Resolution _________________

A RESOLUTION establishing the City Council's goal of making voluntary high-quality preschool available and affordable to all of Seattle's children and outlining an initial plan toward achieving this goal.

WHEREAS, participation in high-quality preschool dramatically increases academic performance later in life by significantly increasing graduation rates, thereby helping to ensure that future generations of children are trained and prepared to enter an increasingly demanding and dynamic workforce; and

WHEREAS, on June 17, 2013 the University of Washington's Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (I-LABS) and national education expert Dr. Steven Barnett of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University presented their research to the City Council and made the case for investing in high-quality preschool for all children; and

WHEREAS, several long-term evaluations, such as the High Scope Perry study, Abecedarian project, and the Chicago ChildParent Center program, demonstrate that high-quality preschool leads not only to better academic achievement (such as higher reading scores and stronger high school graduation rates), but also to better health, higherpaying jobs, and lower rates of criminal behavior; and

WHEREAS, several jurisdictions, including Boston, San Francisco, the State of Oklahoma, the State of West Virginia, and 31 local districts in New Jersey, are already implementing high-quality preschool open to all children and, according to independent studies, the participating children are achieving the intended positive outcomes; and

WHEREAS, proficiency in reading by 3 ^rd grade is a key indicator of whether children will graduate from high school and the Seattle School District's most recent scorecard shows that approximately 25% of students are not proficient on the State's 3 ^rd grade reading test and approximately 23% of our students do not graduate from high school, with significantly worse statistics for our African American, Hispanic, Native American, and immigrant youth; and

WHEREAS, high-quality preschool has been identified as a costeffective means to address the achievement or opportunity gap by preparing students to be ready to learn at kindergarten and for the academic and behavioral expectations of K-12 education; and

WHEREAS, access to universal preschool is a step toward overcoming the city's gender wage gap by making it easier for parents to hold jobs and attend school and will help to overcome gender inequality in Seattle's workforce; and

WHEREAS, in an increasingly competitive global economy many Seattle area employers are requiring applicants to have a high school diploma and a college degree and a 2010 study estimates that 67 percent of jobs in Washington will require a college degree by 2018; and

WHEREAS, the extensive research of economist and Nobel laureate Dr. James Heckman, summarized in his 2013 book Giving Kids a Fair Chance, validates that investing in children before kindergarten is much more cost-effective than spending tax dollars on reactive interventions that attempt to address problems after they have taken root later in life; and

WHEREAS, Washington State Senate Bill 6759, signed into law March 29, 2010, directed the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Department of Early Learning to convene a technical working group that, after much study and deliberation, issued its "Final Recommendations" in November 2011 calling for universal preschool for children ages three and four; and

WHEREAS, BERK Consulting completed an updated "Community Needs Assessment" in May 2013 and a "Community Mapping Report" in June 2013 in an attempt to inventory the early learning programs in Seattle funded by the local, state, and federal governments and found an increase in the cost of childcare as well as a lack of coordination among the different programs; and

WHEREAS, according to recent Census figures and the BERK Consulting reports, there are approximately 13,000 three and four year olds residing in the City of Seattle, with approximately 30% (4,000) in families earning less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level ($47,100 is 200% FPL for a family of four in 2013), and with as many as half (2,000) of those children not enrolled in any preschool program; and

WHEREAS, parents and other caregivers should have a wide range of high-quality preschool options based on their personal values and priorities and should also have the freedom and choice not to enroll their children in preschool; and

WHEREAS, children already enrolled in preschool and childcare are in programs that vary greatly in terms of quality yet independent research demonstrates that only programs of high quality produce long-lasting positive results and a significant return on investment; and

WHEREAS, independent research has established that highquality preschool typically includes well-qualified teachers, a sufficient number of days and hours of classroom time for the children, a sufficiently low student-to-teacher ratio, and an evidence-based curriculum that supports the "whole child," including play-based learning, development of social-emotional skills, and meaningful engagement by parents/guardians; and

WHEREAS, the National Institute of Early Education Research (NIEER) and the State's 2011 Early Learning Technical Working Group support preschool for all children rather than programs targeted to low-income families because targeted programs fail to enroll not only many low-income families due to confusion over eligibility requirements but also children with risk factors, such as exposure to domestic violence, poor health, social-emotional challenges, and limited English-speaking skills not necessarily tied to income; and

WHEREAS, independent research demonstrates that a universal program that brings together children from families of all income levels for high-quality preschool can benefit children of all income levels by enhancing socialemotional skills that contribute toward a stronger foundation for academic achievement; and

WHEREAS, funding sufficient for high-quality universal preschool from the federal government or State government is highly unlikely due to current political divisions in the U.S. Congress and the State legislature; and

WHEREAS, the City Council supports the goal of making voluntary, high-quality preschool available and affordable to all of Seattle's children and is initiating this work plan to make significant progress toward this goal; NOW, THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE THAT:

Section 1. Endorsing Voluntary, High-Quality Preschool for All Three and Four Year Old Children . The City Council supports the goal of instituting a program to make voluntary high-quality preschool available and affordable to all of Seattle's three and four year old children (the "Seattle Program" or the "Program") and outlines a Work Plan in this Resolution to make significant progress toward this goal.

