More than 120 Communities Commit to Ambitious Plans to Improve Early Literacy
DENVER — Spurred by a reading crisis for American students, more than 120 cities, counties and towns have submitted ambitious and sustainable plans to get students on track for grade-level reading by the end of third grade. The localities that submitted plans by Monday's deadline are now part of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading network, which will provide access to experts, policymakers, and foundations investing in early literacy. Many of the plans will also serve as... ... More »

Online Filing System Now Up and Running
Are you hard at work at your Community Solutions Action Plan for the All-America City Award and Grade-Level Reading network? You can now start filing your application on line with the CSAP online filing system. (Navigate to the online filing system by clicking the link above or by typing this website address into your browser:https://www.wizehive.com/appform/login/aacapp2012) After logging in, you will have the option to either upload your application as a file or to write the application... ... More »

President Obama’s Budget and Early Learning
President Obama released his fiscal year 2013 budget proposal last week that includes increased funding for early education and child health. While much of the new money requested would go to higher education, early learning receives some attention. The President proposes an $85 million increase in funding for Head Start and a $300 million increase for child care quality improvement. Another Race to the Top competition will be on the way – the Department of Education... ... More »

Ed Dept. Official Embraces Birth-to-8 Continuum
The U.S. Department of Education embraces the goal of ensuring more children learn to read by the end of third grade as part of its broader effort to create a “true cradle-to-career continuum,” said Jacqueline Jones, Senior Advisor for Early Learning to the Secretary of Education. “We’re doing everything we can to build a strong foundation from birth to preschool, and then we’re looking for ways to improve kindergarten through third grade,” Jones said Thursday on... ... More »

PreK-Third Grade Number One Education Trend in 2012
The Campaign has long proclaimed the importance of aligning prekindergarten instruction and curriculum with what’s taught in the primary grades. Now a respected education research organization has declared PreK-third alignment the No. 1 policy area to focus on in 2012. A new report from the Education Commission of the States predicts which issues have the most potential to effect change this year. The report, “12 for 2012: Issues to Move Education Forward in 2012,” emphasizes that... ... More »