Partnership Established to Ensure District of Columbia Children are Ready for School
CONTACT: Washington, D.C.—The Early Childhood Excellence in Teaching Partnership—a unique partnership of local universities, city government, public schools, and private philanthropy—has recently been launched in response to the large number of children in the District of Columbia who enter kindergarten unprepared for academic success. The partnership’s mission is to increase children’s school readiness through enhancing the capacity of pre-K and pre-school teachers by providing them with evidence-based learning opportunities. “The central element of children’s success in school is the quality of the teaching they receive in early education,” Barbara F. Kamara, administrator of the District of Columbia’s Department of Human Services Early Care and Education Administration, said in joining the partnership. “This partnership brings to the table the resources and expertise necessary to create a system for the delivery of high quality professional development to ensure that our children receive the high quality teaching they need and deserve,” Kamara said. The U.S. Department of Education recently awarded Georgetown University a $4.5 million grant to support this major partnership with the University of the District of Columbia’s Early Childhood Leadership Institute, the District of Columbia’s Department of Human Services Early Care and Education Administration, District of Columbia Public Schools, and CityBridge Foundation. Internationally renowned experts Sharon Ramey, Ph.D., and Craig Ramey, Ph.D., who direct the Georgetown University Center on Health and Education—housed at the School of Nursing & Health Studies within Georgetown University Medical Center—serve as co-principal investigators on the grant. “The long-term objective is to improve classroom instruction and support increased learning in young children so they will enter kindergarten with high levels of language and early literacy skills,” Sharon Ramey said. The Rameys will collaborate closely with two longtime champions of early childhood education in the District of Columbia: Barbara Kamara and Maurice Sykes, executive director of the Early Childhood Leadership Institute at the University of the District of Columbia. “The CityBridge Foundation is committed to making the District of Columbia a destination for talent in early childhood education,” said Katherine Bradley, president of CityBridge. “The Early Childhood Excellence in Teaching Partnership is crucial to this effort.” Child Trends will document the activities of this partnership and measure the degree to which it benefits teachers and children. Using a scientifically rigorous design, Child Trends will track teacher knowledge, teacher skills, and classroom performance, as well as the progress children demonstrate in language and early literacy, which leads to successful transition to school. Professional development for pre-K teachers and teaching assistants will include:
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