STARTING STRONG: 

INCREASING PRESCHOOL 

QUALITY AND ACCESS

The Preschool Development Grants Program 

Summary Report

December 2019
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Table of Contents i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction.................................................................................................................................................................. ii

Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................................... iii

OVERVIEW OF THE PDG GRANTS PROGRAM AND GRANTEES .................................................................................... 1

The PDG Grant Opportunity..........................................................................................................................................1

Essential Elements of All PDG Programs.........................................................................................................................2

PDG GRANTEES ............................................................................................................................................................3

PDG Development Grantees..........................................................................................................................................4

PDG Expansion Grantees...............................................................................................................................................6

Common Implementation Strategies and Challenges Across PDG Grantees...................................................................9

FULFILLING THE PDG GRANTS PROGRAM GOALS .......................................................................................................13

Increasing Access to Quality Preschool.........................................................................................................................13

Serving Priority Groups of Children and Families..........................................................................................................14

Increasing Children’s Kindergarten Readiness ..............................................................................................................15

PDG GRANTEES’ PROMISING PRACTICES......................................................................................................................17

Professional Development ...........................................................................................................................................17

Inclusion and Supports................................................................................................................................................19

Partnerships with Families and Early Childhood Programs............................................................................................21

Birth-3rd Grade Continuum ........................................................................................................................................22

Program Evaluation.....................................................................................................................................................23

Sustaining the Promise of PDG....................................................................................................................................24

CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................................................26

APPENDICES:

APPENDIX A: PDG Program State Profiles

Two-page profiles highlighting salient data and project features for each State Grantee arranged alphabetically.

APPENDIX B: PDG State-Level Data from the Annual Performance Reports

B1. Number of PDG Supported Programs by Type of Settings

B2. Number of Eligible Children Served in PDG Supported Programs by Racial & Ethnic Categories

APPENDIX C: PDG Grants Program Resources

The titles of and links to a range of resources developed to support PDG Program implementation.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Introduction ii

INTRODUCTION

The Preschool Development Grants (PDG) Program represents one of the largest investments the federal government has made 

to increase preschool access and program quality. The PDG Program’s overall goal was to support the kindergarten readiness of 

four-year-old children. Approximately one billion dollars was awarded to 18 states in December of 2014 for a four-year period 

to expand access to quality preschool programs for children whose families’ incomes were at or below 200 percent of the 

federal poverty guidelines and who reside in state designated “high-needs” communities. These PDG grant awards concluded 

in 2018.1 The reach of the PDG grants went beyond creating and improving preschool “slots” to include comprehensive 

services for families, creating or enhancing states’ infrastructure, and building the capacity of the early childhood workforce. 

This report tells the story of the PDG Program and the experiences of the PDG State Grantees. It provides a summary of 

the PDG Grants Program, an overview of the State Grantees, a portrait of the children who participated, and highlights of 

grantees’ successes, accomplishments, and the promising practices emerging from their work. 

This report is organized into four main sections:

• Section I provides a brief description of the PDG Program and the grantees.

• Section II summarizes data from PDG grantees’ Annual Performance Reports (APRs). 

• Section III provides examples of PDG grantees’ emerging promising practices that can inform policymakers, administrators, and 

educators at the federal, state, and local levels. 

Collectively, the sections of this summary report document the journey, accomplishments, benefits, challenges, and the 

invaluable lessons learned by the first cohort of PDG Program grantees. 

This summary report is intended for a range of audiences. Foremost, this report fulfills the purpose of program implementation 

accountability, in addition to informing federal, state and local policymakers of the outcomes of the Preschool Development 

Grants investments. Also, it is intended for the eighteen PDG grantees to celebrate their accomplishments, recognize the 

progress made, and learn from each other. The achievements and promising practices summarized here can inform the Birth to 

Five grantees, early learning advocates and stakeholders, and the early childhood field in general. 

1

 Most grantees received a no-cost extension which enabled them to operate until December 2019.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Executive Summary iii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Eighteen Preschool Development Grants were awarded in December 2014. The stated purpose of the PDG Grants Program 

was to support state and local efforts to create and expand preschool opportunities for four-year-old children from families 

with low and moderate incomes. The PDG grant identified evidence-based characteristics of quality preschool grantees were 

required to meet in order to increase quality as well as access. Two categories of PDG grants were awarded: Development 

grants for states with no or small state preschool programs, and Expansion grants for states with more robust state preschool 

programs and/or systems. 

This report summarizes the progress the 18 PDG grantees made over the course of the four-year grant program and the impact 

they made on children, families, teachers and leaders, and their communities. Highlights of the PDG program’s impacts are:

• A total of 167,725 four-year-old children attended a quality preschool program.

• Children with the greatest needs (e.g., migrant families, in the child welfare system, homeless, reside on Indian lands) were 

prioritized and served. 

• A total of 30,581 children (18.2 percent) of enrolled children were identified as English learners.

• The overall percentage of children with disabilities served in inclusive PDG classrooms over the four years of the grant was 

approximately 8.5 percent which clearly exceeded the national percentage of 6.4 percent.

• State investments for quality preschool opportunities for four-year-old children were increased.

Families and their children benefitted from grantees’ PDG implementation. Two of the criteria for quality directly addressed 

families. Grantees were required to provide comprehensive services to children and their families directly or through 

partnerships with community programs. In meeting this requirement, PDG subgrantees reached out to their Head Start 

partners and various organizations to provide comprehensive wraparound services that supported children and their families. 

PDG also required intentional, culturally, and linguistically appropriate efforts to engage families in their children’s preschool 

programs.

The PDG built and strengthened the capacity of the states’ early childhood workforce and systems by implementing various 

strategies. These included:

• Providing high quality professional development experiences (e.g., workshops, institutes, communities of practice (CoP));

• Providing onsite coaching to teachers and, in some cases, leaders or teams;

• Funding scholarships and coursework in early childhood education that led to a credential and/or degree; 

• Developing workforce policies (e.g., pay parity with K-12 teachers, early childhood credentials); and

• Creating policies to align the 0-5 and K-3 early learning systems and ease transitions (e.g., aligned learning standards, 

developmentally appropriate practices).

The story of the PDG Program illustrates what a comprehensive approach to preschool education, a commitment to quality, 

and a substantial investment can accomplish. The PDG grant sparked several positive reforms grantees and subgrantees made 

at the classroom, program, and systems levels. Paramount among these accomplishments is serving children and families with 

the greatest need and the least access to a quality preschool program.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 1

OVERVIEW OF THE PDG GRANTS PROGRAM AND GRANTEES

The PDG Grant Opportunity

In 2014, the Preschool Development Grants (PDG) program, a new initiative with the goals of expanding access to preschool 

and improving the quality of existing preschool programs, was launched. It called for providing federal funding to enable 

children from low- and moderate-income families to attend preschool. In the following year, Congress passed the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-76) and appropriated $250 million to fund the new PDG program.2 This action 

established the PDG competitive grant program to serve four-year-old children whose families were at or below 200% of the 

federal poverty level (FPL) and who lived in a state designated “High-Needs Community” (HNC). 

On August 18, 2014, the PDG Notice Inviting Applications (NIA)3 was published in the Federal Register. The PDG grant 

program was to be jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services. All fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico were eligible to apply for PDG grants. The stated purpose of 

the PDG program was to “support State and local efforts to build, develop, and expand (quality) Preschool Programs so that 

more children from low- and moderate-income families enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and in life.”4 States were 

required to identify and target HNCs where they would develop or expand PDG funded preschool programs. Two categories of 

PDG grants were established: Development Grants for states with no or small state preschool programs, and Expansion Grants 

for states that had a robust state preschool program or had received a Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) 

grant. The distinctions between the Development and the Expansion grants under each of the three Absolute Priority areas are 

summarized in Table 1 on the following page.

The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services received a total of 36 proposals, 35 from states and one 

from Puerto Rico. A peer review process was used to rate all PDG proposals according to the specified evaluation criteria 

in the NIA. The highest ranked proposals in each of the three Absolute Priority categories were awarded grants. Eighteen 

PDG grantees were announced in December of 2014. Five Development grants were awarded to Alabama, Arizona, Hawaii, 

Montana, and Nevada. The 13 Expansion grantees were Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia. 

Congress provided funding for the first year of the PDG grant program, but continuation funding for the PDG grantees for 

the second, third and fourth year of PDG implementation was contingent on two conditions: (1) PDG grantees demonstrating 

that they were making substantial progress towards meeting the goals and objectives of the program, and (2) Congress 

approving the funds needed for each of the remaining three years of the grant in its annual budget. Congress passed annual 

appropriations of $250 million for PDG through the U.S. Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2014 (Title III of 

Division H of Pub. L. 113-76, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, 2015, 2016). The fiscal year (FY) 2017 appropriations 

were authorized under Every Student Succeed Act (ESSA), Title IX, Part B Miscellaneous; Other Laws, Section 9212. These 

appropriations were sufficient to fund all four years of the grant for the 18 PDG grantees. 

2

 Congressional Research Services, Preschool Development Grants (FY2014-FY2016) and Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Grants (FY2011-FY2013) 

https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20160907_R44008_5d813ffb87645fce1ff15092479f47428efee8a1.pdf

3

 Notice Inviting Applications: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-08-18/pdf/2014-19426.pdf

4

 Ibid.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 2

Table 1. Types of Preschool Development Grants

Development Grants Expansion Grants

Priority Absolute Priority 1 Absolute Priority 2 Absolute Priority 3

Purpose Build capacity to deliver and increase 

access to quality preschool programs 

in high need communities.

Increase access to quality preschool 

programs in high need communities.

Increase access to quality 

preschool programs in high need 

communities.

Eligibility Criteria States that have no or small (serving 

less than 10 percent of state’s fouryear-olds) state preschool programs, 

and have not received a RTT-ELC* 

grant

States that had been awarded an 

RTT-ELC grant

States with state preschool 

programs serving more than 10 

percent of the state’s four-year-olds 

and were not awarded a RTT-ELC 

grant

% Funds for 

Implementation

At least 65 percent to subgrantees 

for implementation

At least 95 percent to subgrantees 

for implementation

At least 95 percent to subgrantees 

for implementation

% Funds for 

Infrastructure

No more than 35 percent for 

state-level infrastructure and 

improvements

No more than 5 percent for 

state-level infrastructure and 

improvements

No more than 5 percent for 

state-level infrastructure and 

improvements

Date Must Begin 

Serving Eligible 

Children

By December 2016; before the end 

of Year 2 of the grant 

By December 2015; before the end 

of Year 1 of the grant

By December 2015; before the end 

of Year 1 of the grant

Number States 

Eligible/Applied 

Under Priority

15 states and Puerto Rico were 

eligible; eight states and Puerto Rico 

applied

20 states were eligible to apply 

under Absolute Priority 2; 18 states 

applied

15 states and the District of 

Columbia were eligible; nine states 

applied

* Note: RTT-ELC was a competitive grant program administered jointly by the Departments of Education and Health & Human Services from 2011-2017. 

Twenty states were awarded grants “to build statewide systems that raise the quality of Early Learning and Development Programs and increase access to 

high-quality programs for children with high needs, so that all children enter kindergarten ready to succeed.” https://elc.grads360.org/#program/about-rttelc

Source: Notice Inviting Applications: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-08-18/pdf/2014-19426.pdf

Essential Elements of All PDG Programs

The overall goal of the PDG grant was to increase access to quality preschool programs for four-year-old children from families 

with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The underlying assumption was that attending a quality 

preschool program would result in these target children being ready for kindergarten. The PDG grant defined “quality” in the 

NIA. All PDG proposals were required to describe how the state met the definition of “high-quality preschool programs” or 

include a plan for meeting these evidence-based essential elements.5

 During the implementation phase, PDG grantees could 

only “count” children who participated in preschool programs that included all of the essential elements summarized below: 

• Staff qualifications: PDG preschool teachers needed to have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree (BA) in early childhood 

education or a BA in a field in a state-approved alternative pathway, and teaching assistants needed “appropriate credentials”; 

• Professional development: Available for all staff;

• Staff ratio: A child-to-staff ratio of no greater than 10 to 1;

• Class size: A maximum class size of 20 children;

• Full-day program: PDG preschools needed to follow the public school calendar, Monday-Friday schedule, and the preschool 

session had to be no fewer than five hours per day; 

• Instruction and Curriculum: The instruction and preschool curriculum needed to be evidence-based, aligned with the state’s 

early learning and development standards, and developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate;

• Individualized accommodations and supports: These accommodations and supports would enable all eligible children, 

including those with disabilities, to access and participate in a quality preschool class;

• Staff salaries: Staff salaries had to be comparable to the salaries of K-12 teachers in local schools;

5

 Ibid.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 3

• Program evaluation: An evaluation that could provide actionable data for continuous program improvement had to be 

implemented;

• Comprehensive services for children: Wraparound services that met children’s learning and developmental needs across 

domains (e.g., health, mental health, nutrition) had to be offered onsite or through community partnerships; 

• Family Engagement: Providing robust, culturally, and linguistically appropriate family engagement opportunities was part of a 

high-quality preschool program; and

• Health and Safety: Preschool programs should follow evidence-based health and safety standards.

PDG GRANTEES

The 18 PDG grantees are identified in the map below as either PDG Development or PDG Expansion states. Seventeen of the 

PDG grants were awarded to state agencies responsible for early childhood education. In the case of Hawaii, the State Public 

Charter School Commission was the grant recipient. 

Figure 1: Map of PDG Grants Recipients

MT

NV

AZ

HI

LA

AR

IL

AL

TN

VA

NY

ME

MD

NJ

CT RI

MA

VT

Expansion State

Development State

PDG GRANT AWARDS

2014–2018

DEVELOPMENT GRANTEES

Alabama................$71,375,218

Arizona..................$81,375,127 

Hawaii ...................$16,256,586 

Montana................$41,375,218 

Nevada ..................$43,762,680

EXPANSION GRANTEES

Arkansas................$61,347,218

Connecticut...........$48,941,545 

Illinois....................$81,096,560

Louisiana ...............$33,281,953

Maine....................$15,800,020

Maryland ...............$61,375,120

Massachusetts .......$61,375,218

New Jersey.............$71,363,396

New York...............$100,453,326 

Rhode Island..........$19,761,049

Tennessee ..............$71,019,744

Vermont ................$25,363,067

Virginia..................$71,375,218 

TOTAL PDG FUNDING:

$976,698,263

Note: Total includes Supplemental Funds 

Source: U.S. Department of Education

When the PDG awards were made, 17 of the 18 recipients had prior experiences implementing state preschool (or PreKindergarten) programs serving either three- and four-year-olds or just four-year-olds. These programs served as foundations 

for PDG grant implementation. Montana, which did not have a state preschool program, relied on its experience implementing 

a federally funded Striving Readers Project to serve as a basis for its PDG program. Table 2 summarizes key details of the state 

preschool programs that existed in PDG states when they began implementing PDG. The percentage of children in the state 

population who participated in these state preschool programs ranged from a low of 3 percent to a high of 84 percent. The 

quality ratings of the state preschool programs ranged from a high of meeting all 10 National Institute for Early Education 

Research (NIEER) benchmarks to a low of meeting only four benchmarks.

Table 2. Status of State Preschool in PDG States When Awarded Grant: SY2014-15

 PDG Grantee State’s Preschool Program(s)

NIEER Quality 

Benchmarks 

Met in 2014–15 

(Out of 10)

Year 

Program 

Established

Percentage of state’s children 

enrolled by age

4-yrs-olds 3-yrs-olds

*Alabama First Class Pre-K 10 2000 12% NA

*Arizona First Things First (FTF)† 3 2012 6% 3%

Arkansas Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) 9 1991 39% 21%

Connecticut School Readiness Program (SRP) 6 1997 18% 8%

Child Day Care Contracts (CDCC) 6 1997 5% 1%
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 4

 PDG Grantee State’s Preschool Program(s)

NIEER Quality 

Benchmarks 

Met in 2014–15 

(Out of 10)

Year 

Program 

Established

Percentage of state’s children 

enrolled by age

4-yrs-olds 3-yrs-olds

*Hawaii HI Executive Office of Early Learning Public 

Pre-K Program

9 2014 2% NA

Illinois Preschool for All 8 2006 27% 20%

Louisiana Cecil J. Picard LA4 Early Childhood Program 9 2001 26% NA

Non-Public Schools Early Childhood 

Development

10 2001 2% NA

8(g) Student Enhancement Block Grant 8 1986 4% NA

Maine Maine Public Preschool Program 5 2007 36% NA

Maryland Maryland Pre-Kindergarten Program 8 2002 36% 5%

Massachusetts Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) 6 2005 3% 5%

Inclusive Preschool Learning Code 391 6 1985 4% 2%

*Montana No state preschool at time of PDG award

*Nevada Nevada State Pre-Kindergarten Program 7 2001 3% 1%

New Jersey Former Abbott Preschool Program 9 1998 22% 18%

Non-Abbott Early Childhood Program Aid 8 2004 6% 1%

Early Launch to Learning Initiative 8 2004 1% NA

New York Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program 7 1998 49% NA

Rhode Island Rhode Island State Pre-Kindergarten 

Program

10 2009 3% NA

Tennessee Tennessee Voluntary Pre-K 9 2005 19% 1%

Vermont Vermont Pre-Kindergarten - Act 62 4 2007 79% 22%

Early Education Initiative (EEI) 4 1987 5% 4%

Virginia Virginia Preschool Initiative 6 1995 18% NA

*PDG Development Grantee

†

FTF is a non-profit agency that receives state funding for preschool scholarships and other community-determined activities

Source: NIEER State of Preschool Yearbook 2015 http://nieer.org/state-preschool-yearbooks/the-state-of-preschool-2015

PDG Development Grantees

The PDG Development Grants were established specifically for states lacking a state preschool program or serving less than 10 

percent of the state’s population of four-year-olds. Several unique features were incorporated into the Development grants. 

First, grantees could use up to 35 percent of their grant for building their infrastructure in contrast to the Expansion grantees 

who were limited to spending only five percent on infrastructure. Additionally, Development grantees could wait up to one 

year before enrolling children; however, all five Development grantees elected to start enrolling children in the first year of 

their grants.6

 Brief summaries of the five Development grantees follow. For more detailed information about grantees’ PDG 

implementation (e.g., goals, characteristics, major accomplishments, promising 

practices) and performance data, refer to the grantee’s PDG profile in 

Appendix A.

ALABAMA

Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program was the platform for 

the state’s PDG grant. Since the First Class and PDG quality 

standards were aligned, Alabama could directly incorporate 

its PDG subgrantees into its First Class Pre-K model. During 

the grant period, Alabama served over 37,000 children in 23 

6

 Notice Inviting Applications: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-08-18/pdf/2014-19426.pdf

PDG Impacts...

“Our experience has been 

absolutely amazing. I am sad he is having 

to leave the amazing teachers who have cared for 

him like their own. But they have done a wonderful 

job of preparing him to enter kindergarten. I fully believe 

he is ready. He is already recognizing and reading words. 

Wonderful program, I could not say enough great things 

about it! I am very excited this is offered. I know it 

will help many children in the future.” 

Alabama Parent
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 5

HNCs. Alabama was able to successfully scale up its state preschool program and maintain quality. Among the state’s many 

accomplishments, two are especially noteworthy: (1) all First Class Pre-K teachers now have pay parity with K-12 teachers 

across all types of settings, and (2) all PDG funded preschool slots and quality elements were sustained after the grant funding 

ended. 

ARIZONA

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) did not operate a state preschool program. 

However, some children in the state received scholarships to attend preschool 

through First Things First (FTF), a statewide non-profit organization. ADE worked 

in tandem with FTF to provide over 3,000 income eligible children access to quality, 

full-day preschool. Many of the children who attended PDG funded preschools were 

English learners (i.e., 1,307 children or 42.5 percent of the total enrollment) and 

children with disabilities (i.e., 356 children or 11.6 percent). Arizona used PDG funding 

to strengthen the state’s early childhood workforce through multiple professional 

development opportunities and scholarships for early childhood education courses. 

PDG funds also were used to link preschool data to the state’s K-12 longitudinal data system. 

HAWAII

In 2014, Hawaii’s state legislature allocated $3 million to create a state-funded 

preschool program that met all 10 NIEER quality standards. However, the state 

preschool program did not extend to the state’s public charter schools. Hawaii’s PDG 

grant, which was awarded to the Commission for Public Charter Schools, sought to 

balance this situation. Hawaii’s implementation design called for setting up preschool 

classrooms in charter schools and enrolling children in stages. In the first grant year, 

only four charter schools opened preschool classes, but by the third year,18 preschool 

classes of which seven are in Hawaiian language immersion schools were enrolling 

eligible children. Throughout the grant, the PDG leadership worked on sustainability. They were rewarded when the state 

legislature approved state funding to continue the PDG funded preschool classrooms.

MONTANA

Montana was one of only seven states in the nation not offering any type of statefunded preschool; the PDG grant ushered in state preschool. The PDG grant 

was jointly administrated by the Governor’s Office, the Office of Public 

Instruction (OPI), and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). 

Montana served over 3,000 children and families. Montana grouped its 

24 subgrantees into three cohorts based on their level of readiness to 

meet PDG standards. Montana’s Head Start programs located on Indian 

Reservations received targeted onsite coaching, financial support, and 

ongoing professional development that enabled them to meet the PDG 

quality standards and better serve children and families. All subgrantees 

received targeted onsite support in the development of system-wide 

infrastructure, family engagement and outreach, and goal setting for continuous 

improvement.

NEVADA

Over the four years of Nevada’s PDG grant, more than 8,000 children and their families 

benefitted from PDG supported full-day preschool and comprehensive services. 

More children and families will continue to have access to preschool thanks to 

the Nevada legislature which, earlier this year, appropriated funding for Nevada 

Ready! Preschool. The PDG grant had other impacts as well. It supported 

development of a Birth-12th grade state longitudinal data system, established 

onsite instructional coaching, and promoted the inclusion of children with 

disabilities. Nevada’s PDG preschools are located in public schools, Head Start, 

childcare centers, charter schools, and faith-based early childhood programs. 

PDG Impacts...

“It’s a great thing. I 

wish every kid could go to 

PreK. It helps them get prepared 

and work on skills. It’s a big plus to 

be able to attend. They learn shapes 

and even shapes I don’t know. And 

they learn colors and all the 

basic stuff.” 

Arizona Parent

PDG Impacts...

“PDG is a game 

changer... an important step 

toward raising awareness regarding 

how important [Pre-K education] is 

for Hawaii’s children.”

Education Administrator 

from Hawaii

PDG Impacts...

“It was a great experience 

for our daughter to get her ready 

for kindergarten and she learned a lot.”

“It has been an amazing jumpstart for our 

child who is special needs—astounding!”

“He improved as a person, problem solving 

skills, socializing was/is very important to us.”

“Attending all day has helped him prepare 

for kindergarten; also helped his speech 

tremendously.”

Montana PDG Parents

PDG Impacts...

“Because of PDG, we are 

involved in the Quality Rating and 

Improvement System and [get] lots 

of teacher professional development. 

We also have an instructional coach 

working with the teachers.” 

School Principal, Nevada
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 6

PDG Expansion Grantees

The main goals of the PDG Expansion grants were for states to expand their state preschool programs to reach more children 

in high needs communities, and to improve state preschool programs to meet PDG quality standards (e.g., full school-day, 

teacher with a BA, comprehensive services, family engagement strategies). 

Brief summaries of the 13 Expansion grantees follow. To view more detailed information about grantees’ PDG implementation 

(i.e., goals, characteristics, major accomplishments, promising practices, performance data), refer to grantees’ PDG profiles in 

Appendix A.

PDG Impacts...

“The PDG funds...enabled

Arkansas..to support partnerships 

across settings serving children birth to 

grade three, promote optimal professional 

development for preschool staff, enhance 

early childhood instruction, increase access 

to and number of high quality preschool, 

and support statewide infrastructure.”

State Administrator 

in Arkansas

ARKANSAS

The foundation for Arkansas’ PDG program was its Arkansas Better Chance 

(ABC) state preschool program for three- and four-year-old children. Arkansas’ 

goals for the PDG grant were to increase access to the ABC program and to 

improve its quality. Arkansas’ PDG supported programs enrolled over 11,000 

income eligible four-year-olds in nine high-needs communities across the 

state. In addition to increasing preschool access and quality, Arkansas’ PDG 

grant also supported development of the Arkansas Child Development and 

Early Learning Standards Birth through 60 months. Family engagement was a 

special focus area of Arkansas’ PDG efforts.

CONNECTICUT

Connecticut used its PDG Expansion grant to add required PDG quality elements to 

its existing preschool program and to expand access to income eligible four-yearolds in 14 high-needs communities across the state. All PDG supported classroom 

teachers received individualized coaching, family engagement support, and professional 

development. Teachers participated in the Early Childhood Consultation Partnership 

(ECCP), a mental health model consisting of three types of supports. Connecticut also implemented the Parent Teacher Home 

Visiting (PTHV) model, a research-based, high impact family engagement strategy. 

PDG Impacts...

“PDG has made a

difference in how prepared our 

children are for kindergarten.”

School Superintendent in 

Connecticut

PDG Impacts...

“The Preschool Expansion

Program has made a tremendous impact 

on the Dolton 149 school community by 

allowing us to reach those hard to find children. 

We have been able to provide more children a highquality learning experience and environment to 

ensure they are ready for Kindergarten.”

Early Childhood Principal

Illinois

ILLINOIS

Illinois’ PDG grant was used to enhance and expand its part-day state 

preschool program into the full school-day Preschool for All Expansion

program. The PDG supported programs served nearly 16,000 children 

over four years. They also provided comprehensive services to children 

and families. PDF funds helped Illinois develop a Family Engagement

and Communication Tool and embed Instructional Leaders and Family 

Educators into subgrantees’ staff structures. Illinois’ PDG grant supported 

subgrantees’ implementation of the Pyramid Model and Mental Health 

Consultation model in the hopes of reducing suspensions and expulsions in 

early childhood settings.7

LOUISIANA

Louisiana’s PDG goals were to expand quality preschool opportunities 

in 17 high-needs communities and to provide families access to their 

choice of quality preschool programs. PDG funded “seats” were 

largely located in childcare centers working in partnership with local 

school districts or charter schools. In addition to expanding preschool 

access and choice, PDG supported the development of a Birth to 

Kindergarten Career Pathway, shared professional development 

opportunities for preschool and kindergarten teachers, and ongoing 

job-embedded coaching. Louisiana also used PDG funding to support its 

7

 PDG Grantee Abstract – Illinois: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/ilpdgabsfinal.pdf

PDG Impacts...

“The Rapides Parish Early

Childhood Community Network 

benefitted tremendously from the PDG 

opportunity afforded to us the past four years. 

The addition of 100 preschool seats allowed us to 

partner with early learning centers and Head Start 

to serve low-income children and their families in 

a diverse delivery setting.”

Administrator, Early Childhood Community 

Network in Louisiana
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 7

Local Community Networks, a coordinated enrollment system, and an outcomes-based program “report card” that holds local 

leaders accountable.8

PDG Impacts...

“I really cannot believe

the growth we’ve seen over the 

years of this grant. The longer days 

allow for children to have more exposure 

and get kindergarten ready. We see it in 

the fall Brigance scores but it’s carried 

over into the classroom.”

