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The achievement gap starts before kindergarten, and without an integrated approach from birth through third grade we miss the optimal window for putting children on a path to success in school and life. Oregon needs to begin building an early education continuum that works effectively with the K-12 system.

We know which early childhood programs work. It's time to demonstrate how to effectively and efficiently deliver them to children and families. In doing so, we will transform our current "non-system" into a system that works for our most vulnerable children, families and communities.

The early learning demonstration will have the following core features:

• high expectations for children's education success
• whole child development
• inclusivity of all children in a neighborhood, with more intensive supports for children with greater need
• parent engagement beginning at birth and continuing at every level
• public funding streams augmented with philanthropic support

Visualize a day in a coherent, community-based system.

The Children's Institute's early learning demonstration at Earl Boyles Elementary School will test best practices in a local, high-need setting and use the results to inform practice and policy decisions at all levels.

The lessons we learn will be applicable to other school districts, and will include how to:

• Build shared governance across systems
• Effectively track, manage and share information about children and programs in order to spur continuous quality improvement
• Effectively blend and braid of funding and accurately capture the cost of providing quality early education opportunities
• Integrate professional development across the birth-to-third-grade spectrum

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