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Today, President of Regent University and Smart Beginnings South Hampton Roads board member Dr. Carlos Campo spoke to CBN News about President Obama’s early education agenda. According to Dr. Campo, “Students who are engaged early on, teacher focused, good instruction going on, will do better later on.” He also states that, “I would like to see this […]

In case you missed last night’s State of the Union address, President Obama focused a lot on his plans for early education. In his speech, President Obama acknowledged the critical role early education plays in a child’s life and the need to invest in better education early. During his speech, the President reaffirmed the fact […]

  Last week, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick released his 2014 budget recommendations, which included overwhelming support for early education. Governor Patrick cited the importance of early literacy noting, “Third grade literacy is widely regarded as one of the most significant milestones in a child’s academic career, and it is an important predictor of future academic success.”  […]

Virginia Beach’s early education initiative, GrowSmart, has been receiving state and national recognition due to their strong alignment between early education and economic development.  Below are some highlights from their most recent newsletter that we wanted to share with you, including a recent presentation from E3:Elevate Early Education’s founding chair, Gary McCollum: Creating a Competitive Workforce […]

In case you missed it, Virginia House Majority Leader, Kirk Cox, had an op-ed in today’s Richmond Times-Dispatch regarding the proposed K-12 reforms. “By most accounts, Virginia’s education system is one of the best in the country. While this was good enough for past generations, our children must now be ready to compete on the […]

  Last week, The Virginian-Pilot published an article highlighting the innovation and vision of Virginia Beach Superintendent, Jim Merrill.  Not only has Merrill been named Virginia’s superintendent of the year and is currently competing for the national title, but around the country, others are noticing his forward thinking and wanting to take note. The Hewlett […]

Yesterday, Student’s First released their first-ever State Policy report cards.  So, how did Virginia do? Let’s put it this way: they left some room for improvement, giving Virginia a D- and landing the Commonwealth in 26th place. Click the report card below for the full report:   But don’t despair, there is a bright side!  […]

  This afternoon, Governor McDonnell rolled out additional elements of his K-12 agenda, including his support of Kindergarten Readiness through the development and piloting of a kindergarten readiness assessment tool.  The development of such an assessment will allow for a better understanding of the range of skills children have as they enter kindergarten and progress […]

  ACT just released a new study indicating just how far off-track students are when it comes to college preparedness. The results? Researchers examined multiple cohorts of eighth-grade students whose EXPLORE (a test administered by ACT) scores were “Far Off Track” and were more than one standard deviation below Benchmark. Of those deemed “Far Off […]

Want the scoop on education in America?  Here it is: Our children are not reading at grade level.   In a recent report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, one out of three students scored “below basic” on the 2009 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) Reading Test. In Virginia, 61% of fourth graders score […]

  As Virginians gear up for another General Assembly session, here at E3: Elevate Early Education, we celebrate and applaud Governor McDonnell for making education one of his two major policy challenges this year! In a press conference last week as the Governor unveiled his K-12 legislative agenda, he announced a new initiative, All Students, […]

It’s no secret that reading is the foundation for academic success.  From kindergarten to third grade, a child is learning to read.  By third grade, a child is reading to learn. Sadly, all too often, a child who starts behind, stays behind.  Reading struggles are strongly linked to difficulties in school (academic, social, and behavioral).  […]

  We’re all aware that reading is linked to overall academic success.  But did you know that it is MUCH more than simply reading words aloud?  It’s analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information in math, science, and social studies.  It is about learning how to interpret and make meaning from what you’re reading. When it comes […]

  Over the weekend, Nicolas Kristof wrote an extremely persuasive Op-Ed in Sunday’s New York Times on the value of investing in early education. “A growing body of careful research suggests that the most effective strategy is to work early on children and education, and to try to encourage and sustain marriage…Early interventions are not […]

This morning on Morning Joe, Mark McKinnon, co-founder of No Labels, was featured talking about the importance of putting kids on the agenda. According to McKinnon, where does the real investment need to be made?  “The real return on investment is early investment in Pre-K and early education…early Pre-K investment is where the real payoff […]