will transform reading instruction — and boost reading achievement — across Colorado.

“Those are definitely the biggies,” said Floyd Cobb, associate commissioner for student learning at the Colorado Department of Education.

But is it enough to propel a statewide reading turnaround? And if so, when?

Cobb said the timeline isn’t clear — in part because curriculum shifts are still underway in some districts and because the most immediate results will show up in routine K-3 reading assessments given by school districts rather than state tests given at the end of third grade. Scores from those routine assessments aren’t posted publicly in a central location like state test results are.

This year, about 41% of Colorado third graders scored at or above grade level on state literacy tests, which combines reading and writing. While that proportion matches 2019 levels — a piece of good news after pandemic-era declines — it still means that tens of thousands of children are struggling with basic literacy skills.

Krista Spurgin, executive director of Stand for Children Colorado, said she believes the state’s curriculum and teacher training initiatives have changed the mindset about how reading should be taught in Colorado.

“I’m really hopeful that in a couple years, we’ll start to see outcomes for third graders,” she said.

Big districts make the switch

Colorado’s largest school districts, including Denver, Jeffco, Douglas County, Cherry Creek, and Aurora, are among those phasing in new reading curriculum. A major state reading law passed in 2019 prompted the shift by requiring schools to use scientifically based reading programs in kindergarten through third grade.

Previously, Colorado schools were allowed to pick any reading program or none at all. Now, there are tighter guardrails in place — though districts can still pick from more than a dozen core programs. A year ago, state officials began enforcing the stricter curriculum rules, ordering a host of districts to replace unacceptable programs.

The move was unprecedented and some districts initially pushed back, arguing that they layered in state-approved programs with state-rejected ones. State officials didn’t relent.

The second grade teachers at Bradley International knew something needed to change in early 2021, even before state oversight came into play. Their reading program at the time had big holes when it came to phonics. Often, if students got stuck, they were told to “look at picture clues and guess what would make sense or even just skip the word,” Bobroske said.

Lessons didn’t clearly state — and consistently review — how letters and sounds work together. She said, for example, that students might have learned part of the “Mama E’’ rule, without understanding that a consonant sound must occur between the vowel and the “e” at the end of the word. That omission would lead students to misapply the rule and get frustrated when words didn’t make sense.

“Students did not have the tools to actually break down the words and there was a lot of guessing and hoping for the best,” she said.

Bradley’s second grade team began using the phonics portion of a new reading curriculum — Core Knowledge Language Arts — and saw impressive results. The following year, when the school piloted the whole program in some grades, Bobroske’s students made 1½ years worth of reading growth.

“It was crazy,” she said. “In all honesty, I’ve never seen anything like that happen before.”

A student in Megan Bobroske’s second grade class writes a passage related to insects during the daily “knowledge-building” literacy block.

Besides a stronger focus on phonics, new reading programs in Denver and some other districts include science and social studies-themed units meant to build students’ background knowledge about the world — an approach that helps students understand what they’re reading.

Molly Veliz, a Denver teacher who works with struggling readers at Marie L. Greenwood Early-8 school, said the knowledge-building units of Core Knowledge Language Arts have grabbed students’ attention.

“First graders can tell me every body system and how they work together and [they’re] using appropriate vocabulary,” she said.

Strengths and weaknesses

Ibeth Leon Ariza teaches at a dual language immersion school in western Colorado where all elementary students get both English and Spanish instruction. She said the old reading program included Spanish passages that were inauthentic translations and didn’t capture the meaning conveyed in the English version. Leon Ariza, a native Spanish speaker from Colombia, tried to fix such shortcomings by substituting more appropriate vocabulary or modifying the stories.

She doesn’t have to do that now. The district’s new state-approved curriculum, Into Reading and its Spanish counterpart ¡Arriba La Lectura!, has better Spanish materials.

About half of all Colorado students identified as far below grade level in reading are also English learners, raising questions about whether schools are detecting weak reading skills or limited English proficiency, and whether students have access to appropriate instruction. A recent state audit of Colorado’s reading efforts flagged both issues and recommended changes.