Kindergarten Teacher

Maine

MAINE

Maine’s Public Preschool Program (PPP) requires teachers to have an early 

childhood teaching license and it provides instructional coaches to support 

preschool teachers. These elements and others were incorporated into the 

state’s PDG Expansion preschool programs. Maine used its PDG funds to expand 

access to PPP in eleven high-needs communities. Interagency coordination and 

collaboration with key partners such as Head Start, local childcare programs, and 

the state’s Home Visiting program are hallmarks of Maine’s PPP and PDG programs. 

MARYLAND

Maryland’s Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) Program was the appropriate 

foundation for its PDG Expansion grant since it included several 

components required by the PDG grant (e.g., teachers in public and 

nonpublic Pre-K programs have salary parity with K-3 teachers); 

however, the Pre-K program is only part-day. The full school-day PDG 

program became known as Pre-K Plus. Pre-K Plus provided preschool for 

a total of over 15,000 children and their families. These families received 

comprehensive services through a partnership with the Judy Centers. In 

2018, the Maryland legislature signed HB 1415 into law, which provides state 

funding for preschool beginning in FY2020. It will sustain Pre-K Plus at the FY2019 level when the PDG grant ends. 

PDG Impacts...

“I feel the Pre-K Plus program

helped my son and was very beneficial 

in order to prepare him for Kindergarten. 

My son was able to attend school all day and 

learn math [and] literacy skills. He was also able 

to socialize with other children his age. The 

teachers were very supportive and did an 

amazing job.”

Parent in Maryland

PDG Impacts...

“Our presence in the

community became known for offering 

opportunities to children who would otherwise not 

have been in preschool. Many of our families were those 

that came from refuge families and would not qualify for 

services through a typical program. We became the stepping 

stone in getting them acclimated to formal education 

and...getting parents to feel secure in being active 

participants in their children’s education.” 

Local PDG Lead 

in Massachusetts

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts used an innovative approach to implement its PDG 

Expansion grant. It required school districts in the five highneeds communities – Boston, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, 

and Springfield – to form partnerships with community early 

childhood programs (e.g., Head Start, childcare centers) in 

order for the community programs to provide PDG funded 

preschool programs and services. The goal of this model was 

to substantially increase public school-community partnerships. 

Massachusetts also opted to prioritize enrolling income eligible 

four-year-olds who had not previously attended any type of early 

childhood program. In FY2019, the state legislature passed the Community 

Preschool Partnership Initiative which is modeled on PDG and funds continuation of some of the PDG-funded preschool slots.

NEW JERSEY

New Jersey used its PDG grant to bring the state’s high-quality preschool 

program model (i.e., the Abbott Preschool Program) to 19 high-needs 

communities. Many components of the state’s preschool program were 

aligned with PDG requirements, including salary parity with K-3 salaries 

for teachers and teaching assistants across all preschool settings. PDG 

funded “master teachers” who provided onsite instructional coaching. 

Over the grant period, New Jersey’s PDG program served more than 

7,000 children and their families, and exceeded its enrollment targets 

every year of the grant. In the last year of the PDG grant, the state 

legislature appropriated funding to sustain the PDG preschool slots after the 

grant ends. 

8

 PDG Grantee Abstract – Louisiana: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/lapdgabsfinal.pdf

PDG Impacts...

“I have been a preschool

special education teacher for 10 

years and I always taught self-contained 

rooms. When I had the opportunity to teach 

a [PDG] classroom and saw my seven special 

education students’ growth it changed my entire 

perspective on inclusion. I had never seen 

almost all my students be declassified before 

kindergarten.”

Early Childhood Special Educator

New Jersey
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 8

PDG Impacts...

“Our Pre-Kindergarten

program has grown from five 

half-day classrooms to 32 full-day 

three-year-old and four-year-old 

classrooms spread throughout the 

city under the direction of eight 

community-based organizations.”

Pre-Kindergarten Administrator

New York

NEW YORK

New York’s PDG grant supported five high-need communities representing a 

mix of urban and rural communities to create new preschool opportunities and 

improve existing preschool programs. Over the four years of the PDG grant, New 

York served more than 9,500 children and their families. New York used its PDG 

funds to increase the inclusion of children with disabilities, and further the state’s 

Pre-Kindergarten to 3rd Grade (P-3) initiatives such as aligning the state’s P-3 

standards and developing print and video resources for educators on developmentally 

appropriate P-3 instructional and assessment practices. New York has committed to 

sustaining the PDG-funded slots after the end of PDG grant funding.

RHODE ISLAND

Rhode Island braided PDG funding with its state Pre-K funding to substantially 

increase access to preschool in seven HNCs. The Pre-K/PDG program used a 

mixed delivery model of Head Start, public schools, and community early 

care and education programs. PDG funded onsite coaching support, the 

development of courses on the state’s Early Learning Standards, a graduate 

certificate in Early Childhood Leadership, and piloted the Inclusive Classroom 

Profile. The PDG grant also enabled the state to extend its state longitudinal data 

system to include children 0-5 years of age. Rhode Island confirmed that the PDGfunded preschool slots will be sustained after the grant ends.

PDG Impacts...

“Preschool prepared

Madison for kindergarten..She left 

preschool knowing how to write, count, 

spell, read and interact with her peers. 

She began kindergarten with a strong 

foundation...”

Parent in Rhode Island

PDG Impacts...

“[T]he Preschool Development

Grant afforded 760 Shelby County 

families the opportunity to experience high 

quality Pre-K. Additionally, enhancing Pre-K 

classrooms in more than 30 childcare centers across 

the county was indeed beneficial to our community. 

Without PDG funds, many Shelby County fouryear-olds would not have started kindergarten 

ready to learn.”

Early Childhood Manager

Tennessee

TENNESSEE

Tennessee’s PDG grant served nearly 18,000 children and their families 

in two large high-need communities, Metropolitan Nashville and a 

consortium of school districts in Shelby County. PDG state level 

activities included onsite tiered practice-based coaching, a coach 

specifically for supporting English language learners, and hiring 

Family Involvement Specialists and Family Service Workers to support 

families directly. PDG funded Principal Early Learning Summer 

Institutes, conferences for Pre-K through second grade teachers, and a 

Family Enrichment Center. 

VERMONT

Vermont’s PDG program incorporated several features of its existing 

universal state Pre-K program (e.g., mixed delivery model, teacher with an 

early childhood educator license, alignment with the state’s early learning 

standards, formative child assessments), but it expanded the 10-hour per 

week program to a five days per week, school-day schedule. Additionally, 

teachers in PDG subgrantee Head Start and childcare centers saw their salaries 

increased to bring them in line with the local public school P-3 teachers’ 

salaries. PDG funds supported mapping early childhood data elements to the state’s 

longitudinal data system. Some of Vermont’s PDG grantees were able to sustain the full-day Pre-K slots PDG created.

PDG Impacts...

“With the assistance of the

PDG over the four-year period, we are 

now able to offer eight full time preschool 

programs in our five schools. All schools can 

serve all preschool aged children -- we no longer 

have waiting lists or numerous families who 

cannot attend due to the limited hours.”

School Administrator

Vermont

PDG Impacts...

“We love the preschool program...I

noticed the growth in her social skills and vocabulary 

almost immediately after beginning school. At her kindergarten 

orientation we were told the expectations for knowledge prior to 

starting and I felt so relieved when I saw that they are all the things 

she is already learning in her preschool!”

Parent, Virginia’s VPI+ Program

VIRGINIA

Virginia based its PDG-funded preschools on its 

existing state preschool program, the Virginia 

Preschool Initiative (VPI) program. However, since 

several enhancements were added, it was labeled 

VPI+. The VPI+ “add-ons” were to implement 

research-tested curriculum and professional 

development opportunities, establish community 
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 9

partnerships to provide children and families with comprehensive services, and create “effective pathways” to engage families. 

The PDG grant supported improvements to the state’s longitudinal data system and it supported subgrantees in the use 

of formative and summative assessments. Virginia served over a total of 13,000 children and families, and it exceeded its 

enrollment targets every year of the grant. 

Common Implementation Strategies and Challenges 

Across PDG Grantees

Despite differences in scope, geography, funding amounts, and primarily urban or rural environments across the PDG 

Expansion and Development grantees, they tended to implement similar strategies. These common strategies included datainformed individualized coaching for preschool teachers and, in some cases, educational leaders; employing a “mixed delivery 

model”; requiring programs to participate in the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS); and adopting similar 

tools for assessing child progress and program quality. Table 3 below provides an overview of the characteristics of the PDG 

preschool programs, both the required PDG elements and promising practices some grantees opted to incorporate. Brief 

descriptions of these common strategies and practices, as well as some of the common implementation challenges grantees 

encountered are presented.

 Table 3. Characteristics of PDG Preschool Programs: An Overview

Required PDG Quality Elements

Element Characteristic of:

Teachers must have the minimum of a BA in early childhood education.

Quality professional development opportunities must be provided to staff.

A staff-child ratio of no greater than 10 children per adult is required.

The total number of children in a single class may not exceed 20 children. 

PDG supported preschools must follow the public school calendar, operate no fewer than five 

hours per day, and meet Monday-Friday. 

The instruction and curriculum should be evidence-based, aligned with the state’s early learning 

standards, and developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate. 

Individualized accommodations and supports must be provided. Doing so will enable all children, 

including those with disabilities, to attend preschool.

All 18 PDG Grantees

Salaries for staff in PDG supported preschools must be comparable to the salaries of K-12 teachers 

in local schools.

Program evaluation that provides actionable data for continuous program improvement should be 

collected. 

Wraparound comprehensive services that meet children’s needs have to be offered onsite or 

through partnerships with community programs.

Programs must provide robust, culturally, and linguistically appropriate family engagement 

opportunities. 

Programs should follow evidence-based health and safety standards.

Optional Features

Practice Grantees:

Provided onsite coaching support to preschool educators AL, AR, AZ, HI, LA, ME, MD, 

MA, MT, NV, NJ, NY, RI, TN, VT, 

VA

Provided professional learning opportunities specifically for leaders (e.g., school principals, Head 

Start directors, childcare center directors) 

CT, HI, IL, MT, NJ, RI, TN, VA

Developed early childhood workforce competencies or other workforce policies AL, AR, CT, LA 

Funded early childhood courses to develop workforce AZ, HI, MT

Developed or aligned the state’s early learning standards, instructional practices, and/or 

assessments along the Birth-3rd Grade continuum

AR, MD, NV, NJ, NY, RI, TN, VT
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 10

Practice Grantees:

Focused on supporting children’s social and emotional development AL, CT, IL, NJ, NV, MT, TN, VT 

Developed policies and/or resources to facilitate preschool to kindergarten transitions CT, LA, MD, NY, RI, VT, VA

Established family engagement staff positions AR, CT, IL, MA, MT, TN, VA

Developed policies and/or resources to engage families in their children’s learning, development, 

and preschool program

AR, IL, NJ, TN

Provided a home visiting program CT, ME, VA

Established and/or maintained partnerships with Head Start to provide PDG supported preschool AL, AR, IL, MD, ME, MA, NJ, VT 

Supported efforts to integrate early childhood data into the K-12 State Longitudinal Data System ME, NV, RI, VT, VA

Sustained PDG-funded slots or elements of PDG program AL, AR, HI, MD, ME, NV, NJ, NY, 

RI, VT 

Common Implementation Strategies

Coaching

Classroom-based coaching is an essential strategy in a broader professional development system that can have lasting impacts 

on teacher practices and the quality of instruction children receive. It is a relationship-based process in which talented coaches 

make teachers feel valued, cared for, and willing to take risks to change their practices. Coaches foster teachers’ reflections on 

their practices and on their own learning.9

Nearly all PDG grantees established or enhanced a coaching system for preschool teachers and, in some cases, school leaders. 

In a PDG TA Promising Practices brief based on interviews with PDG program leaders, four themes on coaching emerged.10 The 

themes were: 

• Coaching strengthens preschool instruction

• Coaching supports educational leaders as well as teachers

• Data informs the focus and frequency of coaching interactions

• A tiered coaching model can heighten effectiveness 

Alabama’s Reflective Coaching (ARC) model encompasses several of the themes mentioned above. Montana’s coaching model 

includes a team that provides onsite instructional coaching as well as supporting subgrantees’ systems-wide infrastructure 

development, and family engagement and outreach efforts. 

Providing a Mixed Delivery Model

The delivery model PDG grantees used typically followed their state preschool model. Many grantees offered preschool 

through a “mixed delivery model” encompassing public schools, Head Start, and faith-based and non-faith-based community 

early care and education programs. There were a few exceptions. For example, Hawaii limited its subgrantees to public charter 

schools, and Virginia’s subgrantees were all school districts that could partner with Head Start and early childhood programs 

meeting the PDG and state preschool program standards. 

Two examples of PDG grantees implementing a mixed delivery model for preschool are New Jersey and Vermont. New Jersey 

used its PDG Expansion grant to provide quality preschool based on its successful Abbott Preschool Program in 19 school 

districts. The model includes Head Start, and community early childhood programs as well as public school districts. Vermont’s 

universal Pre-Kindergarten law, Act 166, stipulates that public schools, Head Start and community early childhood programs 

are all eligible to provide a preschool program if they meet the standards specified in the law. 

Applying Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)

Although not required by the PDG grant, many grantees’ PDG-supported preschool programs participated in the state’s 

Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) or Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS) if one existed (i.e., 

9

 Aguilar, E. (2013). How Coaching Can Impact Teachers, Principals, and Students. Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/coaching-impact-teachersprincipals-students-elena-aguilar

10 PDG TA (2016). Promising Practices: Coaching: https://pdg.grads360.org/services/PDCService.svc/GetPDCDocumentFile?fileId=27121
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 11

Connecticut had not yet adopted a QRIS at the time of the PDG grant). As with other shared strategies discussed here, if the 

state preschool program required participation in QRIS, the PDG supported programs tended to follow suit. In some cases, 

the state preschool program did not require public schools to go through the QRIS process, only community early childhood 

programs and possibly Head Start participated in the QRIS process. The reason for excluding public schools was often that 

most QRIS systems were not developed to accommodate the unique features of preschool classrooms in public schools. With 

support from PDG, Nevada solved this issue by designing a QRIS tailored specifically for public schools. 

Utilizing Child Assessment and Program Quality Measures

The themes of data and accountability run throughout the PDG-funded programs. All grantees adopted child assessments to 

measure progress and inform instruction, as well as tools to assess the quality of the preschool environment and teacher-child 

interactions. Many PDG states used Teaching Strategies GOLD (TS GOLD), a formative assessment based on observations 

and documentation, to measure child growth. A common measure of classroom quality across PDG grantees was the Early 

Childhood Environmental Rating Scale- Revised (ECERS-R) or the ECERS-3 version, and many PDG grantees used the Classroom 

Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) to measure the quality of the classroom climate and teacher-child interactions. 

The PDG grant required grantees to assess and annually report on the kindergarten readiness of the children who participated 

in PDG supported programs. There was greater diversity among the assessments used to measure kindergarten readiness than 

in measuring child progress. Some grantees relied upon their TS GOLD data which could be used to produce a kindergarten 

readiness score. Others used different tools such as the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning: Fourth 

Edition (DIAL-4). A few states developed their own kindergarten readiness assessments (e.g., Maryland, Virginia) or modified 

existing tools (e.g., Illinois, New Jersey). 

Common Implementation Challenges

In addition to common implementation strategies, some PDG grantees faced similar challenges which often morphed into 

opportunities and promising practices. A sampling of these common challenges is provided here.

Hiring Teachers with a Baccalaureate Degree

Hawaii and Arizona were two PDG grantees that reported having challenges finding a sufficient number of appropriately 

qualified preschool teachers. This situation was more prevalent in, but not exclusive to, rural areas. In response to this situation, 

Hawaii and Arizona used a portion of their PDG infrastructure and Supplemental funds to invest in the education of the state’s 

early childhood workforce by providing tuition-free courses leading to degrees and/or teaching certificates.

Enrolling Children with Disabilities

The PDG grant stipulated that children with disabilities should be included in the quality preschool classes supported by the 

grant. The percentage of children on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) had to be equal to or exceed the state’s overall 

percentage of children identified with disabilities or the national average of 6.4 percent, whichever was greater. PDG grantees 

were held accountable for demonstrating inclusion using this metric across all its subgrantees, and each subgrantee was 

required to match or exceed these rates as well. The income eligibility requirement of families’ income at or below 200 percent 

of the federal poverty level was not waived for children with disabilities. Some PDG grant managers found this requirement 

difficult to achieve.

To support PDG Grantees, the federal team and/or PDG TA specialists facilitated several conference calls with PDG state 

leadership teams, including the state’s Part B 619 coordinator, to explain the inclusion requirement, answer questions, and 

strategize how grantees could meet the requirement. At an Inclusion Peer Learning Exchange, Arizona shared how it is 

collecting and using data on inclusion to advocate for greater inclusion with school districts. In a PDG Grantee Quarterly 

Meeting webinar, Nevada shared the approach one of its subgrantees used to increase the inclusion of preschoolers with 

disabilities through collaboration, programming, and braiding funding streams. 

Recruiting and Reaching Target Enrollment Numbers

Some PDG grantees were unable to reach the overall enrollment targets they established in their proposals;11 the reasons for 

this varied across programs. Getting the word out about the availability of full-day PDG-supported preschool took some time. 

An uptick in the number of eligible children enrolled since the first year of the grant gives credence to this explanation. The 

11 2018 PDG Annual Performance Report Workbook Data: Unpublished
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Overview of the PDG GRANT PROGRAM and GRANTEES 12

grant manager from Hawaii attributed its slow progress in filling all preschool slots to cultural beliefs; some parents believe 

their young children should be home rather than attending school. A couple of grant managers reported that some families 

preferred a half-day rather than the full-day PDG program for their four-year-olds. 

On the other hand, five states – Arkansas, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, and Virginia – consistently met and exceeded their 

enrollment targets. This result was either from setting realistic targets in their PDG proposals and/or by using innovative and 

multifaceted outreach efforts. One example of a grantee being innovative is Virginia. The leadership team shared some of the 

innovative strategies they used to recruit and enroll eligible children in a PDG Grantee Quarterly Meeting webinar.

Scaling Up and Maintaining Quality

When Rhode Island and Alabama received their PDG grant awards, both were implementing small but high-quality state 

preschool programs. Although the infusion of PDG funds into their state preschool programs was certainly welcome, these 

grantees were faced with the challenge of scaling up and simultaneously maintaining the quality they had established. The 

accelerated growth resulting from the infusion of federal funding required careful planning. There was a need to build up the 

infrastructure that supported small state preschool programs (e.g., coaches, professional development, monitoring, recruitment 

of programs and of families). Both grantees were able to meet this challenge and maintain quality as evidenced by the 10 out 

of 10 benchmarks both states earned in the 2018 NIEER State of Preschool Yearbook.12

Striving for Sustainability

As part of the PDG proposal, applicants were required to discuss how they planned to sustain their work once the four-year 

grant funding ended. Despite grantees’ efforts at the start of the grant process and their sustainability work in subsequent 

years of the grant, sustainability challenged some grantees. PDG grantees spoke with state legislators, advocates and 

champions of state preschool programs to sustain PDG preschool quality and “slots.” However, the results of these efforts 

were mixed. 

Some specific areas that the PDG grant supported, and which proved challenging to sustain, were: 

• a full-day preschool when the state preschool program was only part-time,

• compensation comparable to K-3 teachers for PDG preschool teachers who worked in non-public school settings (e.g., Head 

Start, childcare centers, and private preschools), and 

• comprehensive services for children and families.

This overview of the 18 PDG grantees serves as a backdrop to the essential questions surrounding any grant program. Was 

the PDG investment effective? Did the PDG program meet its goals of increased access and quality improvements for state 

funded preschool programs? What were the results? Did families and children benefit? Will this initiative have lasting impacts? 

Some of these questions are directly addressed in the following section which focuses on the degree PDG grantees increased 

families’ access to quality preschool and the characteristics of the children who benefitted. It also examines the kindergarten 

readiness data of children who attended PDG-supported preschools. 

12 2018 NIEER State Preschool Yearbook: http://nieer.org/state-preschool-yearbooks/2018-2
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • FULFILLING THE PDG GRANT PROGRAM GOALS 13

FULFILLING THE PDG GRANTS PROGRAM GOALS

The primary goal of the PDG grant was to increase children’s access to a quality preschool education. It targeted four-year-old 

children from families with low- and moderate incomes (i.e., at or below 200 percent poverty) living in state-designated “highneeds communities.” According to data reported in the Annual Performance Reports (APRs) submitted by PDG grantees during 

the grant performance periods of 2015-2018, this PDG goal was fulfilled. The evidence for this conclusion is presented below. 

Increasing Access to Quality Preschool Beyond the Numbers...

“In the past, we always had

children on a waiting list for Pre-K, 

maybe a dozen children or more. For the first 

time ever, thanks to PDG, we do not have any 

children on the waiting list. Every child who 

wants Pre-K has been able to participate. We 

are extremely excited about that!”

Alabama Director of Instruction and 

Assessment

Over the four years of the PDG grant, a total of 167,725 four-year-old 

children whose families had incomes at or below 200 percent poverty 

and who were living in high-need communities attended PDG-supported 

quality preschool classrooms in 18 states. Enrollment numbers grew 

gradually but steadily over the four-year PDG grant period. In 2015, the 

first year of the PDG grants, 28,202 children were enrolled in a PDG class, 

but by the end of the fourth year, the enrollment was 52,717. Between 

the first and fourth year of the grant, 2015 and 2018 respectively, the annual 

enrollment increased by 24,515 children. The increase indicates that the total 

PDG enrollment nearly doubled (i.e., an increase of 87 percent). Thus, nearly 

twice as many children and families had access to quality preschool in year four of the 

grant as they did in the first grant year. Figure 2 depicts the total number of children served in PDG-supported programs by 

grant year and whether the slots were “new” or “improved.” “New slots” are designated as preschool seats funded by PDG, 

Head Start and PDG, or PDG and other funds, and which meet all PDG quality criteria. “Improved slots” are existing preschool 

seats funded by PDG and state preschool funds, and which meet all PDG quality criteria. 

Figure 2. Number of New and Improved Preschool Slots Supported by PDG Funds: 2015-2018

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

49,263

 26,888 

 26,325 

 22,938 

 23,276 

 14,267 

 16,594

 11,608

New Slots Improved Slots

52,717 49,263

28,202

37,543

Sources: Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2015, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 

2016, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2017, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2018

Beyond the Numbers...

“With our PDG funds and the work

our Director of Early Childhood is doing, we are 

not just serving nearly 200 more four-year-old children; 

we are ensuring that they are all receiving a high-quality 

Pre-K education. We want identical high-quality services for all 

of our Pre-K students.” School Superintendent, Arizona

“You cannot over emphasize the importance [of PDG. It provides]

everything that it takes to do a high-quality program, from 

assessments to professional development to retrofitting the 

classrooms to supplies, let alone the staff. Without PDG 

funding, some of the neediest schools would not have 

been able to establish well-supplied Pre-K 

classrooms.” Education Administrator, 

Hawaii

Enrollment Targets 

In addition to reporting the number of new and improved slots 

and eligible children served each year, PDG grantees compared 

their actual enrollment numbers to the annual targets 

they established. The importance of grantees meeting or 

exceeding their enrollment targets cannot be overstated 

since this statistic translates into the number of eligible 

children served. For example, Virginia exceeded its target 

by 20 percent in 2018 and served 2,917 children more 

than projected. Grantees’ success in meeting their targets 

varied. New Jersey and Virginia exceeded their targets all 

four grant years. Table 4 presents the PDG grantees who met 

or exceeded their enrollment targets by grant year. 
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • FULFILLING THE PDG GRANT PROGRAM GOALS 14

Table 4. PDG Grantees That Met or Exceeded Their Enrollment Targets

PDG Grantee 2015 2016 2017 2018

Alabama 

Arkansas  

Illinois   

Louisiana 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massachusetts 

Nevada  

New Jersey    

New York  

Rhode Island   

Virginia    

= Met or Exceeded Enrollment Target

Sources: Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2015, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2016, Preschool Development Grants 

Progress Update 2017, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2018

Serving Priority Groups of Children and Families

PDG programs prioritized serving children with the greatest need and possibly 

the least access to a quality preschool program. The children who 

benefited from PDG supported preschool included children with 

disabilities, children involved in the welfare system, and children 

whose families were homeless. Children who resided on Indian 

lands or whose families were migrants or in the military were given 

preference to PDG supported “slots.” English learners (or dual 

language learners) was the largest group of children enrolled under 

the high-needs categories (i.e., a total of 30,581 or 18.2 percent). 

Please refer to Figure 3 showing the number of children by high-needs 

categories served in PDG supported programs over the four years of the 

grant.

Beyond the Numbers...

“[PDG] has had a particularly

powerful impact on our families through 

the years, as the full-day program has allowed...

families to...obtain full-time employment [and] 

provide stronger financial support to the family.”

Principal, Illinois

“PDG has made a difference in how prepared

our children are for kindergarten.”

School Superintendent,

Connecticut

Figure 3. Number of Eligible Children Served in PDG Programs by High Needs Category: 2015-18 

English Learner

Reside on Indian Lands

Migrant Families

Military Families

In Child Welfare System

Homeless

5,286 7,582 8,246 9,467

178 331 431 

511

3,309

 2,126 3,082 3,451

225 376 948 

467

669 802 1,081 1,021 

134

 1,664 293 367

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000

2015

2016

2017

2018

Note: Duplicated counts: a child may be counted in more than one category.

Sources: Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2015, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2016, 

Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2017, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2018
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • FULFILLING THE PDG GRANT PROGRAM GOALS 15

Children with Disabilities

The PDG grant emphasized strengthening subgrantees’ capacity to support children with disabilities in inclusive preschool 

classrooms. PDG grantees were held accountable at the state and subgrantee levels for enrolling PDG eligible children who 

have disabilities. The PDG Grantees were required to meet the national level of 6.4 percent, or their state’s average of young 

children with disabilities, whichever was higher. 

Over the duration of the PDG program, the percentage of eligible children with disabilities enrolled in PDG supported settings 

significantly exceeded the national percentage. Figure 4 (below) depicts the overall percentage of children with disabilities 

across all grantees compared to the national percentage of young children identified as having a disability. It shows that PDG 

grantees exceeded the federal rate by a relatively consistent two percentage points each of the four years of the program. 

Figure 4. Percentage of Eligible Children with Disabilities Enrolled in PDG Inclusive Settings Compared to the 

National Average 2015-18

Percentage of children with disabilities in PDG

National percentage of children with disabilities

10%

8%

6%

4%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

8.48% 8.16% 8.77% 8.49%

Sources: Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2015, Preschool Development Grants Progress 

Update 2016, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2017, Preschool Development Grants 

Progress Update 2018

While the overall percentage of children with disabilities in inclusive PDG 

classrooms exceeded the national average, there was a good deal of 

variance across PDG grantees. The PDG states with the highest average 

rates of including children with disabilities in their PDG programs from 

2015-2018 were: Vermont (24.9 percent), Maine (16.1 percent), New 

Jersey (14.2 percent), Arkansas (12.6 percent), and Nevada (12.2 

percent). However, not all grantees were able to meet the national 

average or their state’s average. The number of grantees that met 

or exceeded the national average of 6.4 percent was: 12 grantees in 

2015, 11 in 2016, 14 in 2017, and 13 in 2018.

Beyond the Numbers...

