[vc_section][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”top”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1570642176829{padding-top: 150px !important;padding-bottom: 150px !important;background-image: url(https://tqee.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/iStock-646703512_cropped.jpg?id=4202) !important;}”][mkdf_elements_holder holder_full_height=”no” number_of_columns=”one-column” switch_to_one_column=”” alignment_one_column=””][mkdf_elements_holder_item item_padding=”0px 0px 0px 300px”][mkdf_section_title position=”” show_separator=”yes” separator_position=”left” title_tag=”” disable_break_words=”no” title=”History” title_color=”#000000″][vc_column_text]Learn more about Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE).[/vc_column_text][/mkdf_elements_holder_item][/mkdf_elements_holder][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_row content_placement=”top” row_content_width=”grid” parallax_background_image=”20″ css=”.vc_custom_1570580121180{padding-top: 15px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1570579838411{padding-top: 100px !important;}”][mkdf_section_title position=”” show_separator=”yes” separator_position=”left” title_tag=”h3″ disable_break_words=”no” title=”Tennesseans for Quality Early Education”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1570580136765{margin-left: 192px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1570580476655{margin-left: 100px !important;padding-right: 375px !important;}”]TQEE was formed in 2015 in response to a Vanderbilt University Peabody Research Institute study of Tennessee’s Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) program. The research demonstrated:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1570635400228{margin-left: 350px !important;padding-right: 375px !important;}”]
- Children who attended the state’s voluntary pre-k program were better prepared for kindergarten, though pre-k classroom quality was inconsistent across the state.
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- Children who did not attend the state’s voluntary pre-k caught up with pre-k children by the end of kindergarten.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1570635408947{margin-left: 350px !important;padding-right: 375px !important;}”]
- Both groups’ of children’s academic achievement declined in grades 2 and 3.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1570580136765{margin-left: 192px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1570580502611{margin-left: 100px !important;padding-right: 375px !important;}”]The study did not examine K-3 factors that might have resulted in pre-k gains being unsustainable, but the researchers have said: “It is doubtful that anything done in pre-k can have sustained effects if the gains made there are not supported and extended in the schooling that follows.”
The findings were a catalyst for the formation of TQEE by Blair Taylor, who gathered early education advocates from across the state, making the case for a new state focus on strengthening quality — of the VPK program as well as of K-3rd grade to “sustain the gains.”
TQEE’s work was launched with the PreK Quality Act of 2016. With a convincing argument, TQEE won the support of Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) and Senator Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville) to sponsor and draft the Pre-K Quality Act, which revised the Voluntary Pre-K for Tennessee Act of 2005 to ensure that programs are high-quality and coordinated with elementary education beyond the Pre-K level. It was enacted with near unanimous support of the legislature.
The Act was a positive step toward instilling quality and consistency in VPK classrooms across the state. And since then, the Tennessee Department of Education has made significant progress in strengthening the program. But the work must both continue and expand to include improvements to K-3rd grade. Moreover, Tennessee must also give new focus to the years before Pre-K, during which disadvantaged children start falling behind beginning at birth.
