Classroom reading at Bunche Elementary

Overview

The Office of Innovation and Early Learning administers discretionary grant programs that support innovations and early learning programs.

Selected Responsibilities

The office administers programs that are designed to:

• create, implement, replicate, or scale evidence-based innovations to improve student achievement for high-need students; and rigorously evaluate such innovations;
• develop the non-cognitive skills of middle-grades students to increase student success; and
• promote school readiness and improved learning outcomes for young children from low-income families who live in impoverished communities by providing high quality professional development programs to improve the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators and caregivers  in communities with high concentrations of children living in poverty.

Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge 

In January 2023, during his Raise the Bar remarks, Secretary Cardona elevated the importance of early learning and the Department’s two track approach: to expand access to high quality preschool and ensure kindergarten is a sturdy bridge between the early years and early grades.

The Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge agenda, as detailed in the Secretary’s 2023 Back to School Bus Tour remarks, the Department's September 2023 Press Release and related Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Dear Colleague Letter, prioritizes meeting the needs of our young learners and kindergarten as a key inflection point for their early school success.  The Department continues to build support, momentum, and sustainability for the Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge two track agenda. 

Guidance

February 26, 2024 - The Department released non-regulatory guidance, Serving Preschool Children Through Title I, Part A) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to help states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools leverage Title I funds to expand access to preschool and enhance program quality. The revised guidance provides actionable information on how LEAs can utilize Title I, as well as other federal funds like Title III and IDEA Part B, to reach more children.

Dear Colleague Letters

February 26, 2024- The Department released the Early School Success Dear Colleague Letter emphasizing the importance of preschool, kindergarten and the early grades highlighting the release of the revised Title I updated guidance on preschool.

February 26, 2024- In partnership with the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development, US Department of Health and Human Services, the Department released a joint Dear Colleague Letter on Mixed Delivery Preschool coinciding with the release of The Early School Success Dear Colleague Letter (above) and revised Title I preschool guidance.

September 7, 2023- The Department released the Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Dear Colleague Letter emphasizing the importance of kindergarten and announcing the launch of the Kindergarten sturdy Bridge Learning Community.

Joint Policy Statement of inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Preschool Programs 

November 28, 2023: The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services partnered with the Administration of Children and Families to release the Joint Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Preschool Programs.

Technical Assistance

Comprehensive Centers to be awarded by September 30, 2024, will include: 

The Center for Early School Success  will provide universal, targeted, and, as appropriate, and in partnership with Regional Centers, intensive capacity-building services designed to support SEAs and LEAs to implement comprehensive and aligned preschool to third-grade (PK–3) early learning systems in order to increase the number of children who experience success in early learning and achievement, including by increasing the number of children who meet challenging State academic standards; supporting effective transitions to kindergarten; partnerships with parents and families on everyday school attendance; and developmentally informed and evidence-based instructional practices in social and emotional development, early literacy, and math. The Center will support the selection, implementation, and scale-up of programs, policies, and practices, informed by research on child development, that can strengthen the quality of PK–3 learning experiences and support social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.

The Center on English Learners and Multilingualism will provide universal, targeted, and, as appropriate and in partnership with Regional Centers, intensive capacity building services designed to support SEAs and LEAs to meet the needs of English learners beginning with early language acquisition and development, meet the needs of English learners with disabilities, and increase access to high quality language programs so that they, along with all students, have the opportunity to become multilingual.

Student Engagement and Attendance Center 

The Student Engagement and Attendance Center (SEAC) facilitated a series of webinars focusing on attendance in kindergarten.  The SEAC Learning Series 2-Promoting Attendance Early: Absenteeism in Kindergarten and the Early Grades reached 325 unique participants representing 44 States and territories. Session topics and related information can be found here.

Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community 

The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNCCH) facilitated the Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community providing support and technical assistance to state education agencies and leaders. The program provided monthly learning community meetings for both state and local education leaders.

Transforming Kindergarten Collaborative 

WestEd facilitated a 12-month learning community, the Transforming Kindergarten Collaborative, through which states engaged in monthly peer-to-peer learning opportunities and individualized coaching to address problems of practice related to kindergarten transitions and developmentally appropriate practice. WestEd produced a number of resources including a series of case studies, online resources guide and Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Kindergarten Observation guide for SEAs and LEAs. 

Additional Technical Assistance Sessions

June 27, 2023: Family Engagement to Support Kindergarten Readiness and Early School Success webinar

June 14, 2023:  Lessons from the Field Webinar - Kindergarten as a Sturdy Bridge: Transforming the Kindergarten Year

February 9, 2023:  Raise the Bar Session 5 – Literacy and Math Series—Session 5: Policy to Practice & Early Learning for Academic Recovery Webinar

Discretionary Grants

Many Departments discretionary grants included early learning focused priorities in support of early school success including: 

Teacher Quality Program (TQP)

Teacher Quality Program 2024 included Invitational Priority 2—Supporting Early Elementary Educators and School Leaders. Projects that include professional development programs, professional learning communities, and peer learning collaboratives to support elementary educators and school leaders in meeting the wide range of developmental strengths, needs, and experiences of students at kindergarten entry through the early grades with a focus on one or more of the following strategies: (a) Intentional collaboration for systemic alignment for continuity of services, supports, instruction, relationships, and data sharing across K–2; (b) Effective and intentional transitions into kindergarten and through the early grades; (c) Instruction informed by child development and developmentally informed practices; (d) Partnerships with parents, families and caregivers to allow successful family engagement and everyday school attendance. 

Comprehensive Literacy State Development Program

Comprehensive Literacy State Development program (CLSD) FY 2024 included the Invitational Priority:  Supporting Effective Transition Practices, Continuity of Services and Supports, and Aligned Instruction, Including for Students from Preschool and Other Early Childhood Settings into Kindergarten; from Kindergarten into the Early Grades; and in Elementary and Secondary Education. Projects that— (a) Include developmentally appropriate practices that support cross sector collaboration and family engagement across early learning and early elementary grades to support continuity of relationships and services from preschool through grade three, including practices that promote strong foundational literacy skills that undergird early literacy and early math success; (b) Increase and improve educational opportunities for students and promote academic recovery through aligning the instruction between preschool and grade three and supporting educators and school leaders.

Full-Service Community Schools

FY 2023 Full-Service Community Schools included the Invitational Priority:  Supporting Effective Transition Practices, Continuity of Services and Supports, and Aligned Instruction for Students from Preschool and Other Early Childhood Settings into Kindergarten and from Kindergarten into the Early Grades (K–3). The Secretary is particularly interested in projects that include policies and procedures informed by developmentally appropriate practices that support cross-sector collaboration and family engagement across early learning and early elementary grades to support continuity of relationships and services from preschool through grade three, designed to lead to increased and improved educational opportunities for students, and include implementation of one or more of the following: (1) early learning through early elementary grades instructional alignment and educator and school leader support to promote academic recovery; (2) promotion of effective and informed attendance strategies in early learning and the early elementary grades; and (3) capacity building to promote effective family engagement for students in early learning and the early elementary grades.

Early Learning Newsletter

ED's Early Learning newsletter provides monthly updates to subscribers on early learning initiatives led by the Department and partners across other federal agencies and in the field. The newsletter features important resources for a wide range of stakeholders. 

Contact Information

Jamila Smith, Director

Office of Innovation and Early Learning

U.S. Department of Education, OESE

(1) 202-453-5563

Jamila.Smith@ed.gov