THE EARLY YEARS CRADLE TO CAREER

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1 Draft for Discussion Purposes THE EARLY YEARS CRADLE TO CAREER Draft August 31, 2015 This document is a draft. It is one of six theme areas being developed as part of the ONE Nova Scotia collaborative development plan. This draft is a work in progress. The content is capturing key ideas to date and is being shared to open a broader dialogue. The document includes principles and a compilation of ideas under the theme, which was determined through ONE Nova Scotia Coalition work over the past year. It is not the position of an individual, organization or government, and it is not intended to reflect the full scope of the collaborative development plan. Important principles and overall messages will be addressed in the full document. It is important to consider this draft content in that context. The larger plan document will also include metrics and measurement models. If Nova Scotia s economy were performing well today in providing jobs, sustaining communities and supporting high quality public services, the wise advice would be to stay the course and avoid major changes. But this is not our situation, nor does the future promise relief. The economic and population challenges we now face in Nova Scotia, and dramatically so in our rural regions, demand new vision, innovative approaches, greater collaboration and a greater willingness to take on the risks associated with economic change and progress. Change in society begins with the leaders. Being respectful of one another, expressing trust in our institutions and in our fellow leaders in different fields, and avoiding parochial and unduly partisan considerations, are crucial starting points. We can also do better at planning and decision-making on our investments of money, time and expertise in pursuit of economic growth.

2 Draft Outline of Measurement and Evaluation Framework Description Proposed KPIs Strategic Objective To reduce or remove the systemic barriers that currently prevent all Nova Scotians from entering and participating in the education system on an equal footing Key stage results by demographic group OneNS Goals Goal #7: Increase the labour force participation rate to at least as high as the Canadian rate Goal #9: Bring Nova Scotia s youth unemployment rate to be at or better than the national rate in that year Goal #10: Increase the proportion of Nova Scotia s working age population with completed post-secondary education and apprenticeships to 65% TBD Other Goals Increased readiness and reduced achievement gaps of children entering school Increased workforce participation rate of parents (primarily mothers) TBD Initiatives Welcoming babies. Child care programs that support parental participation in the workforce. World-class early years education and development programs available to all Support from cradle to career TBD 2

3 The Early Years: Cradle to Career Introduction: A growing body of global research provides strong evidence that the early years of a child s life are the most critical to their physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and language development. By six years of age, a child s brain will be 99 per cent developed, and, one year later, it will be fully developed. As a result of a greater understanding of early human brain development, significant supports for families and young children have been implemented, including programs to support early childhood development and well-being. Early Development Instrument (EDI) screening conducted in 2014 indicated 27 per cent of Nova Scotia s children are not ready for school when entering Primary. The results showed these children demonstrated a vulnerability that could compromise learning, social, emotional, physical, or mental health outcomes. This must change. In Nova Scotia, only 24 per cent of children 0 5 years of age attend any kind of child-care program; therefore, it is likely that fewer of them are receiving quality early childhood developmental education. All experiences in the pre-school years have significant influence in setting the developmental paths for health, learning, and behaviour well into adulthood. For these reasons, investment in early childhood development programs must begin well before children enter Nova Scotia s P 12 public education system. Early childhood education can particularly benefit students from disadvantaged backgrounds, or students who struggle with learning, by closing the so-called achievement gap. If administered effectively, with a focus on quality, early years learning programs can contribute to several indicators of positive socio-economic growth. But evidence also shows that you cannot stop this support once children start school. If ongoing support is not provided, the achievement gap can widen. In short, you have to start very early, but then continue from cradle to career, to help all children including students from under-represented or disadvantaged backgrounds, or students who struggle with learning to have the best chance The Heckman Equation for success in their lives. Early childhood education and development is critically important to an overall youth strategy. The recent OECD Skills Outlook 2015, Youth, Skills and Employability, identifies early childhood education and development as one of five ways to address youth attachment to the workforce. The availability of child care has been shown to enhance parental participation in the workforce, and top-notch early development programming can be an important incentive for attracting and retaining parents with young families to live and work in Nova Scotia. Numerous sources show that every dollar invested in a child s education before the age of four yields a net impact of $7 by the time they reach age 20 (less likely to interact with justice, community services, and health; less likely to require remedial help; more likely to contribute to society; more likely to be employed). This is known as the Heckman Equation, named after Nobel Prize winning economist Professor James J. Heckman. 3

