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Health & Fitness

District 197's Early Learning programs awarded competitive state funding

School District 197's Early Learning programs have received scholarship funding from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to offer enhanced services to students in the West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan area.

In 2013, the state Legislature approved $23 million in funding to help expand the MDE's Early Learning Scholarship program. School District 197 was awarded a "Pathway II" scholarship of $24,710 for the 2013-14 school year. Pathway II funding will provide the district with the resources to implement effective kindergarten transition strategies that have been linked to:

  • The sustainment of developmental and academic gains attained in quality early education settings,
  • Increased and sustained family involvement, and 
  • Positive developmental and academic outcomes.  

“We are please to be selected as a Pathway II scholarship recipient,” said Joyce Beaird, District 197's Early Learning Coordinator. “Our early learning programs are rapidly expanding to meet the needs of our district, and we are excited to use the scholarship to ensure that more children are entering kindergarten ready to learn.”

The Early Learning Pathway II Scholarships are awarded to pre-kindergarten and preschool programs that have received four-star ratings from Parent Aware, Minnesota's system for rating the quality of early learning programs in the state. Early learning programs are given one to four stars based on their use of educational best practices for kindergarten success. According to Parents Aware, programs that earn a four-star rating excel in the use of best practices, including: 

  • Conducting ongoing assessments of a child's progress
  • Continually adapting lesson plans and goals for individual students
  • Regularly engaging and updating parents on a child's progress
  • Communicating across cultures
  • Training staff on children’s developmental disabilities

In spring 2013, District 197’s Building Bridges Family Literacy Preschool Program and the Community Preschool Program were awarded four stars from Parent Aware.

Research increasingly shows that strong early education programs positively influence students' long-term academic achievement. The District 197 School Board and administrators feel that expanding the district's preschool program will ensure more students are ready for Kindergarten and reach critical literacy milestones by Grade 3. Because of this, one of the district's goals outlined in the Strategic Framework is to deliver high impact early learning opportunities. 

The Board has also appointed a Facilities Task Force that, among other topics, is exploring options for developing permanent, age-appropriate space for early learning programs in the district. The Facilities Task Force will present their final report and recommendations to the School Board in November 2013.

“We know, and data shows, that early education has significant, persistent benefits for students,” Beaird said. “We are committed to providing excellent preschool and early childhood family education programs that help prepare children to succeed in Kindergarten and beyond.”

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District 197's Early Learning programs are currently located at Mendota Elementary (Mendota Heights), Moreland Arts & Health Sciences Magnet Elementary (West St. Paul) and Pilot Knob STEM Magnet Elementary (Eagan). Learn more at http://www.isd197.org/schools/preschool.

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