Schools
New Jersey Applies for $60 Million Race to the Top Grant
Funding would go in part to a statewide system for evaluating early childhood education centers.
Under a plan being proposed to the federal government, New Jersey would evaluate and grade every registered early childhood center and preschool serving low-income students in the state.
The proposal is part of the Christie administration's application, announced Wednesday, for up to $60 million in federal funding under the federal Race to the Top -- Early Learning Challenge. The rating system has been piloted in three cities.
The grant proposal also includes statewide assessments for kindergarteners, increased programs for training early childhood educators, and better coordination between different state agencies in charge of early childhood care.
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Thirty-one states currently have a rating system for early childhood programs, typically on a 1-to-5 scale. The lowest grade is for programs that minimally meet registration or licensing requirements
“If we are awarded this grant, it would help take a giant step forward in building quality early childhood programs in this state,” said Cecilia Zalkind, executive director for the Advocates for Children of New Jersey, which assisted in the ratings part of the application.
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The New Jersey program, as proposed in the grant, would rate state-funded programs -- including those in public schools -- on six criteria: program and learning environment, family engagement, health and safety, professional development, personnel, and business practices.
“The expansion of this pilot will not only offer data and support to existing programs to help them constantly improve, but will serve as a ‘consumer report’ for parents to assist them in making informed decisions for their children,” read the state’s application.
The application said the expanded ratings system would ultimately reach 75,000 low-income children. The state now funds two years of full-day preschool for about 45,000 low-income students, largely through programs ordered under the Abbott v. Burke in 31 cities. Another 15,000 are served through federally funded Head Start and Early Head Start.
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