3 Read '23

This project is centred around community-based research, which aimed to gather the stories of human experience from families and educators, using empathy-based methods and synthesis, to build deep understanding of the complexity of factors impacting a child's capacity to learn and attain grade level literacy by third grade. The local research team consisted of either educators, those with experience as an education system specialist, or a systems leader working in early childhood and were drawn from the following organizations: Del Norte Unified School District, Del Norte First 5, Del Norte Child Care Council, Howonquet Head Start, and the Family Resource Center. They interviewed 27 parents and 11 educators. Interviews were supported by a comprehensive research protocol and conducted in pairs, with one specialist in human-centred design and research and one interviewer with experience as an educator or education system specialist. When talking to parents in their homes, they asked many of them to take us on a learning tour to show us where their children read, played, did homework, etc. In some instances, it was the children themselves who took the interviewers on the tour. As they were developing our findings and insights, they held walkthroughs with educational, system, and community leaders to share their process and emerging insights. Among the findings: There are families under pressure in a world that feels unsafe and chaotic, families where day-to-day living is the focus, and families with huge aspirations for their children (where learning is a priority). Click here [PDF] to read the insights from this research, which informed the direction and strategies to mobilise systems leaders, educators, community, and families around literacy attainment.

Yearly literacy symposiums are designed to keep communities involved. At the 2016 event, information from the recent empathy interviews and literacy research, as well as key indicators [PDF] in the community that should be improved were shared by the Core Design Team. The audience then engaged in a facilitated brainstorming exercise to consider the various insights learned from the research and envision a better future state for children, parents, and educators. Ideas were also generated to get the community to that future state. At the closing of the event, the speakers and audience re-affirmed the goal that "Every child in Del Norte & Adjacent Tribal Lands will be able to read at grade-level by third grade." Attendees filled out commitment cards about the individual and organisational impacts they can have. The commitment cards were mailed back to them at a later date. All the thoughts and ideas generated at the symposium were considered by the Core Design Team. At the 2017 symposium, the School Systems Implementation Team (SSIT) asked the 200 parents, educators, and community leaders gathered for their input on several new programmes, including one that will help parents whose children aren't in child care offer a preschool experience for their youngsters. Parents were also asked for input on efforts to foster a more relaxed atmosphere in schools as well as another new texting programme that parents will be able to enroll in. (Ready4K! is a free texting programme whose three texts a week provide parents with concrete tips and activities to support their child's development in early reading, early math, and social and emotional skills.)

Early Childhood Development, Education

In 2017, as compared to the previous year, there was an increase in children being kindergarten ready (45% versus 33%).