“My child [has a special needs

diagnosis]. Her Pre-K classroom is full-day, 

five days a week and she loves it. She is doing 

great. We are working on a lot of different skills 

because even though she is smarter than a lot of kids 

her age, she is behind in other areas like language 

and social skills. There is a lot of support to meet 

her needs at the school. The teachers and even 

the principal work with us and her therapy 

takes place at the school.”

Montana Parent

Increasing Children’s Kindergarten Readiness

Research indicates that children who have one or two years of a quality preschool program are more ready for kindergarten.13

Did children who attended PDG supported quality preschool programs demonstrate higher levels of kindergarten readiness 

than their peers? This is a reasonable question to ask; however, the answer is incomplete due to several data-related issues.

PDG grantees were required to report the kindergarten readiness of children who attended their PDG grant programs in the 

2017 and 2018 Annual Performance Reports (APRs). Grantees were not required to use any specific measure of kindergarten 

readiness. They used the state’s kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) or a comparable measure if the state had not adopted a 

KEA. Consequently, many different measures were used to assess kindergarten readiness which makes cross-state comparisons 

impossible. Additionally, the timing of the kindergarten readiness assessment varied with some children assessed at the start of 

their kindergarten year, while others were assessed at the end of preschool by their preschool teacher.

13 Meloy, B., Gardner, M., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2019). Untangling the evidence on preschool effectiveness: Insights for policymakers. Palo Alto, CA: 

Learning Policy Institute.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • FULFILLING THE PDG GRANT PROGRAM GOALS 16

Grantees were not required to collect and report KEA results for children 

who did not attend their PDG programs. Hence, comparisons of PDG 

attendees with comparable peers (i.e., a control group) are not 

available. Furthermore, the quality and reliability of the data 

cannot be verified. The only reasonable comparisons that can be 

made are between the 2017 and 2018 data of each grantee.

The kindergarten readiness data for PDG grantees is presented 

in Table 5. Some grantees assessed all eligible children they 

served, while others only assessed a sample of the children they 

served. The method of data collection – all children or a sampling – is 

indicated in Table 5 along with the number of children assessed and 

the percentage of children identified as “ready” per the data reported 

in grantees’ 2017 and 2018 APRs. The caveats and data limitations 

presented above should be kept in mind when interpreting these data. 

Beyond the Numbers...

“I can definitely see a difference

in the cognitive and social readiness of the 

children who went to [PDG supported] preschool.”

New Jersey Kindergarten Teacher

“The [PDG] grant has had an incredibly positive

impact...Our Kindergarten Screening data show a 20 

percent increase in the number of letters students can 

identify and a 16 percent reduction in the number 

of students we are flagging for immediate 

intervention.”

School Administrator in Maine

Table 5. Percentage of Children Served in PDG Programs Who Are Ready for Kindergarten

PDG Grantees That Assessed All Children They Served by Reporting Year

2017 APR 2018 APR

Grantee

Actual number 

of children 

served

Number who 

are ready for 

kindergarten

Percent of 

children served 

who are ready

Actual number 

of children 

served

Number who 

are ready for 

kindergarten

Percent of 

children served 

who are ready

Alabama 13,327 9,996 75.0% 15,240 9,621 63.1%

Arizona 2,262 2,066 91.3% 2,872 2,364 82.3%

Arkansas 2,671 2,670 100.0% 2,785 2,785 100.0%

Connecticut1

Hawaii 117 101 86.3% 241 216 89.6%

Illinois 4,029 3,413 84.7% 4,029 804 20.0%

Maine 303 274 90.4% 464 284 61.2%

New Jersey 1,338 1,208 90.3% 1,929 1,236 64.1%

New York 2,371 1,472 62.1 Used Sampling

Rhode Island2 1,080 952 88.1%

Tennessee 4,228 1,989 47.0% 3,740 1,689 45.2%

PDG Grantees That Used Sampling by Reporting Year

2017 APR 2018 APR

Grantee

Actual number 

of children 

served

Number who 

are ready for 

kindergarten

Percent of 

children served 

who are ready

Actual number 

of children 

served

Number who 

are ready for 

kindergarten

Percent of 

children served 

who are ready

Louisiana3 1,275 525 53.7%

Maryland 3,530 1,367 39.1% 4,263 1,676 46.0%

Massachusetts 752 575 78.6% 763 488 76.2%

Montana 763 668 72.9% 1,000 783 74.5%

Nevada 953 794 59.7% 2,588 2,711 67.5%

New York Assessed All 2,371 1,991 72.1%

Vermont 341 148 70.9% 448 283 79.5%

Virginia 3,029 1,325 66.9% 3,454 1,398 63.3%

NOTES: 1 The Connecticut State Department of Education has not field tested its new KEA; therefore, data are not available.

2

 Rhode Island did not report kindergarten readiness data in its 2017 APR.

3

 Louisiana did not report kindergarten readiness data in its 2017 APR.

SOURCES: Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2018; Grantee 2017 APR Workbooks 
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • PDG GRANTEES’ PROMISING PRACTICES 17

PDG GRANTEES’ PROMISING PRACTICES

The PDG Grants Program increased children’s access to quality preschool opportunities and families’ access to comprehensive 

services. PDG funding also enabled grantees to develop or enhance policies and practices that have the potential to inform 

and advance the work of states, communities, and the early childhood field. A sampling of these “promising practices” is 

presented in this section of the report and organized around six categories: 

• Professional Development which includes coaching, cultivating leaders, and workforce policies;

• Inclusion of children with disabilities, and social and emotional supports provided all children;

• Partnerships with families and with early childhood education programs;

• Initiatives to support the Birth-Third Grade continuum;

• Program Evaluation; and

• Sustainability.

It should be noted that the examples presented do not in any way constitute a complete list of all the accomplishments PDG 

grantees had, nor are they limited to efforts supported solely with PDG funding. For a more complete listing of PDG grantees’ 

accomplishments and promising practices, please refer to the individual PDG State Profiles in Appendix A. 

Professional Development

Providing quality professional development opportunities was a key component of grantees’ PDG implementation. Professional 

development is a strategy used to enhance the knowledge and skills of teachers and leaders and, ultimately, promote children’s 

learning and kindergarten readiness skills. PDG grantees provided various types of professional development opportunities 

ranging from summer institutes and coursework, to CoPs. Coaching was one strategy nearly all PDG grantees provided. 

Coaching “capitalizes on a teacher’s growing expertise by providing [the teacher] opportunities to reflect on current practices 

and identify new areas of development.”14 PDG grantees implemented different coaching 

models although these diverse models included common elements such as:

• Enhancing teacher effectiveness as a goal,

• Implementing coaching interactions informed by child progress and

program quality data,

• Incorporating and nurturing reflective practice, and

• Supporting subgrantee leaders as well as teachers.

The coaching models Alabama, the Tennessee Metro Nashville Public Schools, 

and Montana employed are highlighted here.

“The coaching

program is right on target. The 

teachers have resources coming into 

their classroom every month, a different 

set of eyes, a different view on things. It is a 

very positive [process] and the teachers gain 

a lot from the Coaches. If we could replicate 

anything, I would love to replicate the 

coaching.”

Community Agency Director, 

Alabam

Alabama’s Reflective Coaching (ARC) Model was developed nearly 20 years ago. It is a tiered coaching system with three 

levels of intensity and support: full coaching, modified coaching, and supplemental coaching. The level of coaching support 

teachers receive is dependent on their individual needs. The Reflective Coaching Cycle includes joint planning, focused 

observations, consensus/action, reflection, and feedback. Each coach provides onsite coaching for up to 15 teachers. Coaches 

use an adapted version of the Devereau Reflective Checklist for Teaching Practices (DECA-P) to observe teachers (N.B., The 

DECA-P aligns well with the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale or ECERS). ARC relies on data from observations, data 

from formative assessments of child progress, and data from CLASS to focus teachers’ and coaches’ joint goal setting. While 

data are important in the ARC model, building relationships is considered paramount to successful coaching interactions. 

Alabama has made large investments in coaching and the ARC model. As of 2018, there were 91 coaches serving 18,756 

children statewide. An additional 14 coaches, specialized in supporting the implementation of the Pyramid Model for children’s 

social and emotional development are part of the statewide ARC system. 

14 PDG TA Center (2016). Promising Practices: Coaching. Promising Practices: Coaching
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • PDG GRANTEES’ PROMISING PRACTICES 18

Tennessee’s Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) developed the Reflective Coaching Framework. The Reflective Coaching 

Framework relies on three frameworks: 

• My Teaching Partner (Teachstone)

• Making the Most of Classroom Interactions (Teachstone)

• Professional Learning Communities

“The training

and skills received during their 

training made my preschool teachers 

second to none in their knowledge of 

early childhood development.”

As with Alabama’s coaching model, the Reflective Coaching Framework is School Principal, New Jersey

informed by data collected from CLASS and Teaching Strategies GOLD child 

progress assessments. Additionally, MNPS utilizes ECERS and the Teaching 

Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) to assess classroom environment and adult-child interactions. The results of these assessments 

guide observations. 

Montana’s coaching model adopted a more systems approach. Montana implemented a three-part coaching model that 

included a team of content-specific regional specialists, consultants, and instructional coaches. Members of the team focused 

on three broad areas: (1) supporting subgrantees’ development of leadership teams, (2) coaching to enhance instructional 

practices and classroom environments, and (3) supporting programs’ family engagement coordinators. This systems approach 

was designed to nurture the development of leaders, teachers, and key family engagement staff. The implementation of 

Montana’s model was made possible through the collaboration of the state’s PDG 

co-leads; the Office of Public Instruction provided the teacher and leadership 

coaching and the Department of Public Health and Human Services provided 

the family engagement coaches. 

“Our PD and

coaching is based on the concept 

of ‘connection before correction’ and 

the importance of establishing relationships 

before change is possible...teachers are 

beginning to feel they have more tools in 

their toolbox for hard-to-handle behaviors 

and have seen behaviors decrease 

throughout the year.”

Coach, Virginia

PDG professional development opportunities were not limited to teachers. 

Several PDG grantees provided leaders with coaching, institutes, and 

trainings. For example, Tennessee MNPS principals of schools with PDG 

classrooms attended a summer Early Learning Institute two consecutive 

years to learn about child development, developmentally appropriate 

teaching, early childhood environments, early learning standards, etc. 

These MNPS school principals established their own Professional Learning 

Community. To further support school principals’ understanding of early learning practices, MNPS developed a Walkthrough 

Tool aligned with the state’s Pre-K Expectations for principals to use at the start of the school year. 

Connecticut’s PK-3 Leadership Program is a credit-bearing leadership program that was collaboratively developed by 

the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, and the State 

Department of Education. OEC provided initial funding for this leadership program. The PK-3 Leadership Program is intended 

for school principals and superintendents, program coordinators including 

childcare directors, and teacher leaders. The PK-3 Leadership Program brochure15

for the 2020-2021 session provides additional details about this professional 

development opportunity.

“Over the past

four years, the staff...

have had..a variety of professional 

development workshops ranging from 

topics in social emotional development 

(Pyramid Model), classroom environment, 

DAP instruction, and the Intentional 

Teaching series.”

Principal, New York 

Hawaii’s annual P-3 Symposium for leadership teams from all PDG 

subgrantee charter schools employed a different approach to cultivating 

early learning leaders. Each charter school identified and sent a team that 

included the charter school’s principal/director, charter school governing 

board member, teacher leaders, family members, and community leaders to 

a one- or two-day session. Inviting a charter school’s leadership team as well 

as members of the community, faculty, and children’s families enables team 

members to learn jointly, support and learn from each other, share their perspectives, and raise any questions or concerns 

they have. The specific topics of each symposium varied to some degree. For example, the April 2016 symposium focused on 

the Family Partnership Framework. However, several symposia were devoted to understanding the P-3 approach, providing a 

review of relevant research, and fostering learning about P-3 implementation strategies. 

15 Connecticut’s PK-3 Leadership Program brochure is available at https://pk3leadership.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1258/2019/11/

Brochure-2020-2021.pdf
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • PDG GRANTEES’ PROMISING PRACTICES 19

Several PDG states enacted policies to strengthen their early childhood workforce. The workforce policies Alabama and 

Louisiana developed and/or implemented are spotlighted here. The Alabama legislature established pay parity for all First 

Class Pre-K preschool teachers, regardless of their teaching settings (i.e., private and public 

schools, Head Start, and childcare centers). Alabama credits the PDG grant with its 

pay parity requirement that preschool teachers are paid salaries comparable to K-12 

teachers as the impetus for its new policy. 

“The [PDG] grant

has given me the opportunity 

and incentive to further my 

education and to become a licensed 

teacher, which in turn has benefited the 

children enrolled in the program and 

the program itself.”

Teacher, Vermont 

Louisiana developed a Birth to Kindergarten Career Pathway to unify, align, 

and strengthen the birth to kindergarten (B2K) early childhood workforce 

system. In many states, the credentials required for teachers vary depending on 

the early childhood setting in which they teach. In Louisiana, teachers in childcare 

centers weren’t required to have any credentials to be a teacher. Louisiana 

developed a step-by-step career pathway16 which includes stackable courses that lead to a certificate, an associate degree, 

and a baccalaureate degree (BA). The first rung on the new career ladder is an Ancillary Teaching Certificate which is based 

on a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. With additional coursework and experience, teachers can obtain a B2K 

associate degree and then a B2K BA and teaching certificate after passing early childhood content and pedagogy exams. 

The courses are stackable so that the three CDA courses count towards the 10 associate and BA courses. Louisiana proposed 

requiring all childcare teachers in licensed, publicly funded programs to obtain a B2K Ancillary Teaching Certificate or higher.

Inclusion and Supports

One of the PDG elements of preschool quality is the inclusion of children with disabilities in PDG-supported classrooms. 

Federal and state laws protect the rights of young children with disabilities to participate in programs that are the child’s “least 

restrictive environment.” In 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services and the U.S. Department of Education (the Departments) issued 

a joint policy statement17 on increasing the inclusion of children with 

disabilities in quality early childhood programs. Beyond compliance 

with federal and state laws, including children with disabilities in 

quality preschool programs produces positive outcomes for children 

with and without disabilities. 

“The grant

impacted our special education 

preschool population. In our PDG 

classrooms we were allowed up to seven special 

education students. These students were previously 

in 2.5-hour self-contained programs. With the..PDG 

classrooms we were able to ensure [these] students 

were in their least restrictive environment and 

[could] socialize with their...peers..”

School Administrator, New Jersey

Overall, PDG grantees met the PDG criterion for inclusion by enrolling 

children with disabilities at the national average rate (i.e., 6.4 percent) 

or the state’s average, whichever was greater across all four years of 

their grant. Some PDG states far exceeded this criterion (e.g., Vermont 

at 24.9 percent, Maine at 16.1 percent, New Jersey at 14.2 percent). The strategies three PDG states – Nevada, Illinois, and 

Arizona – used to increase inclusion in high quality early childhood programs is discussed in this section.

“I have

been extremely pleased 

with the preschool program. My 

child, who is high functioning autistic, 

has blossomed in so many ways. She is 

more social, has more language skills, pursues 

more interests (like coloring and dress up) 

and is following directions more often than 

not. I feel very supported by the staff and 

feel that my child is a priority to all 

involved..”

Parent, Virginia 

Equipping teachers and administrators with knowledge of the research on inclusion 

and of quality inclusionary practices is a common thread among the professional 

development opportunities for subgrantees in Nevada and in many PDG 

states. Nevada established a statewide Community of Practice (CoP) on 

inclusion following a statewide conference on the topic. The CoP explored 

the Itinerant Special Education model which brings specialized services to 

children attending preschool with other children rather than requiring the 

child to attend a self-contained classroom. Funding can be a huge barrier 

to including children with disabilities in quality preschool classes. Nevada 

supported its subgrantees to appropriately braid special education funds and 

demonstrated the strategy to other PDG grantees. The state showed how to 

appropriately braid special education funds with PDG funds and other funding 

16 Louisiana Believes, Early Childhood Teaching Policies https://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/early-childhood/ecce-ac---12-8-presentationon-proposed-teacher-policies.pdf?sfvrsn=2

17 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Education, 2015. Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in 

Early Childhood Programs. https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/earlylearning/joint-statement-full-text.pdf
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • PDG GRANTEES’ PROMISING PRACTICES 20

sources to enable PDG eligible children with disabilities to receive the services they need while 

participating in a quality preschool program with their typically developing peers. “Our children

are socially as well as 

academically prepared for 

entering school.”

Preschool Teacher, Alabama

Illinois established the Award of Excellence (AoE) for the Inclusion of Children 

with Special Needs as a strategy for promoting inclusion and recognizing the 

quality inclusionary practices of early childhood programs. The state used PDG 

funds to support programs to meet the AoE requirements. To achieve the AoE, 

program administrators must demonstrate that they utilize practices which lead to 

the successful inclusion of children in natural environments and which engage families. They must also provide staff with 

professional development on high-quality inclusionary practices and collaborate with community partners. Early childhood 

programs benefit by the recognition the AoE bestows, but more importantly, children with disabilities and their families reap 

the benefits of participating in an inclusive, quality early childhood program.

Arizona implemented various strategies for increasing the inclusion of young children with disabilities in early childhood 

programs (e.g., professional development, onsite coaching and supports). Their efforts translated into an 11.6 percent 

inclusion rate in PDG supported programs in Year 4 of the grant. Arizona analyzed and reported statewide data on inclusive 

preschool classrooms. The results of these reports led to the creation of an Early Childhood Task Force on Inclusion involving a 

broad stakeholder group to collaboratively work on the goal of increasing the number 

of children with disabilities who receive services in inclusion classrooms. The Task Force 

worked on four strategies: (1) support school and family partnerships, (2) braid 

funding streams, (3) build awareness of inclusion through partnerships, and 

(4) offer professional development opportunities. The Task Force developed a

practice profile tool designed to improve partnerships between families and

“Students

were in classrooms that 

were receiving a substantial amount 

of support. Coaches, and behavior 

specialists helped children be successful 

in the classroom and helped teachers 

create trauma sensitive classrooms that 

supported many at-risk children.”

Local PDG Lead, Massachusetts 

educators.

While inclusion strategies seek to expand access, expulsion, and suspension 

policies seek to remove children who are already enrolled in early childhood 

programs. In 2014, the Departments issued a policy statement on Expulsion 

and Suspension Policies in Early Childhood Settings.18 To support families 

and programs, some PDG state grantees implemented policies and practices to keep children in preschool. Preschoolers 

are expelled at three times the rate of children in grades K-12 and the preschoolers who are expelled are overwhelmingly 

African-American and male.19 Expulsion has a disproportionately adverse effect on young children since the “early years set 

the trajectory for the relationships and success [children] will experience for the rest of their lives.”20 The root cause of many 

preschoolers’ expulsions is challenging behaviors. PDG grantees have sought to address expulsion in early childhood by 

developing policies designed to reduce or eliminate preschool expulsions and/or by 

implementing initiatives which support children’s social and emotional development 

and equip them to use appropriate behaviors. “The [PDG supported]

learning center teaches my 

daughter more than her ABCs and 123s. 

They teach her how to interact with other 

students. My daughter has learned how 

to behave, how to stand up for herself 

when something isn’t okay.”

Parent, Nevada

Both Illinois and Connecticut passed legislation related to expulsions in early 

childhood. In 2017, the Illinois’ legislature passed a law prohibiting the 

expulsion of children from state-funded programs for children from birth to 

age five. The law requires developing a plan for children exhibiting challenging 

behaviors, as well as a tracking system to gather information on the transitions 

children with challenging behaviors make. Connecticut’s 2015 law prohibits 

out-of-school suspension for preschoolers attending state-funded preschool 

programs, and only allows out-of-school suspensions for children in kindergarten to second grade in “rare situations.” 

Prohibiting expulsions is only a first step; the child, the child’s family, and the early childhood program staff need to be 

supported. Connecticut provided the Early Childhood Consultation Partnership (ECCP) to its PDG subgrantees. ECCP is an Early 

Childhood Mental Health Consultation program that includes consultation and training for teachers, engagement with the 

child’s family, capacity building, and treatment planning for individual children and their families.

18 U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (2014). Policy statement on expulsion and suspension policies in early 

childhood settings. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/policy-statement-ece-expulsions-suspensions.pdf

19 Gilliam, W. S. (2005). Prekindergartners left behind: Expulsion rates in state prekindergarten systems. Foundation for Child Development. Retrieved from 

http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/explore/policy_docs/prek_expulsion.pdf

20 U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014, Op. cit.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • PDG GRANTEES’ PROMISING PRACTICES 21

Vermont employed a systems approach to reducing children’s challenging 

behaviors through its Early Multi-Tiered System of Supports (eMTSS). The 

key components of the Early MTSS are: (1) strong system support, 

(2) provision of a high-quality inclusive setting, (3) well-designed

professional development, (4) and a comprehensive and functional data

system. Vermont collected data on the implementation of Early MTSS

and reported it has had a positive impact on children, teachers, and early

childhood programs.

“Through

the [PDG] grant we have been 

able to employ two part-time contracted 

coaches skilled in eMTSS, TPOT, and other best 

practices, along with building capacity in our 

program by training other teachers and special 

educators to also be eMTSS coaches.”

Early Childhood Coordinator, 

Vermont

Partnerships with Families and Early 

Childhood Programs

Collaboration and partnership are key elements of any well-designed system of early childhood programs and services. Two 

categories of partnership were evident among PDG grantees and their subgrantees. The first type was supportive partnerships 

with families, and the second type was the collaborative cross-sector relationships most PDG programs cultivated with other 

early childhood programs. 

The saying that “the parent is the child’s first teacher” encapsulates the important role families have in their children’s 

early learning and development. In recognition of the importance of family engagement, the Departments issued a policy 

statement, Family Engagement from the Early Years to the Early Grades.21 Grantees took different approaches in partnering 

with and engaging families, but all reflected the prominent role families play in their children’s lives. The approaches Arkansas 

and Connecticut used are highlighted here.

Arkansas’ approach to establishing partnerships with families included three interrelated efforts: (1) completing the Arkansas 

Family Engagement Framework guide in January 2016 and providing professional development on the guide; (2) employing 

ten qualified Family Engagement Specialists to strengthen subgrantees’ family engagement work, offer home visits, and 

support transition to kindergarten planning; and (3) creating pathways to the national Family Service Manager and Family 

Service Train the Trainer credentials. Arkansas’ multi-pronged family engagement approach addressed the current needs of 

PDG subgrantees and built the state’s capacity to fulfill the future needs of Arkansas’ Better 

Chance state preschool programs to support and authentically engage families. The 

value the Family Engagement Specialists added was verified by the results of a 

survey Arkansas conducted asking subgrantees to indicate which PDG-funded 

components they would sustain beyond the grant. Eight subgrantees said 

they had found ways to fund their family engagement specialist position; 

the other eight subgrantees indicated that they wanted to sustain the family 

specialist but were unable to find other funding sources at the time of the 

survey. 

Connecticut’s

“I’ve been

able to help rural, low 

income families overcome previous 

negative feelings about school and become 

more open with their child’s teacher, relaxed 

in the school building, and more supportive 

of their child’s education.”

VPI+ Family Engagement Coordinator, 

Virginia 

 strategy for enhancing partnerships with families was two-fold. 

First, the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood created a state level Family Engagement 

Specialist position to support subgrantees’ family engagement work. The Family Engagement Specialist convened quarterly 

meetings with all PDG subgrantees to share resources, provide TA, and enable subgrantees to learn from each other. Secondly, 

Connecticut adopted and promoted the Parent Teacher Home Visits (PTHV)22 model among its PDG subgrantees. The PTHV 

model consists of voluntary home visits teachers conduct twice a year. The first teacher visit is held in the summer or fall and 

focuses on the teacher getting to know the child and the family sharing its experiences, dreams and hopes for the child. The 

second visit occurs in the winter or spring and focuses on supporting the child academically. In between the two visits, the 

teacher and family engage in ongoing communications. Prior to going on any home visits, teachers receive three hours of 

training on conducting home visits in accordance with the PTHV model. Connecticut provided training to both preschool and 

kindergarten teachers. Research on the model indicates that it is a “transformative high-impact family engagement strategy.” 

In order to build capacity and sustainability, some educators completed the Train-the-Trainer sequence so they could provide 

PTHV trainings. Feedback from PDG subgrantees implementing PTHV were very positive and indicated they planned to 

21 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Education, 2016. Policy Statement on Family Engagement: From the Early Years 

to the Early Grades. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/earlylearning/files/policy-statement-on-family-engagement.pdf

22 For more information on the model, visit the PTHV http://www.pthvp.org/what-we-do/pthv-model/
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • PDG GRANTEES’ PROMISING PRACTICES 22

continue using the model to build partnerships with families after the end of PDG 

funding. “[With PDG

support] an overall total of 

107 additional early childhood staff have 

earned the Family Service Credential (FSC) 

certification in the state of Arkansas...Others have 

completed the Train-the-Trainer (TTT) FSC certification 

and are now certified trainers for this initiative 

enabling sustainability of this work for years 

to come.”

PDG Grant Manager, Arkansas

The aim of the PDG Grants Program was to supplement and 

not supplant existing early childhood programs. Many of the 

states utilized a mixed delivery preschool model that included 

partnerships with Head Start, child care centers, public, and 

private schools. At the local level, these partnerships led to greater 

coordination, more efficiencies by building on existing programs, 

and opportunities for sharing resources and expertise. Additionally, 

the mixed delivery model provided PDG eligible families with more 

choice of programs that could better serve their individual needs. A 

brief overview of Maine’s public school/Head Start partnerships and of Massachusetts’ community collaborations is provided to 

illustrate some promising practices in this area of partnerships. 

When Maine developed standards for its state preschool program, it required public schools seeking to open or expand a 

preschool classroom to first demonstrate they had coordinated with Head Start and other early childhood programs in the 

community and considered the needs of working families. This policy incentivized public schools to establish partnerships with 

local Head Start programs. These partnerships tend to be successful when the leadership of both partners “gets it” and there 

is regular and open communication, respect for what each entity brings to the table, and knowledge of braiding Head Start 

funding with state preschool and PDG dollars. A Memorandum of Understanding ensures all partners are aware and have 

agreed to the terms of the partnership. Local communities implement the partnership model that works for them; some are 

co-located, some share staff, and most share comprehensive wraparound services and their unique expertise. Maine’s PDG 

grant not only funded the expansion of preschool “seats” among the partners, it also supported the capacity of both partners 

through joint professional development. Participants in Maine’s Head Start and school district partnerships have identified 

numerous benefits derived from their partnerships such as: (1) creating more heterogeneous social and economic classes; 

(2) increasing mental health and special education support; (3) targeting and serving more at-risk children and families; (4)

establishing district-wide alignment of screenings, assessments, and curricula; and (5) improving transition to kindergarten.

Partnerships also have challenges, often because of the differences between the Head Start and public school systems (e.g.,

conflicting regulations, staff compensation levels, values). Partners are able to successfully address these challenges when they

have trusting relationships and faced the issues openly.

The approach Massachusetts used to implement its PDG grant sought to cultivate partnerships between public schools and 

community early childhood programs. The subgrantees in the five high need communities the state targeted were required 

to partner with local child care centers or Head Start programs in order to expand PDG eligible families’ access to preschool. 

These partnerships employed a collaborative approach to planning, decision-making, and program management, and built 

upon the strengths of each partner (e.g., comprehensive services, data collection and analysis, family engagement, curriculum). 

