OSSE Receives $2.4 Million Grant to Build Upon Innovative Supports for Early Childhood Workforce

Office of the State Superintendent of Education Receives $2.4 Million Grant to Support Early Childhood Education Workforce

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) has announced that the District has been awarded a $2.4 million grant from the Early Educator Investment Collaborative (The Collaborative). This grant aims to support innovations that will enhance the professional credentials, wages, and benefits of the DC early childhood education workforce. The District was chosen for its development and implementation of inventive, comprehensive, and equitable solutions that promote the advancement of early childhood educators as professionals and ensure high-quality learning experiences for young children.

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Christina Grant stated, “This award further solidifies the District’s position as a national leader in early childhood education. We are committed to providing early childhood educators with the necessary support to excel in their roles. As part of this commitment, the District has implemented innovative programs to help educators obtain degrees and credentials, access health insurance coverage, and receive fair compensation. We are excited to leverage the support of The Collaborative to build upon our success, strengthen existing programs, and share valuable lessons with other states.”

Investing in Early Childhood Educators for High-Quality Care and Education

To increase access to high-quality early care and education for DC families, it is crucial to invest in adequate training and support for early childhood educators. OSSE will utilize the three-year grant to accelerate and expand existing programs that benefit the DC early childhood workforce. These programs include:

• The Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund: This program, the first of its kind in the nation, aims to achieve pay parity between early childhood educators and their K-12 counterparts. Since September 2022, over $80 million has been distributed to more than 4,000 early childhood educators.
• HealthCare4ChildCare: This program provides free health insurance through DC Health Link for District residents and their families who are employed by OSSE-licensed child development centers and homes. It also offers free health insurance or reduced premiums through DC Health Link for non-District residents employed by OSSE-licensed child development centers and homes. Nearly half of the participating employers did not previously offer health insurance.
• Programs to Attain Degrees and Credentials: OSSE offers high-quality, no-cost programs for early childhood educators to obtain degrees and credentials. These programs include the Child Development Association Training and Preparation Program and the DC Leading Educators towards Advanced Degrees (DC LEAD) program. Through these initiatives, DC early childhood educators can earn their Child Development Associate (CDA) for free and access scholarships to pursue associate or bachelor’s degrees.

Deputy Superintendent of Early Learning Sara Mead expressed, “The District’s efforts in early childhood educator workforce education and compensation are groundbreaking. Early childhood educators play a crucial role in supporting young children’s learning and development, and we are excited to continue our efforts to ensure that all early childhood educators have the necessary skills and equitable compensation to best support children and families. This grant will help us lead the way in developing innovative solutions that advocate for public investment in the early childhood workforce, both in DC and nationally.”

Sharing Knowledge and Leading by Example

The District is one of only three states chosen by The Collaborative to receive grant funding. As a lead grantee, OSSE will build upon its comprehensive efforts to transform the birth to 5 early childhood workforce and conduct thorough data analysis of key initiatives. The findings from OSSE’s evaluation will be shared with other states, allowing them to adapt and learn from the District’s pioneering experience.

Dr. Ola J. Friday, director of The Collaborative, emphasized, “There is much that other localities and states can learn from the District’s successful initiatives supporting the early childhood educator workforce. This grant will help leading innovators like DC collaborate across agencies and local partners, enabling them to think bigger and more boldly about how to best support early childhood educators.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and preprimary education.
• SDG 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
• SDG 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life.
• SDG 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
• SDG 10.4: Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage, and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality.
• SDG 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, there are indicators mentioned in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. These include:

• The amount of grant funding received ($2.4 million) to support innovations in early childhood education workforce development.
• The number of early childhood educators who have received pay parity through the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund (more than 4,000).
• The number of employers enrolled in the HealthCare4ChildCare program.
• The number of early childhood educators who have attained degrees and credentials through the Child Development Association Training and Preparation Program and the DC Leading Educators towards Advanced Degrees (DC LEAD) program.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: osse.dc.gov

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