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Nurturing Positive Beliefs About Students, Jobs and Selves: ROCK Survey Results

2/28/2023

 
OUSD educators participating in a ROCK Professional Learning Community (PLC)
OUSD educators participating in a ROCK Professional Learning Community (PLC)
​Since 2017, through the Resilient Oakland Communities and Kids (ROCK) initiative, Oakland Starting Smart and Strong (OSSS) has been building knowledge about resilience, trauma and its impact on children, and self-care for educators. Examples of ROCK supports for early childhood educators include: in person and virtual trainings, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), educator coaching, yoga, and self care resources.

A survey of OUSD early childhood educators conducted by OSSS in 2022 has revealed the positive impact of these ROCK supports, with survey respondents reporting widespread use of many trauma-responsive classroom strategies. The survey was conducted in English, Spanish and Cantonese, and 43 educators representing 68% of OUSD’s early childhood sites participated.

​​Notably, educators who participated in PLC sessions held substantially more positive beliefs about their students, jobs and themselves compared to those who did not attend a PLC. ROCK PLCs offer educators an opportunity to delve deeper into trauma-informed resilience and self-care strategies, through intensive collaboration and exchange of knowledge and best practices.
Graph shows that Educators who participated in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) held more positive beliefs about their students, jobs and themselves compared to those who did not attend a PLC.
Additional key takeaways from the survey include:
  • 70% of respondents have been teaching and caring for children 0-5 for eleven years or more, bringing a depth of experience and expertise to their sites.
  • Educators throughout OUSD ECE are using a variety of trauma-informed strategies to support children in their classrooms. 
  • Respondents expressed very positive feelings around self-efficacy at work, responses to problem behavior and symptoms, and underlying causes of problem behavior and symptoms. 
Please read Nurturing Positive Beliefs About Students, Jobs and Selves, our survey results summary, and email us your thoughts and questions at info@oaklandsmartandstrong.org. OSSS will be releasing a report this summer describing the evolution of ROCK over the years, including practical resources for educators and school leaders to both launch and continue the program at desired sites - stay tuned!

EDI 2023 is in the works!

2/28/2023

 
Young girl with braids plays outside in a schoolyard, jumping up to toss a ball through a basketball hoop
OSSS and our partners collected our third round of Early Development Instrument (EDI) data  in February. The EDI is a neighborhood-level snapshot of how systems are supporting Kindergarten children’s health, development, and school readiness. The results can inform neighborhood-based planning to hold systems accountable for the well-being of young children. 

OSSS and OUSD previously collected and analyzed EDI data in 2017 and 2020 with the support of UCLA. For each round of the EDI, every OUSD kindergarten teacher is asked to complete surveys about each of their students, assessing how systems support children in these developmental domains:
  • Physical Health and Well-Being
  • Social Competence
  • Emotional Maturity
  • Language & Cognition
  • General Knowledge and Communication

The 2023 EDI data will be analyzed and ready for use by late summer 2023. 

To dig into the 2017 and 2020  data, take a look at the Oakland EDI Data Dashboard. OSSS, OUSD, and our community partners have used the EDI in many ways, including applying for and receiving the Emerging Bilingual Collaborative grant to support Dual Language Learners, increasing Social and Emotional Supports in OUSD Early Learning, supporting the San Antonio Family Resource Center’s (FRC) Parent Action Team’s advocacy for San Antonio Park, and informing the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth’s strategic plan.  Read more here about our many uses of the data.

In preparation for EDI 2023, OSSS and OUSD made some exciting new changes:
  • In August 2022, OUSD sent the Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (CHEQ) parent/caregiver survey to the families of all OUSD kindergarteners. 46% of students had a parent/caregiver fill out the survey. The results of the CHEQ were shared with Kindergarten teachers, so they could better plan around the strengths and needs of their students throughout their school year. The CHEQ and EDI data together reflect both family and teacher perspectives on children’s development, providing a more well-rounded view of the supports students have received to be ready for school.
  • In fall 2022, OSSS reviewed and updated the EDI Custom Questions. While most of the EDI survey questions are predetermined, each community has the option to include five custom questions tailored to their city’s unique priorities. With the input of the Data Committee and  OUSD Kindergarten Transitions Teacher Leaders, the EDI 2023 custom questions address housing security, communication with families, and access to services/supports. These questions are designed to hold systems accountable for providing place-based supports to meet the needs of children and families. 
  • This winter, we are drafting Oakland ECEcosystems City District Profiles, which we will update with EDI 2023 data. These city district profiles will feature EDI and other early childhood data, and be a resource for elected officials and community advocates to support equitable resource allocation for Oakland’s children, families, and early educators.

