Are Tennessee’s Children Ready for Kindergarten? New Data from the Northeast Consortium Says “Not Yet” for Too Many What does it mean to be ready for kindergarten? In Tennessee, it means more than just knowing your ABCs or counting to ten. True readiness is about the whole child—socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively prepared to thrive…
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Microcenter Networks: Onsite Childcare for Teachers
Chambliss Center for Children’s partnership with Hamilton County Schools (HCS) uses a micro-center network approach to supply onsite childcare to support teacher recruitment and retention. Finding quality, affordable child care is a struggle for most working parents, including teachers who don’t have the flexibility of working from home or adjusting their hours to meet child…
» Read MoreDyersburg State Community College + TECTA Partner with 30 West TN High Schools to Grow Early Educators
The Challenge Tennessee, like the rest of the nation, is experiencing a shortage of early educators in child care, preschool and K-3rd classrooms. High school career and technical education (CTE) programs for Early Childhood Education Careers (ECCE) and Teaching as a Profession (TAP) are potentially productive “on-ramps” for the early educator workforce pipeline. However, the programs…
» Read MoreLunch ‘n’ Learn: School Readiness
If you missed the July 26th Lunch ‘n’ Learn: Defining and Measuring School Readiness, below are the video and materials shared, plus a short overview. Watch the full Lunch ‘n’ Learn TQEE Kindergarten Readiness Presentation BSTN LNL 2024 07 26 slide deck Preparing Children and Their Families for Kindergarten July 2024.pptx The Challenge Research is…
» Read MoreDefining School Readiness in Northeast TN
Bright Start Northeast TN is cheering 18 School Districts. After two years of collaborative work, the Northeast TN Consortium of school districts has adopted a shared definition of school readiness and a universal screener tool for the region. Our hats are off to all the collaborators on this monumental project — especially Niswonger Foundation, Ballad…
» Read More2024 TCAP Scores are IN!
There’s progress on 3rd grade reading and math proficiency, but still a long way to go. TQEE’s north star is 3rd grade reading and math proficiency. That’s because it’s a well-documented and crucial benchmark for future academic and life success. Children who are not proficient in reading and math by the end of third grade…
» Read More2024 Legislative Wrap Up
2024 Legislative Wrap Up Each year from January through April or May when the Tennessee General Assembly holds its legislative session TQEE advocates for a set of legislative and budget proposals that would have a meaningful impact on one or more of the priorities outlined in our Policy Blueprint. This year, we supported a number of…
» Read MoreTogether, we achieved big wins for little kids in 2021
As 2021 comes to a close, we extend our sincere gratitude to partners like you who help ensure Tennessee’s youngest learners get the brightest start possible. It is important to say that we don’t accomplish anything alone. From a successful legislative session to the launch of the Bright Start Tennessee Network (and everything in between),…
» Read MoreTQEE launches Bright Start TN
Tennesseans for Quality Early Education launches Bright Start Tennessee Network to accelerate early learning outcomes statewide Six inaugural community partnerships selected to design and implement evidence-based early success plans Nashville, Tenn. – Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE) announced today that it has launched the Bright Start Tennessee Network (Bright Start TN) – a new statewide initiative…
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