Mapping Collier County: an Early Learning Systems Landscape Analysis
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Mapping Collier County: An Early Learning Systems Landscape Analysis A REPORT FOR FUTURE READY COLLIER Lastinger Center for Learning UNIVERSITY of FLORIDA Underwritten by: Created by: University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning and The Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies Proudly Commissioned and Underwritten by: Founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival Suggested Citation for this report: Rodgers, M.K. & Poekert, P. (2019). Mapping Collier County: An Early Learning Systems Landscape Analysis. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida. Contents Introduction ..........................................................................1 Building Lasting Partnerships. .4 Why a Landscape Analysis?. 4 Executive Summary ...................................................................6 Phase 1 Findings: Previous inputs and research. .7 Phase 2 Findings: Current data gathering and stakeholder input ..........................7 Phase 3 Findings: Case study analysis to determine common levers of change .............8 Background ..........................................................................9 Glossary. 11 Methodology and Limitations ...........................................................13 Data Collection ...................................................................13 Data Analysis .....................................................................14 Limitations .......................................................................15 Phase 1: Key Findings from Previous Work and Inputs (2013-2017) ...........................16 Phase 2: Key Findings from Current Data Gathering and Stakeholder Input (2017-2018). .19 Geographic Data Mapping (2018) ....................................................19 Key Perceptions from Early Learning and Community Stakeholders (2018). 26 Phase 3: Case Study Analysis to Determine Common Levers of Change .......................30 Sustainable funding for early learning quality improvement: Miami’s Children’s Trust Thrive by 5 Quality Improvement System (2018) ..............................................30 Parent Partnership, Engagement and Leadership: Boston’s Thrive in 5 Initiative (2008) ...................................................................34 Alignment of systems’ objectives, activities, resources, outcomes and measures: Kent County’s Great Start Collaborative Strategic Plan for Early Childhood (2015-2018) ...........37 Discussion ...........................................................................41 Investigation and Analysis: Current Findings ...........................................42 Recommendations ....................................................................44 Example Strategies of Implementation. .47 Implementation Timeline and Structure ...............................................49 Connections and Conclusions. 51 Resources ...........................................................................52 References ..........................................................................53 Appendix A: Map 1 ....................................................................55 Appendix B: Map 2 ....................................................................56 Appendix C: Map 3 ....................................................................57 Appendix D: Map 4 ....................................................................58 Appendix E: Map 5 ....................................................................59 Appendix F: Map 6 ....................................................................60 Appendix G: Map 7 ....................................................................61 Appendix H: Geographic “hot spots” from Analysis ........................................62 Appendix I: CCPS Kindergarten Focus Group Protocol ......................................65 Appendix J: Future Ready Collier Network Structure Chart ..................................66 Introduction Coordinated, community-based early childhood systems connect many types of services, supports, and opportunities for young children and their families, often from the prenatal period through third grade. When these systems function well, they can enhance the effectiveness of programs and services in the community, while ensuring better experiences for children and families, and improving outcomes such as school readiness and optimal child development (Center for the Study of Social Policy, 2017). However, coordination, coherence, and documentation of indicators, outcomes, and impact of systems-level activities is an ongoing challenge for communities investing in this powerful work to align resources, connect systems and build infrastructure. Since 2015, this community-based network has been facilitated by Champions For Learning (CFL), the education foundation for Collier County, with a longstanding role as a convener and leader in community engagement. The network partners have intentionally participated in Future Ready Collier (FRC), a network of more than 60 organizations, businesses, schools and community members that have vowed to engage in this collective challenge, and are working to ensure every child in Collier County, Florida, is ready for Kindergarten and beyond (Future Ready Collier, 2018). The network has been examining how to best support families with young children to improve early childhood outcomes. CFL has engaged partner organizations and stakeholders to align towards common goals, use continuous communication and reflection, create shared measurement metrics and indicators, and support mutually reinforcing activities to ensure the following early learning priorities are met for Collier County’s children: Engage families with tools and resources to support the early development of their children Improve the quality of existing early childhood education providers Increase the number of high quality early childhood education spots available to low-income families Identify and/or develop appropriate data indicators for early learning goals and priorities. A strategic decision was made to invest in a planning process and landscape analysis to deepen understanding and build capacity for a systems framework to better leverage resources to support children (0-5 years old) to be Kindergarten-ready and successful in school and beyond, or “future ready.” This process has been generously funded by the Naples Children & Education Foundation. ©UF Lastinger Center 2019 1 Collier County Efforts Related to Early Learning 2005 The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) in partnership with the UF Lastinger Center, conducts a study on the needs and well-being of children in Collier County (Pemberton et al., 2005) and brings beneficiary organizations together to work collaboratively around strategic initiatives. 2010 NCEF trustees requested a follow-up study that updated, identified, and quantified the current conditions and needs of children in Collier County. This additional study, completed by the UF Lastinger Center in cooperation with NCEF, used the same metrics to describe and evaluate children’s service delivery systems, provided the most current data available on child wellbeing that could be shared with community leaders, reported on the community impact of NCEF strategic initiatives, and identified additional strategies and opportunities to improve the healthy development of all children in Collier County. 2015 The ongoing informal conversations between the Community Foundation of Collier County, Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, and Champions For Learning, became more formal and add Collier County Public Schools (CCPS), Naples Children & Education Foundation, and United Way of Collier County. These partners secured funding for capacity to collaboratively develop collective goals for Collier County in alignment with the regional FutureMakers Coalition. 2016 More than 35 organizations convened monthly for a year to engage in deep discussions about the shared goals and strategies that will move community results in Collier County, and decide to call this network Future Ready Collier. ©UF Lastinger Center 2019 2 2017 Four priority strategies for the Early Learning goal were determined, with priority teams designated to focus on these efforts. Hurricane Irma made landfall in Collier County, and post-storm, groups quickly reconvened to re-prioritize and stay on track. The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation funded and conducted a county-wide community assessment and report. The Naples Children & Education Foundation commissioned Civitas Strategies to conduct a final updated Study of Child Well-being in Collier County to comprehensively describe the most current conditions and needs of children using relevant data and child metrics. NCEF also wanted to identify opportunities to improve the physical, emotional, and educational lives of the county’s neediest children and adolescents, so this effort included an examination of the services and systems trying to meet the needs of Collier County’s children in poverty. 2018 Future Ready Collier partners increase to more than 60, aligning with and contributing to priority strategies. NCEF commissions UF Lastinger Center to examine early learning systems and structures based on previous research and metrics, and create a landscape analysis report to guide the construction of a Collier County Early Learning Framework that provides alignment and building of systems and capacity-building for high quality early learning in Collier County. ©UF Lastinger Center 2019 3 Building