The partnerships also increased communication and shared resources such as PDG funded professional development 

opportunities.

Birth-Third Grade Continuum

An aligned, coherent Birth through Third Grade (B-3) system reduces achievement 

gaps; focuses on the whole child; facilitates successful transitions; results in 

aligned learning standards, curriculum, instruction and assessments; facilitates 

communication and data sharing; and engages families as partners throughout 

the B-3 continuum. PDG grantees engaged in various B-3 efforts from aligning 

learning standards and practices along the B-3 continuum (e.g., Arkansas, 

Vermont, Rhode Island, Montana, New York) to developing B-3 leaders (e.g., 

Alabama, Hawaii, New Jersey). The B-3 work New Jersey, New York, and Rhode 

Island accomplished is spotlighted in this section.

“The [PDG]

changed the way we view 

early childhood education and 

created a district initiative to become 

developmentally appropriate.”

Director of Curriculum, 

New Jersey

New Jersey is committed to promoting and supporting a B-3 approach to early learning. The B-3 approach is seen as an 

effective strategy for preventing fadeout of the gains children make in a quality preschool program. New Jersey was an early 

proponent of B-3. In 2015, it developed the First through Third Grade Implementation Guidelines. Previously, the state had 
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • PDG GRANTEES’ PROMISING PRACTICES 23

developed practice guidelines for preschool and kindergarten. New Jersey used PDG funding to concentrate on preschool to 

kindergarten transition and on aligning kindergarten and preschool practices through three strategies: (1) hiring a Kindergarten 

Specialist to support kindergarten teachers in using the New Jersey Kindergarten Implementation Guidelines, (2) purchasing 

developmentally appropriate materials for kindergarten classes, and (3) funding six kindergarten coaches to provide onsite, 

ongoing support to kindergarten teachers. 

New York has embraced a Pre-Kindergarten to third grade (P-3) approach to early

education and launched several initiatives to align standards, instruction, curriculum

and assessment practices. It developed a video series titled, NYSED Office of 

Early Learning Video Series: A Guide for Educators Serving Children in 

Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd Grade to show quality learning environments 

and the instructional cycle. The state developed training manuals to support 

these videos. New York also created a P-3 Instructional Toolkit designed to help 

build capacity and strengthen effective P-3 instruction by using the standards 

and instructional cycle, while ensuring developmentally appropriate, responsive 

and effective teaching and leadership. New York defined three goals to guide its P-3 efforts: (1) alignment with a clear path 

to embrace P-3 work; (2) connection of systems; and (3) collaboration to develop a P-3 plan. The P-3 approach and the 

Framework for Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating P-3 Approaches were first introduced at a Leadership Institute in 

2016, and continues to be a main topic throughout professional development offerings. District leaders were asked to review 

their current P-3 practices and identify areas for growth and develop goals in one of several areas (e.g., transition across 

grades, joint professional development, developmentally appropriate instruction, etc.). 

“We were

surprised by the enthusiasm 

of the administrators and...teachers 

about...bringing back play to our P-3 

classrooms.”

Prekindergarten Administrator after 

attending New York P-3 

Conference 

Rhode Island’s B-3 efforts focused on the junction between preschool and kindergarten. Rhode Island provided joint 

professional development to teachers at the preschool and kindergarten levels on the Boston Public School curriculum model 

to introduce and enhance developmentally appropriate practices in both kindergarten and preschool. Aligned curriculum and 

instructional and assessment practices between preschool and kindergarten facilitates children’s transition to kindergarten and 

makes for a smoother and more successful experience in kindergarten and across the elementary years.

Program Evaluation

Program evaluation can be used for a variety of purposes including describing progress made, identifying opportunities for 

improvement, informing future strategies and activities, and documenting outcomes to share with stakeholders, policymakers, 

and funders. The evaluation requirements for the PDG Grants Program were relatively minimal. Grantees were required to 

monitor state-level and subgrantee activities, the number and characteristics of the children and families served, and collect 

some implementation data. All PDG grantees complied with these evaluation requirements; however, some grantees exceeded 

the minimum and supported more robust implementation, outcomes, impact, and 

cost-benefit evaluations. Examples of the different types of program evaluations 

PDG grantees conducted are presented here. “The [PDG]

evaluation and its multitude of 

assessment tools, various collectors, and 

data collected, shows that Maine’s Preschool 

Expansion Grant project works. Children clearly 

improved their school readiness skills.”

Linda Warren, President, Early 

Childhood Associates

Montana engaged in ongoing, formative evaluations that could 

yield actionable data to inform instruction and continuous program 

improvement. These data included results from child progress assessments, 

assessments of classroom quality and teacher interactions, and observational 

data. Montana promoted and supported PDG subgrantees to implement 

Continuous Improvement goal setting practices that led to the intentional 

use of program-wide data-based decision making. These practices resulted in the alignment of program-wide goals, teacher 

professional learning, and child outcome goals. Montana also contracted with outside experts to complete more in-depth 

implementation and outcomes evaluations.

Some PDG states (e.g., Maine, Rhode Island, Virginia) contracted with an independent research firm to conduct a 

comprehensive external evaluation to measure the impacts of their PDG program on children’s school readiness and later 

academic outcomes. For example, the Virginia Department of Education worked with an outside evaluator to conduct both 
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • PDG GRANTEES’ PROMISING PRACTICES 24

a formative and summative evaluation of its PDG program, the Virginia Preschool Initiative Plus (VPI+). The VPI+ evaluation 

included implementation, outcome, and cost analysis evaluations. A few of the findings23 from these evaluations are: 

• Children who attended VPI+ demonstrated a gain of 20.8 months in early literacy skill

development and 15.4 months in math skill development within a 12-month

timeframe

• VPI+ participation increased kindergarten readiness skills

• VPI+ benefited children in high-needs communities across all school

readiness domains including approaches to learning and social and emotional

development

“[Results

showed] most VPI+ programs 

met Virginia Quality thresholds for 

teacher-child interactions...with a higher 

proportion of VPI+ classrooms meeting the 

thresholds...in Year 3 than in Year 1.”

Independent Evaluator, 

Virginia 

A spotlight on Louisiana’s development of “performance profiles” to inform 

families as they consider where to enroll their children, and to inform communities to guide program improvement goes 

beyond the PDG programs, but mention of this innovative strategy is warranted. The performance profiles are the product of 

the state’s new early childhood program unified rating system. The rating system has two components: (1) ratings that relate 

to positive child outcomes (i.e., adult-child interactions as measured by CLASS), and (2) information on classroom best practices 

(e.g., curriculum implementation, child assessments of learning, teacher credentials). Each program’s rating is converted to a 

specific number of stars. Louisiana’s online School and Center Finder helps families make informed decisions about education 

and care programs for their children. The Finder provides an overview of schools and centers within a geographic area and the 

number of stars each program has based on its performance profile.

Sustaining the Promise of PDG

The PDG Grants Program funded four-year grants. Many of the states had enough PDG funding available at the end of Year 4 

to secure no-cost extensions and extend their work into a fifth year. Still, the challenge of sustaining the increased preschool 

slots and the PDG quality elements after the funding ended was somewhat abated though not eliminated. A few PDG 

grantees were able to sustain all or most of the preschool slots PDG funding created along with all or most of the PDG quality 

elements intact (e.g., Alabama. Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island). However, many PDG grantees were not as fortunate. 

They needed to identify which PDG quality elements had the greatest impacts, prioritize 

them, and plan how to sustain them. For example, was onsite coaching the 

most potent strategy for increasing teacher effectiveness? Or, did providing 

comprehensive services result in the greatest gains for children? Sustainability 

is always challenging, but some PDG grantees were able to implement 

strategies that yielded positive results. A few of these sustainability strategies 

are summarized here. 

“Our

school-based programs 

which housed the [PDG] grant 

program for all 4 years, will continue to 

have a full day, full week program for 4-year 

old’s. There are limited full day, full week 

options in this community.”

School Administrator, Vermont

Alabama built sustainability into the proposal it submitted to the PDG Grants 

Program. Alabama’s plan was to use PDG funds to expand access to its First 

Class Pre-K state preschool program. The federal funds supported the creation of new slots in the first year or two of the grant 

and then those slots transitioned to state and local funding the follow year. PDG funds were then used to create more new 

preschool slots. At the end of the PDG grant period, Alabama’s new slots were all funded with state and local dollars. Also, 

since many of the PDG quality elements were part of the First Class Pre-K model, these were sustained as well. Alabama’s 

success was dependent on the state legislature increasing its annual appropriation for First Class. Alabama garnered support 

for First Class and the PDG expansion through a multi-tiered approach to communication that brings business and advocacy 

leaders together to promote preschool growth and quality. The critical components of Alabama’s communications include 

informational videos, a statewide conference, longitudinal preschool to third grade outcome data, and community mapping to 

understand saturation levels. 

The approach Rhode Island took to sustain the new slots PDG funding added to its state preschool program (known as 

State Pre-K) was comparable to Alabama’s approach and equally successful. The Rhode Island legislature gradually increased 

its appropriation for State Pre-K to cover the costs of the PDG supported expansion and to support continuation of the PDG 

quality elements. 

23 The VPI+ evaluation report can be accessed at http://vpiplus.org/report/annual.php
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • PDG GRANTEES’ PROMISING PRACTICES 25

Leaders of Hawaii’s PDG program began work on sustainability from the 

very start of their PDG grant. They used a variety of strategies to get 

the word out about the PDG-funded preschools and the benefits of 

quality early education to two key audiences, the general public 

and policymakers. The strategies included one-page information 

sheets with program data and research citations, brief videos 

featuring families of enrolled children talking about the program, 

and a publicity and media campaign. Perhaps the most effective 

strategy Hawaii used was to build ongoing relationships with key 

state policymakers. Hawaii’s efforts were effective. In 2019 the state 

legislature approved a bill to fund all the preschool classrooms the PDG grant had established in public charter schools. 

“The PDG

grant has been the impetus 

for change in Washington County. It was 

the beginning of our expansion to full-day Pre-K 

services and has been the encouragement for our 

leadership to support full-day, universal Pre-K within 

our county.”

Dr. Stacy Henson, Coordinator for Early 

Learning, Maryland

Maryland was successful in getting legislative support to sustain the increased access to quality preschool programs the PDG 

grant created. In 2018, HB 1415 was passed by the Maryland legislature and signed into law. HB 1415 provides state funding 

for preschool beginning in FY2020 at the PDG grant’s FY2019 level thereby filling the void left when the PDG grant sunsets. 

In addition, Nevada used its success in implementing the PDG-funded Nevada Ready! Preschool program to leverage state 

funding and continue many of the preschool slots created by the PDG grant and maintain some of the PDG quality elements. 

“As Arkansas had

hoped, the state was able 

to share some good news with PDG 

subgrantees in moving forward beyond the end 

of the PDG funding period and into the 2019-2020 

program year. Additional funding through the 

Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) Program and Child 

Care Development Fund (CCDF) will help to 

sustain 1268 of the 1381 expansion slots.”

PDG Grant Manager, Arkansas

Some PDG states were not able to sustain their PDG work at the state level, but 

their subgrantees might have been able to sustain the preschool slots and/

or PDG quality elements at the local level. For example, two Vermont

school districts are using local funds to continue offering a full-day 

quality preschool program instead of the 10 hour per week state 

funded preschool program. The districts made this decision after 

administrators saw the positive impacts and learning outcomes for 

children in preschool five full days a week.

Over the course of the PDG Grants Program, grantees developed, 

implemented, and enhanced numerous innovative and promising practices, 

too many to delve into within this summary report. Among these 

promising practices are Maryland’s partnership with the Judy Centers 

to provide comprehensive services to families, and the state’s Early Childhood Family Engagement Framework: Maryland’s 

Vision for Engaging Families with Young Children. In addition, the story of the efforts Virginia, New York, and other PDG 

states undertook to increase their rates for including children with disabilities in quality preschools offer valuable lessons. This 

brief Promising Practices section does not do adequate justice to all of the PDG grantees’ accomplishments. It is hoped that the 

“promising practices” that were presented will prompt conversations, investigation, and more innovative practices. 
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT • Conclusion 26

CONCLUSION 

The PDG Grants Program provided thousands of four-year-old children whose families’ incomes were at or below 200 percent 

of the federal poverty guidelines the opportunity to attend a quality preschool program. These families lived in high-needs 

communities where quality preschool opportunities are sparse. PDG also defined what quality preschool is. Quality preschool 

means class sizes of 20 or fewer children, teacher-child ratios of at least one adult per 10 children, and curriculum aligned with 

state early learning standards that is culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate. Quality also means including 

children with disabilities, engaging families, providing comprehensive services to children and their families, supporting 

children’s social and emotional development, and their physical and mental well-being. The results of program evaluations 

grantees conducted attest to the positive impacts these quality PDG preschool experiences have had on children’s readiness for 

kindergarten and beyond.

The 18 PDG grantees also reaped the benefits of the PDG Grants Program. PDG funding helped grantees build the 

infrastructure and develop policies states need to provide quality preschool programs. Grantees aligned and enhanced their 

early learning and development standards and worked on facilitating preschool to kindergarten transitions through joint 

professional development and other strategies. PDG contributed to building the capacity of states’ early childhood workforce 

through quality professional development, scholarships, and workforce policies (e.g., pay parity with K-12 teachers, aligned 

career pathways). PDG promoted the inclusion of children with disabilities in PDG classrooms; the programmatic, partnership, 

and financial strategies grantees used to pave the way to greater inclusion have now been established. PDG also fostered a 

culture of data collection and analysis to inform practice and continuous improvement. It supported aligning early childhood 

data with states’ K-12 longitudinal data systems. These accomplishments and many others will continue long after the PDG 

sunsets.

In conclusion, the PDG Grants Program met its goals of increasing preschool access and program quality, and of supporting the 

kindergarten readiness of four-year-old children. The federal investment of nearly $1 billion produced several advances in state 

system development and capacity. PDG grantees’ implementation of evidence-based criteria for quality preschool programs 

(e.g., class size, adult-child ratios, inclusion, comprehensive services, family engagement) demonstrated the value of these 

policies and practices. Additionally, the PDG investments enabled grantees to develop and professionalize their states’ early 

childhood workforce, and to reach out to children and families with the highest needs. 
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT 

APPENDIX A: PDG PROGRAM STATE PROFILES

Two-page profiles highlighting salient data and project features for each State Grantee arranged alphabetically.
PDG STATE PROFILE A-1

ALABAMA

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education

“The PDG grant was a 

powerful factor in the 

tremendous growth of 

high-quality Pre-K in 

Alabama...The ‘Alabama 

story of Pre-K’ with the 

help of the Preschool 

Development Grant 

and support from the 

Governor and State 

Legislature is that of 

a highly sought-after 

early childhood program 

of excellence and truly 

beneficial investment 

with short- and long-term 

benefits.”

Jeana Ross, Secretary, 

Department of Early Childhood 

EducationState Team

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 37,266

Total number of preschool slots* created:10,578

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 26,688

PDG grant supported 67 “high-need” Alabama counties

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Alabama’s 

Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

100,000,000

80,000,000

60,000,000

40,000,000

20,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$17,651,978

$77,462,050

$17,500,000

$64,462,050

$81,962,050

$18,723,240

$48,462,050

$67,185,290

$17,500,000

$38,462,050

PDG Grant Other Sources

$95,114,028

$55,962,050

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,375,218

Source: Alabama 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$71,375,218

ALABAMA’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$228,848,200

“I would highly 

recommend this 

program to friends/

family because the 

kids are treated like 

kids and are able to 

explore and learn 

age appropriate 

skills and lessons...

The classroom is 

fun and engaging, 

and the teachers 

are positive and 

supportive. The kids in 

this program will be 

better prepared for 

kindergarten.”

PDG Parent

1 Abstract – Alabama’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/alpdgabsfinal.pdf

ALABAMA’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Increase access to quality Pre-K programs in high-need communities by adding 400 new 

classrooms to serve an additional 7,200 children over the course of the grant, and

• Further develop and enhance infrastructure and capacity attained through continued 

State allocations for preschool and the addition of PDG funds for the highest quality program of 

excellence.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALABAMA’S PDG PROGRAM:

• Built on existing state-funded preschool program, First Class Pre-K (FCPK)

• Used a diverse Pre-K delivery model

• Children’s progress and readiness for kindergarten are measured by Teaching Strategies (TS) 

GOLD; CLASS measures classroom quality and instructional effectiveness

• Eighteen is the recommended class size with two adults, a teacher, and an 

assistant teacher

• Families complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3) developmental 

screening tool

• Partnership with Help Me Grow across the state
PDG STATE PROFILE A-2

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

37,266

2,036

5.5% 3,351

9.0% 2015

2016

2017

2018

15,240

40.9%

16,639

44.6%

Source: Alabama 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Alabama’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Alabama’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

1400

1600

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

962

921

100

87

28

142

130

188

114

26

36

374

13

1,454

794

552

1,138

1,097

38

210

102

Note: Alabama reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” in all four APRs; that category is omitted 

in this chart. In 2015 APR, No Response (NR) was given for all categories except “English learners” 

and “Children with Disabilities.” NR in 2016 & 2018 for “Migrant Families.”

Source: Alabama 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Alabama PDG National %

8%

6%

4%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4%

6.4% 6.4%

7.2% 6.9%

5.0%

6.3%

Additionally, grantees needed to offer an 

inclusive preschool setting and enroll income 

eligible children with disabilities in PDGsupported preschool classrooms at the state 

or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), whichever 

was higher. The progress Alabama made 

towards inclusion is depicted in the chart to 

the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Achieved pay parity with K–12 teachers for all preschool teachers in First Class 

Pre-K’s diverse delivery system (e.g., Head Start, childcare) 

• Maintained quality as measured by meeting all 10 NIEER benchmarks while scaling 

up FCPK from serving 9% of the state’s four-year-olds in 2013–2014 to 28.4% in 2018

• Established two new options for educators to earn a Pre-K teaching certificate

(Birth to age 4) 

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Sustainability Planning: PDG funds were used to create new preschool slots and 

improve existing slots in the first year or two, then they transitioned from federal to 

state and local funding in the following year. The PDG grant leveraged state funding.

• Alabama Reflective Coaching Model (ARC): An onsite tiered coaching system 

for teachers that relies on data to inform practice. ARC includes: shared planning, 

observations by and of the teacher, and promotion of learners’ reflections on practice. 

The state maintains a ratio of one Coach for every 15 classrooms. 

PDG funds supported 

the expansion of First 

Class Pre-K (FCPK). A 

rigorous evaluation of 

FCPK found children 

who participated in 

FCPK were MORE 

likely to be proficient 

in reading and math, 

and LESS likely 

to be retained in 

grade or chronically 

absent compared to 

comparable children 

who did not attend 

FCPK. 
PDG STATE PROFILE A-3

ARIZONA

A PDG DEVELOPMENT STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Arizona Department of Education

“[PDG has] led to 

the improvement 

of Arizona’s early 

childhood care 

and education 

mixed delivery 

system...It is my 

belief Arizona’s 

youngest citizens, 

their families, and 

the professionals 

supporting [them 

have] benefitted.”

Governor Doug Ducey

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 9,505

Total number of preschool slots* created: 9,505

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 01

PDG grant supported 89 “high-need” Arizona communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Arizona’s 

Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

30,000,000

25,000,000

20,000,000

15,000,000

10,000,000

5,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$19,643,400

 $10,522,017

$19,560,883 

 $7,052,304 

$20,416,067

 $9,176,374 

 $24,988,386 

$21,398,177

 4,583,088 

PDG Grant Other Sources

 $30,165,417 

 $25,981,265 $26,613,187 

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$81,375,127

ARIZONA’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

Note: Year 4 PDG amount includes Supplemental Funds of $1,375,127 $26,729,728

Source: Arizona 2018 Annual Performance Report

“This is a 

development 

grant, and it allows 

us to do a lot of 

the infrastructure 

work that has to 

be in place before 

we can really 

start expanding 

the number of 

kids that are 

getting into these 

programs. So, it is 

a game-changer in 

that sense.”

Kelly Murphy, Children’s 

Action Alliance

ARIZONA’S MAJOR PDG GOALS2:

• Make high-quality preschool programs more accessible in high-needs communities (HNCs)

• Increase the access early childhood programs in HNCs have to Arizona’s Quality First system of 

early childhood supports (e.g., inclusion coaching, mental health consultation, childcare health 

consultation)

• Advance the collaborative, statewide Early Childhood Educator Professional 

Development System, including improving the capacity within colleges and universities to offer 

robust early childhood education and early childhood special education programs

• Align preschool data with the State K-12 Longitudinal Data System (SLDS)

CHARACTERISTICS OF ARIZONA’S PDG PROGRAM:

• Partnered with First Things First (FTF), to improve the quality and scope of early learning in Arizona

• Offered a mixed delivery model (e.g., school districts, Head Start, childcare programs, charter 

schools)

• The inclusion of children with disabilities in PDG classrooms was a major goal. Subgrantees 

were required to enroll two children with disabilities for every 18 children they enrolled. 

• Measured children’s progress and readiness for kindergarten using Teaching Strategies (TS) GOLD

• Subgrantees used Arizona’s Program Guidelines for High-quality Early Education: Birth 

through Kindergarten (PGHQ)

1

 Arizona’s PDG slots are all new slots since the state agency did not operate a state preschool program during the grant period.

2

 Abstract – Arizona’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/azpdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-4

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

9,505

1,252

13%

2,307 

24%

2015

2016

2017

2018

2,872

30%

3,074 

33%

Source: Arizona 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Arizona’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Arizona’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Reside on 

Indian Lands

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Served in 

Mixed Age 

Groups

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

1,307

637

36

24

1

41

818

15

38

54

737

589

310

313

811

852

133

577

741

356

260

194

142

87

43

69

49

58

33

1,092

887

11951194

268

13

Source: Arizona 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Arizona PDG National %

8%

10%

12%

6%

4%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

11.6%

8.4%

9.1%

11.3%

14%

Source: Arizona 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer an 

inclusive preschool setting and enroll income 

eligible children with disabilities in PDGsupported preschool classrooms at the state 

or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), whichever 

is higher. The progress Arizona made towards 

inclusion is depicted in the chart to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Increased access to quality preschool for a total of 9,505 eligible children and served a 

large percentage of English learners

• Strengthened the capacity of the state’s early childhood workforce through Professional 

Scholarships and targeted professional development

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Inclusion of Children with Disabilities: Convened an Early Childhood Task Force 

on Inclusion involving a broad range of stakeholder groups to jointly work on increasing 

inclusion in the state’s preschool settings. The group developed a practice profile on 

improving partnerships between educators and families.

• Qualitive Program Evaluation Process: Partnered with a videographer to record 

participants’ stories, and used photos and video recordings of conversations and interviews 

to evaluate their PDG program. This more culturally responsive process of documentation 

yielded valuable data.

Arizona made concerted 

and intentional 

efforts to increase 

the access children 

with disabilities had 

to quality preschool. 

These efforts included 

policies, professional 

development, convening 

an Inclusion Task Force, 

and providing educators 

with coaching and 

supports. The result was 

an 11.6% inclusion rate 

in PDG programs in Year 

4 of the grant. 
PDG STATE PROFILE A-5

ARKANSAS

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education

“Arkansas seized 

the opportunity 

to jumpstart the 

expansion of highquality preschool 

services for four-yearold children and staff 

throughout the state. 

The early childhood 

community will 

continue to support 

preschool services 

and trainings 

through other 

funding sources.”

Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) 

State Team

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 11,155

Total number of preschool slots* created: 5,257

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 5,898

PDG grant supported 13 “high-need” Arkansas communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Arkansas’ 

Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

30,000,000

25,000,000

20,000,000

15,000,000

10,000,000

5,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$15,070,029

 $8,878,709 

$14,960,612 

 $8,809,439 

$15,275,434 

 $9,176,374 

 $24,451,808 

$16,041,143 

 $500,000 

PDG Grant Other Sources

 $23,948,738 

 $16,541,143 

 $23,770,051 

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$61,347,218

ARKANSAS’ 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,375,218 $27,364,522

Source: Arkansas 2018 Annual Performance Report

“My child is 

eager to get 

to school and 

excited about 

new experiences 

for the day. 

I feel more 

encouraged 

about future 

opportunities for 

my family and 

community.”

PDG Parent

ARKANSAS’ MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Primary goal is to expand access to high-quality preschool...for eligible children in 13 

high-need communities 

• Improve the quality of Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) [state] preschool program

• Revise the state’s Early Learning and Development Standards and Workforce Knowledge and 

Competency Framework

• Revise the state’s Child Development and Early Learning Standards

• Improve qualifications of ABC lead teachers, classroom quality, enrollment diversity, and child 

outcomes

CHARACTERISTICS OF ARKANSAS’ PDG PROGRAM:

• Built on Arkansas Better Chance state preschool program

• Partnered with school districts and Head Start programs to provide PDG-funded preschool

• Provided professional development on new aligned state early learning standards

• Supported dedicated staff positions in each program to enhance family engagement

• Provided inclusive PDG-funded classrooms for children with disabilities 

1

 Abstract – Arkansas’ PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/arpdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-6

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

11,155

2,862

26%

2,785

25%

2015

2017 2016

2018

2,870

26%

2,638

23%

Source: Akansas 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Arkansas’ PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Arkansas’ PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Mixed 

Ages

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

2,500

3,000

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

10

47

67

19

51

2421

13

137

7968

36 778

410

313

439492

445

10

67

342

277

13063

645

419

0

1,287

734

219

296

2,499

Note: Arkansas reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” in all four APRs; that category was 

omitted in this chart. 

Source: Arkansas 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Arkansas PDG National %

10%

15%

5%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

12.3% 11.9%

15.5%

10.9%

20%

Source: Arkansas 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer an 

inclusive preschool setting and enroll income 

eligible children with disabilities in PDGsupported preschool classrooms at the state or 

national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), whichever is 

higher. The progress Arkansas made towards 

inclusion is depicted in the chart to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Developed the Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards: Birth 

through 60 months (CDELS) and connected the state Kindergarten Readiness Indicators to the 

CDELS

• Held CDELS Train-the-Trainer sessions for professional development providers 

• Supported families by creating the Family Service Manager and Family Engagement 

Specialists positions

• Developed Arkansas Workforce Knowledge and Competencies for Early Care and 

Education Professionals

• Completed a guide to the Arkansas Family Engagement Framework

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Family Engagement: Arkansas developed and implemented various strategies to connect 

families with their child’s preschool and to increase family engagement. The strategies include: 

(1) cultivating and hiring credentialed Family Service professionals, (2) developing resources (e.g., 

guide to Family Engagement Framework), and (3) supporting family service managers and family 

engagement specialists. 

One of the areas 

Arkansas has 

focused on in 

its PDG grant is 

promoting family 

engagement. In 

addition to hiring 

staff dedicated to 

facilitating family 

engagement, all 

program staff 

committed to the 

goal of building 

relationships with 

families. 
PDG STATE PROFILE A-7

CONNECTICUT

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Connecticut Office of Early Childhood

“The Preschool 

Development Grant 

provided critical 

funding to demonstrate 

the impact of highquality early childhood 

experiences for children 

and families. As an early 

childhood system, we are 

looking at lessons learned 

from PDG to enhance 

quality, increase impact 

and support families. 

