Resolution _________________

A RESOLUTION relating to the Seattle Preschool Program; outlining the elements to be addressed in a subsequent Seattle Preschool Program Implementation Plan, which shall be adopted by ordinance prior to the implementation of a Seattle Preschool Program.

WHEREAS, on June 17, 2013, experts from the University of Washington's Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (ILABS) and the National Institute for Early Education Research presented research to the City Council that made the case for investing in high-quality preschool; and

WHEREAS, research demonstrates high-quality preschool can close the opportunity and achievement gaps between young children entering kindergarten and that early investments in children are more cost effective than reactive interventions that attempt to resolve problems after they have taken root; and

WHEREAS, existing preschool programs vary greatly in terms of quality, yet only high-quality preschool programs produce positive child gains; and

WHEREAS, a recent meta-analysis of preschool studies found highquality preschool requires well-qualified teachers who "help children acquire new knowledge and skills, provide input to children, elicit verbal responses and reactions from them, and foster engagement in and enjoyment of learning," in addition to using curricula that focus on language, literacy, math, and socio-emotional development; and

WHEREAS, research shows that "structural" elements are also important predictors of a high-quality preschool program, including providing a sufficient level of classroom and instructional hours, maintaining a low student-to-teacher ratio, and requiring teacher credentials; and

WHEREAS, on September 23, 2013, the City Council passed Resolution 31478, which called for developing a voluntary, high-quality preschool program available in Seattle; and

WHEREAS, in Resolution 31478, the City Council directed the Office for Education (OFE), in consultation with early learning experts, to develop an "Action Plan" that would recommend specific elements of a high-quality Seattle Preschool Program; and

WHEREAS, on May 16, 2014, OFE presented an Action Plan recommending specific elements of a Seattle Preschool Program to the City Council for review and approval;

NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT

Section 1. City implementation of the Action Plan is contingent upon voter approval of a November 4, 2014 special election ballot measure ("Levy"), as detailed in C.B. 118114.

Section 2. If the ballot measure proposed in C.B. 118114 is approved or passed by the voters of Seattle, the Mayor shall submit a "Seattle Preschool Program Implementation Plan" to the City Council for review and approval by ordinance no later than February 23, 2015.

Section 3. If the ballot measure proposed in C.B. 118114 is approved or passed by the voters of Seattle, the Mayor shall submit a Comprehensive Evaluation Strategy ("Evaluation Strategy") to the City Council for review and approval by ordinance no later than June 1, 2015. The Evaluation Strategy for the program shall be designed with independent evaluation experts.

The Evaluation Strategy will use both process and impact evaluations, as well as on-going continuous quality improvement controls. The Evaluation Strategy shall address what, when, and how evaluations will be carried out and identify dates for submitting completed evaluations to the City Council. The Evaluation Strategy will also identify the key evaluation questions to be answered for each type of evaluation undertaken. In addition to outlining the types of process and impact evaluations that will be undertaken to gauge preschool and provider quality and child impacts, the Evaluation Strategy shall include a process evaluation specifically designed to assess the City's administration, oversight, scale up, and implementation of its Seattle Preschool Program beginning no later than the end of Year 1 of program implementation with an initial report due at the end of Year 2 and an update due at the end of Year 3. All evaluations shall be conducted by independent, external evaluation expert(s). Ideally, the Evaluation Strategy will identify on-going research partnerships with institutions with noted expertise in early learning and evaluation.

Section 4. The City Council will review the Seattle Preschool Program Implementation Plan for consistency with the following principles:

A. Ensures quality is prioritized over quantity, i.e., the pace of growth will be dictated by the number of providers meeting threshold standards for quality as measured by the Department of Early Learning's Early Achiever's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS).

B. Leverages knowledge, resources, and programs implemented by the State Department of Early Learning, Seattle Public Schools, and the University of Washington's Childcare Quality and Early Learning Center for Research and Training to the fullest possible extent to ensure Levy dollars are used efficiently and effectively.

C. Contains opportunities for close collaboration between the City and institutional and community partners to avoid creating redundant, conflicting, and inefficient oversight structures and program standards and results in a cohesive, high-quality, cost-effective preschool program.

D. Demonstrates a commitment to evidence-based practices that result in positive outcomes for participating children, including assessment and accountability tools based on child developmental outcomes.

E. Creates a continuous quality improvement system that enables the City to identify necessary course corrections in real time and improve program implementation and outcomes.

F. Employs a mixed-delivery model that expands on the strengths of our current preschool community.

G. Invests in capacity building and professional development to increase program quality and improve teacher instruction.

H. Supports a compensation system that encourages classroom teachers and preschool directors to make progress toward the requisite position credentials and supports preschool providers in retaining well-qualified instructional staff.

I. Invests in proven strategies that nurture and support meaningful family engagement in each child's education.

J. Provides services in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner, creating programming that responds to the needs of low-income families and English language learners.