4 A number of economic reviews show a high return on investments in early years programming in several key areas of government spending. Although it is widely held that the average time required to realize such a return on investment is years, recent economic reviews show that returns on investments in early childhood can be realized in terms of government savings from other programs in as little as two to three years. There is strong evidence to show that investment in early years programming increases gross domestic product, and societies and families prosper when resources and supports are available to all children and at affordable cost. The ONE NS Coalition recognizes development of children from the earliest years as a community and long-term commitment. Indeed, experiences in the early years are predictors of how well individuals will find later success through satisfying employment and rewarding, productive careers. A concerted focus on investment in early childhood education and development and support from cradle to career can be a game changer for our province. In order for this to be successful, it must be a multi-sectoral initiative, and not just government. It must involve leaders from the business, not-for-profit, and philanthropic sectors that advocate for and implement innovative private/public partnerships. Broad support for a sustained collective effort is required to make Nova Scotia among the best places in the world to raise a child. The ONE NS Coalition recommends Nova Scotia focus on early years programming, and cradle-to-career support for our young, by focusing on four areas: 1. Welcoming babies 2. Child care programs that support parental participation in the workforce 3. World-class early years education and development programs available to all 4. Support from cradle to career CHILDREN 1. Welcoming Babies Welcoming Babies Cradle to Career Early Years Education and Development Child Care The ONE NS Coalition believes that we should welcome new babies and new children that enter into our communities in a significant way. This could have tremendous benefits for those children, and for their parents, who begin to attach to a community, find friends from multiple generations and walks of life, and connect to social and community opportunities that might not otherwise be known to them. While such connections are also made through professionals (health and social services, primarily) in situations where a family might be identified as in need, 4

5 that contact can be inadvertently stigmatizing for the families involved and result in further isolation within their communities. Initiatives: 1.1 Welcome Baby Initiative Nova Scotians should create a welcome baby program for new children who come to a community. This program should be developed though a collaborative approach that reorients communities toward placing a much higher value on children and their families than is often expressed now. Such a program should be community-led and include a package of elements, such as mapping of existing community assets and child- and family-based programs, and other items such as a few meal vouchers and other gifted items that would benefit a busy family with a new baby. The programs could also target families moving to a community who arrive with older children. The package would reflect the collective support within a community that acknowledges and dignifies the presence of every child in a community, and creates a new sense of citizenship for the youngest Nova Scotians. It would be universally available to all newcomers, reinforcing a message that Nova Scotia s communities place a high value on all children and their families, no matter their walk of life. 5

6 It would also provide opportunities for local businesses, organizations, and individuals to play a role in strengthening their communities by supporting a direct outreach welcome. The connection that begins with that first welcome could help a new family to forge social and community bonds with others in their neighbourhoods, while familiarizing the family with the availability and location of local services. This approach could make the difference in families finding a home, rather than just determining an address, within their community. 1.2 Multi-sectoral Community Initiatives Communities, businesses, not-for-profits, and philanthropists, with support from government, should build on the Welcome Baby initiative, taking inspiration from British Columbia s Success by 6 initiative, including its Aboriginal Engagement Strategy. This initiative would mobilize local resources to invest in prevention-focused early childhood programs and services. Success By 6 Children First regional initiatives support and promote the healthy growth and development of young children, birth to six years. Using a community development approach, local groups work together to assess, identify and plan for the unique needs of young children in their community. Children First initiatives collaborate with other early years community partners such as, Success by 6, the Human Early Learning Partnership and the Community Action Program for Children to strengthen early years services in communities across BC. In its Success by 6 program, the government of British Columbia has partnered with the United Way, Credit Union and community leaders to build child friendly communities. Through 120 Early Years Planning Councils, Success by 6 encourages community leaders to become champions for young children, mobilize local resources to invest in prevention-focused early childhood programs and services; and provide funding to support early childhood development community projects and programs. Through its Aboriginal Engagement Strategy, Success by 6 works with Aboriginal communities to promote awareness of the importance of the early years, increase Aboriginal representation in Success by 6 initiatives, and strengthen community capacity. 2. Supporting Parental Participation in the Workforce Ensuring the provision of programs that are working should be considered as Nova Scotia s early years programming evolves. This evolution could include scaling up programs that are currently working, especially successful programs that enable parents to participate in the workforce. Based on 2011 census data, Nova Scotia has 52,725 children age 0 5 and there are currently 12,700 spaces in regulated child-care centres for children age 0 5 (24 per cent). Above and beyond these child-care centres, there are other programs across Nova Scotia that focus on supporting our children. Those programs, groups, institutions, and efforts that are successful and have the potential to be scaled up, or tailored so they work in other communities, could be a foundation of support in reaching the relevant ONE NS goals. 2.1 Licensed Family Home Day Care Family Home Day Care programs provide parents with the option of regulated child care provided in a home setting. These programs are particularly important in less populated communities, where services may be less available. 6