For the purposes of this Resolution high-quality preschool incorporates evidence-based practices consistent with the November 2011 "Final Recommendations" of the Washington State Early Learning Technical Workgroup and the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) and typically includes well-qualified teachers, a sufficient number of days and hours of classroom time for the children, a sufficiently low student-to-teacher ratio, and an evidencebased curriculum that supports the "whole child," including play-based learning, development of social-emotional skills, and meaningful engagement by parents/guardians.

For the purposes of this Resolution, three and four year olds are those who have reached their respective ages by August 31 (the cut-off date used by Seattle Public Schools) as well as children who turn five after August 31 and are not enrolled in kindergarten.

Section 2. Work Plan . The Council requests that the City's Office for Education (OFE) implement the Work Plan outlined in this Resolution and report back to the Council Committee that oversees education matters according to the timeframe and manner prescribed in this Resolution.

Section 3. Analysis of Enrollment Gap and Quality Gap . Quantifying the precise number of Seattle's three and four year olds enrolled in high-quality preschool programs and determining the amount of public subsidy already invested per child requires additional research due to the fact that existing child care and early learning programs serve children of different ages, receive multiple sources of funding, and have different program designs. The Council requests that OFE, with the assistance of experienced consultant(s), present a "Gap Analysis" to the Council by December 31, 2013 that answers the following questions:

A. How many three year olds and how many four year olds are enrolled in each child care and preschool program in Seattle (privately funded or subsidized by the local, state, or federal governments) and

B. How many three and four year olds are not enrolled in any formal child care or preschool programs?

C. For subsections A and B above, the Gap Analysis should include demographic details to the extent the data is available, such as family income, race, geographic location of the families, and any other relevant factors that would be helpful in designing the Program.

D. Based on input from parents/guardians including, but not limited to, surveys of parents/guardians, what are the reasons their children do or do not attend preschool? How many of those whose children do not currently attend preschool would likely enroll their children if high-quality preschool were available and affordable?

E. What is the average total cost per child enrolled for each of the child care or preschool programs that receive government subsidies?

Section 4. A Voluntary, High-Quality Preschool Program for All Three and Four Year Old Children in Seattle . Because independent research demonstrates that a child's foundation for academic success begins well before kindergarten, public programs serving children before kindergarten should be focused on the most effective evidencebased practices for learning. To provide all Seattle children with the best possible tools for long-term success, public policy leaders should strive to close the preschool gaps in both enrollment and quality.

After the completion of the Gap Analysis (described in Section 3), the Council and OFE will consult with experts in evidence-based early learning programs, current providers of early learning programs and their representatives, the Seattle School District, and parents and guardians to gather perspective and recommendations for the design and implementation of the Seattle Program. The experts consulted should include, but not be limited to, an early learning professional possessing practical experience with evidencebased programs designed for English language learners as well as an academic researcher with extensive training and experience in evaluation and assessment methods used for early learning programs.

The Council requests that OFE and, if OFE so chooses, with the assistance of independent consultant(s) with early learning expertise, present to the Council by April 18, 2014 a single written action plan ("Action Plan") with proposed parameters for a voluntary high-quality preschool program open to all three and four year old children in Seattle that incorporates evidence-based practices as articulated by the National Institute for Early Education Research and the November 2011 "Final Recommendations" of the Washington State Early Learning Technical Workgroup. The Action Plan will address and make recommendations related to the following:

A. Coverage. Confirm the feasibility of funding a voluntary high-quality preschool program in Seattle with the following "universal" coverage:

1. Free tuition and support for households earning 200% or less of the Federal Poverty Level (200% FPL for a family of four in 2013 is $47,100) and a sliding scale of fees for households earning above 200% of the FPL (the higher the household income, the higher the financial contribution from the household) or a similar subsidy structure.

2. High-quality preschool for all four year olds in Seattle as the first phase and a second phase of providing high-quality preschool to all three year olds.

3. The Program should include flexibility to implement the second phase more quickly if significant non-City funding becomes available for programs considered by the City to be highquality. For example, if the federal government or the state government provides sufficient resources for a high-quality program serving all four year olds in Seattle, then Seattle's Program could shift automatically to serve three year olds.

B. Evidence-Based Practices for High-Quality. The quality standards of the Program shall be consistent with the November 2011 "Final Recommendations" of the Washington State Early Learning Technical Workgroup and the National Institute of Early Education and Research (NIEER). The Action Plan shall include specific recommended standards a service provider must meet and maintain in order to receive funding that may become available through the Program, including:

1. Provider/Operator Eligibility.

2. Classroom Hours Per Day, Per Week, and Per Year.

3. Class Size.

4. Teacher/Child Ratio.

5. Teacher Qualifications, Credentials, and Compensation.

6. Ongoing Professional Development for Teachers.

7. Curricula that reflect evidence-based practices, which are likely to include purposeful play-based learning and social-emotional development that lay a lasting foundation for strong future academic and life achievement.