While Leon Ariza generally likes her district’s new reading program, which rolled out last year, there are weaknesses too. She finds the online platform hard to navigate and said teachers can’t fit everything the lessons suggest into the daily reading block.

“We are still having struggles with time,” she said.

Megan Neitzel, a third grade teacher at Rocky Mountain Elementary in Westminster, directs students to write a retelling of the King Midas myth.

Along with the inevitable learning curve that comes with new curriculum, many Colorado schools continue to face a host of challenges that impact student learning, including staff turnover, residual COVID disruption, and family stress. Rocky Mountain Elementary in the Adams 12 district north of Denver is one of them.

“The historical story of our school is that it had been chronically underperforming for almost a decade. I’m their fourth principal in 10 years,” said Principal Kate Vogel, who took the reins during the pandemic.

Last spring, nearly 40% of the school’s kindergarten through third grade students were significantly behind in reading. In addition, about half the school students are English learners and nearly 90% qualify for subsidized meals, a measure of poverty.

On a recent morning in Megan Neitzel’s classroom, third graders worked on writing a summary of “The Tale of King Midas,” which was one of the stories in their new curriculum, Benchmark Advance 2022. For some students, it was easy. One girl blazed through her retelling of the Greek myth to a visitor, correctly noting which part was the climax of the story and explaining the king’s bad choice. (He turned his daughter to gold.)

Meanwhile, other children struggled. In a small group gathered at a table around Neitzel, one boy asked “What’s a setting?” He also struggled to spell “castle.”

“Sound it out,” she said. “What do you hear?”

When the boy mumbled a non-response, she prompted him through it.

Teacher Megan Neitzel works with a few third graders in a small group on retelling the myth of King Midas.

Neitzel likes the new curriculum so far — the way phonics and vocabulary are taught and because her students are excited about reading. Some bring their full-color workbooks home to read passages to younger brothers and sisters, she said.

Vogel believes the new curriculum, along with state-mandated reading training, and recent district efforts to dig deeply into reading standards have made a difference.

“I just think teachers have a much better understanding now that … we’re focused on the science of reading,” she said.

Checking the to-do list

Some of Colorado’s biggest reading improvement efforts have been underway for just a few years, but evidence from inside and outside the state suggests they could eventually make a difference.

One promising case study comes out of Mississippi, where state officials launched a slew of reading initiatives starting a decade ago, including teacher training on the science of reading.

In 2013, the state was at the back of the pack for fourth grade reading achievement on a test called the National Assessment of Educational Progress. By 2019, Mississippi ranked first in the country for reading gains, with its fourth graders matching the national average for the first time.

Within Colorado, a literacy grant program begun in 2012 produced impressive literacy gains at many participating schools. The three-year awards were given to schools that agreed to overhaul reading instruction, using the same kinds of levers — strict curriculum rules and guidance for educators — that are now kicking in statewide.

But the gains often faded after the grants ran out, sometimes because of staff or principal turnover. Program leaders also said some teachers didn’t have the grounding in the science of reading that they needed to sustain the coaching and other help they received through the grant.

But things are different today.

The vast majority of Colorado’s K-3 teachers have completed state-mandated training on reading instruction. Several prominent teacher preparation programs have revamped their reading coursework. And prospective elementary teachers must now pass a separate exam on reading instruction to earn their state licenses.

The state has more on its reading to-do list, including additional reviews of teacher prep program reading coursework and the rollout of a new state-mandated training for elementary principals and teachers who work with struggling readers in fourth through 12th grade.

Spurgin, of Stand for Children, also believes the addition of tuition-free full-day kindergarten in 2019-20 and the launch of tuition-free preschool for Colorado 4-year-olds next fall will help boost students’ reading skills.

For now, she’s optimistic about changes unfolding in Colorado classrooms.

“We have talked to teachers who are already seeing improvements in their classrooms, which just feels really energizing,” she said.

Timeline: Colorado reading policy

Fall 2018 — The Colorado Department of Education begins reviewing teacher prep program coursework on reading instruction, ordering changes to programs that don’t pass muster.