Today, TQEE has grown to include a large coalition and a robust policy agenda which reflects the importance of the full birth through third grade continuum in preparing children for future academic success. And our work has only just begun…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_content_width=”grid” content_text_aligment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1553780325311{padding-top: 110px !important;padding-bottom: 54px !important;}”][vc_column width=”5/6″ offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-2 vc_col-lg-8 vc_col-md-offset-2 vc_col-md-8 vc_col-sm-offset-1 vc_col-xs-12″][mkdf_section_title position=”” show_separator=”yes” separator_position=”center” title_tag=”” disable_break_words=”no” title=”Together, We’re Making a Difference” holder_padding=”13px”][vc_column_text]We’re proud to champion quality early childhood education for our great state of Tennessee,
and with your help we’re accelerating progress![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_content_width=”grid” css=”.vc_custom_1570668822051{padding-bottom: 70px !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-0 vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-md-offset-0 vc_col-md-12 vc_col-sm-offset-0 vc_col-xs-12″][mkdf_elements_holder holder_full_height=”no” number_of_columns=”one-column” switch_to_one_column=”” alignment_one_column=””][mkdf_elements_holder_item item_padding=”0px 0px 50px 0px” item_padding_1367_1600=”0px 28px 45px 0px” item_padding_769_1024=”0px 0px 130px 0px” item_padding_1025_1366=”0px 28px 45px 0px” item_padding_681_768=”0px 0px 120px 0px” item_padding_680=”0px 2px 45px 0px”][mkdf_image_with_text enable_image_shadow=”no” title_tag=”” image=”4191″ image_size=”full” title=”Effective Policy” text=”We develop sound, evidence-based policy that strengthens early learning.”][/mkdf_elements_holder_item][/mkdf_elements_holder][/vc_column][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-0 vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-md-offset-0 vc_col-md-12 vc_col-sm-offset-0 vc_col-xs-12″][mkdf_elements_holder holder_full_height=”no” number_of_columns=”one-column” switch_to_one_column=”” alignment_one_column=””][mkdf_elements_holder_item item_padding=”0px 0px 0px 0px” item_padding_1367_1600=”0px 28px 45px 0px” item_padding_769_1024=”0px 0px 130px 0px” item_padding_1025_1366=”0px 28px 45px 0px” item_padding_681_768=”0px 0px 120px 0px” item_padding_680=”0px 2px 45px 0px”][mkdf_image_with_text enable_image_shadow=”no” title_tag=”” image=”4190″ image_size=”full” title=”A Strong Voice” text=”We amplify the voices of early education advocates from across the state.”][/mkdf_elements_holder_item][/mkdf_elements_holder][/vc_column][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-0 vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-md-offset-0 vc_col-md-12 vc_col-sm-offset-0 vc_col-xs-12″][mkdf_elements_holder holder_full_height=”no” number_of_columns=”one-column” switch_to_one_column=”” alignment_one_column=””][mkdf_elements_holder_item item_padding=”0px 0px 50px 0px” item_padding_1367_1600=”0px 28px 45px 0px” item_padding_1025_1366=”0px 28px 45px 0px” item_padding_769_1024=”0px 0px 130px 0px” item_padding_681_768=”0px 0px 120px 0px” item_padding_680=”0px 2px 45px 0px”][mkdf_image_with_text enable_image_shadow=”no” title_tag=”” image=”4188″ image_size=”full” title=”2020 Elections” text=”We help elect pro-early education candidates for the state legislature.”][/mkdf_elements_holder_item][/mkdf_elements_holder][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_content_width=”grid” disable_background_image=”” content_text_aligment=”center” simple_background_image=”122″ css=”.vc_custom_1570582165837{padding-top: 65px !important;padding-bottom: 40px !important;}”][vc_column width=”2/3″ offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-2 vc_col-lg-8 vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-10 vc_col-sm-offset-0 vc_col-xs-12″][mkdf_section_title position=”” show_separator=”no” title_tag=”h2″ disable_break_words=”no” title=”Get Involved!” title_color=”#ffffff” button_color=”#dd3333″ button_hover_color=”#ffffff”][mkdf_section_title position=”” show_separator=”no” title_tag=”h3″ disable_break_words=”no” title=”Support Early Education” title_color=”#ffffff” button_color=”#dd3333″ button_hover_color=”#ffffff”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_content_width=”grid” disable_background_image=”” content_text_aligment=”center” simple_background_image=”122″ css=”.vc_custom_1570667152641{padding-bottom: 65px !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-2 vc_col-lg-8 vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-10 vc_col-sm-offset-0 vc_col-xs-12″][mkdf_button text=”Join Our Coalition” target=”_self” icon_pack=”” font_weight=”” text_transform=”” link=”https://tqee.org/coalition/” font_size=”18″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1570635474693{background-color: #ffd3d3 !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1570636406522{margin-top: -15px !important;margin-bottom: 15px !important;margin-left: 555px !important;}”]
#MyEarlyEducation to support Tennesseans for Quality Early Education
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