Early Learning Fellows | Class Five

10/4/2016

Meet the Fellows
Kickoff Meeting
Second Meeting
Webinars
Legislative Corner
Blog Posts
Additional Resources

Contact

Alison May, 303-856-1473

Early Learning Fellows logo. Blue wavy background with Capitol dome. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is pleased to continue another year of its annual Early Learning Fellows program for state legislators and staff.

States have been leading efforts to improve the quality of child care, expand access to preschool, improve school readiness and develop innovative ways to support families with young children across the age spectrum from birth to kindergarten and into the early grades. They also address complex challenges around governance, financing, coordinated data systems and teacher training/professional development. Scientific and evaluation research provide new insights into both child development and programs that are showing results.

We are pleased to offer a legislative fellows program to legislators and legislative staff at no cost. NCSL’s Early Learning Fellows program is made possible by grants from the Alliance for Early Success, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation and Mattel Inc.

On this page you will find all information related to the fifth round of Early Learning Fellows.

Class 5 | 2016

Meet the Fellows

View the photo roster.

Legislators
Representative Chad Caldwell, Oklahoma	Senator Ann Millner, Utah
Senator Donna Campbell, Texas	Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, District of Columbia
Representative Joseph D. Deshotel, Texas	Representative Lillian Ortiz-Self, Washington
Representative Helen Giddings, Texas	Senator Stephan Pappas, Wyoming
Representative Jodi Hack, Oregon	Representative Carla Piluso, Oregon
Assemblymember Pamela Harris, New York	Representative Patricia Haynes Smith, Louisiana
Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, New York	Senator John Stinner, Nebraska
Representative Donny C. Lambeth, North Carolina	Senate Assistant Minority Leader Charleta Tavares, Ohio
Senator Peggy Lehner, Ohio	Senator Steven Thayn, Idaho
Senate Majority Whip Gayle Manning, Ohio	Representative Paul Tucker, Massachusetts
Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, California	Senator Wayne Wallingford, Missouri
Senator Rebecca Millett, Maine	Senator Brice Wiggins, Mississippi

Legislative Staff
Bethany Anderson, Wisconsin	Kimber Liedl, Wisconsin
Abbey Fabick, Wisconsin	Jenna Watts, Texas
Liz Hruska, Nebraska

NCSL Staff
Rochelle Finzel group director, Children and Families Program	Julie Poppe program manager, Children and Families Program
Robyn Lipkowitz program director, Children and Families Program	Matthew Weyer policy specialist, Education Program
Alison May staff coordinator, Children and Families Program

Kickoff Meeting

The Fellows program began with the Kickoff Meeting: Building State Leadership at the Magnolia Hotel Omaha, May 18-20, 2016.

Agenda | Participant List | Speaker Biographies

Wednesday, May 18
5-7 p.m.	Reception and Meet and Greet Courtyard Introductions: Rochelle Finzel, NCSL

Thursday, May 19
8-8:30 a.m.	Breakfast & Networking Lotus Room
8:30-9 a.m.	Welcome, Introductions and Overview of the Day Introductions: Robyn Lipkowitz, NCSL Jessie Rasmussen, Buffett Early Childhood Fund
9-10:30 a.m.	Building a Foundation for Achievement: How Early Experiences Shape Brain Architecture Pre-reading: Brain Architecture Introduction: Robyn Lipkowitz, NCSL Speaker: Melanie Berry, University of Oregon [Presentation] [Handout]
10:30-11:30 a.m.	Building Off of the Science and Looking to Recent Trends Introduction: Julie Poppe, NCSL Speaker: Katharine Stevens, American Enterprise Institute, D.C. [Presentation]
11:30-Noon	Reflecting/Networking/Thinking about your Early Learning Plan
Noon-1 p.m.	Lunch Sponsor: Mattel
1-2:30 p.m.	New Opportunities in Child Care and Guided Discussion Pre-reading: Implementing the CCDBG Reauthorization: A Guide for States Moderators: Robyn Lipkowitz & Julie Poppe, NCSL Speakers: Christine Johnson-Staub, Center for Law and Social Policy, D.C. Karen Schulman, National Women’s Law Center, D.C. Michelle McCready, Child Care Aware, Virginia [Presentation I] [Presentation II]
2:30-3 p.m.	Planning and Networking
3-4:15 p.m.	Pay for Success: Innovative Financing to Support Early Childhood Programs Pre-reading: Pay for Success 101 Moderator: Rochelle Finzel, NCSL Speakers: Joe Waters, Institute for Child Success, South Carolina Representative Greg Hughes, Speaker of the House, Utah [Presentation]
4:15-4:30 p.m.	Break
4:30-5 p.m.	Closing Thoughts and Reflections Provide one takeaway or nugget from the day.
6-8 p.m.	Reception & Dinner Le Bouillon - 1017 Howard St.