7 The Family Home Day Care is monitored through an agency that ensures it meets regulations and standards and supports children s health, safety, and well-being. In Nova Scotia, there are 15 Family Home Day Care Agencies that oversee and support over 600 Family Home Day Cares. For the Family Home Day Care providers, being part of the agency has the benefit of access to: support with programming, administration, and record-keeping support in organizing parent committee meetings books and toy lending library regular play groups professional development courses transportation for care providers and children enrolled in approved Family Home Day Care to attend agency functions The Family Home Day Care programs have the potential to be scaled up, or tailored, so they are a key part of a system that contributes towards reaching the ONE NS goals. Family Child Care Business Enterprise (FCCBE) The Family Child Care Business Enterprise is an innovative venture that oversees a network of 20+ home-based family day care businesses. Licensed providers are assisted with their professional development and business success. Women gifted in caring for children gain the skills and support to run their own businesses. Ongoing college-level child development coursework, and business support, is offered throughout the year. 3. World-class Early Years Education and Developmental Program There are lessons to be learned from several models of early years education and development programming that have been implemented by other jurisdictions. Many of these models have been reviewed by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, in collaboration with the Premier s Advisory Council on the Early Years. Rather than change the current direction to replicate one of these models, the Coalition recommends that Nova Scotia develop a made-in-nova-scotia model for effective early years programming. Initiatives 3.1 A Made-in-Nova Scotia Solution A made-in-nova Scotia model for early childhood education and development is needed to support the positive development of all children in the preschool years and positively impact lifelong learning, health, behaviour and citizen engagement increase workforce participation of parents and immediately contribute to our economic growth attract and retain young families in communities across the province and make the province a desirable place to raise children. Nova Scotia s early childhood education and development program should be based on the following principles: 7

8 Commitment to ensuring that every infant, child, and family is supported and welcome in our communities. Recognition that some families experience more stress and live in greater vulnerability than others, and, thus, require additional supports. Universal access to early years programs where children engage in meaningful play- and inquiry-based learning experiences. Optimal use of staff trained in early childhood education. Development of critical and sensitive measures of success in terms of social and economic outcomes. Sufficient public funding of our early years system to support a program that embodies these principles. It will be important to identify culturally appropriate forms of early education programs with various cultural communities, notably the Mi'Kmaq communities. There are useful models for how this has been done internationally in Australia and Hawaiian and Navajo communities in the USA as well as in British Columbia and by the Kativik School Board in Québec. Such programs seek, among other things, to preserve and reinvigorate Aboriginal languages. This could include early learning programs for three- and four-year-olds delivered by early childhood educators. These play- and inquiry-based programs (playschool) would be developmentally appropriate for this age group, and would have learning environments specifically designed for them. A common concern for such programs is the schoolification of young children. So it is important to note the incorporation of play- and inquiry-based learning as an essential component of this model. According to the Council of Ministers of Education of Canada (CMEC), There is now evidence that neural pathways in children s brains are influenced and advanced in their development through exploration, thinking skills, problem solving, and language expression that occur during play. Play-based programming delivered by early childhood educators, would ensure the playschool is reflective of the developmental needs of this age group. 3.2 Early Years Centres In collaboration with the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation, Nova Scotia has implemented four Early Years Centres (EYC). These EYCs act as child and family hubs within or near elementary schools. They bring together community-based programs and services, such as early childhood education and child-care programs, family drop-in programs, parenting supports, public health services, and early identification and intervention programs. In these activities, Early Years Centres are responsive to the unique needs of the communities they serve use a community development approach build relationships among community early years programs identify gaps in programs and services and collaborate to address them work to eliminate barriers to accessibility, such as affordability, transportation, hours of operation, and information sharing build on what is already working in the community 8