K. Identifies a comprehensive and detailed evaluation strategy to produce reliable data that will inform appropriate program standards, program administration and implementation practices, as well as demonstrate overall impacts on child outcomes.

L. Evidences a commitment to leveraging external funding sources to supplement levy dollars.

Section 5. The Seattle Preschool Program Implementation Plan submitted by the Mayor for Council approval shall address, at a minimum, the following:

A. Detailed program performance standards (similar in the level of detail and topics addressed as those issued in 2014 by the State Department of Early Learning for its lowincome preschool program).

B. How the delivery of a Seattle Preschool Program will be scaled up over the life of the Levy while maintaining and improving program quality.

C. How preschool spaces will be allocated in the event demand exceeds supply.

D. The process for implementing and refining the approved sliding fee scale.

E. Proposed guidelines governing qualifications and conditions for receipt of need-based tuition assistance for providers as well as procedures to ensure other financial aid resources are leveraged first.

F. Circumstances under which a 1:10 teacher-student ratio and maximum class size of 20 may be allowed to vary.

G. Guidelines pertaining to how provider reimbursement rates will be determined and adjusted over time.

H. Guidelines governing the provider selection process and criteria to be used for selecting providers, including minimum rating levels in Early Achievers, the State's Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) and how these levels will be adjusted upwards over time. The initial threshold for provider participation should include an overall QRIS of at least a "3" on a scale of 1-5, as well as requirements for the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and the Early Childhood Environment Rating ScaleRevised (ECERS-R) scores.

I. Guidelines and conditions related to the disbursement of facility and capital improvement funds.

J. The specific processes by which the City will solicit on-going meaningful input on program administration and implementation from early learning experts, preschool teachers and directors, the State Department of Early Learning, Seattle Public Schools, and families.

K. How the City will ensure families know when a preschool classroom funded by the Seattle Preschool Program opens or expands near their home and how to apply.

L. An organizational chart that details the positions and reporting structure for staff implementing the Seattle Preschool Program.

M. A description of what services will be directly provided by the City versus those that will be contracted through competitive processes, consistent with Section 9 of C.B. 118114.

N. A line item budget detailing how funds will be allocated among the specific program services and activities described in Section 5 of C.B. 118114.

O. A proposed Memorandum of Understanding with the Washington State Department of Early Learning to ensure close alignment with the State's preschool programs and Early Achievers program and identifying additional areas where resources, efforts, and program knowledge can be shared and leveraged, including when and where it makes sense to conduct joint evaluations.

P. A written agreement with the Seattle School District to ensure data sharing mechanisms as well as appropriate preschool to kindergarten transitions are in place and identifying other areas where resources, efforts, and program knowledge can be shared and leveraged.

Q. A proposal for the content of an annual reporting plan to the City Council. The annual reporting plan should include, at a minimum, data related to student outcomes, progress on provider capacity building efforts, revenues and expenditures by category, an update of evaluation activities, and progress made on building the City's own internal capacity and administrative abilities to oversee and implement a preschool program based on key indicators and milestones.

R. A plan for the City to work with local colleges and universities to develop an alternate route program for teachers with Bachelor's Degrees in fields other than Early Childhood Education, and for those without Bachelor's Degrees, the City will develop an alternative process through which experienced, high-quality teachers may be granted waivers.

Section 6. The Seattle Preschool Program Implementation Plan submitted by the Mayor for Council approval shall also be informed by an analysis of the program that applies the principles of the City's Race and Social Justice Initiative, including the use of the Racial Equity Toolkit. The Office for Education, the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, the Office of Civil Rights, and the Office of Policy and Innovation shall come together as an interdepartmental team to create a specific toolkit for this process and execute this toolkit. They will provide an "RSJI Toolkit Plan" to City Council, outlining the anticipated details of the toolkit within 30 days of passage of this resolution and will address, among other matters:

A. The specific early learning community stakeholders who will be assessed within the RSJI toolkit process;

B. How the RSJI Toolkit Plan will assess economic, cultural and linguistic barriers to participation;

C. How the RSJI Toolkit Plan will offer possible strategies to address these barriers and be responsive to the specific needs of low income, immigrant and refugee communities, and communities of color, and;

D. How the RSJI Toolkit Plan will involve external community stakeholders in conducting the analysis.

Section 7. The ordinance approving the Seattle Preschool Implementation Plan should identify when changes to the Seattle Preschool Implementation Plan will require approval by the City Council via ordinance.

Adopted by the City Council the ____ day of ____________________, 2014, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this________ day

of ______________________, 2014.

_________________________________

President ___________of the City Council

THE MAYOR CONCURRING:

_________________________________

Edward B. Murray, Mayor

Filed by me this ____ day of ________________________, 2014.

____________________________________

Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk

(Seal)

Erica Johnson/dg/CMV DON 2014 SPP RES June 6, 2014 Version #3