Vanderbilt researchers, together with the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, have released a new working paper with major implications for early education in Tennessee. The paper confirms Tennessee PreK students who subsequently experienced “sustaining environments” – meaning they attended high performing K-3 schools and were taught by highly effective teachers – significantly outpaced their peers…
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Children’s Mental Health #1 Concern of Teachers
“Without question, it’s the No. 1 piece of feedback I heard from every single group,” [Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner] Penny Schwinn told Chalkbeat this week. “There is a growing concern about how we can support our children, not only academically but also behaviorally.” What Commissioner Schwinn heard most on her statewide listening tour, which…
» Read MoreEvidence of High-Quality Pre-k Value Grows
The evidence of the value of high-quality pre-k has always far exceeded reports that pre-k is not effective. That trend continues with the release of a study by Nobel Prize-winning economist, James Heckman, detailing the benefits of high-quality pre-k that extend into adulthood. And because high-quality is essential to sustained pre-k benefits, Tennessee’s Voluntary Pre-k…
» Read MoreTQEE Statement on Voluntary Pre-k Funding Awards
“High quality pre-k works – students who are enrolled in quality programs have a measurable advantage over their peers who do not attend pre-k. The 2016 reforms approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, including the introduction of competitive grants for VPK funding, elevated quality standards across the state for truer consistency of quality. Tennessee should…
» Read MoreTN Voluntary Pre-k Makes Quality Strides
With recent news that the State of Tennessee Department of Education (TNDOE) has granted funding for Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) classrooms in 138 school districts, it’s important to underscore that investment in high quality Pre-K is vital if Tennessee is going to improve our public schools. The immediate priority is to improve the percentage of third…
» Read MoreLegislative Support Signals Commitment to Improve Tennessee early education
Media Release: Early education advocates across Tennessee are cheering results of the 2019 Tennessee legislative session that include a slate of approved policy proposals aimed at boosting learning prior to third grade as a strategy to improve Tennessee’s public education system. Highlights include a new pilot to create a network of early grades literacy and…
» Read MoreEarly Home Visiting Programs: Compassionate and Cost-Effective Policy
Backed by compelling data and amazing personal success stories, Tennessee Senator Steve Dickerson and Speaker Pro Tempore Bill Dunn are advancing an important solution to help parents develop the skills they need to give their young children a great start in life: increasing the state’s investment in voluntary, evidenced-based home visiting. Home visiting…
» Read MoreMore about Home Visiting
You have probably noticed we talk a lot about home visiting. That’s because it works! Unfortunately, even though the evidence continues to show the benefits of evidence-based home visiting, less than 2% of eligible Tennessee children have access. Put another way, of Tennessee’s 95 counties 45 do not have any type of home visiting program,…
» Read MoreFood for Thought
TQEE Policy Director, Lisa Wiltshire, is our expert on early education. She’s a former kindergarten teacher, previous director of the Office of Early Learning at the Tennessee Department of Education, and a graduate of the prestigious Bank Street College of Education. While expert, Lisa is always learning, and we along with her. Here are a…
» Read MoreUnsung Heroes Make All the Difference In Children’s Lives
Each year, as part of its mission to help foster good child development in at-risk situations, Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee (PCAT) honors three caregivers — one in each of the state’s grand divisions. This year, the “Unsung Hero” awards went to three outstanding women who have gone “above and beyond”, and we’re excited to tell…
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