9 Following a thorough evaluation, Early Years Centres should be established in communities throughout the province. 3.3 Multi-sectoral Research Partnerships Nova Scotia needs to further develop its research expertise in the field of early childhood development. The creation of a multi-sectoral research partnership, involving post-secondary institutions and practitioners, would bring together the multiple research initiatives in Nova Scotia that are currently acting in isolation from each other to improve findings. The Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), housed within the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia, is one example that could be emulated. By working in close partnership with communities, businesses, and government, HELP ensures that its research is relevant. The research has been used in over 500 community initiatives aimed to enhance the accessibility and quality of early years programming. In Nova Scotia, the Research Partnership could partner with existing Early Childhood Development Support Sites, situated in training institutions across the province, to provide resources for parents, child-care providers, and educators. Their main goal would be to promote high-quality early learning in all environments by establishing the connections among research, policy, practice, and lived experience. 4. Sustained Effort from Cradle to Career Several studies point to the fact that early years programming helps to narrow a gap in childhood development, school readiness, and academic achievement that exists among different groups of children. Socio-economic status, family structure, child health, parent health, parent involvement in literacy development, age, and gender are the strongest contributors to this gap. Children who come from low-income families are the most vulnerable to its harmful effects. Canada s largest study on the influence of early education programming, Better Beginnings, Better Futures, found children enrolled in enriched early years programming to be less likely to require health, special education, social services, child welfare, and to encounter the criminal justice system. However, if these positive effects of early education are not sustained through subsequent programming offered throughout P 12 education and postsecondary education, this narrowing gap will widen again, and vulnerable children will be more likely to leave school early, and be less likely to attach to the workforce or to pursue post-secondary education. Educational disparities associated with family background tend to increase as students advance in school. This is particularly critical when children transition from elementary school to middle school, and middle school to high school. While the gap in achievement between groups of children remains stable from grades 2 6, they are at risk of doubling by the time children reach grades Therefore, the ONE NS Coalition recommends that the province sustain the efforts made in early childhood education and development throughout the period from cradle to career. Initiatives 9

10 4.1 Multi-departmental Coordination The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) should ensure that there is high-quality support for at-risk students in the P 12 school system so that the achievement gap does not widen. EECD should collaborate with other government departments that impact children and youth, including Labour and Advanced Education, Community Services, Justice, and Health and Wellness, to maximize the effectiveness of government intervention to give children the best possible start in life, and to prepare youth to become productive adults. These departments should determine key outcomes that they would jointly work toward with the goal of supporting all stages of a child s development. Metrics need to be developed and reported to evaluate the success of programs. 4.2 Multi-sectoral Collective Impact Businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and engaged citizens should all bind together to create multi-sectoral, community-led, collective impact initiatives, like the Harlem Children s Zone, Seattle s Roadmap Project, and Cincinnati s Strive Partnership, to help children and youth succeed, from cradle to career. Collective impact is a model that brings together community members, all levels of government, businesses, entrepreneurs, not-for-profit organizations, charities, philanthropists, and training institutions to work collaboratively on a common issue. Through an inter-sectoral community-led process such as collective impact, partners collaborate in the development of a common agenda, a plan with mutually reinforcing actions, rigorous shared measurement, evaluation and reporting, and forum for continuous communication to support their goals. A unique characteristic of collective impact initiatives is that they involve a backbone organization with sufficient resources to support the coordination, communication, measurement, evaluation, and reporting functions. 10

