The Department of Early Learning (DEL) is excited to announce that trainers and training organizations are now able to use the new Managed Education and Registry Information Tool (MERIT).

MERIT replaces the State Training and Registry System (STARS) database as the place to house information on STARS-approved training, training organizations and early learning professionals. DEL took the STARS database offline on April 1 to create a stronger, more user-friendly tool.

• Add present and future training offers to MERIT; and
• Create, modify and delete trainings from MERIT

Incoming kindergarteners from Anacortes to Quincy will be part of the pilot of the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) during school year 2010-2011! Click to see a list of all participating school districts and schools and learn more about the pilot. Districts were notified earlier this week.

UPDATE (5:10 p.m. June 18): A little Friday afternoon brain fog caused us to post the applicant list, not the selected pilot site list. The current, final list is what's now available at the above link.

We are excited that so many school districts chose to apply. It shows the real and deep commitment in our state to our youngest learners. In the end, each of the 54 districts that applied are represented in the pilot. By being part of the pilot, districts have the opportunity to help inform the WaKIDS process. We are piloting WaKIDS to learn more about how best to support a smooth transition for children from the first five years of life into kindergarten and beyond!

The Department of Early Learning and Office of Superintendent chose the pilot participants using a sample plan to ensure the pilot represents the diversity of our state. DEL and OSPI are leading this work, in consultation with Thrive by Five Washington. Thrive, along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, have contributed private funding to support the pilot.

This Friday, June 18, is the last day to share your thoughts on the draft Early Learning Plan. After that, the public comment period will close and all comments will be reviewed and considered for the plan. need convincing? Check out the video of Department of Early Learning Director Bette Hyde talking about the plan and why your voice needs to be heard!

The plan will be adopted this fall. Go to www.del.wa.gov/plan to read the draft and take a short survey.

Why should you share your input on the draft plan? Because this is the roadmap for building an early learning system in Washington in the coming years. It will affect children, families, and all those who care for children or work on issues related to early learning. DEL is leading the effort to create this plan, along with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Thrive by Five Washington, and other partners.

Beginning July 1, the Legislature has directed DEL to increase the yearly licensing fee for centers and school-age centers to $100 for the first 12 children, plus $8 per child up to your licensed capacity.

This increase will go into the state’s general fund, and will not go directly to DEL. For more information and to view the emergency rules, visit the DEL Rules Under Development section.

DEL plans to adopt permanent rules for this rate change by late 2010. There will be future opportunities for public input.

For questions, e-mail rules@del.wa.gov

With more than 50 school districts applying for the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) pilot this fall, we need just a few more days to finalize the selection of participating districts.

The final application count represented 5,700 kindergarten students and 253 classrooms! The pilot will include 120 kindergarten classrooms and 3,000 incoming kindergarten students.

You can expect the list of WaKIDS pilot participants to be online early next week. In the meantime, visit www.del.wa.gov/wakids to learn more about this exciting work that will help us better support a smooth transition from early learning into the K-12 system for our youngest learners!

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The survey is optional and anonymous. We want to hear your voice!

The teachers invited him to participate at every opportunity but did not force interactions. The ECEAP site team quickly involved their mental health consultant and made an outside referral for therapy with a bilingual therapist (this child did not speak English). The family gets four hours of in-home support a week and weekly therapy sessions. Efforts to draw him out and to help him feel successful in the classroom were constantly evaluated by the mom and staff together and new strategies employed. In late winter he began to eat in class, to hold toys, and to participate in art projects. He then started to speak to another child in his native language and was observed smiling and delighting in the interactions of others in the class.

Photos taken at the end of the year show a smiling 4-year-old comfortably lying in the grass looking up at his peers. The team saw amazing social emotional development in the ECEAP class, and mom saw similar changes at home. Best of all: He will be able to return to ECEAP this next school year!