6.4 Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines

Lead Agencies must develop, maintain, or implement early learning and developmental guidelines appropriate for children from birth to kindergarten entry. Early learning and developmental guidelines should describe what children should know and be able to do at different ages and cover the essential domains of early childhood development, which at a minimum includes cognition, including language arts and mathematics; social, emotional, and physical development; and approaches toward learning. 6.4.1 Early learning and developmental guidelines a. Check the boxes below to certify the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines are: i. [x] Research-based. ii. [x] Developmentally appropriate. iii. [x] Culturally and linguistically appropriate. iv. [x] Aligned with kindergarten entry. v. [x] Appropriate for all children from birth to kindergarten entry. vi. [x] Implemented in consultation with the educational agency and the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body. vii. If any components above are not checked, describe: NA b. Check the boxes below to certify that the required domains are included in the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines. i. [x] Cognition, including language arts and mathematics. ii. [x] Social development. iii. [x] Emotional development. iv. [x] Physical development. v. [x] Approaches toward learning. vi. [ ] Other optional domains. Describe any optional domains: vii. If any components above are not checked, describe: NA c. When were the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines most recently updated and for what reason? The Office of Head Start is currently the lead on development and updates for the Early Learning and Development Guidelines. The Idaho Early Learning Guidelines were revised in 2020-2021 and are reviewed every 5 years. d. Provide the Web link to the Lead Agency's early learning and developmental guidelines. https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/about-idaho-early-learning- eguidelines 6.4.2 Use of early learning and developmental guidelines a. Describe how the Lead Agency uses its early learning and developmental guidelines. The state of Idaho created the Idaho Early Learning eGuidelines, the latest set of high quality, research-based Idaho early learning standards for children from birth through kindergarten. The latest revision of the eGuidelines (2019-2020) are a culmination of a two-year study and revision process by a statewide team of early childhood experts, professionals, and higher education faculty. The eGuidelines provides a common language and framework for discussing and describing young children's typical growth. The eGuidelines are used to guide policy, pre-service and in-service development, and best practice at all levels of early childhood. These eGuidelines have been adopted as Idaho's Early Learning Standards for Idaho's Special Education Preschool programs. In addition, they are carefully aligned with Head Start/Early Head Start School Readiness goals, and the Head Start Early Learning Framework. The eGuidelines offer guidance on child development from birth to kindergarten for schools, Head Start programs, parents, child care providers, and professional development organizations. In addition, the eGuidelines expand and support the K-12 Common Core Standards by addressing early social and emotional development and approaches to learning and cognitive development through the primary grades. These address key developmental issues that are necessary for successful learning and are used extensively by our early special educators in the development of individual education plans. Each domain addressed in the eGuidelines specifically highlight "Supporting Individual Differences, Languages, and Diversity" noting that cultural and linguistic experiences shape development, Caregiver Strategies offer guidance on cultural variations in behavior and language. These guidelines were vetted through the Idaho Child Care Program Advisory Panel. Through the support of the Early Childhood Coordinating Council (EC3) and the Head Start Collaboration office, collateral products were developed for infants and toddlers and for preschool aged children. These materials were disseminated to child care providers across the state by IdahoAEYC and Child Care Resource and Referral staff. IdahoSTARS approved training are required to reference the Early Learning eGuidelines and trainers include the connection of their training to the eGuidelines during their presentations. The intention is to help build capacity of child care providers to access the online tool when planning their classroom activities. b. Check the boxes below to certify that CCDF funds are not used to develop or implement an assessment for children that: i. [x] Will be the primary or sole basis to determine a child care provider ineligible to participate in the CCDF. ii. [x] Will be used as the primary or sole basis to provide a reward or sanction for an individual provider. iii. [x] Will be used as the primary or sole method for assessing program effectiveness. iv. [x] Will be used to deny children eligibility to participate in CCDF. v. If any components above are not checked, describe: NA 7 Quality Improvement Activities The quality of child care directly affects children’s safety and healthy development while in care settings, and high-quality child care can be foundational across the lifespan. Lead Agencies may use CCDF for quality improvement activities for all children in care, not just those receiving child care subsidies. OCC will collect the most detailed Lead Agency information about quality improvement activities in annual reports instead of this Plan. Lead Agencies must report on CCDF child care quality improvement investments in three ways: 1. In this Plan, Lead Agencies will describe the types of activities supported by quality investments over the 3-year period. 2. An annual expenditure report (the ACF-696). Lead Agencies will provide data on how much CCDF funding is spent on quality activities. This report will be used to determine compliance with the required quality and infant and toddler spending requirements. 3. An annual Quality Progress Report (the ACF-218). Lead Agencies will provide a description of activities funded by quality expenditures, the measures used to evaluate its progress in improving the quality of child care programs and services within the State/Territory, and progress or barriers encountered on those measures. In this section of the Plan, Lead Agencies will describe their quality activities needs assessment and identify the types of quality improvement activities where CCDF investments are being made using quality set-aside funds.