May 2019 — Law passed updating Colorado’s 2013 reading law, the READ Act. In addition to mandating teacher training on reading instruction, the law requires scientifically based reading curriculum.

April 2020 — A new list of state-approved scientifically based reading curriculums is released. Several popular reading programs don’t make the cut, meaning schools won’t be allowed to use them.

June 2021 — Law passed requiring schools to publicly disclose what reading programs they use and how they spend state funding earmarked for struggling readers.

Fall 2021 - Winter 2022 — The Colorado Department of Education sends out letters warning that districts using state-rejected K-3 reading curriculum will have to switch. In response, districts submit plans for adopting new curriculum.

May 2022 — Law passed requiring elementary principals and teachers who work with struggling readers in fourth through 12th grade to take training on reading instruction.

August 2022 — Deadline for all kindergarten through third grade teachers to complete 45 hours of training on reading instruction. Around 21,000 of 23,000 K-3 teachers meet the deadline.

August 2024 — Deadline for elementary principals to complete 20 hours of training on reading instruction and for teachers who work with struggling readers in fourth through 12th grade to complete 45 hours of training.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

State backs off extra 10 hours of preschool — for now

2022-10-14T19:07:50+00:00

After proposing that some children get 10 extra hours of preschool a week when Colorado’s universal preschool program launches next year, state officials backed off that plan this month.

The proposal would have allowed a large subset of children, including those from low-income families, or who have disabilities or are learning English, to get double the 10 hours a week guaranteed by law to all 4-year-olds — for a total of 20 hours a week.

But now those extra hours are in question after Lisa Roy, the executive director of the state’s early childhood department, removed the number from a new rule she authorized.

That decision represents a bit of a flip-flop by Roy’s department, which proposed the extra 10 hours in the first place. It also illustrates the challenge of launching a major new early childhood program when so many details are still in flux.

A committee charged with advising Roy on early childhood rules approved the 10-extra-hours provision as part of a broader rule late last month. Roy, who has the final say on rules, took out the 10-hour number early this month.

She explained in a public memo that she did so “to allow for further conversation and to consider the number of hours in coordination with the discussion related to rate-setting, which will happen later this fall.”

It’s possible, but not certain, the 10 additional hours will be reinstated at that time. The number of additional hours could also be decreased or increased.

Rate-setting refers to the process for deciding the amount of money the state will pay preschool providers for each universal preschool seat. State leaders say they want to ensure the rate reflects the true cost of providing high-quality programming and ensures preschool teachers make a living wage.

Both are lofty goals that some experts say, if realized, could mean a per-pupil rate at least double the nearly $4,500 per seat average the state paid last year to providers participating in Colorado’s smaller preschool program serving students with certain risk factors.

Colorado’s new universal preschool program, which will be tuition-free, could eventually serve about three-quarters of the state’s 4-year olds.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Wider range of Colorado kids could get 20 hours of free preschool

2022-09-13T22:29:58+00:00

Colorado children from low- and even middle-income families could be eligible for 20 hours a week of free preschool next year under proposed rules set to be discussed this week. That’s double the 10 hours a week guaranteed to all 4-year-olds under the law.

The draft rules would allow families that earn up to 270% of the federal poverty limit — about $75,000 for a family of four — to qualify for extra preschool hours. The income limits outlined by the current preschool program are much tighter — 185% of federal poverty guidelines.

Median household income in Colorado is $75,231 according to U.S. Census data.

Children who are dual language learners, have disabilities, or are in foster care would also qualify for the additional 10 hours a week.

The proposed rules, which will be considered by a state advisory council Thursday, address two key questions about Colorado’s universal preschool program: Who will be eligible for additional hours and how many additional hours will they get?

When lawmakers and early childhood leaders pitched universal preschool, they said all 4-year-olds would get at least 10 hours a week, with additional time for children with the greatest needs. But it wasn’t clear what additional time or greatest needs meant.

Now, although the rules are not final and could still change, specifics are coming into focus.