With these lessons we 

are building a more 

impactful ECE system in 

Connecticut.”

Beth Bye, Commissioner of the 

CT Office of Early Childhood

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 2,776

Total number of preschool slots* created:1,648

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved:1,128

PDG grant supported 13 “high-need” Connecticut communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Connecticut’s 

Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

25,000,000

20,000,000

15,000,000

10,000,000

5,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$12,052,210

 $5,357,097 

$11,663,858 

 $2,523,323

$11,909,305 

 $6,048,036 

 $17,957,341 

$13,316,172 

 $6,287,400 

PDG Grant Other Sources

 $17,409,307 

 $19,603,572 

 $14,187,181 $

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$48,941,545

CONNECTICUT’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,375,218 $20,215,856

Source: Connecticut 2018 Annual Performance Report

“In a semi-rural community, 

providing access to highquality preschool experience 

is critical for our most at-risk 

children. The PDG grant was 

the spark our community 

needed to provide new 

classrooms spaces for our 

youngest learners, offer 

free transportation, and 

strengthen family connections 

through Parent Teacher Home 

Visits. Killingly continues to 

prioritize and sustain [these] 

investments...PDG initiated. 

Our ongoing goal is free access 

for all!” Steven Rioux, Superintendent, 

Killingly Public School, CT

1

 Abstract – Connecticut’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschoColdevelopmentgrants/abstracts/ctpdgabsfinal.pdf

CONNECTICUT’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Build on existing, strong state preschool infrastructure to expand access to 

high-quality state preschool programs

• Enhance quality in areas the state has longed to improve, these are: offering 

comprehensive services, offering teacher compensation equal to K-12 teachers, deepening 

family engagement practices, forging a seamless birth-through-third grade continuum, 

and offering more targeted and individualized coaching, mentoring, and consultation

CHARACTERISTICS OF CONNECTICUT’S PDG PROGRAM:

• All PDG staff received professional development focused on five areas: the 

state’s Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS), social emotional development, 

Response to Intervention, dual language learners, and the special education referral 

process

• PDG-supported classrooms received individualized coaching, family 

engagement support, and participated in the Early Childhood Consultation 

Partnership (ECCP)

• Subgrantees used the Continuous Quality Improvement process the state 

initiated 

• PDG programs had to be NAEYC accredited or obtain accreditation within three years
PDG STATE PROFILE A-8

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

2,776

625

23%

703

25%

2015

2016

2017

2018

721

26%

727

26%

Source: Connecticut 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Connecticut’s 

PDG programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Connecticut’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Mixed 

Ages

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

250

300

200

150

100

50

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

21

12

24

87

44

13

3

666

240

69

51

153

170

39

68

2222

102

2

274

240

228

274

228

38

2

178

20

239

Note: Connecticut reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” in all four APRs; that category was 

omitted in the chart.

Source: Connecticut 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer 

an inclusive preschool setting and enroll 

income eligible children with disabilities in 

PDG-supported preschool classrooms at the 

state or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), 

whichever is higher. The progress Connecticut 

made towards inclusion is depicted in the chart 

to the left.

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Connecticut PDG National %

12%

10%

8%

6%

4%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4%

6.4%

6.4% 6.4%

9.5%

10.9%

5.5%

7.1%

Source: Connecticut 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Published the Core Knowledge and Competency Frameworks for Professionals Working 

with Children and Their Families (CKC)

• Successfully implemented the Parent Teacher Home Visiting (PTHV) program 

• Strengthened CT’s Birth-Third Grade work by focusing on the transition to 

kindergarten using the following strategies: (1) co-trained PDG Pre-K teachers and kindergarten 

teachers in Parent Teacher Home Visits and high impact family engagement strategies, (2) with 

critical input from educators and families, developed and launched Hello Kindergarten!, 

PDG’s online toolkit for transition to kindergarten

• Completed work on the Early Childhood Information System (ECE-ECIS), an online 

data system to collect and monitor data from all early childhood programs receiving public funds

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Suspensions and Expulsions: Connecticut has reduced the number of suspensions and 

expulsions in prekindergarten to second grade by enacting policies and providing supports such 

as the Early Childhood Consultation Partnership (ECCP). The ECCP is an evidence-based early 

childhood mental health model consisting of three types of supports: Core Classroom, Child 

Specific, and Community presence. 

Connecticut 

implemented the 

Parent Teacher 

Home Visiting 

(PTHV) model, a 

“transformative 

high-impact family 

engagement 

strategy.” This 

statement regarding 

PTHV impacts 

is supported by 

research. 
PDG STATE PROFILE A-9

HAWAII

A PDG DEVELOPMENT STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission

“The Preschool 

Development Grant 

has been instrumental 

in establishing a muchneeded foundation for 

high-quality preschools in 

our charter schools and 

communities with the 

highest need in Hawaii. 

(W)e are most grateful to 

our federal partners for 

helping to pave the road 

towards our Pre-K through 

third grade journey and to 

improve student learning 

outcomes for our youngest 

students. Mahalo nui loa!” Sione Thompson, Executive 

Director, Hawaii State Public 

Charter School Commission

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 655

Total number of preschool slots* created: 551

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved:104

PDG grant supported 11 “high-need” Hawaiian communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Hawaii’s Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

10,000,000

5,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$5,810,101

 $186,831

$5,641,572 

$14,357,011

$2,576,357 

$9,981,961 

$2,228,556 

$3,903,068 

PDG Grant Other Sources

$5,996,932 

$19,998,583 

15,000,000

20,000,000

25,000,000

$6,131,624 

$12,558,318 

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,375,218

Source: Hawaii 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$16,256,586

HAWAII’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$28,428,871

“The preschool program 

at Wai’alae School exceeds 

expectations in quality of 

learning programs on every 

level. It is truly amazing to 

see the children grow and 

flourish socially, emotionally, 

and academically. Many of 

our families would not be 

able to afford to provide 

preschool to our children 

otherwise and I truly believe 

there will be a lifelong 

positive impact.”

PDG Parent

HAWAII’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Establish 18 new preschool classrooms in the state’s public charter schools, 

including preschool classrooms in Native Hawaiian language immersion schools

• Provide individual teacher coaching...reliable and valid program assessments, and 

professional development opportunities

CHARACTERISTICS OF HAWAII’S PDG PROGRAM:

• Gradually established preschool classrooms in public charter schools over three 

years

• All subgrantees were identified in the PDG proposal and participated in PDGsponsored events (e.g., P-3 Institute) throughout the grant period

• Provided data-driven professional development and onsite coaching

• Used child-level data (Teaching Strategies GOLD) and classroom data from ECERS-R 

and CLASS to inform a cycle of continuous program improvement 

• Seven of the 18 PDG-funded classrooms are in Native Hawaiian language 

immersion schools

1

 Abstract – Hawaii’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/hipdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-10

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

655

75

11%

110

17%

2015

2016

2017

2018

241

37%

229

35%

Source: Hawaii 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 

APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Hawaii’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Hawaii’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Mixed

Ages

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

80

60

40

20

0

2018

2017

2016

20151215

0

2

0

2

33

188

114

26

1414

67 9

14

67 9

13 5

1

0

3

2

16

12

54

14

Note: Hawaii reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” and “migrant families” in all four APRs; 

those categories are not included in this chart. 

Source: Hawaii 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Hawaii PDG National %

4%

6%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

5.7%

2.7%

8%

10%

2.1%

2.7%

Source: Hawaii 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer an 

inclusive preschool setting and enroll income 

eligible children with disabilities in PDGsupported preschool classrooms at the state 

or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), whichever 

was higher. The progress Hawaii made towards 

inclusion is depicted in the chart to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• In 2019, Hawaii’s state legislature approved funding the preschool classrooms in the 

charter schools that were established with PDG funding

• Afforded charter school leaders P-3 professional learning opportunities

• Built the capacity of the state’s early childhood workforce by offering free college courses 

and enabling early childhood educators to complete degrees and certification 

requirements

• Contracted with the Hawaii Children’s Action Network to develop a professional media 

campaign to educate the public and the legislature about the value of preschool

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Communicating Effectively: Hawaii’s PDG program leadership used a variety of 

strategies to get the word out about the PDG-funded preschool classrooms and the benefits 

of early education. These included one-page information sheets with program data and 

research citations, brief videos with families of enrolled children, and a media campaign. But 

perhaps the most effective communication strategy for sustainability was building ongoing 

relationships with key policymakers. 

Leaders of Hawaii’s 

PDG program began 

work on sustaining the 

PDG-funded preschool 

classrooms from the 

very start of the grant 

through frequent 

communications about 

the program. They 

also built relationships 

with legislators who 

could speak about 

the importance of 

preschool and the 

need to fund it. The 

Legislature heard and 

approved funding the 

preschool classrooms 

the PDG funds started. 
PDG STATE PROFILE A-11

ILLINOIS

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Office of the Governor – Illinois

“The Preschool

Development Grant was 

essential in supporting 

Illinois to take the next 

steps to build off of our 

Preschool for All Program 

to higher quality. This 

investment allowed 

Illinois to add state 

funding for the Preschool 

for All Expansion Model 

as a program option. PDG 

will have lasting impacts 

for Illinois’ children 

in kindergarten and 

beyond.”

Dr. Cynthia L. Tate, Executive 

Director, Governor’s Office of 

Early Childhood Development

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 15,988

Total number of preschool slots* created:14,615

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved:1,373

PDG grant supported 19 “high-need” Illinois communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years.

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG

programs.

Illinois’ Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

30,000,000

10,000,000

20,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$19,364,834

 $35,470,892

$19,956,794

$43,070,586

$20,376,755 

$18,294,410 

$21,398,177 

$332,922 

PDG Grant Other Sources

$63,027,380 

50,000,000

60,000,000

70,000,000

$38,671,165 40,000,000

$21,731,099 

$54,835,726 

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,096,5604

Source: Illinois 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$81,096,560

ILLINOIS’ 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$97,168,810

“The PDG Expansion

Grant has allowed us to 

reach a fragile group of 

families and give them 

access to equitable and 

high-quality education 

during one of the most 

critical years of their 

child’s education. It 

has brought the staff, 

district, families, and 

community together 

[to] focus on school 

readiness in a new 

context. It has been a 

gift to us!”

Early Childhood Administrator

ILLINOIS’ MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Reach an additional 13,760 eligible children by the end of 2018 through a new program

option in the Preschool for All state-funded preschool program, Preschool for All Expansion.

It added full school day, comprehensive services, intensive parent engagement services, universal

and targeted supports for positive behavioral and social-emotional development, 60 minutes per

day of physical activity, and instructional leaders with specific expertise...to provide embedded

professional development

• Support a Birth-Third Grade Continuity Project to advance the alignment and integration of

curriculum and comprehensive services among preschool providers and K-3 schools

CHARACTERISTICS OF ILLINOIS’ PDG PROGRAM:

• Used a mixed delivery model

• Provided onsite leadership support in addition to other professional learning opportunities

• Used the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS), as its observation-based

school readiness assessment to be completed by a kindergarten teacher within the first 40 days

of kindergarten

• Provided strategies and tools for subgrantees to build and sustain community partnerships

• Embedded Instructional Leaders and Family Educators into the staffing structure

1

 Abstract – Illinois’ PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/ilpdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-12

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

15,988

3,110

19%

3,934

25%

2015

2016

2017

2018

4,029

25%

4,915

31%

Source: Illinois 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 

APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, had disabilities, or were English learners. The chart below 

shows the number of children Illinois’ PDG programs enrolled by demographic 

category. 

Illinois’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 2015–2018

Mixed

Ages

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

1,600

1,200

800

400

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

189

194

197

160

183

130

93

174

26

1817

28

786

483

47

49

25

560

529

1,330

401

897

1,231

1,447

657

363

303

322

Note: Illinois reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” and “migrant families” in all four APRs; 

those categories are not included in this chart.

Source: Illinois 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Illinois PDG National %

8%

10%

12%

6%

4%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

11.4%

10.2%

13.1%

10.4%

14%

Source: Illinois 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer an 

inclusive preschool setting and enroll income 

eligible children with disabilities in PDGsupported preschool classrooms at the state 

or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), whichever 

was higher. The progress Illinois made towards 

inclusion is depicted in the chart to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Developed the Family Engagement and Communication Tool in partnership with the 

Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership

• Created a publicly accessible website to provide PDG program administrators and staff 

instant access to resources, policies, and guidance

• Created a weighted eligibility system that prioritized enrolling children with 

the highest needs (i.e., experiencing homelessness, involved in the child welfare system, 

family in deep poverty, children with IEPs)

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Inclusion of Children with Disabilities: Illinois provided various strategies and supports 

for PDG supported early childhood settings to increase the inclusion of young children with 

disabilities.

• Reducing Suspension and Expulsion in Early Childhood Settings: Through 

the adoption of state policies, provision of resources and supports to build capacity and 

professional knowledge, and strategies for engaging families, Illinois reduced the rate of 

preschool expulsions. 

Illinois passed a law 

in 2017 making the 

expulsion of children 

0–5 from an early 

childhood setting 

for behavior the 

last resort. Illinois 

provided PDG 

subgrantees support 

in implementing 

the Pyramid Model 

and Mental Health 

Consultation.
PDG STATE PROFILE A-13

LOUISIANA

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Louisiana Department of Education

“In recent years, Louisiana 

has worked diligently to 

create an integrated, efficient 

early childhood education 

system through policies that 

better serve our children 

and families. The Preschool 

Development Grant validated 

the state’s approach and 

enabled us to take ambitious 

next steps. Among those 

efforts, Louisiana has 

developed models called 

Ready Start Networks...These 

models are invaluable as 

education leaders continue to 

make the case for expanded 

state investment in early 

learning.”

John White, Louisiana 

Superintendent of Education 

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 6,047

Total number of preschool slots* created: 3,474

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 2,573

PDG grant supported 17 “high-need” Louisiana communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Louisiana’s 

Total Preschool 

Investment by 

PDG Funding

and Other 

Sources

12,000,000

10,000,000

8,000,000

6,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$12,573,832

$1,299,500

$10,248,469

$1,984,450

$7,523,368 

$3,037,523 

 $2,936,284 

$3,880,605

PDG Grant Other Sources

$12,232,919 14,000,000

16,000,000

$13,873,332

$10,560,891 

$6,816,889 $

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$33,281,953

LOUISIANA’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$10,202,078 Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,274,722

Source: Louisiana 2018 Annual Performance Report

“[We] benefitted 

tremendously from the 

PDG opportunity afforded 

to us the past four years. 

The addition of 100 

preschool seats allowed 

us to partner with early 

learning centers and Head 

Start to serve low-income 

children and their families 

in a diverse delivery 

setting...[We] provided 

comprehensive services for 

children and their families, 

job-embedded coaching, 

a rigorous curriculum, and 

classroom materials.” Cindy Rushing, Rapides Parish 

Early Childhood Community 

Network Lead Agency

1

 Abstract – Louisiana’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/lapdgabsfinal.pdf

LOUISIANA’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Expand the state’s existing high-quality preschool programs in high-need 

communities

• Provide families with access to their choice of high-quality programs including 

Head Start, childcare, nonpublic and public schools

• Unify early childhood system by empowering local leaders to coordinate efforts to 

improve child outcomes

• Transition to sustainable funding

• Measure success with outcomes-based program report cards, and hold local leaders 

accountable 

CHARACTERISTICS OF LOUISIANA’S PDG PROGRAM:

• PDG-funded Pre-K “slots” were largely offered in childcare centers in partnership with 

local school districts or charter schools 

• Subgrantees ensured ongoing, job-embedded coaching around teacher-child 

interactions

• Child progress assessed by formative Teaching Strategies GOLD

• Program quality measures included the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)
PDG STATE PROFILE A-14

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

6,047

1,087 

18%

2,684 

44%

2015

2016

2017

2018

1,275 

21%

1,001 

17%

Source: Louisiana 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Louisiana’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Louisiana’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

160

120

80

40

140

100

60

20

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

00

46

0

39

40

10

49

0

0

99

0

102102

0

31

81

116

3333

11

146

147

1313

12

12

Note: Louisiana reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” and “Mixed Ages” in all four APRs. These 

categories are not included in this chart.

Source: Louisiana 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Louisiana PDG National %

4%

6%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

6.4%

8.1%

1.2%

8%

10%

3.8%

1.1%

Source: Louisiana 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer 

an inclusive preschool setting and enroll 

income eligible children with disabilities in 

PDG-supported preschool classrooms at the 

state or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), 

whichever was higher. The progress Louisiana 

made towards inclusion is depicted in the chart 

to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Developed a Birth to Kindergarten Career Pathway that starts with an Early 

Childhood Ancillary Certificate and ends with a Birth to Kindergarten teaching license

• Implemented Coordinated Enrollment so families can make informed decisions about 

the best placement for their children

• Provided professional development on Conscious Discipline and CLASS to teachers in 

PDG programs

• Offered shared professional development for Pre-K and kindergarten teachers 

four times a year

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Performance Profiles: Louisiana’s performance profiles provide information about the 

quality of publicly funded early childhood programs to families to inform choice, and to 

communities to guide improvement. This unified rating system has two components: (1) 

ratings that relate to positive child outcomes (i.e., adult-child interactions and instruction, as 

measured by CLASS) and (2) information on classroom best practices (e.g., using curriculum, 

assessing children for learning, credentialing of teachers).

Louisiana’s online 

School and Center 

Finder is for families 

to make informed 

decisions about 

education and care 

for their child. It 

provides an overview 

of each school and 

center within a 

geographic location 

and includes the 

number of stars based 

on the program’s 

Performance Profile.
PDG STATE PROFILE A-15

MAINE

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Maine Department of Education

“The [PDG] grant was 

a game changer for 

Maine’s public preschool 

landscape. It enabled 

school districts to provide 

high-quality, full-day 

preschool for hundreds 

of children who would 

not otherwise have had 

access...It set a state 

standard of excellence 

for model Head Start 

partnerships with public 

schools, comprehensive 

services for all families, 

and exemplary training 

and coaching for 

teachers.”

Sue Reed, PDG Director

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 1,783

Total number of preschool slots* created:1,246

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 537

PDG grant supported 10 “high-need” Maine communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Maine’s Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

12,000,000

10,000,000

6,000,000

8,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$4,069,851

$6,754,939

$3,696,623

$3,468,972

$ 4,242,280

$4,726,114 

$8,968,394 

$3,791,266 

$1,820,841 

PDG Grant Other Sources

$10,824,790 

$5,612,107 

$7,165,595

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $982,200

Source: Maine 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$15,800,020

MAINE’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$16,770,866

“[PDG] has allowed 

for expanded learning 

opportunities 

for children and 

families...The 

support provided...

has allowed for more 

individualization 

for the children...

Social groups and 

ELL groups...receive 

services they need...

while being part 

of their classroom 

community.”

PDG Coordinator and 

Coach

MAINE’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Use Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards across all early childhood sectors 

to guide curriculum and assessment

• Require all public preschool programs to meet Maine’s Public Preschool Program Standards

• Improve linkages of data from birth-third grade in Maine’s Longitudinal Data System

• Measure and achieve outcomes that predict school readiness

• Create new and expand high-quality preschool programs in high need communities 

CHARACTERISTICS OF MAINE’S PDG PROGRAM:

• Classroom child:staff ratio is 8:1

• PDG-funded programs to use Teaching Strategies GOLD or the Child Observation Record (COR) to 

track child progress

• Program quality assessed with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and the 

Early Language and Literacy Observation (ELLCO) tools

• Most subgrantees provide onsite comprehensive services through their Head Start partnership 

• All subgrantees provide transportation

• Teachers receive a minimum of one hour per month of onsite coaching and a monthly 

Community of Practice call with their coach

1

 Abstract – Maine’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/mepdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-16

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

1,783

479

27%

406

23%

2015

2017 2016

2018

464

26%

464

26%

Source: Maine 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 

APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Maine’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Maine’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Mixed 

Ages

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

250

300

200

400

450

350

150

100

50

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

3

4

8

4

5

0

4

10

110

0

1

8

49

22

5

402

53

100

1

47

52

148

62

68

56

59

31

000

307

Note: Maine reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” in all four APRs; this category was omitted in 

the chart.

Source: Maine 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Maine PDG National %

10%

15%

5%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

15.9%

13.1%

14.7%

20.9%

20%

25%

Source: Maine 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer an 

inclusive preschool setting and enroll income 

eligible children with disabilities in PDGsupported preschool classrooms at the state 

or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), whichever 

was higher. The progress Maine made towards 

inclusion is depicted in the chart to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• All districts plan to continue their PDG-funded programs at the same level after the 

PDG grant funding ends

• Every district has created a B-3 Professional Learning Community implementation plan

• Building capacity to include data on all the state’s four-year-olds in the State 

Longitudinal Data System. The Maine Education Policy institute coordinated data from the entire 

early childhood system

• Is building an interactive website to provide best practices aligned with Maine’s Early 

Learning and Development Standards

• The Early Childhood Monitor state-level position funded by PDG will become a 

permanent state position

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• School District and Head Start Partnerships: Successful partnerships between school 

districts and Head Start programs can be found across the state of Maine. The PDG grant 

helped create and expand some of these partnerships. The PDG subgrantees have found that 

the ingredients needed for success include regular and open communication, respect for what 

each brings to the table, and the leadership from each entity understanding the value of the 

partnership.

Maine has 

committed fully 

to supporting 

the Birth through 

third grade (B-3) 

continuum. All 

districts have 

created B-3 

teams and they 

are working on 

developing B-3 

plans. There is now 

a B-3 team at the 

Maine Department 

of Education too.
PDG STATE PROFILE A-17

MARYLAND

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Maryland State Department of Education

“Early learning 

programs provide a 

strong educational 

foundation for our 

state’s youngest 

learners. These [PDG] 

grants are a muchneeded investment 

in Maryland’s future 

generation and will 

allow for increased 

access to these 

programs for youth 

across the state.”

Governor Larry Hogan

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 15,010

Total number of preschool slots* created: 5,857

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 9,153

PDG grant supported 21 “high-need” Maryland communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Maryland’s 

Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

30,000,000

25,000,000

20,000,000

15,000,000

10,000,000

5,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$15,076,325

$11,903,725

$14,967,596

$8,891,725

$15,282,566 

$5,219,725 

$20,502,291 

$16,048,633 

$5,219,725 

PDG Grant Other Sources

$26,980,050

$21,268,358 

$23,859,321 

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,375,120

Source: Maryland 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$61,375,120

MARYLAND’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$31,234,900

“Providing quality 

early learning 

opportunities for 

students will establish 

a strong foundation 

to help accelerate 

learning. Strong early 

education programs 

help our children 

refine the skills they 

need to be successful 

both in and out of the 

classroom.”

Dr. Karen Salmon, State 

Superintendent of Schools

MARYLAND’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Expand and improve the quality of prekindergarten (Pre-K) for families with 

household incomes at or below 200% poverty in Years 1 and 2

• Appropriate state funds to enable access to high quality Pre-K for an additional 

1,000 four-year-olds from families with incomes above 200% and below 300% poverty 

(i.e., aligned with current State policy)

• Expand Pre-K to community-based programs such as childcare, Head Start, and 

nursery schools

• [Pre-K is] a critical keystone in Maryland’s efforts in reducing achievement gaps

CHARACTERISTICS OF MARYLAND’S PDG PROGRAM:

• Built on well-developed early childhood education infrastructure including consolidated 

governance and a long-standing Pre-K track record

• In accordance with state’s Pre-K Expansion Act of 2014, used a mixed Pre-K delivery 

model (childcare, Head Start, public and charter schools, nursery schools)

• Partnered with the Judy Centers to provide families with comprehensive services 

• Used multiple recruitment strategies such as distributing Pre-K flyers to local 

departments of social services staff to guide eligible children to PDG programs

1

 Abstract – Maryland’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/mdpdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-18

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

15,010

2,732

18%

3,530

24%

2015

2016

2017

2018

4,263

28%

4,485

30%

Source: Maryland 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Maryland’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Maryland’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Mixed 

Ages

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

1,000

1,800

1,200

1,400

1,600

800

600

400

200

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

55

69

38

20

17

 2616

120

11

417

8

18

186

47

230

202

128

91

30

1,589

191

216

NR

293

267

133

117

348

358

703

223

268

Note: Maryland reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” in all four APRs. That category is not 

included in this chart. The number of “migrant families” was not reported in 2016.

Source: Maryland 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Maryland PDG National %

4%

6%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

5.4% 5.0%

8%

10%

6.3%

7.9%

Source: Maryland 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer 

an inclusive preschool setting and enroll 

income eligible children with disabilities in 

PDG-supported preschool classrooms at the 

state or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), 

whichever was higher. The progress Maryland 

made towards inclusion is depicted in the chart 

to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Developed an age 4 Pre-K curriculum aligned with state four-year old MD College and 

Career Ready Standards

• Provided Summer professional development series followed up by coaching support

• Offered fall and spring School Readiness Symposia; the 2018 Fall Symposium was: The 

Surprising Importance of Math

• Provided webinars and meetings to support subgrantees’ PDG implementation

• Exceeded PDG enrollment targets 

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Comprehensive Services: Maryland partnered with the Judy Center Early Learning Hubs 

to provide comprehensive services. The Judy Center has a two-generation approach: quality 

early childhood education, and comprehensive family support services. Judy Centers have 

12 components (e.g., health related services, meals, adult education, case management). 

Judy Centers require the involvement of the following partners: kindergarten, Pre-K, early 

intervention and preschool special education, and at least one childcare provider. 

In 2018, HB 1415, 

“Education –

Commission on 

Innovation and 

Excellence in 

Education” was passed 

by the Maryland 

legislature and 

signed into law. This 

Bill provides state 

funding beginning in 

FY2020 for the Pre-K 

expansion grant at the 

FY2019 level when the 

Federal grant expires. 
PDG STATE PROFILE A-19

MASSACHUSETTS

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care

“This [PDG] public/

private partnership model 

leveraged the unique 

strengths of the school 

districts and communitybased organizations 

to provide preschool 

experiences that were 

highly beneficial for 

children. I applaud the 

educators, administrators, 

and communities who 

made the Preschool 

[Development and] 

Expansion Grant a success 

through their joint vision 

of improving the lives of 

children and families in 

need.” Jocelyn Bowne, Director of 

Preschool Expansion Grant 

Administration.

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 2,960

Total number of preschool slots* created: 2,960

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 01

PDG grant supported 5 “high-need” Massachusetts communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Massachusetts’ 

Total Preschool 

Investment by 

PDG Funding 

and Other 

Sources

25,000,000

20,000,000

15,000,000

10,000,000

5,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$13,862,901 

$5,990,076 

$15,509,843 

$5,990,076 

$14,985,302 

$5,990,076 

 $20,975,378 

$13,872,211 

$5,990,076 

PDG Grant Other Sources

$19,862,287 $19,852,977 $21,499,919 

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,374,906 

Source: Massachusetts 2018 Annual Performance Report and U.S. Department of Education unpublished document

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$58,230,218

MASSACHUSETTS’ 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$23,960,304

“The Preschool 

Expansion Grant 

programs really 

are working. Even 

coming into it, you 

don’t know what to 

expect and you’re 

not sure you’re 

going to reach the 

families you hope to 

reach, but we have. 

And we’ve made 

such an impact.”

