SFUSD program intervenes early to keep kids out of special ed for behavior

Missing days at school, even when excusable, starts children on a pattern of falling behind. A new U.S. department of education initiative has districts tracking all absences, even in kindergarten, to identify and help kids with chronic absenteeism sooner.

Across the country, colleges and universities are changing their SAT policies and becoming test-optional campuses. That means they don’t consider test scores in their admissions process. In Washington, six universities have made the transition. Supporters say the move is meant to increase diversity and make admissions more accessible. Studies show mixed results on whether it works, but at some universities like the University of Puget, there was an increase in the students of color admitted.

Schools in the Richardson Independent School District of Texas are updating the methods and measurements they've used to identify gifted students. One way is by testing all second and sixth graders in the district, which helps diminish implicit bias coming from teachers who may discriminate against certain students. Students' scores are also being judged differently by comparing them against others from similar backgrounds, from within their own school, and nationally.

Outdoor schools are growing in popularity, but don't often reflect the diverse communities they serve. Two outdoor schools, one in New Mexico and the other in Washington state, are implementing programs and strategies to address the root of this systemic issue. Tiny Trees Preschool in Seattle has found success through its Redefining The Outdoors program, which gets more families of color involved in the outdoors, and by offering tuition assistance to families of color and those facing economic hardships.

With $14 million in public and private funding, Cleveland transformed its early childhood education offerings in just five years. The partnership called PRE4CLE provided intensive support and funding for staff education and salaries, curricula, classroom supplies, renovations, and more.

In Washington D.C., public preschool teachers are paid similar salaries to public elementary school teachers and each pre-K site receives Head Start funding. The system, which starts with three-year-olds, is getting early results.

Recognizing the barriers posed by lack of access to adequate transportation, a preschool in Portsmouth opened a second location next to the Housing Authority's Gosling Meadows neighborhood. “If you build it, they will come,” one teacher said. “Well we built it, and they came.”

A comprehensive effort by civic and business leaders to expand access to preschool education in Charlotte-Mecklenburg county resulted in a property tax that pays for high-quality preschool. The program is now serving over 600 students in 33 pulic pre-K classrooms.

Philadelphia looks to Oklahoma and New York City to close the achievement gap for kids from low-income areas. Both Oklahoma and NYC have implemented universal Pre-Kindergarten programs and have increased kindergarten readiness levels for children attending pre-school -- including children from disadvantaged communities that otherwise would not be able to attend.

Gus the Bus, Magic Bus, El Busesito, and other traveling classrooms are working to fill the persistent preschool gap in Colorado's childcare deserts. Most days the mobile preschools park near apartment complexes or mobile home parks and offer instruction to neighborhood children. In the coming years, providers hope to be able to use the same quality ratings as stationary schools and expand from rural areas into Denver and other urban centers throughout the state.