Friday, May 20
8-8:30 a.m.	Breakfast & Networking Lotus Room
9-10:45 a.m.	Tour / Site Visit Learning Community Center of North Omaha
10:45-11:45 a.m.	The Superintendents’ Early Childhood Plan in Omaha Pre-reading: Plan at a Glance: Superintendents’ Early Childhood Plan Introduction: Matt Weyer, NCSL Speakers: Sam Meisels, Buffett Early Childhood Institute Christine Maxwell, Buffett Early Childhood Institute Mark Evans, superintendent, Omaha Public Schools Jim Sutfin, superintendent, Millard Public Schools
Noon-1 p.m.	Lunch and Wrap Up

Second Meeting

The Fellows reconvened with a second meeting in Chicago Aug. 7-8, 2016.

NCSL 2016 Early Learning Fellows Cohort in Chicago

Agenda | Participant List | Speaker Biographies

Sunday, Aug. 7
8-8:30 a.m.	Breakfast & Networking W185d, First Floor
8:30-9 a.m.	Welcome and Overview of the Day Introductions: Rochelle Finzel, NCSL Riverside Police Chief Thomas Q. Weitzel, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, Illinois [I'm the Guy you Pay Later report by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids]
9-10 a.m.	The Power of Play and Helping Young Children Develop SR/EF Introduction: Robyn Lipkowitz, NCSL Speaker: Deb Leong, Tools of the Mind, Colorado
10-10:45 a.m.	Table Talk / policy conversation with your colleague
10:45-11:45 a.m.	Priorities in Early Childhood Development Introduction: Julie Poppe, NCSL Speaker: Geoff Nagle, Erikson Institute, Illinois [Presentation] [Handout - Louisiana School Readiness Tax Credits]
11:45 a.m.-Noon	Break
Noon-1 p.m.	Joint Lunch with SPREE Working Group: Institute of Medicine Parent Support Study Pre-reading: Parenting Matters: Supporting Parents of Children Ages 0-8 Introduction: Matt Weyer, NCSL Speakers: Iheoma Iruka, Buffett Early Childhood Institute, University of Nebraska Kim Boller, Mathematica Policy Research, New Jersey [Presentation]
1-1:45 p.m.	Joint Session with SPREE Working Group: Preschool Language Learners Moderator: Matt Weyer, NCSL Speaker: Conor Williams, New America, D.C. [Presentation]
1:45-2 p.m.	Break
2-3 p.m.	Financing Early Childhood Introduction: Julie Poppe, NCSL Speaker: Jonathan Doster, Ounce of Prevention Fund, Illinois [Presentation] [Handout - Statutory History of the Birth-to-Three Set-Aside in the Early Childhood Block Grant] [Handout - SB 238: Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG) Cleanup Language]
3-4 p.m.	Creating Data-Driven Early Childhood Systems to Support Accountability Introduction: National Conference of State Legislatures Speaker: Carlise King, Early Childhood Data Collaborative, Maryland [Presentation] [Handout - Using Coordinated Data Systems to Guide Early Childhood Education Policies]
4-4:30 p.m.	Final Work on Early Learning Plan
4:30-5 p.m.	Closing Thoughts from and Reflections
5:15-7 p.m.	Cocktail Hour and Reception MX Bar - Hyatt
7 p.m.	Enjoy Dinner on Your Own in Chicago

Monday, Aug. 8
8-8:30 a.m.	Breakfast & Networking W185d, First Floor
8:30-9 a.m.	Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Update on Early Learning Opportunities Introduction: Matt Weyer, NCSL Speaker: Lee Posey, NCSL [Handout]
9-10 a.m.	Integrating Early Learning into School Leaders’ Prep and Professional Development Experiences Speaker: Steve Tozer, University of Illinois [Presentation]
10-10:15 a.m.	Break
10:15-11:30 a.m.	Home Visiting: A Legislative Primer Introduction: Alison May, NCSL Speaker: Anna Potere, Ounce of Prevention Fund, Illinois [Presentation]
11:30 a.m.-Noon	Report Out/Closing Thoughts/Future Work

Webinars

webinar graphic Over the course of the Fellows program two webinars will take place. Each webinar will have an expert speaking about key issues related to early learning.

Webinar 1:
Equity Starts Early: Strategies to Consider in Promoting High-Quality Early Education
Thursday, June 30, at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT / Noon MT / 11 a.m. PT
This webinar was about the recent Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) report Equity Starts Early: How Chiefs Will Build High Quality Early Education and will include state examples.

Webinar 2:
Linking Social-Emotional Skills in Children to Long-Term Success in Life
Thursday, Sept. 15, at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT / Noon MT / 11 a.m. PT
This webinar will highlight the Johns Hopkins University/Baltimore Education Research Consortium study that measured the social-emotional skills of incoming kindergarten students.

Legislative Corner

Fellows blue banner with image of children and capitol As a way to keep all Fellows connected with one another and to highlight the terrific work being done in your state, NCSL staff will periodically highlight a Fellow and the work they are doing.