Subgrantee PDG Program 

Director

MASSACHUSETTS’ MAJOR PDG GOALS2:

• Expand preschool access to families without prior experiences

• Expand development of mixed-service partnerships in the five high needs communities, 

and access to preschool

• Support strong family engagement and delivery of comprehensive services

• Improve program quality, child outcomes, data development, and use

• Invest in a competent and stable early education workforce

CHARACTERISTICS OF MASSACHUSETTS’ PDG PROGRAM:

• PDG funds 47 classrooms in five high needs communities

• Child-teacher ratios are 6:1 with three educators per classroom in most classrooms

• Implementation model based on collaboration between school district and early 

learning programs (e.g., Head Start, childcare)

• All grantees hired at least one family engagement staff to work directly with families

• LEA provides ongoing individualized coaching support to partner educators

• All LEA partnerships include a Head Start partner and many include components of the 

Head Start family engagement and comprehensive services model

1

 Massachusetts PDG proposal was to serve eligible children who had not participated in any type of preschool education including early childhood 

special education.

2

 Abstract – Massachusetts’ PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/mapdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-20

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

2,960

702

24%

752

25%

2015

2016 2017

2018

763

26%

743

25%

Source: Massachusetts 2015, 2016, 

2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Massachusetts’ 

PDG programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Massachusetts’ PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Mixed 

Ages

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

100

250

300

200

150

50

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

27

19

65

4241

198

17

12

27

12

18

20

10

176

241

194

13

41

26

238

30

37

3232

40

179

4040

28

29

Note: Massachusetts reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” in all four APRs; that category is not 

included in this chart.

Source: Massachusetts 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Massachusetts PDG National %

4%

6%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

1.6%

2.7%

8%

2.4% 2.4%

Source: Massachusetts 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer an 

inclusive preschool setting and enroll income 

eligible children with disabilities in PDGsupported preschool classrooms at the state 

or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), whichever 

was higher. The progress Massachusetts made 

towards inclusion is depicted in the chart to 

the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• In FY19, the state legislature passed the Community Preschool Partnership Initiative 

(CPPI) modeled on the PDG program. The CPPI supports continuation of the PDG-funded slots and 

expands the model to other communities

• Increased the consistency and intensity of comprehensive services (e.g., mental health consultation) 

• Subgrantees enrolled hard-to-reach families experiencing homelessness through extensive outreach

• Worked with the Birth to Grade 3 Advisory Committee

• Created an aligned public-private model that developed new quality full-day, full-year classrooms

• Targeted children without prior early education experiences to expand access to an uptake of early 

education in four of the five communities 

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Comprehensive Services: The model Massachusetts’ PDG program used consisted of three 

components:

1. Direct services and supports to families, including family needs assessments, home visits, 

referrals

2. Family engagement activities such as monthly family events, family workshops

3. Additional supports such as onsite health screening, mental health support, meals, and 

transportation

Massachusetts’ 

PDG program 

created publicprivate partnerships 

between the 

school districts and 

community early 

learning programs. 

These public-private 

partnerships used 

collaborative 

decision making and 

shared the goals of 

investing in early 

childhood educators 

and vulnerable 

families as well as 

increasing access to 

quality preschool 

in high need 

communities. 
PDG STATE PROFILE A-21

MONTANA

A PDG DEVELOPMENT STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Montana Office of Public Instruction

“The Preschool 

Development Grant 

increased access to 

high-quality early 

learning for preschool 

aged children in many 

of Montana’s highest 

need communities. 

Nearly 50 percent of 

the children receiving 

high-quality preschool 

education through 

the PDG project were 

American Indian.”

Tara Ferriter-Smith, PDG Grant 

Director

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 3,240

Total number of preschool slots* created: 3,240

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 01

PDG grant supported 46 “high-need” Montana communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Montana’s 

Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

18,000,000

10,000,000

16,000,000

12,000,000

14,000,000

8,000,000

6,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$10,509,355

 $6,113,497

$9,958,741 

 $6,113,497 

$10,208,034 

 $2,280,503 

 $12,488,537 

$10,699,088 

$2,280,503 

PDG Grant Other Sources

 $16,622,852 $16,072,238 

 $12,979,591 

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,375,218

Source: Montana 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$41,375,218

MONTANA’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$16,788,000

“An important outcome 

[of the PDG grant] has 

been ongoing intensive 

learning for Montana’s 

early childhood 

workforce. Educational 

leaders, educators, and 

support staff engaged 

in ongoing professional 

learning...Participating 

early learning 

professionals now 

consistently use data to 

inform daily decisions to 

optimize child learning 

and provide invaluable 

support to families.” Tara Ferriter-Smith, PDG 

Grant Director

MONTANA’S MAJOR PDG GOALS2:

• Increase the number of high-quality preschool options for children throughout the state

• Expand the number and percentage of eligible children in high-need 

communities served by high-quality preschool programs and who are ready for kindergarten

• Implement the Montana Preschool Program standards within each high-need 

community

• Expand a comprehensive assessment system

• Align program standards [program and content] from birth to grade three

CHARACTERISTICS OF MONTANA’S PDG PROGRAM:

• PDG grant collaboratively implemented by the Office of Instruction and the Department 

of Health and Human Services

• Partnered with school districts and Head Start programs 

• Categorized subgrantees into three cohorts based on level of readiness to meet PDG 

standards

• All subgrantees received targeted onsite support in the development of system-wide 

infrastructure, family engagement and outreach, and goal setting for continuous 

improvement

1

 All of Montana’s PDG slots were new since the state did not have a state preschool program.

2

 Abstract – Montana’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/mtpdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-22

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

3,240

462

14%

763

24%

2015

2016

2017

2018

1,000

31%

1,015

31%

Source: Montana 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Montana’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category.

Montana’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Reside on 

Indian Lands

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Served in 

Mixed Age 

Groups

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

67

30

17

51

9

5

5

9

3

512

488

89

307

302

3

400

413

108

70

99

393379

303

0

4

1

2

0

30

15

16

7

197

337

65

Source: Montana 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Montana PDG National %

10%

5%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

10.6%

13.0%

7.0%

14.1%

15%

Source: Montana 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer 

an inclusive preschool setting and enroll 

income eligible children with disabilities in 

PDG-supported preschool classrooms at the 

state or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), 

whichever was higher. The progress Montana 

made towards inclusion is depicted in the chart 

to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• All subgrantees were required to have a full-time Family Engagement Coordinator

to meaningfully engage with and build relationships with families through home visits and 

networking with community organizations to address families’ needs (e.g., before- and after-care)

• Strengthened the early childhood workforce with onsite and regional trainings, onsite 

coaching, the annual Montana PDG (MPDG) Summer Institute, and by offering financial help for 

Early Childhood higher education courses

• Developed online learning modules for school administrators and early learning providers to 

learn about the Montana Preschool Program Guidelines

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Continuous Improvement Process: Montana promoted and supported PDG subgrantees 

to implement Continuous Improvement goal setting practices that led to the intentional use of 

program-wide data-based decision making resulting in the alignment of program-wide goals, 

teacher professional learning, and child outcome goals. 

• Coaching Model: Montana’s coaching model targeted three areas critical to successful 

implementation: onsite instructional coaching, systems-wide infrastructure, and family 

engagement and outreach. 

Montana grouped 

subgrantees into 

three cohorts, 

including a cohort 

comprised of Head 

Start programs on 

Indian Reservations 

that initially did 

not meet the PDG 

quality standards. 

The coaching, 

financial, and 

other PDG supports 

provided led to these 

Head Start programs’ 

ability to meet 

the PDG quality 

standards and better 

serve children and 

families. 
PDG STATE PROFILE A-23

NEVADA

A PDG DEVELOPMENT STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Nevada Department of Education

“With the PDG grant, not 

only was Nevada able to 

increase the number of 

high-quality Pre-k seats 

but it is now able to 

sustain these seats with 

state funding. Nevada 

continues to serve over 

3,000 children in our 

full-day Nevada Ready! 

State Pre-K program. 

Recent regulation was 

passed that defines highquality Pre-k programs as 

established by the PDG 

criteria.”

Jhone Ebert, Nevada’s 

Superintendent of Public 

Instruction

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 8,058

Total number of preschool slots* created: 5,112

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 2,946

PDG grant supported 11 “high-need” Nevada communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Nevada’s 

Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

25,000,000

20,000,000

15,000,000

10,000,000

5,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$13,475,608

$7,952,320

$12,857,979

$5,933,173 

$10,262,525 

$4,762,218 

$7,177,094 

 $2,135,288 

PDG Grant Other Sources

$15,024,743 

$21,427,928 

 $9,312,382 

 $18,791,152 

Source: Nevada 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$43,773,206

NEVADA’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$20,782,999

“Just knowing 

children are getting 

the support they 

need and the 

school readiness 

they need to be 

accomplished... 

I don’t think you 

could ask for 

anything better.”

Nevada Preschool 

Director

NEVADA’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Improve and expand Pre-K programs in High-Need Communities

• Provide critical wraparound supports for vulnerable families

• Enhance state capacity to implement and sustain high-quality Pre-K programs

[including] workforce development, outreach, standardized assessments, enhanced Early 

Learning and Development Standards, parent engagement, and coordinated linkage for all sites 

into the State’s Longitudinal Data System

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEVADA’S PDG PROGRAM:

• PDG-funded programs required to participate in the Nevada Silver Stars QRIS that 

includes assessing quality with the ECERS-3 and CLASS 

• Subgrantees required to hire an internal coach to support instruction and address 

classroom environment issues

• Children’s Cabinet contracted to provide wraparound services to families 

• Comprehensive assessment to measure child progress and inform instruction

• Kindergarten readiness assessed with a pre-post Brigance Early Childhood Screener III

1

 Abstract – Nevada’ PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/nvpdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-24

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

8,058

782

10%

1,665

21%

2015

2016

2017

2018

2,588

32%

3,023

37%

Source: Nevada 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Nevada’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Nevada’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Reside on 

Indian Lands

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Served in 

Mixed Age 

Groups

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

719

165

171

55

137

101

109

102

17

2,847

1,662

77

150

2,476

146

403

542

341342

173

31

109

3222

102

27

3

476

736

438

79

19

385

149

1,065

Source: Nevada 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Nevada PDG National %

10%

15%

5%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

11.3%

10.4%

13.2%

13.9%

Source: Nevada 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer 

an inclusive preschool setting and enroll 

income eligible children with disabilities in 

PDG-supported preschool classrooms at the 

state or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), 

whichever was higher. The progress Nevada 

made towards inclusion is depicted in the chart 

to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Secured state preschool funding from Nevada legislature to continue Nevada 

Ready! Preschool, the PDG supported state preschool program

• Aligned child assessments used in publicly funded early childhood programs with 

screening tools used in kindergarten. Kindergarten screening tools are aligned with 

Nevada’s Ready by Grade 3 Initiative 

• Worked to align Nevada’s B-12 State Longitudinal Data System. Nevada Ready! 

Preschoolers now have unique identifiers 

• Developed and implemented a QRIS model for preschool classes in public schools 

• Established a statewide Community of Practice on Inclusion and itinerant special 

education delivery model

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Inclusion of Children with Disabilities: Nevada provided extensive professional 

development (e.g., Community of Practice on itinerant model) to leaders and educators on 

including children with disabilities in preschool classrooms. The state worked on successfully 

braiding funding streams to finance the inclusion of children with disabilities. 

Nevada used 

its success in 

implementing 

the PDG-funded 

Nevada Ready! 

Preschool to 

leverage state 

funding to 

continue the new 

and improved 

slots PDG funding 

established.
PDG STATE PROFILE A-25

NEW JERSEY

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

New Jersey Education Department

“Preschool has 

been a real positive 

experience and we 

have been fortunate 

to be a part of the 

[PDG] expansion. Our 

parents, families, 

and community are 

extremely thankful 

that their children 

have been provided 

this amazing 

opportunity.”

Dr. James D. Roselli, 

Superintendent of Schools

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 7,439

Total number of preschool slots* created: 4,578

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 2,861

PDG grant supported 16 “high-need” New Jersey communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

New Jersey’s 

Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

500,000,000

400,000,000

300,000,000

200,000,000

100,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$17,352,852

 $672,717,390

$17,461,332 

 $653,396,154 

$17,827,824 

 $655,582,684 

$18,721,388 

 $652,269,745 

PDG Grant Other Sources

$690,070,242 

600,000,000

700,000,000

800,000,000

 $670,991,133 $673,410,508 $670,857,486 

Note: Year 4 includes Supplemental Funding of $1,368,904

Source: New Jersey 2018 Annual Performance Report, U.S. Department of Education unpublished document 

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$71,363,396

NEW JERSEY’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$2,705,329,369

“Not all preschool 

programs are alike. The 

[PDG] features that led 

to our success include 

a well-implemented, 

evidence-based 

curriculum and an 

emphasis on the quality 

and continuous training 

of our teachers. A 

love of education – 

for reading, learning, 

discovery, nature – takes 

root in preschool.”

Marissa Papamarkos, Preschool 

Program Assistant Principal

NEW JERSEY’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Use the model that has worked so well for high-quality state preschool program to expand 

access to preschool in 16 High-Need Communities

• Increase the number of children on Individualized Education Plans in general [early 

childhood] settings 

• Require all preschool teachers in all settings to be appropriately certified

• Implement a sustainability plan to maintain new and improved slots

• Implement the New Jersey Kindergarten Entry Assessment and have teachers enroll in 

the Kindergarten Seminar 

• Implement the First through Third Grade Guidelines

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW JERSEY’S PDG PROGRAM:

• Implemented a mixed delivery system of school-based, private provider and Head Start 

programs

• Provided comprehensive services through Central Intake and County Councils

• Used the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) to assess and improve children’s 

learning environments and classroom behavior strategies

• Home language surveys distributed to families upon enrollment; supports provided to 

dual language learners

• Subgrantees are required to have active parent advisory groups

1

 Abstract – New Jersey’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/njpdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-26

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

7,439

1,636 

22%

1,887

25%

2015

2016

2017

2018

1,929

26%

1,987

27%

Source: New Jersey 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children New Jersey’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

New Jersey’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Mixed 

Ages

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

1,000

1,600

1,400

1,200

800

600

400

200

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

2727

35

16151417

812165

625

600

205

0016

321

268

1,349

1,317

687

307

607

10

987

505

640

303

263

265

Note: New Jersey reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” in all four APRs; that category was 

omitted in the chart.

Source: New Jersey 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% New Jersey PDG National %

10%

15%

5%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

15.2% 14.0%

13.6% 12.5%

20%

Source: New Jersey 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer 

an inclusive preschool setting and enroll 

income eligible children with disabilities in 

PDG-supported preschool classrooms at the 

state or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), 

whichever was higher. The progress New Jersey 

made towards inclusion is depicted in the chart 

to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• The PDG and state Pre-K programs served a combined 70% of the state’s high-need 

four-year-olds

• Secured state funding to sustain the PDG preschool slots after the PDG grant ends

• Developed professional learning opportunities for program administrators

• Exceeded PDG enrollment targets in each of the four years of the grant

• Offered a family engagement literacy program; included bilingual books for Latino 

families 

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• New Jersey has committed to promoting and supporting a preschool to third 

grade continuum and to preventing fadeout of the gains children make in 

preschool. In this effort, New Jersey used three strategies with PDG districts: (1) hired a 

Kindergarten Specialist to support kindergarten teachers to use the New Jersey Kindergarten 

Implementation Guidelines, (2) funded purchase of developmentally appropriate materials 

for kindergarten classes, and (3) PDG funded six kindergarten coaches to provide onsite, 

ongoing support for kindergarten teachers. 

New Jersey 

strongly supports a 

preschool to third 

grade continuum 

as a strategy for 

preventing fadeout 

of the gains children 

make in quality 

preschool programs. 

The state launched 

several initiatives 

including supporting 

more developmentally 

appropriate 

instructional practices 

in kindergarten. 
PDG STATE PROFILE A-27

NEW YORK

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

New York Education Department

“Through the expansion 

of prekindergarten slots 

utilizing Federal [PDG] 

grant funds, the state was 

able to provide intensive 

technical assistance and 

professional learning 

opportunities to five 

school districts. Initiatives 

in each of the districts 

have been used to serve 

as models in other state 

funded prekindergarten 

programs throughout 

NYS.”

DeSylvia Dwyer, Acting Director, 

NYS Education Department, Office 

of Early Learning

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 9,572

Total number of preschool slots* created: 7,362

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 2,210

PDG grant supported 5 communities designated as “high-need”

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

New York’s 

Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

200,000,000

100,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$24,210,560

 $415,560,878

$26,519,843 

$410,034,734

$23,157,701 

$395,000,000 

$26,565,222 

$365,000,000 

PDG Grant Other Sources

$436,554,577 $439,771,438 

300,000,000

400,000,000

500,000,000

$391,565,222 $418,157,701 

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,375,218

Source: New York 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$100,453,326

NEW YORK’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$1,585,595,612

“We are grateful for 

being a part of a program 

that has given us the 

opportunity to provide over 

800 four-year-olds with 

a preschool experience. 

Underprivileged and at risk 

Pre-K children have been 

exposed to an educational 

community that fosters 

growth and development, 

social and emotional wellbeing, creative thinking, 

investigation, and problem 

solving skills.”

Elaine Debono, Principal, Uniondale 

Union Free School District

NEW YORK’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Use “Pre-K...as a key strategy to improve educational outcomes and narrow 

the achievement gap”

• Implement [state’s] most progressive high-quality approaches to Pre-K and 

supplement programs with innovations to strengthen the quality and capacity of 

programs, parent engagement, social-community partnerships, and State partners focused 

on early education.

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW YORK’S PDG PROGRAM:

• Built PDG prekindergarten (Pre-K) on existing state-funded preschool program

• All PDG preschool settings met the 12 PDG criteria for quality preschool 

• Five PDG subgrantees represent different areas of the state, urban, and rural 

communities

• Subgrantees could choose from three assessments to measure children’s progress 

and readiness for kindergarten: Work Sampling, Teaching Strategies GOLD and Child 

Observation Record Advantage by High Scope

• New York State is a Pyramid Model Implementation State

1

 Abstract – New York’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/nypdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-28

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

9,572

2,385

25%

2,350

24%

2015

2016

2017

2018

2,371

25%

2,466

26%

Source: New York 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children New York’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category.

New York’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Mixed 

Ages

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

1,000

2,500

2,400

1,500

500

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

167

93

134

12

120

60

5555

1426

78

222

010

108

18

2,066

10

96

189

540

200

224

200

54

1,154

871

414

2,385

1,349

1,734

Note: New York reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” in all four APRs; that category was 

omitted in the chart.

Source: New York 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% New York PDG National %

4%

6%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

8.5% 8.1%

8%

10% 9.3% 9.4%

Source: New York 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer 

an inclusive preschool setting and enroll 

income eligible children with disabilities in 

PDG-supported preschool classrooms at the 

state or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), 

whichever was higher. The progress New York 

made towards inclusion is depicted in the chart 

to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Secured a commitment from the state that the Pre-K slots funded with PDG funds in 

the five participating school districts would be continued after the end of the PDG 

grant

• Developed a video series, NYSED Office of Early Learning Video Series: A Guide for 

Educators Serving Children in Prekindergarten through 2nd Grade to show quality 

learning environments and the instructional cycle. New York created training 

manuals to support these videos

• Developed a NYS Kindergarten Learning Standards Resource which consolidates all 

kindergarten standards in one place; this resource supports implementation of the 

kindergarten learning standards

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Pre-Kindergarten to 3rd Grade (P-3) Continuum: New York has implemented several 

initiatives supporting the P-3 continuum. It has developed resources for teachers, coaches, 

specialists, and administrators to gain a deeper understanding of effective P-3 instructional 

and assessment practices. It developed a P-3 Tool for districts to use as they work through 

the four phases of P-3 implementation.

New York has embraced 

a pre-K to grade 3 

approach to early 

education and launched 

several initiatives. 

It created the P-3 

Instructional Toolkit 

designed to help build 

capacity and strengthen 

effective P-3 instruction 

by using the standards 

and instructional 

cycle, while ensuring 

developmentally 

appropriate, responsive 

and effective teaching 

and leadership. It held 

a P-3 Summer Institute 

and convened a P-3 

Task Force.
PDG STATE PROFILE A-29

RHODE ISLAND

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Rhode Island Department of Education

“If we want to put our 

kids on a path to success, 

the road starts at birth 

and continues into robust 

early education programs. 

A strong foundation is 

key for future success, 

and I am grateful that 

Rhode Island is providing 

that foundation with 

high quality Pre-K for 

more young people than 

ever before thanks to the 

Preschool Development 

Grant.”

Angélica Infante-Green, 

Commissioner of Elementary and 

Secondary Education

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 3,320

Total number of preschool slots* created: 3,320

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 01

PDG grant supported 11 “high-need” Rhode Island communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Rhode Island’s 

Total PDG 

Funding

7,000,000

6,000,000

5,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

1,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$5,906,533 

$5,226,883 

$5,933,148 

$2,694,485 

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $729,516

Source: Rhode Island 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$19,761,049

“Access to high 

quality early 

education can 

change the course 

of a child’s life. 

The investment 

we make in 

Pre-K today will 

pay dividends 

tomorrow for 

our students, 

our families, our 

communities, and 

ultimately our 

economy.”

Governor Gina M. 

Raimondo

RHODE ISLAND’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Expand access to the high quality Rhode Island Pre-K Program by accelerating the 

existing state expansion plan

• Increase preschool access for eligible children in high needs communities

• Improve upon the state processes and supports that ensure preschool quality including 

increased monitoring capacity, technical assistance and coaching, and a rigorous program 

evaluation 

CHARACTERISTICS OF RHODE ISLAND’S PDG PROGRAM:

• Built on the state’s universal prekindergarten (Pre-K) program which has met all 10 

NIEER benchmarks for several consecutive years

• Uses Teaching Strategies GOLD to evaluate children’s progress on kindergarten readiness 

indicators

• Uses a mixed delivery model and a mixed income model where children above 200% of 

poverty are in the same classroom but paid for with state dollars

• Through a collaboration with Bright Stars, the state’s QRIS program, Bright Stars staff conduct 

ECERS and CLASS assessments for PDG-supported state Pre-K programs to ensure consistency

• Teachers receive onsite coaching support

1

 Rhode Island devoted all PDG funds to creating new preschool slots

2

 Abstract – Rhode Island’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/ripdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-30

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

3,320

260

8%

900

27%

2015

2016

2017

2018

1,080

32%

1,080

33%

Source: Rhode Island 2015, 2016, 

2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Rhode Island’s 

PDG programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Rhode Island’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

800

600

400

200

700

500

300

100

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

00

90

86

115

7

16

17

0

312

276

711

95

74

0

0

7

4

0

0

62

50

125

0

3333

11

Note: Rhode Island reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” and “Mixed Ages” in all four APRs. 

Those categories are not included in this chart.

Source: Rhode Island 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Rhode Island PDG National %

10%

15%

5%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4%

11.6%

6.9%

8.8%

19.2% 20%

25%

6.4% 6.4%

Source: Rhode Island 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer an 

inclusive preschool setting and enroll income 

eligible children with disabilities in PDGsupported preschool classrooms at the state 

or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), whichever 

was higher. The progress Rhode Island made 

towards inclusion is depicted in the chart to 

the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Expanded Pre-K faster than proposed in its original PDG proposal and received funding to 

sustain PDG-funded slots at the end of the grant

• Developed courses on Rhode Island’s Early Learning Standards specifically for certified 

teachers, certified administrators, and for Pre-K to K Transition

• Piloted the Inclusive Classroom Profile, which has allowed the state to move its proposed 

itinerant early childhood special education model forward

• Worked to enable the state’s longitudinal data system to track children from birth onwards

• Developed two online series on formative assessment that are available to all early educators

• As part of its Birth-third grade work, the state piloted the interdisciplinary Common Core aligned 

kindergarten curriculum developed by the Boston Public Schools in 21 kindergartens

• Developed a Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Leadership for childcare 

administrators, education coordinators, and school principals

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Scaling Up and Maintaining Quality: When Rhode Island was awarded a PDG grant, it had 

a small but high quality universal state Pre-K program that served 3% of the state’s four-year-olds. 

At the end of the PDG grant, the capacity of the state’s Pre-K program had increased threefold 

without compromising quality. The state ensured that the infrastructure needed to continue a 

quality program (e.g., professional development, coaching, monitoring) was scaled up along with 

the added number of Pre-K “seats.”

Rhode Island 

is focused on 

supporting the 

B-3 continuum 

and Pre-K to 

Kindergarten (K) 

transitions. It has 

worked to provide 

professional 

development 

to teachers and 

administrators 

in Pre-K and K 

on appropriate 

curriculum, 

instructional 

practices, and 

assessment 

strategies. 
PDG STATE PROFILE A-31

TENNESSEE

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Tennessee Department of Education

“The Preschool 

Development Grant 

provides quality early 

learning opportunities 

to approximately 18,000 

children in Shelby and 

Davidson Counties. In 

addition, it not only 

provides Tennessee the 

opportunity to collect 

nationally normed data 

using CLASS, but also 

allows districts to build 

up their infrastructure 

for internal assessments, 

coaching, and professional 

learning communities.”

Dr. Penny Schwinn, 

Commissioner of Education

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 17,941

Total number of preschool slots* created: 6,624

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved:11,317

PDG grant supported 2 “high-need” Tennessee communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Tennessee’s 

Total Preschool 

Investment by 

PDG Funding 

and Other 

Sources

30,000,000

35,000,000

25,000,000

20,000,000

15,000,000

10,000,000

5,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$17,126,965

$24,523,910

$17,441,347

$24,691,738

$17,735,048 

$25,048,864 

 $18,716,384 

$24,870,302 

PDG Grant Other Sources

$42,133,085

40,000,000

45,000,000

50,000,000

$41,650,875 $43,586,686 $42,783,912 

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,232,288

Source: Tennessee 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$71,019,744

TENNESSEE’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$99,134,814

“Each year, for the last 

five years, the Preschool 

Development Grand 

afforded 760 Shelby 

County families the 

opportunity to experience 

high quality Pre-K. 

Additionally, enhancing 

Pre-K classrooms in more 

than 30 childcare centers 

across the county was 

indeed beneficial to our 

community. Without 

PDG funds, many Shelby 

County four-year-olds 

would not have started 

kindergarten ready to 

learn.” Kathryn Bostic, Shelby County 

Schools, Early Childhood Manager

1

 Abstract – Tennessee’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/tnpdgabsfinal.pdf

TENNESSEE’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Substantially expand access to high-quality prekindergarten in two high need 

communities – a consortium of Local Educational Agencies in Shelby County, and Metropolitan 

Nashville Public Schools

• Ensure 100 percent of state preschool programs in these communities meet the 

PDG’s definition of quality preschool programs

• Invest in quality of existing preschool programs including professional development and 

an innovative coaching model in Nashville

CHARACTERISTICS OF TENNESSEE’S PDG PROGRAM:

• Built on a strong infrastructure and base of investment in Pre-K since passage of the 

state’s Voluntary Pre-K for Tennessee Act in 2005

• Used an onsite tiered practice-based coaching and reflective practice model

• Family Involvement Specialists and Family Service Workers support families directly 

• Comprehensive services were provided through partnerships with community 

organizations (e.g., Catholic Charities)

• Organized an early learning conference for Pre-K through grade 2 teachers

• Collected data on quality using the CLASS and ECERS-R assessments
PDG STATE PROFILE A-32

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

17,941

4,778 

27%

5,612 

31%

2015

2016

2017

2018

3,740 

21%

3,811 

21%

Source: Tennessee 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Tennessee’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Tennessee’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Mixed

Ages

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

80

60

40

20

70

50

30

10

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

0

2

0

33

0 7 0

14

14

9

14

67 9

5

1

00

12

54

0

2

12

14

3

2

13

16

15

67

Note: Tennessee reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” in all four APRs; that category is not 

included in this chart.