For example, the rules would expand the pool of children considered low-income compared to rules governing the state’s existing preschool program. That means wider access to the 20-hour preschool week, possibly addressing concerns from some parents and preschool providers that the state’s 10-hour-a-week plan is too meager.

Kelly Altizer, who heads the group that will oversee universal preschool efforts in Adams County, said of the wider income eligibility, “In my mind, that’s exciting news.”

She said the 270% threshold would allow a majority of families in the Westminster district, where she was an administrator, to qualify for 20 hours of preschool.

Lisa Roy, executive director of the state’s new early childhood department, will have the final say over universal preschool rules, but she’s expected to consider the advisory council’s input as she makes decisions. The eligibility rules to be discussed Thursday are slated to take effect Sept. 29, according to the department’s draft document.

The state’s existing preschool program is in its last year and will be replaced by the universal program in the fall of 2023. The current program serves about 21,000 students, mostly 4-year-olds, who come from low-income families or have other risk factors such as language delays or poor social skills.

The new preschool program, which could enroll triple the number of students, will be funded with money from the current preschool program and funds from a nicotine tax Colorado voters approved in 2020.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

More Colorado districts screen for dyslexia, exceeding state mandates

2022-08-30T22:34:12+00:00

As the state’s dyslexia screening pilot program enters its second year, several Colorado districts are rolling out their own screening programs to flag children at risk for the learning disability.

The 29,000-student Boulder Valley district will screen all kindergarteners for dyslexia this spring, after piloting the screening tool at some elementary schools for two years. The Denver district, Colorado’s largest, began screening students in kindergarten through second grade at five schools last spring, and this year will expand to a dozen schools. The tiny La Veta district in southern Colorado will begin screening all kindergarten and first grade students at its only elementary school this year.

The three are among a growing number of Colorado districts poised to go beyond state requirements in the hopes that universal screening will help teachers better tailor instruction and give families more information about potential learning challenges.

Their efforts come as the state continues a small dyslexia screening pilot program that will likely yield recommendations in the second half of 2023. That program was delayed a year because only one school applied initially.

Dyslexia is a common learning disability that makes it hard to identify speech sounds, decode words, and spell them. It can interfere with the ability to read and learn for a lifetime, but with the right instruction, students can do as well as their peers. Dyslexia affects 15-20% of the population, according to the Colorado Department of Education.

Michelle Qazi, Boulder Valley’s literacy director and a member of the state’s Dyslexia Working Group, believes universal screening is more equitable than the old system where a family with a struggling reader would often pay for an expensive outside evaluation for dyslexia.

“We are screening every single kindergartner that comes in,” she said. “It’s a really important piece of data.”

Asked whether a universal statewide dyslexia screening would promote equity, Floyd Cobb, the associate commissioner for student learning at the Colorado Department of Education, said it’s a question for state lawmakers.

“Our role is not to get into the middle of a policy type of decision,” he said. “So, I don’t want to ponder or opine on universal [screening].”

COKID, a statewide dyslexia advocacy group, has pushed for a universal dyslexia screening law, but so far has not succeeded.

Colorado’s main reading law requires school districts to identify kindergarten through third grade students who are far behind in reading and provide them with extra help. But the assessments used in that process can miss students with dyslexia, sometimes because struggling readers aren’t far enough behind or because they use other skills to hide weak reading ability.

Qazi said more than 60% of Boulder Valley students flagged by the dyslexia screener didn’t qualify for extra help under the state reading law. In other words, the screener captured a lot of kids who might have otherwise fallen through the cracks. While the screening is conducted only in kindergarten for now, Qazi said teachers in higher grades will be able to see whether a child was flagged.

Boulder Valley was one of the first Colorado districts to pilot a dyslexia screening program, launching the program in 2020. But the district has also pushed back at times against state efforts to improve reading instruction. The district initially sought to keep using a state-rejected curriculum, but ultimately agreed to switch.

Nikki Myers, principal of the Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning, a charter school for gifted students participating in the state pilot program, said her team was sometimes surprised by which students were found to have markers for dyslexia.

