Exemplar Sites

Matt Bona, ESD 123 Executive Director of Early Learning, will tell you good communication and strong relationships are the basis for effective early learning collaboration. With a service area covering a large portion of southeast Washington in both urban and rural school districts, this foundation was key in developing partnerships that honor each unique community they serve.

ESD 123, and many districts in the ESD 123 region, are collaboratively sharing resources for coordinated preschool services to meet the needs of the communities. In College Place School District, the district has collaborated with the developmental preschool program for several years to provide joint ECEAP and special education services. They have shared costs for facilities, staffing, and family support services. The classrooms have been a mix of ECEAP and developmental preschool children.

In the Touchet School District, layered funding has been utilized so that ECEAP students and Transition to Kindergarten (TK) students can combine for a portion of the day to allow both groups of children to experience the unique components of each program seamlessly.

In Walla Walla, ESD 123 is part of a collaborative early learning center run by the school district. The district provides Head Start and TK, and the ESD provides ECEAP. Together, the programs pay for a coordinated recruitment and enrollment (CRE) specialist, who speaks to interested families to determine eligibility, which includes a developmental screening. The coordinated enrollment specialist then meets with the program enrollment specialists to discuss the best fit for that child. If a family has requested a specific program for which they are eligible, that request is honored. Staff balance the complex needs in each classroom by identifying the specific needs of each child and family through the joint screener and enrollment application. ESD 123 staff plans to scale up CRE for other districts, starting with direct communication that outlines local early learning opportunities and includes contact information that district enrollment staff can share with families.

ESD 123 participates in an area-Head Start/ECEAP consortium for Benton and Franklin counties, which meets bimonthly and combines knowledge and resources to best support their communities. They also work on coordinated recruitment efforts with these community partners.

These partnerships took time to develop. All parties were committed to work through the challenges. Good communication, along with a willingness to regroup and try again, helped ESD 123 and its partners create high-quality, appropriate, and accessible early learning opportunities in their respective communities.

Thanks to Matt Bona, Executive Director of Early Learning; Tammy Buckingham, ECEAP Administrator; Patty Garcia, ECEAP Administrator; Heather Pearson, Director of ECEAP; and ESD 123 Early Learning.

“Everett Ready” is not only the name of Everett Public Schools' summer kindergarten transition program, but it also describes the district's goal of ensuring all children are prepared for success in kindergarten. District data shows a strong correlation between students who arrive at kindergarten at benchmark in the 6 developmental areas assessed by WaKIDS and those who are also at benchmark in reading and math in third grade (as measured on the Smarter Balanced Assessment). One way they achieve this is through collaboration with their early learning community.

The district provides ECEAP at many of its schools, but when a significant number of families in the community were determined unqualified for the program, the district reached out to other early learning providers to build a network of support and partnership. District staff connected with providers and offered resources and information about upcoming school events directly to them.

The district also invited providers to its annual professional development series, “Preschool to Kindergarten Connections.” Incentives for providers included STARS credit and access to mini grants for purchasing materials and supporting content in their classrooms. On its website, the district lists those partner-providers who attend all five training sessions. Everett Public Schools is also collaborating with the local Child Care Aware Early Achievers Coaches to create more connections and greater continuity with its local providers.

When the district started implementing Transitional Kindergarten to provide children with one last option for an early learning experience, it shared the plan with the provider community. Early learning providers were told the district's goal was to find children who did not qualify for ECEAP but who could not afford private programs. Everett coordinates enrollment so that families participating in an existing early learning program are not eligible for TK, but if a provider had a child it had difficulty serving, the district would serve them.

Everett Public Schools views all children as “our children” and knows that partnering with the early learning community benefits everyone by supporting young children's success in kindergarten and beyond.

Thanks to Monica Kachmarik, ECEAP Supervisor; Meghann Miles Smith, ECEAP Supervisor; Anne Arnold, Director of Everett Public Schools P-5 Instruction and Early Learning Programs.

For 30 years, South Bend School District has been known in the community as the place to be for early learning, growing over time to meet the needs of children and families. Most recently, the district has fully integrated its early learning programs, including Transitional Kindergarten and Special Education, into its well-established ECEAP program, providing all children access to the same high-quality preschool experience. The district also offers wraparound child care to help fill the gap in available care in the community.

By blending programs, all 4 year olds in South Bend have access to free PreK, either by qualifying for ECEAP, which includes children on IEPs, or through Transitional Kindergarten. The district also provides access for all 3 year olds by offering a private-pay option for the few who don't qualify for ECEAP. Integrating all programs into the district's existing ECEAP structure has created a consistent high-quality early learning experience for young children in South Bend, assuring a developmentally appropriate, play-based environment promoting family engagement.

South Bend has also incorporated the Washington Pyramid Model and Conscious Discipline, recognizing the importance of social and emotional learning in school success, especially in early learning. This work trickles across all of the district's public engagement efforts, which includes starting its Policy Council meetings with a Brain Smart Start, giving families an opportunity to experience how their children are learning.

South Bend has made all this possible by braiding funding streams to maximize their use of available resources. Transitional Kindergarten and Special Education provide for a certificated teacher in its 4-year-old class as well as access to a Speech Language Pathologist and Occupational Therapist. ECEAP Complex Needs Funds provide for a mental health generalist and an inclusion coach who supports both staff and families. Class sizes are 20 children with one teacher and two paraprofessionals. ECEAP Performance Standards guide the implementation of the program.

By offering Transitional Kindergarten and tuition-based preschool, together with its developmental preschool and ECEAP, South Bend is achieving its goal of providing quality early learning for all children in the district. Despite the complexities that come with blending programs, the district believes integrating programs and using ECEAP as a foundation is “absolutely worth it.”

Thanks to South Bend Superintendent Jon Tienhaara and ECEAP Director Amy Nelson South Bend Early Learning Center.

The Valley School District in rural Stevens County understands that community support for early learning is key in creating access to quality programs for all children. Blending programs and braiding funding are especially effective strategies in small rural communities but can be complex to implement. It takes commitment from all stakeholders to be successful, including administrative and financial support. Valley has worked hard to develop this commitment through strong, trusting relationships and messaging the importance of early learning throughout the community.

Valley’s goal is to serve as many children as possible in its high-quality early learning program. To do this, they created an early learning center on the K-8 campus, which houses ECEAP, Transitional Kindergarten, and developmental preschool. The center also provides year-round, full-time child care for ages 12 months to 12 years, accepting Working Connections Child Care and private-pay tuition.

All children are screened to determine which programs they qualify for, starting with ECEAP. This allows for differentiation of services in their inclusive setting, meeting families where they are and providing options to meet each family’s need. ECEAP standards are used as the program foundation, with the incorporation of the Washington Pyramid Model and Multi-Tiered System of Supports. Valley also provides family mental health services onsite and connects families to local resources through programs provided by their ECEAP contractor, including housing assistance, food, and job training.

Valley has been creative in maximizing its resources. Along with braiding funding from the various programs it provides, the district has shown its support by including early learning in their local levy. They are now working on a bond issue to build a new early learning center. Valley pools resources with other neighboring programs to provide family support. Valley accesses its local ESD for instructional coaching and professional development. It consults regularly with neighboring rural districts to share ideas and identify other collaborative opportunities.

Valley School District’s commitment to providing high-quality early learning is a proud demonstration of this community’s investment in its young children and families.

Thanks to Candace Harris, Early Director Leader; Sandra Szambelan, Director of Early Childhood Services: Valley Early Learning Center.