Build Initiative
Early Learning and School Readiness
CFPC is the national evaluation partner for the Build Initiative, a multi-foundation supported initiative which supports a learning community of seven states seeking to develop comprehensive early learning systems through public and private partnerships. CFPC is tracking progress in each of the seven states based upon a Build Theory of Change regarding early learning systems building and an evaluation framework to measure progress in developing early learning systems. Both CFPC and Build have worked to develop a common overall systems framework, with the Early Childhood Systems Working Group, that describes early learning systems as composed of: health, mental health, and nuturition; early learning; family support; and special needs.
In addition, the Build Initiative is taking a lead in producing policy briefs on developing early learning systems in a multi-ethnic society and addressing culture, race, and language issues in early childhood systems development.
The Build Initiative's Theory of Change Executive Summary
September 2009
The First Seven Years: The Build Initiative and Early Childhood Systems Development, 2002 - 2009
CFPC completed its 2009 evaluation essay for the Build Initiative, an eight-state learning community supported by a broad-based group of foundations included in the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative. The 2009 Essay describes the advances made in early childhood systems building within the Build states and the leadership roles both states and the national Build effort have played in promoting comprehensive approaches to early childhood. Included among the successful innovations have been integrating health and early care and education strategies, addressing issues of diversity and equity in systems building, establishing evidenced-based evaluation and accountability systems, and supporting family, friend, and neighbor care. The Build Initiative is recognized nationally as the premier state learning community for the advancement of public systems that can improve children’s healthy development and readiness for success in school.
The First Seven Years: The BUILD Initiative and Early Childhood Systems Develpment, 2002 - 2009
September 2009
Federal Funding & Young Children
Directions, Opportunities and Challenges to States in Build Early Learning Systems
Directions, Opportunities and Challenges to States in Build Early Learning Systems, lays out the available and proposed federal level funding available across the early childhood landscape including family support, health, special needs and early learning systems. The brief continues by considering the challenges and opportunities states face in using these funding sources to build comprehensive, integrated early childhood systems.
As part of the Build national conference in
Federal Funding and Early Learning Systems Building: Reaching for Opportunities (companion presentation piece)
Part Two: Securing Funding Flexibility to Improve Children's Healthy Development
Securing Funding Flexibility to Improve Children's Healthy Development, focuses on how states and communities might seek to secure greater flexibility in using federal funds while improving results for children and families. Generally these proactive strategies include: providing state-specific authority to restructure funding; enhancing cross-system frontline practice; and addressing the needs of multi-system families.
September 2009
Building Public Early Childhood Data Systems for a Multi-Ethnic Society: Issues & Opportunities
The Build Initiative’s Equity and Diversity Working Group produced a specific document outlining the challenges and opportunities available to states in developing culturally competent early childhood data systems, Building Public Early Childhood Data Systems for a Multi-Ethnic Society.
April 2009
Opportunities to Incorporate Young Child Data into Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding
Charles Bruner, with Michelle Stover Wright
he American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $250 million to the Institute of Education Sciences within the United States Department of Education to carry out Section 208 of the Education Technical Assistance Act. The Secretary of Education is authorized “to award grants, on a competitive basis, to state educational agencies to design, develop, and implement statewide, longitudinal data systems to efficiently and accurately manage, analyze, disaggregate, and use individual student data, consistent with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.” This document provides valuable information related to this funding source.
December 2004
Building and Early Learning System: The ABCs of Planning and Governance Structures
States are developing a variety of planning and governance structures to help build early learning systems that can ensure school readiness. Building an Early Learning System, jointly published by the State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network and the Build Initiative, defines an early learning system and shares important "rules of thumb" for creating the planning and governance structures to build it, which are: (1) form follows function, (2) follow the money, (3) building is done in stages, (4) governance requires consent of the governed, (5) think globally and act locally, and (6) there is no magic structure that substitutes for leadership. The appendix provides descriptions of and contact information for over fifty currently operating state planning and governance structures focusing on early childhood and school readiness.
CFPC's PowerPoint presentations describing the Early Learning Systems Framework