11 There could be separate initiatives within a variety of communities, with support from the province, to drive action on early childhood education and development, support for all children to succeed through P 12 education, and help for youth who are not currently in school or working to find a path forward and a meaningful career. Harlem Children s Zone The Harlem Children s Zone (HCZ) is aimed at providing comprehensive, critical support to children and families and reweaving the very fabric of community life. The HCZ Project began as a one-block pilot in the 1990s. With bold ambition, careful planning, and a strong infrastructure, they set out to address all of the issues children and families were facing within a finite geographic area: crumbling apartments, rampant drug use, failing schools, violent crime, and chronic health problems. The Children s Zone serves more than 12,000 youth and nearly 9,500 adults. Seventy per cent of youth are engaged in programming offered by the Children s Zone, and their cradle-to-college approach has thousands on track to graduate from college. In 2014, 92 per cent of seniors across their high school programs were accepted to college. The College Success Office worked with 954 students at 165 colleges and universities across the country, and by year-end, had 100 new college graduates 66 from four-year schools and 34 from two-year schools. Learn more at The Seattle Road Map Project The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supported the creation of the Road Map Project, a cradle-to-career collective impact initiative in Seattle. This project is a community-wide effort aimed at improving education to drive dramatic improvement in student achievement from cradle to college and career in South King County and South Seattle. The project builds on the belief that collective effort is necessary to make large-scale change, and has created a common goal and shared vision in order to facilitate coordinated action, both inside and outside school. The Road Map Project aims to double the number of students in South King County and South Seattle who are on track to graduate from college or earn a career credential by 2020, and uses a robust datacollection mechanism to track its progress. Recent data indicate raising graduation and college-entry rate that are above the baseline. Learn more at Particular areas of the province have high-density populations with a large number of children and families. These could be identified as target zones and provided with resources to mobilize community partners, businesses, and key stakeholders to build new approaches to young Nova Scotians. These partners would collaborate in the development and provision of early childhood development programs that reflect the needs of families in their community. Strive Partnership An excellent example of a cradle-to-career project is Cincinnati s Strive Together Partnership. The Strive Together Partnership focuses on helping young people in Cincinnati and two neighbouring cities in Kentucky achieve success from cradle to career. The partners include early childhood educators, school superintendents, college presidents, business leaders, foundation directors, and a range of civil society executives. They came together in 2006 after a report noted that Ohio and Kentucky were lagging behind other states in college-attainment rates. Community leaders were concerned about remaining competitive in a global economy. The Strive partners identified things such as the fact that some high schools offered multiple college access programs, while others had none. Looking at the data, they linked this to patterns in the success of students. For example, two key factors linked to boosting college enrolment rates were ensuring that students received one-on-one counselling and completed financial aid forms. Arts programs were found to be most effective at boosting reading and math proficiency when trained instructors carefully aligned their lessons with regular classroom content. Unfortunately, these simple linkages often do not happen. Gathering this data enabled the Strive network partners to develop ways to address individual student needs in a timely fashion. As a result, the Cincinnati Public Schools system has made gains with respect to student success. They developed an ambitious turnaround program for its 16 lowest-performing elementary schools and established data war rooms in each school. This means that teachers meet every two weeks to closely monitor students, as well as special services each child is receiving. Through the network, they can easily connect high-risk students with external resources like mentoring or tutoring. Moreover, they can track which programs make a difference and why and then share that information with all partners in the network. 11

12 These initiatives should include the development of a common agenda, a collaborative action plan, shared measurement and evaluation, and a forum for continuous communication between EECD, businesses, entrepreneurs, not-for-profit organizations, charities, philanthropists, universities and NSCC to support cradle-to-career education for our children and youth in Nova Scotia. In Nova Scotia, this could include supporting and building on the great work of Pathways to Education and Chebucto Connections, which could be replicated in other communities. Pathways to Education/Chebucto Connections The Spryfield area includes the communities along Herring Cove Road and nearby streets, and displays the characteristics of an economically disadvantaged community in Canada. There are more than 4,000 residents in the Spryfield area, with a high proportion of single-parent families, children, and youth. Spryfield is a resource-rich community with many active and engaged residents. However, the community wrestles with socio-economic issues related to poverty, high unemployment, and low education attainment in some areas. Other youth issues include lack of access to transportation, lack of after-school programming, and higher-than-average high school dropout rates. In May 2010, Pathways Spryfield launched in partnership with local community group Chebucto Connections. In the program s academic first year, 90 students participated. Chebucto Connections sought out this partnership after hearing from students and families that greater success in education was desired in the community. Pathways Spryfield also partners with parents, youth, and many community organizations including the United Way, Spryfield and District Business Commission, and the Halifax Regional School Board. Chebucto Connection is a long-standing Spryfield-based registered charity and is one of the most involved and successful broad community-support models in Nova Scotia. It has been operating for decades, driven by a series of involved and committed leaders determined to assist families and individuals in need. Its programs include a family needs task force, mental health support, a high school tutoring program, and literacy, among others. In partnership with public and private support, it oversees the delivery of a five-year commitment to improve school readiness for children in the community. 4.3 Social Impact Bonds Nova Scotia should explore innovative approaches to social innovation and finance Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) to invest in cradle-to-career initiatives. SIBs are multi-stakeholder partnerships in which philanthropic funders and impact investors (not governments) take on the financial and operational risk of expanding preventive programs that help address intractable challenges. Under a SIB a government or government/ngo partnership would establish target outcomes for private sector led early childhood education and/or cradle-to-career initiatives private and not-for-profit investors would finance the upfront costs, and receive a return if the target outcomes are met service delivery organizations would provide interventions to help meet the target outcomes 12

13 an independent evaluator would measure the impact to determine whether the target outcomes are met By shifting the financial risk to private stakeholders, a SIB creates the opportunity for new and innovative approaches to drive results. If successful, the SIB could provide Nova Scotia with long-term savings by reducing the need for special intervention programs and allow Nova Scotia to experiment with innovative approaches to lifelong education without the risk of investing in unsuccessful programs. SIBs would also support greater collaboration across sectors. 13