Source: Tennessee 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Tennessee PDG National %

4%

6%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

5.8%

5.3%

8%

6.8%

5.9%

6.4%

Source: Tennessee 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer 

an inclusive preschool setting and enroll 

income eligible children with disabilities in 

PDG-supported preschool classrooms at the 

state or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), 

whichever was higher. The progress Tennessee 

made towards inclusion is depicted in the chart 

to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Implemented the Reflective Coaching Frameworks

• Offered the Principal Early Learning Summer Institute and developed the 

Walkthrough Tool for administrators

• Aligned curriculum and assessments across the Pre-K through third grade 

continuum

• Offered trainings for coaches, teachers, and administrators 

• Opened a Family Enrichment Center for families to meet and talk; the space included child 

development books and a computer for families to use

• Added an English Learner coaching position to support Pre-K and K-3 teachers with 

English learners in their classrooms

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Coaching: The Reflective Coaching Frameworks are used to provide individualized instructional 

coaching and other supports to teachers. It includes the online My Teaching Partners and 

Making the Most of Classroom Instruction (both based on CLASS results and offered through 

Teachstone), and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The PLCs use data to analyze 

teaching strategies, embed reflective practice, and encourage peer collaborations. 

The Nashville school 

district requires all 

elementary school 

principals to complete 

the Principal Early 

Learning Institute, 

a two-year summer 

program for 

principals to develop 

knowledge of Pre-K 

expectations, socialemotional learning, 

early learning 

environments, and 

instructional best 

practices in Pre-K.
PDG STATE PROFILE A-33

VERMONT

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Vermont Agency of Education

“We are grateful for 

the support that the 

PDG grant provided 

to the Agency, 

particularly regarding 

our state PK-12 

data infrastructure 

system. Without 

the PDG grant, we 

would be unable to 

adequately capture 

data regarding some 

of our youngest and 

most vulnerable 

Vermonters.” 

Heather Bouchey, Deputy 

Secretary, Agency of Education

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 1,665

Total number of preschool slots* created: 511

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved:1,154

PDG grant supported 17 “high-need” Vermont communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Vermont’s 

Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

14,000,000

12,000,000

10,000,000

6,000,000

8,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$7,840,061

$914,448

$1,516,142

$11,018,085

$8,215,271 

$3,541,921 

$11,757,192 

$7,791,593 

$5,279,886 

PDG Grant Other Sources

$8,754,509 

$12,534,227 $13,071,479 

Source: Vermont 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$25,363,067

VERMONT’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$20,755,340

“By receiving the grant, 

we were able to extend 

our day for the Pre-K 

students. This opportunity 

has given the children 

more time in a structured 

environment with school 

readiness being the 

goal. I have found the 

extended day to be most 

beneficial to the children 

with disabilities.”

Preschool Teacher

VERMONT’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Increase the quality of the state’s universal prekindergarten (Pre-K)

program to meet the PDG definition of “high-quality”

• Increase the dosage of preschool to a full school day for income eligible 

four-year-olds in high need communities

CHARACTERISTICS OF VERMONT’S PDG PROGRAM:

• Built upon some aspects of the state’s universal prekindergarten program

(e.g., mixed delivery model, licensed teacher, four or five STARS in the state’s 

QRIS)

• Teaching Strategies GOLD used to measure child progress

• Prevalence of mixed-age and/or mixed income classrooms required 

complex budgeting

• Many subgrantees provided transportation

1

 Abstract – Vermont’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/vtpdgabsfinal.pdf
PDG STATE PROFILE A-34

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

1,665

359

21%

412

25%

2015

2016

2017

2018

448

27%

446

27%

Source: Vermont 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Vermont’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Vermont’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 

2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Mixed 

Ages

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

250

300

200

150

100

50

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

23

16

13

69

56

77

1

7

183

3

0

27

0

210

0

17

7

0

208

106

94

1

33

32

202

175

358

0

98

113

0

241

Note: Vermont reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” in all four APRs; that category was 

omitted in the chart.

Source: Vermont 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Vermont PDG National %

10%

20%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

21.1%

27.3% 27.4% 23.7%

30%

Source: Vermont 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer 

an inclusive preschool setting and enroll 

income eligible children with disabilities in 

PDG-supported preschool classrooms at the 

state or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), 

whichever was higher. The progress Vermont 

made towards inclusion is depicted in the chart 

to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• State Board of Education adopted the Birth through Grade Three Vermont Early Learning Standards

• PDG contributed to the AOE making significant progress in verifying the mapping of early childhood 

data elements to Vermont’s State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS). Early SLDS is now in place 

because of PDG.

• Increased the number of licensed early childhood educators through a collaboration with 

the Agency of Human Services and philanthropic organizations

• Unexpected result of the PDG was increased collaboration between the Agency of Education, Head 

Start PDG subgrantees, and the Head Start Collaboration Office

• Completed revisions to Vermont’s Ready for Kindergarten! Survey

• Afforded professional development opportunities (e.g., Early MTSS coaching model, dual language 

learner series, TS GOLD and CLASS trainings) to PDG subgrantees and state’s early childhood field 

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Learning: Vermont has worked on supporting 

the social and emotional learning of young children for many years. It subscribes to the Pyramid Model 

Consortium and NCPMI, and recently began implementing Early MTSS.1 Early MTSS in Vermont includes 

five components: system support, partnership and collaboration, professional development, high-quality 

and inclusive learning environments, and comprehensive and functional assessments. Early MTSS onsite 

coaches guide teachers and programs in their implementation of these practices that support children’s 

social and emotional learning.

1

 Multitiered Systems of Support

Vermont has 

a rich history 

of supporting 

the inclusion of 

children with 

disabilities in 

various early 

childhood 

settings. This 

trend was 

exemplified in 

the state’s PDG 

enrollments. 

During all four 

years of PDG, 

at least 20% of 

Vermont’s PDG 

enrollment were 

children with 

identified special 

needs on an IEP.
PDG STATE PROFILE A-35

VIRGINIA “More Virginia children 

are kindergarten ready. 

Thousands of children 

benefited from 100 

new classrooms and the 

improvement of 100 existing 

preschool classrooms in 13 

high-need communities 

across the Commonwealth. 

In addition to high quality 

instruction, these children 

and their families were 

connected to comprehensive 

services, received home 

visits, and were supported 

to promote their children’s 

learning and development. 

The lessons learned in VPI+ 

continue to inform our state 

preschool program as well 

as efforts in PDG B-5 moving 

forward.” Jenna Conway, Virginia’s Chief 

School Readiness Officer

TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE 

CHILDREN SERVED FY2015–FY2018: 13,325

Total number of preschool slots* created: 5,566

Total number of existing preschool slots* improved: 7,759

PDG grant supported 13 “high-need” Virginia communities

*The total number of new and improved slots over four years may include slots reported in previous years. 

However, the total number of children served represents the actual number of children enrolled in PDG 

programs.

Virginia’s 

Total 

Preschool 

Investment 

by PDG 

Funding and 

Other Sources

30,000,000

25,000,000

20,000,000

15,000,000

10,000,000

5,000,000

0

2015 2016 2017 2018

$17,359,957

$5,645,292

$17,462,196 

$4,848,101

$17,829,660 

$8,124,185 

$25,953,845 

$18,723,405 

 $9,247,473 

PDG Grant Other Sources

$22,310,297 

$27,970,878

$23,005,249 

Note: 2018 includes PDG Supplemental Funding award of $1,375,218

Source: Virginia 2018 Annual Performance Report

$

TOTAL PDG

FUNDING: 

$71,375,218

VIRGINIA’S 

INVESTMENT IN 

PRESCHOOL DURING 

PDG GRANT PERIOD: 

$26,314,975

“During the 4 years of the 

VPI+ program, teachers, 

family engagement 

specialists, and leaders 

served over 13,000 of 

the Commonwealth’s 

most vulnerable children, 

providing them with a 

high-quality preschool 

experience and getting 

them on a trajectory for 

success in school and in life. 

A rigorous independent 

evaluation demonstrated 

VPI+ students gained a 20.8 

months of early literacy 

skill development and 

15.4 months of math skill 

development.” Jenna Conway, Virginia’s Chief 

School Readiness Officer

1

 Abstract – Virginia’s PDG Proposal https://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/abstracts/vapdgabsfinal.pdf

VIRGINIA’S MAJOR PDG GOALS1:

• Increase access to high quality preschool by establishing new preschool classrooms 

using a model that installs research-tested professional development and curriculum, ensure 

more systematic provision of comprehensive services for children and families, and 

create effective pathways to engage diverse and hard-to-reach families

• Improve quality of existing classrooms by extending VPI+ best practices to them

• Strengthen the state’s longitudinal data system

• Build higher caliber pre-service and in-service training and credentialing

• Pursue policy changes to promote improvements to standards, practice, and access

CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRGINIA’S PDG PROGRAM:

• Built on the existing state preschool program (Virginia Preschool Initiative-VPI) but added 

elements to create VPI+, a more comprehensive and effective program

• Child progress is measured by the formative assessment, Teaching Strategies GOLD 

• Classroom quality is assessed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) 

and Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) measures

• VPI+ teachers received onsite coaching and professional development through local 

in-person trainings, online modules, and webinars

A PDG EXPANSION STATE

Preschool Development Grant Awarded to the

Virginia Department of Education
PDG STATE PROFILE A-36

Number of Eligible Four-Year-Olds 

Enrolled in PDG & State Preschool 

FY2015–2018

Total Number Enrolled = 

13,325

2,804 

21%

3,297 

25%

2015

2016

2017

2018

3,454 

26%

3,770 

28%

Source: Virginia 2015, 2016, 2017, 

2018 APR Workbooks

A goal all PDG Grantees shared was to provide the most vulnerable children with 

access to quality preschool. These included children who were in the welfare 

system, were homeless, were from migrant families, had disabilities, or were 

English learners. The chart below shows the number of children Virginia’s PDG 

programs enrolled by demographic category. 

Virginia’s PDG Enrollment by Student Demographic Categories 2015–2018

Migrant

Families

English 

Learners

Homeless In Child 

Welfare 

System

Military 

Families

Mixed 

Ages

In 

Economically 

Diverse Class

Eligible 

Children with 

Disabilities

1,000

1,200

800

600

400

200

0

2018

2017

2016

2015

44

62

53

20

17

 2616

120

436

239

627

7

1

75

0

77

1,111

59

0

3

1,013

56

230

914

513

128

91

30

176

177

108

101

Note: Virginia reported “0” for “reside in Indian lands” in all four APRs; that category was omitted 

in the chart.

Source: Virginia 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Percentage of Children with Disabilities Served in Inclusive PDG Classrooms

% Virginia PDG National %

4%

6%

2%

0%

2015 2016 2017 2018

6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4%

6.3%

3.3%

8%

5.1%

3.6%

Source: Virginia 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 APR Workbooks

Additionally, grantees were required to offer 

an inclusive preschool setting and enroll 

income eligible children with disabilities in 

PDG-supported preschool classrooms at the 

state or national percentage (i.e., 6.4%), 

whichever was higher. The progress Virginia 

made towards inclusion is depicted in the chart 

to the left.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Exceeded enrollment targets every year of the PDG grant

• Established a Cross-Organizational Data Team to facilitate the addition of preschool data in the 

Virginia Longitudinal Data System (VLDS)

• Launched VPIplus.org, a multimedia resource library of free high-quality resources 

• Offered VPI+ Leadership Academies and trainings on coaching

• CASTL developed a Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) to focus subgrantees’ improvement efforts 

• In the year between enrolling in VPI+ and beginning kindergarten, participating children developed more 

than 15 months of mathematics skills and more than 20 months of literacy skills in a 12-month timeframe

• Published Guidelines for Early Childhood Inclusion in April 2018

• Provided a workshop on collaborative funding strategies to support inclusion

PROMISING PRACTICES:

• Inclusion of Children with Disabilities: After not meeting the PDG benchmark for including 

children with disabilities in PDG classrooms for three years, the PDG leadership team took action. It 

interviewed school districts with low rates to identify barriers, strategies, and resources. The Department 

and Head Start Collaboration Office offered an ECE Leaders Collaborative Institute to provide technical 

assistance and professional development to programs. The Institute invited school early childhood special 

education leaders, PDG- and state-funded Pre-K, and Head Start. There was one message from the 

state. Ongoing support for increasing inclusion is offered through the online Early Education Leaders 

Committees of Learners for Inclusive Programs. 

Overall, twothirds of children 

who participated 

in VPI+ entered 

kindergarten 

ready to learn. 

VPI+ participation 

increased school 

readiness skills 

based on a 

rigorous impact 

study. In the 12 

months children 

attended VPI+, the 

average impacts 

on literacy skills 

was 20 months, 

impacts on selfregulation and 

math skills of 

15 months, and 

smaller impacts on 

vocabulary skills.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT B-1

APPENDIX B1: NUMBER OF PDG SUPPORTED PROGRAMS BY 

TYPE OF SETTINGS

Most PDG state grantees partnered with various types of programs to offer PDG supported classrooms in different settings. 

These settings included public schools and public charter schools; Head Start; faith-based and non-faith-based private schools 

and community-based early childhood programs; college, university, or technical/vocational school sponsored early childhood 

programs; and family, friend, or neighbor programs. While the majority of PDG supported programs operated in public schools 

across all four years of the grant, a significant number of programs operated in the types of settings mentioned above. These 

diverse settings provided PDG eligible families with options to enroll their children in programs that best fit the needs of the 

child and family. 

Table 6 summarizes the number of PDG supported programs by type of setting in each of the four years of the grant.

Table 6: Number of PDG Supported Programs by Type of Setting: 2015-2018

Type of Setting 2015 2016 2017 2018

Public School

1,309 1,528 2,230 2,486

Public Charter School 42 53 59

Private-School (Faith-Based)1 8018 66 45

Private School 25 122 90

Head Start 121 144 500 274

Community-Based (Faith-Based)1 23781 21 9

Community-Based 247 309 355

Tribe or Indian 12 15 24 25

College, university, or Vocational/

Technical 14 14 23 31

Family, Friend, or Neighbor 2 0 - 3

Other 8 7 10 9

TOTAL 1,783 2,121 3,358 3,423

Note: The data collected in the 2015 Annual Performance Report did not ask grantees to specify which Private School or Community-Based programs were 

Faith-Based.

Sources: Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2015, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2016, Preschool Development Grants 

Progress Update 2017, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2018
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT B-2

APPENDIX B2: NUMBER OF CHILDREN SERVED IN PDG 

SUPPORTED PROGRAMS BY RACIAL AND ETHNIC CATEGORIES

The Preschool Development Grants Program served a racially and ethnically diverse group of four-year-old children and their 

families. Data from grantees’ Annual Performance Reports (APR) detail the composition of eligible children enrolled and served 

in PDG classrooms. 

Over the four years of the grant, the largest ethnic group was Hispanic/Latino with a total of 42,454 children (25.3% of all 

children served). The second largest ethnic group was children identified as Asian; it included a total of 3,777 children (or 

2.3% of all children) followed by American Indian or Alaska Native (2,550 or 1.5%) and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 

(1,233 or 0.7%). 

Children identified as Black or African American constituted the largest racial group PDG programs served (i.e., 59,917 or 

35.7% of all children). A total of 41,476 children (i.e., 24.7%) were identified as White Not Hispanic. 

Figure 5: Number of Children Served in PDG Supported Programs by Racial and Ethnic Categories: 2015-2018

American 

Indian or 

Alaska Native

Asian Native 

Hawaiian/Other 

Pacific Islander

Black or 

African 

American

Hispanic/

Latino

White, Not 

Hispanic

Two or More 

Races

15,000

20,000

10,000

5,000

0

128

191

 589325

16,051

19,681

6,939

9,602

5,404

7,077

938974

846

330 596 726 898

674

1,191

2018

2017

2016

2015

10,370

13,815

13,543

12,370

14,52514,470

1,570

3,687

2,917

Note: Racial and/or ethnic data were not reported for all children. Additionally, some children may have been reported in 

more than one racial and ethnic category.

Sources: Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2015, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2016, 

Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2017, Preschool Development Grants Progress Update 2018
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-1

APPENDIX C: PDG GRANTS PROGRAM RESOURCES

PDG Technical Assistance and Learning Opportunities 2015-2018:

Preschool Development Grants TA Center

In addition to providing direct technical assistance to PDG Development grantees, the PDG TA Center supported all PDG 

grantees through webinars, publications, and the GRADS360 PDG website. Many of these resources were made available to 

the early childhood field at that time and they continue to be accessible. 

The following is a list of the Peer Learning Exchanges (PLEs), Community of Practice webinars, products, and publications PDG 

TA developed and implemented during the four years of the grant. Descriptions of these resources are provided along with 

links to the recordings, documents, materials, and resources.

Peer Learning Exchanges

Title Dates & Location Description

Sustaining the Promise of 

the Preschool Development 

Grants: A Peer Learning 

Exchange

Webpage to access slides and 

PLE materials

October 2, 2018

Arlington, VA

This one-day PLE was scheduled as a pre-conference prior to the 

2018 PDG Grantee Annual Meeting. It focused on financing and 

sustainability strategies at the state and the local levels. A presentation 

of communication strategies for “telling your story” to cultivate support 

amongst policymakers and the general public was part of this learning 

opportunity.

Including Children of All 

Abilities in High-Quality 

Preschool: A Peer Learning 

Exchange

Webpage to access PLE 

materials and resources

July 25 – 26, 2018

Albany, NY

The PDG TA Center worked with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance 

Center to offer this one and one-half day PLE for participants to share and 

explore innovative and creative strategies for making inclusion an effective 

component on their preschool programs. Grantees also had time to 

develop goals and strategy plans to bring back and use in their states. The 

PLE focused on two specific content areas: Innovative Strategies Used to 

Support Inclusion, and Financing Inclusion.

Getting the Message 

Across: How to 

Communicate with Various 

Audiences

Webpage to access PLE 

resources 

January 17 – 18, 

2017

Phoenix, AZ

Five PDG states met in Phoenix, Arizona for this PLE. They developed 

goals for their early childhood public awareness campaigns, and designed 

network maps that identified target audiences, drafted messages, and 

identified strategies for moving forward. The group met again, virtually, in 

April and July to learn about each other’s progress.

Cultivating Excellence: 

Developing and 

Strengthening Your Early 

Childhood Workforce

Webpage to access Meeting 

Materials, Slides, and Resources

September 20 – 21, 

2016

Las Vegas, NV

This PLE focused on the critical issue of strengthening and building the early 

education workforce with an end goal of helping PDG State Teams assess 

their current workforce development efforts, and generate plans to develop 

and strengthen their early childhood workforce. The topics addressed 

ranged from staff recruitment and retention, compensation parity, coaching, 

and developing leaders. Staff from the Ounce of Prevention Fund presented 

innovative practices and workforce policies. Grantees were provided with 

peer to peer learning opportunities and team planning sessions to explore 

options for strengthening their states’ practices, and generate plans for 

future work.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-2

Title Dates & Location Description

Bringing the Pieces 

Together: Strengthening 

Alignment Across the 

Birth through Third Grade 

Continuum

Webpage to access Meeting 

Materials, Slides, and Resources

June 28 – 29, 2016

Chicago, IL

This PLE was jointly presented by PDG TA and Early Learning Challenge TA. 

At this PLE, state teams shared information on the B-3 state level work they 

were doing on building relationships; integrating preschool, kindergarten, 

and primary grades policies and practices; and aligning system level resource 

systems to sustain their efforts. Sharon Ritchie from FirstSchool at the 

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill was a guest presenter and facilitator 

at this PLE.

Webinars: PDG Grantee Community

Title Dates & Location Description

Deepening Your 

Understanding of Best 

Practice and EvidenceBased Practices

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

November 14, 2018 The webinar focused on highlighting the differences and critical 

distinctions between “best practice” and “evidence-based practice” 

program evaluations. Diane Schilder from the Education Development 

Center was the guest presenter. The webinar provided information on 

strategies to strengthen and enhance program evaluation efforts. Linkage 

to the ESSA language on use of evidence- and research-based practices 

was reviewed. The webinar shared information on improving program 

evaluation within the early learning field and included recommendations 

for program evaluation efforts.

Financing and 

Sustaining PDG Funded 

Prekindergarten Programs: 

Funding Sources, Strategies, 

and State Examples

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, Resources, and 

Summary

September 11, 

2018

States are in the last year of their four-year federal Preschool Development 

Grants (PDG) Program. Most of the 18 states will be able to extend their 

funding and continue supporting their preschool programs through the 

2018-2019 school year. But what happens after that? Can other sources of 

funding be identified? How can other funding be accessed? This webinar 

focuses on state financing of prekindergarten programs. The presentation 

explored federal, state and local funding sources and strategies. Bruce 

Atchison, co-author of the recent brief from the Education Commission 

of the States, How States Fund PreK: A Primer for Policymakers, was the 

guest presenter. He shared examples of how states across the nation fund 

prekindergarten.

Building Effective 

Collaborations to Support 

Young Children and Their 

Families: Three Promising 

Practices from Preschool 

Development Grant 

Programs

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

June 21, 2018 Effective collaborations are key to the successful design and 

implementation of comprehensive, quality programs and services that 

support young children and their families. In this webinar, examples of 

successful collaborations from three PDG states – Connecticut, Louisiana, 

and New Jersey – were presented. The focus of these collaborations is 

varied: family engagement, coordinated enrollment and informing family 

choice, and a central intake system for managing referrals.

Sustainability Part A: 

Sustaining Quality Through 

Continuous Improvement 

Efforts

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, Resources, and 

Summary

September 26, 

2017

Ensuring the quality of early learning opportunities is a critical aspect of 

sustainability. It is through an ongoing process of continuous improvement 

that quality can be realized. In this webinar, Candace Cook and Elizabeth 

Alves from Tennessee discuss Pre-K in their state, the expansion of Pre-K 

through PDG, and Tennessee’s response to the widely publicized Vanderbilt 

study of their state’s Pre-K program. This webinar illustrated how state 

leaders can work to re-establish and sustain quality.

Recruitment and Enrollment 

Part B: Hard to Reach 

Families

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

April 25, 2017 The evidence is clear: high-quality early learning programs increase 

children’s readiness for kindergarten and beyond. But sometimes the 

children and families who would benefit most from these programs are not 

enrolled in high-quality early learning programs. This webinar highlights 

successful strategies Virginia is using to recruit and enroll children from 

hard to reach families for its Virginia Preschool Initiative – PLUS program 

(VPI+). VPI+ is supported through their PDG grant.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-3

Title Dates & Location Description

Recruitment and Enrollment 

Part A: Children with 

Disabilities - PDG TA Topical 

Webinar

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

January 24, 2017 Recruitment and Enrollment Part A: Children with Disabilities, is one in 

a series of Topical Technical Assistance Webinars sponsored by the PDG 

Technical Assistance (PDG TA) Team. In this webinar, two state “sparks” 

describe their efforts to establish policies and practices that promote and 

provide young children with disabilities greater opportunities to participate 

in inclusive PDG programs. The presenters were Donna Traynham and 

Sarah Volkenant from the Massachusetts Departments of Elementary and 

Secondary Education, and Early Education and Care; and Stacey Joyner 

from Ready Nevada! at the Nevada Department of Education.

Part III Program Evaluation: 

Using Data for Analysis

Webpage with Slides and 

Recording

November 22, 2016 The PDG TA team facilitated a webinar, Part III Program Evaluation: Using 

Data for Analysis, addressing how to analyze and use data for continuous 

program improvement. Participants were provided with information about 

the benefits and purposes of evaluation. Two general types of evaluation, 

and different levels of evaluation were examined. Examples of evaluation 

questions were provided.

Data Part II: Data Use

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Resources

September 27, 

2016

The PDG Team facilitated a webinar, Data Part II: Data Use, which 

addressed the relevance and benefits of using data to achieve positive 

outcomes for continuous program improvement. The Data Use Framework 

developed by the DaSy Center was featured. The DaSy Center’s Framework 

is organized around six interrelated subcomponents – Purpose and Vision; 

Data Governance and Management; Stakeholder Engagement; System 

Design and Development; Data Use; and Sustainability. A demonstration of 

using the Data Use subcomponent was provided.

Webinars: Family Engagement Community of Practice

Title Dates & Location Description

Accessing Hard to Reach 

Families

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

February 18, 2016 This webinar was presented on February 18, 2016 by Deborah Watson, 

Project Manager for Family and Community Engagement at the 

Connecticut Office of Early Learning, and Melissa Dahlin from the Center 

for Enhanced Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO). The webinar highlights 

strategies for connecting with hard to reach families. It identifies potential 

barriers to successful outreach and recruitment efforts, and offers ideas 

to address these. The Connecticut Office of Early Learning’s Outreach and 

Recruitment Plan is presented as an example.

Communicating with 

Families

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

April 21, 2016 In this webinar, Brandi Black Thacker from the National Center on 

Parent, Family, and Community Engagement discusses strategies for 

communicating with families. Brandi uses the Head Start Parent, Family, 

and Community Engagement Framework as a springboard to discuss 

Strengths-based Attitudes and Relationship-based Practices that can build 

and grow relationships with families, a key to successful communication.

The Home-School 

Connection

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

June 16, 2016 This webinar addressed policies and practices for engaging families of 

young children. Melissa Dahlin, Research Associate at CEELO, offered an 

overview of a new policy statement on family engagement. Mary P. Hall, 

Communications and Outreach Specialist at Pennsylvania Key, described 

resources available to families through the Pennsylvania Key program.

Communicating with 

Families to Prevent Chronic 

Absenteeism

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, Resources, and 

Summary

August 18, 2016 This webinar begins by providing information about a report from the 

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Parenting 

Matters. The presenters then discuss an interactive data map (Chronic 

Absenteeism in Our Nation’s Schools) from the U.S. Department 

of Education (ED). Michael Katz and Sedria Wilson discuss chronic 

absenteeism among prekindergarten students in the District of Columbia. 

The webinar includes links to recent reports and other relevant resources.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-4

Title Dates & Location Description

Engaging Parents, 

Developing Leader: A SelfAssessment

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

August 13, 2016 This webinar provided an overview of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s new 

assessment tool for gauging parent engagement in various organizational 

contexts. Shelly Waters Boots, Senior Consultant at the Annie E. Casey 

Foundation, shared the history of this self-assessment tool and how it can 

be used in different contexts.

Maryland’s Family 

Engagement Toolkit: 

Valuable Resources for 

Families

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

December 1, 2016 This webinar provides an overview of Maryland’s Family Engagement 

Toolkit, which offers resources aligned with Maryland’s Early Childhood 

Family Engagement Framework for families and childcare providers. Cyndi 

La Marca Lessner, Early Childhood Coordinator at the Maryland State 

Department of Education’s Division of Early Childhood Development, 

shared the history of the Framework and Toolkit.