8. Family Engagement: Evidence-based strategies to support ongoing meaningful engagement of parents/guardians in each child's education.

9. Health: Additional services from the Program to support child development such as health screenings for vision, hearing, dental, immunizations, nutrition, and mental health.

10. English Language Learners: It is important that the high-quality Program be provided in a culturally appropriate manner, particularly for children whose primary language is not English.

11. Additional Challenges: Additional services from the Program, such as home visitation and other forms of support, should be considered for children facing additional challenges such as those with developmental disabilities, household income below the Federal Poverty Level as well as those who are homeless or from immigrant or refugee families.

C. High Quality Average Cost Estimates

1. Recognizing that costs vary depending on many factors, such as barriers to enrollment and socioeconomic conditions, what is the estimated total investment per child, on average, needed to provide high-quality preschool in Seattle at a level sufficient to produce the positive, longlasting outcomes as determined in part by independent researchers such as those at the National Institute for Early Education Research?

2. Based on input from the early learning provider community, what would they need to improve access to high quality early learning?

3. For each of the existing programs noted in the Gap Analysis, what is the estimated cost to raise the level of quality, to the extent practicable, to the level of quality as determined in subsection (C)(1) above and what is the estimated cost, considering any likely increases in the City's population, to enroll the estimated number of un-enrolled three year olds and four year olds in Seattle?

D. Process for Funding and Administration. The Council intends that:

1. OFE will award funding to service providers based on the quality and effectiveness of the proposed preschool services, use of evidence-based practices, the provider's ability to track and report outcome data, and participation in Washington State's Early Achievers program. In measuring outcomes, OFE will make appropriate adjustments for preschools that specialize in serving children with additional challenges, such as those described in Subsections B(10) and B(11) above.

2. OFE will coordinate the funding and administration of the Seattle Program and all other city programs with existing State and federal programs currently serving three and four year olds in order to increase, where necessary, the quality of those Stateand federally-funded programs to the same quality level of the Seattle Program.

3. OFE will be responsible for coordinating the Program with other local, state, and federal early childhood programs and services as well as with the Seattle Public Schools to ensure alignment and continuity of early childhood experiences and successful transitions from infant and toddler programs into preschool and into kindergarten, as well as data sharing and data system integration, referrals for children and families with special needs, and alignment of curriculum.

4. The Action Plan shall include other recommendations, as necessary, for the funding and administration process.

E. Phase In. The Council intends that:

1. The Action Plan shall recommend how the Program will be phased in to allow a reasonable amount of time to build capacity for providers and, if necessary, to identify additional facilities throughout the City. This shall include recommendations for how Program funds could be used to assist existing providers in enhancing their delivery of early learning services to improve child outcomes.

2. The Action Plan shall include recommendations for when the phasing would be considered complete and the program deemed to have achieved the goal of offering voluntary high-quality preschool to all three and four year old children.

3. The Action Plan shall include recommendations for how to prioritize children on a waiting list for the Program.

4. The Action Plan shall include other recommendations for phasing in the Program, but any new preschool not currently receiving government funding will be required to meet the standards of the Program immediately upon receiving funding.

F. Outcome Goals, Benchmarks, and Evaluation. The Council intends that the Action Plan will also include recommendations related to:

1. Baseline data to be collected;

2. Long-term outcomes expected and the associated theory of change for achieving those outcomes;

3. The indicators and benchmarks the providers and City will measure to ensure positive results are being achieved.

4. A system to allow for feedback and improvement.

5. A specific and overarching evaluation strategy that incorporates evaluation at the outset to ensure rigorous and credible evaluations that can be conducted to assess both implementation and impact. Evaluations shall be conducted by experienced and independent evaluators approved by the City Council which will enable the Seattle Program to serve as an evidence-based, national model that could lead to voluntary high-quality preschool programs in cities throughout Washington State and the nation.

6. A plan for obtaining upfront and ongoing parent/guardian opinions and perspective to provide OFE with input and feedback from families on the quality and variety of early learning services offered by the Program so OFE can make improvements, as needed.

Section 5. Estimated Costs and Options for Funding .

A. Cost Estimates. Based on the Program parameters recommended pursuant to this Resolution, the Council requests the OFE to estimate the costs of the Program. The Action Plan should assume sufficient funding for independent evaluations which, when combined with the City's administration costs for the Program, does not exceed 15% of the total Program.

B. Funding Options. The Council requests that the OFE recommend to the Council options for funding the Seattle Program, such as funding from the City's General Fund, fees, a local property tax levy lid lift, and/or other innovative funding options, including a calendar for implementing those options in a timely manner.

Adopted by the City Council the ____ day of ____________________, 2013, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this________ day

of ______________________, 2013.

_________________________________

President ___________of the City Council

Filed by me this ____ day of ________________________, 2013.

____________________________________

(Seal) Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk

Attachment A: Key Sources of Information (for reference purposes only)

Pedersen/CM Burgess LEG Preschool for All Work Plan RES September 18, 2013 Version # 3