The learning disability can stay mostly hidden in some gifted students, she said. “They’re not going to be that heavily impacted. They can mask … but it shows up in their fatigue.”

Although the state dyslexia screening targets K-3 students, the academy opted to separately screen fourth through eighth grade students. Myers said the idea was to give older students with reading weaknesses strategies that can help when they’re wondering, “Why am I so tired? Everyone else seems like they’re breezing through this.”

Myers’ school was one of three schools to participate in the state pilot program last year, and will be the only repeat school among the four participating this year. She said one of the challenges last year was determining what characteristics were truly markers of dyslexia and what were the result of “pandemic weirdness.”

Colorado students, like those elsewhere, lost ground in reading during the pandemic. But the state’s third-graders — in contrast to students in most higher grades — bounced back to pre-pandemic proficiency rates on state literacy tests this year.

Rachel Arnold, literacy coordinator in the 200-student La Veta school district, believes districts large and small, urban, suburban and rural all can screen for dyslexia. Last year, when she worked in the Englewood district in suburban Denver, she started a dyslexia screening program at Clayton Elementary. This year, she’s helping launch one in La Veta.

Arnold said assessments required by the state reading law cover several of the components needed for dyslexia screening, and that adding a couple more pieces can complete it.

“All schools have this agency,” she said. “It’s really not that different from the assessments we do anyway.”

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Here’s who will help Colorado’s early childhood chief make rules

2022-08-12T17:48:34+00:00

Child care providers, school district staff, and a pediatrician are among 15 people appointed to a new group that will advise Colorado’s early childhood chief on rules ranging from preschool funding rates to preschool teacher credentials.

Lisa Roy, executive director of the state’s new Department of Early Childhood, will have the final say over new rules, but state law requires her to consult with the newly formed Rules Advisory Council before making decisions. The group could play a pivotal role in shaping early childhood policy in Colorado for years to come.

Roy selected the council’s members based on criteria spelled out in the law. Parameters require some members to be parents of young children and that child care providers, county governments, higher education, and health care be represented.

The rule-setting process is important because rules spell out how state laws are put into action. The early childhood department will be responsible for rolling out a host of new rules over the next year as the state prepares to launch free preschool for 4-year-olds statewide in the fall of 2023.

Roy announced the council’s members this week. One-third of the inaugural group will serve two-year terms, one-third will serve three-year terms, and one-third will serve four-year terms. More than 100 people applied for the 15 seats.

While some critics have argued that giving the executive director rule-making authority puts too much power in one person’s hands, leaders who planned the new department said it would allow for nimble and efficient decision-making. About half of state agencies leave rule-making authority to the department’s executive director. Others, including the Colorado Department of Education, have a board that makes rules.

Here are the council’s members, with their county of residence in parentheses.

Colleen Head Batchelor (El Paso County), CEO of The Resource Exchange
Amber Bilby (Jefferson County), owner of Amber’s Kids family child care
Scott Bright (Weld County), owner of ABC Child Development Centers
Amy Buford (Larimer County), early childhood special educator, Poudre School District
Megan Burch (Eagle County), director, Eagle County Human Services
Nazia Hasan (Arapahoe County), advocacy and policy program officer, Community First Foundation
Priscilla M. Hopkins (Broomfield County), executive director of early education, Denver Public Schools
Cassandra P. Johnson (Arapahoe County), president and CEO, Hope Center, Inc.
Rusha Lev (Jefferson County), pediatrician, Denver Health
Maegan Lokteff (Grand County), executive director, Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance
Heather O’Hayre (Larimer County), director, Larimer County Human Services
Chance Padilla (Alamosa County), adolescent and family interventionist, Rocky Mountain Counseling Group
Frank Reeves (Grand County), operations manager, Colorado Rural Schools Alliance, and former school district superintendent
Karina Sofia Garcia Sastre (Arapahoe County), parent and former family, friend, and neighbor child care provider
T. Vail Shoultz-McCole (Mesa County), faculty member, Colorado Mesa University/Western Colorado Community College

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado schools, child care centers must test water for lead, make fixes

2022-08-11T20:56:04+00:00