Strengthening Families 

through Early Childhood 

Education Part 1

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

February 16, 2017 In this webinar, Cailin O’Connor and Anna Lovejoy, senior associates at 

the Center for the Study of Social Policy, provided an overview of the 

Strengthening FamiliesTM approach and described everyday actions that 

early childhood education practitioners can implement to strengthen family 

partnerships.

Strengthening Families 

through Early Childhood 

Education Part 2: Café 

Conversations: Engaging 

Parents and Building 

Protective Factors

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

April 20, 2017 In this webinar, Anna Lovejoy and Cailin O’Connor, Senior Associates 

at the Center for the Study of Social Policy, provide an overview of café 

conversations as they relate to the Strengthening Families Approach, and 

describe the café models used in Illinois, Washington, and Minnesota. This 

is a follow-up to their February webinar.

Father Engagement is 

Everybody’s Business!

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

July 13, 2017 In this webinar, David Jones, Senior Program Specialist, Office of Head 

Start, discussed how early childhood programs can use systemic, 

integrated, comprehensive, and sustainable practices to better engage 

fathers.

Building Partnerships with 

the Families of Young Dual 

Language Learners: Part 1

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

September 12, 

2017

This webinar discusses the difference between family engagement and 

parent involvement. It highlights the importance of family engagement, 

especially for families of young dual language learners (DLLs). Dr. Colleen 

Vesely, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education and Human 

Development and Family Science at George Mason University, provided 

strategies for understanding cultural humility and overcoming implicit 

biases as precursors for building relationships with the families of young 

dual language learners.

Building Partnerships with 

the Families of Young Dual 

Language Learners: Part 2

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

Webpage with Slides, 

Resources, and Summary

October 17, 2017 This webinar is the second part of the “Building Relationships with Families 

of Young Dual Language Learners” series Colleen Vesely presented in 

September. This webinar builds upon her previous discussion on family 

engagement and how it benefits young dual language learners (DLLs). She 

identifies challenges that educators may face when working with families 

of DLLs and provides some strategies for overcoming these challenges and 

for enhancing family engagement.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-5

Webinars: Young Dual Language Learners Community of Practice

Title Dates & Location Description

Tools for Teachers of Young 

Dual Language Learners 

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

February 2, 2016 This webinar, presented by Alex Figueras-Daniel at the National Institute 

for Early Education Research (NIEER), and Manuela Fonseca, PDG TA Team, 

explored the tool, Self-Evaluation of Supports for Emergent Bilingual 

Acquisition (SESEBA). SESEBA can be used to enhance practices and give 

teachers an opportunity for self-reflection and insights into modifying 

their practices in order to meet the needs of young dual language learners 

(DLLs).

Supporting the Early 

Literacy Development of 

Young Dual Language 

Learners

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

April 5, 2016 Dr. Linda Espinosa, Co-Principal Investigator for the Getting on Track for 

Early School Success: Effective Teaching in Preschool Classrooms project 

at the University of Chicago, presented current research on the language 

and literacy development of young dual language learners. She discussed 

implications of this research for policies and practices. Dr. Espinosa 

presented evidence-based strategies for teaching young dual language 

learners.

Early Childhood Programs 

That Support Young Dual 

Language Learners

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

June 7, 2016 This webinar presents various approaches used by early childhood 

programs to support young dual language learners and their families. Dr. 

Xin Gao and Ada Echevarría provide an overview of the evidence-based 

strategies used in the Oregon Child Development Coalition’s (OCDC) early 

childhood programs, and the OCDC’s dual language pilot project.

Early Childhood Programs 

That Support Young Dual 

Language Learners – Part 2

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

September 6, 2016 This webinar presents various approaches for providing high-quality 

programming for young dual language learners and their families. 

Lisa Luceno, Director of Early Childhood Education at Briya Public 

Charter School, highlights several evidence-based strategies used at 

this dual generation charter school for adults and young children in 

Washington, D.C.

A Deeper Dive into The 

Dual Language Learner 

Toolkit

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

November 1, 2016 This webinar is presented by Suzanne Thouvenelle, Content Liaison with 

the Office of Head Start’s Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center 

(ECLKC), and Jennifer Amaya-Thompson of the Office of Head Start at 

the Administration for Children and Families. The webinar begins with an 

overview of a recent joint policy statement from the U.S. Departments of 

Education and Health and Human Services on supporting dual language 

learners. The presenters provide an overview of the ECLKC’s Dual Language 

Learner Toolkit and explain how it can be used to support PDG quality 

indicators.

Teaching Young Dual 

Language Learners: A 

New Look at Planning the 

Environment

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

January 3, 2017 In this webinar, Karen Nameth, author, consultant, and founder of 

Language Castle LLC, shares strategies for ensuring that early childhood 

classroom environments effectively support the learning of young dual 

language learners (DLLs). The strategies include creating and using books, 

activities, displays, and linguistically and culturally appropriate materials.

Identifying and Assessing 

Young Dual Language 

Learners

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

March 7, 2017 In this webinar, Alex Figueras-Daniel, Assistant Research Professor at NIEER, 

and Manuela Fonseca, PDG TA Specialist, discuss: (1) the importance of 

identifying children who are dual language learners (DLLs) as early as 

possible, (2) the existing state policies for early DLL identification, and (3) 

considerations for creating and using surveys and assessments.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-6

Title Dates & Location Description

Promoting the Educational 

Success of Children and 

Youth Learning English

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

June 27, 2017 In this webinar, Dr. Linda Espinosa, Professor Emeritus of Early Childhood 

Education at the University of Missouri, discusses the essential elements, 

findings, and recommendations in Promoting the Educational Success of 

Children and Youth Learning English, a report published by the National 

Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Dr. Espinosa 

was a contributing author to the NASEM report which focuses on the 

foundational elements of language development, developmental progress, 

assessment issues, school entry, and instructional practices for young 

children from birth through age eight who are dual language learners.

Building Partnerships with 

the Families of Young Dual 

Language Learners: Part 1

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

September 12, 

2017

This webinar discusses the difference between family engagement and 

parent involvement, and highlights the importance of family engagement, 

especially for families of young dual language learners (DLLs). Dr. Colleen 

Vesely, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education and Human 

Development and Family Science at George Mason University, provides 

strategies for understanding cultural humility and overcoming implicit 

biases.

Building Partnerships with 

the Families of Young Dual 

Language Learners: Part 2

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

October 17, 2017 This webinar is the second part of the “Building Relationships with Families 

of Young Dual Language Learners” series. Dr. Colleen Vesely, Assistant 

Professor of Early Childhood Education and Human Development and 

Family Science, at George Mason University, builds upon her previous 

discussion on family engagement and how it benefits young dual language 

learners (DLLs). She identifies challenges that educators may face when 

working with families of DLLs and provides some strategies for overcoming 

these challenges and for enhancing family engagement.

Supporting Dual Language 

Learners in Prek-3rd Grade: 

Spotlight on Earl Boyles 

Elementary School

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

November 14, 2017 In this webinar, Ericka Guynes, Principal at the Earl Boyles Elementary 

School, and Maria Adams, the Language Development Specialist at the 

school, highlight several innovative practices used at their school to 

support dual language learners and their families. They also discuss the 

components and outcomes of the school’s English Language Development 

model.

Webinars: Supporting Young Children with High Needs Community of Practice

Title Dates & Location Description

Supporting Children with 

Families Living in Poverty in 

Rural Areas 

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

February 11, 2016 This webinar presented by Dr. Cathy Grace of the University of Mississippi 

Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning, explored the challenges 

in supporting young children with families who live in poverty in rural 

areas. She reviews demographic information and research data to present 

a profile of rural America replete with its assets as well as challenges. 

Recommendations for addressing these challenges are discussed.

Supporting Young Children 

Who Are Experiencing 

Homelessness

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

April 14, 2016 This webinar focuses on the prevalence of homelessness among young 

children. John McLaughlin, federal coordinator of the McKinney-Vento 

Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program; Marsha Basloe, 

Senior Advisor for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Early Childhood Development at the Administration for Children and 

Families; and Grace Whitney, Director of Connecticut’s Head Start State 

Collaboration Office, discuss relevant laws, regulations, and support 

programs. They also share proven strategies for meeting the unique needs 

of children and families who are experiencing homelessness. 

Supporting the Needs 

of Young Children with 

Challenging Behaviors

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary 

June 9, 2016 This webinar presented strategies for supporting young children exhibiting 

challenging behaviors. Dr. Tweety Yates, former project coordinator for 

the Center on Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning and who 

now serves on the leadership team for the Pyramid Model Consortium, 

discusses national trends and provides concrete examples of how early 

childhood educators can proactively address these behaviors.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-7

Title Dates & Location Description

Suspension and Expulsion 

in Early Childhood 

Programs

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

September 8, 2016 In this webinar, Dr. Walter Gillam (Director of The Edward Zigler Center 

in Child Development and Social Policy, and Associate Professor of Child 

Psychiatry and Psychology at the Yale University Child Study Center) 

provide the political, historical, and research context for suspension and 

expulsion in early childhood programs.

Supporting Young Children 

Who Are Experiencing 

Homelessness: Part 2

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

November 10, 2016 In this webinar, John McLaughlin, federal coordinator of the McKinneyVento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program; Marsha 

Basloe, senior advisor at the Administration for Children and Families; and 

Grace Whitney, Director of Connecticut’s Head Start State Collaboration 

Office, provide an overview of recent changes to federal policies and 

programs related to children and families experiencing homelessness. 

The webinar also includes a discussion of a new joint policy statement on 

supporting children who are experiencing homelessness.

Supporting Young Children: 

Addressing Poverty, 

Promoting Opportunity, 

And Advancing Equity in 

Policy

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

January 12, 2017 In this webinar, Melanie Meisenheimer, policy analyst at the Center for the 

Study of Social Policy, discusses how poverty and racism affect the wellbeing of young children. She examines how early childhood policy and 

practice can promote equity, and the role race plays in the daily work of 

both policymakers and practitioners.

Supporting Young Children 

with Incarcerated Parents

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

March 9, 2017 One in every 14 U.S. children has a parent who has been or is currently 

incarcerated. This trend disproportionately affects children of color. 

Without adequate support, having an incarcerated parent can have a 

lasting impact on a child’s development and well-being. In this webinar, 

George Lombardi, former director of the Missouri Department of 

Corrections, discussed Missouri’s comprehensive approach to incarcerated 

parents. The approach builds compassion and altruism, teaches parenting 

skills to inmates, connects parents and children, and provides direct 

support to children with incarcerated parents.

Supporting Young Children 

in Families Experiencing 

Substance Abuse

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

June 29, 2017 This webinar presents information on the growing substance abuse 

epidemic, with a specific focus on opioid addiction. Jackie Newson, 

Director of the West Virginia Home Visitation Program and the Parents and 

Teachers (PAT) State Office, describes the ways in which substance abuse 

affects young children in West Virginia. She also offers some solutions 

and effective practices the state has used to alleviate challenges caused by 

substance abuse.

Supporting Young Children 

Who Have Experienced 

Childhood Trauma: Part 1

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

September 14, 

2017

In this first of a two-part webinar series on trauma, Dr. Patsy Carter, 

Director of Children’s Clinical Services at the Department of Mental Health 

and Children’s Division in Missouri, provided an overview of different 

types of trauma. She discussed the impact of trauma on health and brain 

development, and explained what it means to be a “trauma-informed” 

agency.

Supporting Young Children 

Who Have Experienced 

Childhood Trauma: Part 2

Webpage with Slides, 

Recording, and Summary

November 9, 2017 In the second part of the webinar series on trauma, Dr. Patsy Carter 

builds upon the information she presented in the September webinar. 

She discusses the core principles associated with trauma-informed 

organizations and explains how organizations can become traumainformed. She concluded the webinar by suggesting strategies for 

supporting young children who have experienced trauma.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-8

Publications: State Technical Assistance Reports (STAR) 

Title Year Description

Smoothing Out the Bumps of 

Transitioning to Kindergarten

Link to Document

2017 The transition to kindergarten is an important time in the life of a child. Research 

has shown that the quality of children’s kindergarten transition processes has 

implications for their future academic and social outcomes, and it also effects 

the level of families’ engagement in kindergarten. Research further indicates that 

children living in families with low incomes are less likely to have positive transition 

experiences. This brief examines policies and practices that can be implemented to 

increase the likelihood all children will a positive transition. It includes a sample of 

promising kindergarten transition practices at the state and local levels.

State Approaches to Regional 

Early Childhood Councils

Link to Document

2017 This document provides a review of the work states have undertaken with regional 

and local early learning councils to support sustaining early learning initiatives. 

Included is information on the functions of the councils and how they are funded. 

The document explores the varied tasks of local and regional early childhood 

councils such as advocacy and communications, governance, strategic planning, 

and implementing state policies. A review of the variety of funding sources used 

to support states’ councils is provided. This document is a joint PDG TA and CEELO 

product.

Identifying Young Dual 

Language Learners: State 

Policies, Home Language 

Surveys, and Language 

Proficiency Assessments

Link to Document

2017 The United States is becoming a more culturally and linguistically diverse nation. 

This growing diversity increases the need to accurately identify young children 

as dual language learners (DLLs) prior to kindergarten. This brief addresses the 

questions: How are states identifying and assessing young DLLs? What policies 

and practices are in place? What assessment measures are appropriate and 

effective? It examines state policies requiring the identification of DLLs in Pre-K, 

and reviews current practices in home language surveys, and English language 

proficiency assessments.

CEELO/PDG Fast Fact - State 

Pre-K and Charter School: A 

Summary of State Policies

Link to Document

2017 This FastFact document is the result of a collaborative effort between CEELO and 

PDG TA. It was written in response to a PDG state’s request for information on 

state policies that address public charter schools and state-funded prekindergarten 

education (Pre-K). It answers questions such as, “Which states allow charters to 

implement Pre-K? Approximately, how many children attend Pre-K in a charter 

school? What are some of the features and challenges of Pre-K programs 

implemented in charter schools?”

Braiding, Blending, and 

Layering Funding Sources to 

Increase Access to Quality 

Preschool

Link to Document

2017 This report examines the strategies of braiding, blending or layering various 

funding streams to provide more comprehensive, inclusive early learning programs 

for young children and their families. Interviews with administrators from PDGsupported local school districts, Head Start programs, and child care centers 

provide a look into how these local administrators are making it work in their 

programs.

Suspension and Expulsion 

in Preschool Development 

States: Policies and Practices

Link to Document

2017 The expulsion and suspension of preschool age children have become growing 

issues for states, and is receiving considerable attention at many levels. This 

report shares the ways in which PDG states are responding to the expulsion 

and suspension of their youngest students. The report outlines the policies and 

practices being used, and discusses relevant federal and state policies aimed at 

mitigating the excessive use of expulsion and suspension for preschool children.

Preschool Development 

Grants and Head Start: 

Partners in Realizing the 

Promise

Link to Document

2016 The PDG grantees and Head Start programs are funded to provide high-quality 

preschool education and comprehensive services to families meeting federal 

poverty guidelines. The overlap of program standards and services across these 

two programs offers unique opportunities for partnerships. This document 

provides examples from PDG states that have successfully established PDG/Head 

Start partnerships. It includes a review of the individual programs’ components, 

several partnership examples, and information on the strategies states can use to 

support successful partnerships.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-9

Title Year Description

Curriculum Policies and 

Guidelines of the Preschool 

Development and Expansion 

Grant Programs

Link to Document

2016 This brief examines the curricular policies and guidelines of the eighteen PDG 

State Grantees. It explores how these states are addressing the curriculum-related 

requirements of the PDG grant program. This brief clarifies the PDG requirements, 

discusses aspects of curriculum, and presents a snapshot of the preschool 

curriculum policies and guidelines of the PDG states.

Comprehensive Assessment 

Systems in Preschool 

Development and Expansion 

Grant States

Link to Document

2016 This document compiles information from multiple sources to offer readers 

a snapshot of PDG states’ progress towards implementing a comprehensive 

assessment system, as well as the tools states are using for each of the 

components of an assessment system.

Publications: Newsletters

Issue Theme

April 2018 Emerging Best Practice in Effective Collaborations

December 2017 States’ Progress Towards Coordinated Data Collection and Utilization

September 2017 PDG States’ Progress: infrastructure; community collaborations; data collection and analysis; workforce 

development; and birth to third grade alignment

June 2017 Communication Using a Lens of Sustainability as a Focus

March 2017 Recruitment Outreach Strategies for Hard-to-Reach Families

December 2016 Inclusion Services for Preschool Children and Their Families

September 2016 Leadership in Early Education

June 2016 Family Engagement

March 2016 Coaching

December 2015 Birth through Third Grade

September 2015 Early Literacy Practices and Strategies

Other PDG TA Publications

PROMISING PRACTICES BRIEFS: In 2016, PDG TA staff conducted interviews with PDG Development grantees and others 

impacted by the PDG grant. The result was four Promising Practices briefs. The topics of the briefs were the Early Childhood 

Workforce, Rural Education, Family Engagement, and Coaching. The interviews were limited to the five PDG Development states: 

Alabama, Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, and Nevada.

Title Year Description

Promising Practices: 

Transforming the Workforce

2016 This brief discusses the need for highly qualified teachers in PDG classrooms. Read what 

public school administrators, coaches, early learning directors, and teachers have to say 

about their workforce concerns. 

Promising Practices: Rural 

Education

2016 This brief discusses ways states used their PDG grant to address preschool in rural 

communities. Read about the four common themes: provision of full day/full year 

programs; transportation; partnerships; and a qualified workforce. 

Promising Practices: Family 

Engagement

2016 The PDG grant program has had a positive impact on states’ development or expansion 

of family engagement strategies. Read how the five PDG Development states have 

built this key component of the PDG program through moving from talking points to 

funded strategic action; teaching educators how to reach families; and using family 

engagement coordinators to support programs. 

Promising Practices: Coaching 2016 This brief focuses on coaching, an aspect of professional development that has received 

considerable attention through PDG funding. It describes how PDG states have used 

coaching to improve teaching proficiency and support educational leaders’ efforts to 

improve program quality. 
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-10

Other PDG TA Publications

“What a Difference One Preschool Development Grant Can Make” Series: This series consists of eight very short 

“spotlights” (1-2 pages) of the work and impacts of the Preschool Development Grants in the words of parents, subgrantees, 

administrators and teachers. The series was based on interviews conducted with the five Development states (i.e., Nevada, Montana, 

Hawaii, Arizona, Alabama). 

What a Difference One Preschool Development Grant Can Make: Braided Funding Increases Access to Pre-K and Diversity in the 

Classroom

What a Difference One Preschool Development Grant Can Make: PDG: A Partnership to Benefit the Whole Community

What a Difference One Preschool Development Grant Can Make: Creating Opportunities in Rural Communities in Hawaii

What a Difference One Preschool Development Grant Can Make: From Five Children to Classrooms Across the Diocese

What a Difference One Preschool Development Grant Can Make: Braided Funding Leverages District-wide Quality Initiative

What a Difference One Preschool Development Grant Can Make: Transforming Pre-K in a Large, Urban School District

What a Difference One Preschool Development Grant Can Make: What Parents are Saying about the Preschool Development Grant

What a Difference One Preschool Development Grant Can Make: What Educators are Saying about the Preschool Development Grant

PDG TA Online Professional Development Modules

Early Learning Language 

and Literacy Series

Link to series webpage

This series of 14 professional development modules on early literacy learning, birth to 

kindergarten, is designed to support the work of early education professional development 

initiatives related to the language and literacy development of young children across the 50 states 

and the territories. The two key objectives for the Early Learning Language and Literacy Series are:

1. To provide teachers with background information/research on early language and literacy

2. To provide evidence-based strategies to support the language and literacy development of 

young children

Science, Technology, 

Engineering, and 

Mathematics (STEM) in 

Early Learning Series

Link to series webpage

This series aims to enhance professionals’ understanding and confidence in supporting children’s 

intellectual learning. The 11-part series offers research, practical application for classroom and 

home and provides examples of experiences that build scientific, technology, engineering, and 

mathematical learning for older toddlers and preschool children. The two key objectives for the 

STEM in Early Learning Series are:

1. Provide early childhood professionals with background information and research on science, 

technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning for young children

2. Provide evidence-based strategies to support STEM learning in varied environments, including 

early learning settings, homes, and community settings such as museums and libraries
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-11

PDG Expansion States: Technical Assistance and Learning 

Opportunities 2015-2017: Center for Enhanced Early Learning 

Outcomes (CEELO)

The following is a list of webinars and Peer Learning Exchanges (PLEs)1 CEELO provided Preschool Development Grant (PDG) 

Expansion states during the first three years of the grant. The webinars and PLEs were based on the identified needs of the 

PDG Expansion states although PDG Development states were given access to many of these activities as well.

Webinars

Title Date Description

Job-Embedded Professional 

Development (JEPD) and 

Coaching: A PDG Peer 

Exchange Call 

Slides

Recording

November 1, 2016 This webinar engaged state team participants in a discussion about 

definitions and characteristics of job-embedded professional development 

(JEPD), why it is important, best practices, and selected examples. 

Participants considered Virginia’s approach to JEPD and coaching.

Building State P-3 Systems

Webpage to access Slides, 

Recording and Resources

September 12, 

2016

This webinar focused on the state’s role in supporting Pre-K through 

Third Grade (P-3) system building at the state and local levels. It draws on 

a study of three states that devoted significant attention and resources 

to P-3 efforts: Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Each of these 

states has developed state-wide P-3 policy initiatives regarding standards, 

assessments, and instruction as well as targeted programs to support local 

P-3 community partnerships. 

Why Understanding the 

Costs of Preschool Quality 

is Important: A Webinar 

for Preschool Development 

Grantee States

Webpage to access Slides, 

Recording and Resources

July 19, 2016 This webinar presents a demonstration and discussion of the Cost of 

Preschool Quality Tool (CPQ) CEELO developed. The CPQ is an Excel based 

model that can be used at the state or district level to estimate the cost of 

expanding high quality preschool for three- and/or four-year-olds.

Approaches to State Pre-K 

Eligibility Policy 

Webpage to access Slides, 

Recording and Resources

July 21, 2015 This webinar reviews key findings from a recent CEELO policy report on 

state-funded Pre-K program eligibility policies and considerations for 

policymakers as they review or revise eligibility with the aim to balance 

accountability and increase access for high needs children. The discussion 

includes the revised eligibility policy of the Virginia Preschool Initiative, 

income verification, access and equity. 

Effectively Engaging Private 

Partners: Virginia Preschool 

Initiative (VPI) Program

Slides

Recording

March 10, 2015 The Virginia Department of Education, with assistance from CEELO, hosted 

this webinar. Virginia shares successful strategies and lessons learned in 

strengthening the effectiveness of cross-sector partnerships. The purpose 

and goals of the partnerships are: (1) promote collaboration between 

schools and community-based partners in increasing access to VPI; (2) 

provide school staff with successful strategies and solutions for partnering 

with community-based early education providers; (3) share experiences 

from two school divisions; and, (4) encourage all school divisions to explore 

options for partnering with private providers. 

1

 SOURCE: The information provided here is on CEELO’s PDG TA website http://ceelo.org/pde-ta/
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-12

Title Date Description

Preschool Expansion Grant 

Webinar – Setting the 

Stage for Success: Quality 

Improvement and Program 

Evaluation in State Pre-K 

Programs

Slides

Recording

March 4, 2015 This webinar featured an interactive discussion with Steve Barnett, 

Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), and 

colleagues from CEELO. The experts shared insights on the implementation 

or expansion of the “continuous improvement cycle” in state-funded 

Pre-K programs. They also discussed how state leaders can ensure they 

have collected enough data on the short- and long-term outcomes of the 

program. 

CEELO PDG Peer Exchanges. Peer Exchanges provide opportunities for state teams of PDG-Expansion grantees (and in some 

cases Development grantees) to address critical issues in implementing high-quality preschool programs. The Peer Exchanges 

were highly interactive and included sharing successful strategies among states, presentations by experts, and time for 

facilitated state team action planning. CEELO conducted the following Peer Exchanges:

Peer Exchanges

Title Dates & Location Description

Birth to Grade 3 System 

Building 

Webpage with Meeting 

Materials and Resources

September 27 – 28, 

2016

Washington, DC

This peer exchange focused on the state’s role in building effective birth to 

third grade systems, including: (1) aligning state policy from birth to third 

grade in areas such as standards, assessment, and workforce development; 

and (2) supporting local birth through third grade efforts. The peer 

exchange examined several compelling B-3 initiatives across the country.

Financing and Sustaining 

High Quality Preschool 

Programs

Webpage with Pre-Meeting 

Webinar, Meeting Materials 

and Resources

August 9 – 10, 

2016

Boston, 

Massachusetts

PDG states shared their approaches for determining the true costs of 

quality preschool, learned about braiding and blending funds, and 

developed a deeper understanding of strategic financial planning. 

Participants were asked to watch the webinar, Why Understanding the 

Costs of Preschool Quality is Important, prior to coming to the in-person 

Peer Exchange.

Recruitment and Enrollment 

Peer Exchange

Webpage with Meeting 

Materials and Resources

Virtual Meeting 

held April 19 – 20, 

2016

This Peer Exchange was an online, virtual peer exchange. Teams from 

Maryland, Nevada, and Virginia attended. During the meeting, participants 

discussed recruiting and enrolling families with high needs, issues around 

eligibility requirements and determination, braiding and blending funds, 

and community-level approaches to recruitment and enrollment.

Professional Learning 

Communities to Build Local 

Leadership Capacity 

Webpage with Meeting 

Materials, Presentations and 

Resources

December 8, 2015

Washington, DC

Participants of this Peer Exchange heard about early childhood leadership 

programs two states – New Jersey and Kentucky – have implemented. The 

programs are the New Jersey Early Childhood Academy and the Kentucky 

Early Learning Leaders Network. Presenters shared their rationale for 

creating the programs, funding strategies, the goals and outcomes of the 

leadership programs, and other key information. 

Effective Curriculum 

Implementation

Webpage with Meeting 

Materials, Presentations and 

Resources

November 18 – 19, 

2015

New York City

This Peer Exchange examined curriculum from three points of effective 

implementation: (1) alignment of the curriculum to standards, (2) models 

of professional learning and support for curriculum implementation, and 

(3) examination of the fidelity of curriculum through a lens of monitoring 

for quality. Curriculum selection criteria and processes were also discussed.

Part 1: Monitoring for 

Continuous Improvement

Webpage with Meeting 

Materials, Resources, and 

Slides for Part 1 & 2, plus 

Examples of SEA and LEA 

Monitoring Tools

September 16 – 17, 

2015

Washington, DC

In this Peer Exchange, state teams discussed the processes they use to 

ensure subgrantees are systematically and intentionally improving services 

with the aim of increasing positive outcomes for children and families. 

During the in-person meeting, participants discussed the alignment of 

PDG grant monitoring processes with existing systems of monitoring for 

compliance across different program rules and funding requirements.
THE PDG PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT C-13

Title Dates & Location Description

Part 2: Innovations in 

Monitoring for Quality 

Improvement

Webpage with Meeting 

Materials, Resources, and 

Slides for Part 1 & 2, plus 

Examples of SEA and LEA 

Monitoring Tools

March 14 – 15, 

2017

Boston-Cambridge, 

Massachusetts

This Peer Exchange delved into innovative and effective strategies to drive 

continuous quality improvement while balancing economies of resources 

(including limited staff) and placing a greater focus on efforts to improve 

instructional practice. This Exchange built upon the 2015 Peer Exchange 

on Quality Improvement.