To learn more about the Oakland EDI, take a look at:
  • “EDI in Community” blog post
  • EDI Dashboard 
  • Data Into Action EDI 2020 Guide
  • ECEcosystems Zone Profiles
  • Oakland EDI Anti-Racism Memo
  • Sample EDI Questionnaire

Developmental Screening in Oakland:  Recommendations for an Inclusive and Effective System

11/15/2022

 
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As we discussed in a previous blog post, developmental screening helps families understand a child’s development, celebrate milestones, and identify supports for delays in development. Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), First 5 Alameda County/Help Me Grow (HMG) and other partners have been expanding access to developmental screenings for young children in Oakland. 

Oakland Starting Smart and Strong (OSSS) conducted a research study last year to examine the reach of developmental screening in Oakland across pediatric and early childhood education sites, and explore practices for screening and referral to services. As part of the study, OSSS reviewed data and conducted focus groups and key informant interviews with: early childhood education teachers, center directors,  administrators, and the HMG Family Advisory Committee, which is made up of parents whose children have received developmental screening. 

Our study found significant growth in developmental screening in Oakland among early childhood education providers and pediatric offices in Oakland. We also found that programs designed to serve families most impacted by racial and economic inequities have been particularly successful in providing access to screening. HMG’s strong technical assistance has proven critical to the effective expansion of developmental screening access in Oakland. 
“Developmental screening was the first step to help me understand my children's development … it helped me understand developmental delays..." 
​– Parent of twins, patients at Children’s Hospital Oakland
While access to screening has improved, the study found  disparities in screening activity across neighborhoods and demographic groups. For example, screening rates were lower in East Oakland, reflecting the lack of access to Head Start and OUSD preschool in this part of the city.

Based on the results of the research study, OSSS convened partners to develop implementation, policy and research recommendations that will support an inclusive and effective screening, assessment and support system for young children in Oakland. These recommendations include a greater  focus on specific neighborhoods and demographic groups that have had lower rates of screening, integrating screening results with kindergarten transition activities, and increasing efforts to share results and follow up with parents and caregivers.
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Read the brief for more information about the study and its findings, and contact us at info@oaklandsmartandstrong.org if you’d like to partner with us on the next steps.
​
Acknowledgements: OSSS would like to thank Austin Land, PhD candidate at Goldman School of Public Policy, for conducting this research project. Our appreciation also extends to First 5 Alameda/Help Me Grow, Oakland Unified School District Early Learning Department and City of Oakland Head Start, who have shared data and provided feedback and insight
.


Limitations - Data was not available for some ECE providers, home visiting services, and pediatric offices. Most demographic data is only available at the provider level, and only for 2018-19. Due to COVID-10, there were challenges with remote interviewing that led to small/limited focus groups and interviews which may not be a representative sample.​

Oakland Candidates Share Their Vision for the City’s Early Childhood Ecosystem

10/17/2022

 
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"We Are The Ones We've Been Waiting For," mural by Jessica Sabogal, 20th St and Telegraph in Oakland.
Election Day is on November 8! To help the OSSS community make informed decisions about their elected officials, we asked each candidate running for an office representing Oakland about their vision for Oakland’s Early Childhood Ecosystem. With the goal to raise awareness of ECE as an important issue, our collaborative developed a questionnaire based on “Early Childhood Education Matters in Oakland: An Informational Guide for Elected Officials and Candidates.” 

***Please scroll down to see candidate responses***

We asked candidates for Oakland Mayor, Oakland City Council, OUSD School Board, Alameda County Board of Supervisors, and California State Assembly these questions:

  • What forms of early care and education have you or your family participated in, and how have you supported ECE in communities you have served?
  • What is your understanding of the different early care and education options available to families in Oakland and how they relate to K-12 education?
  • What are your ideas for recruiting, retaining, and equitably compensating early childhood educators as part of Oakland’s economic development strategy?
  • Given a wide range of early childhood funding needs, how will you center Oakland parent and family leadership in budget and policy decisions?
  • ​What are three priorities in  your vision for supporting Oakland’s young children, their families, and the workforce who takes care of them? 

Out of the 33 candidates who received the questionnaire, 21 candidates responded! Many put a lot of thought into their responses and we appreciate the time they took to reflect upon these questions. Notably, both candidates for Alameda County Board of Supervisors for District 3, Rebecca Kaplan and Lena Tam, as well as the majority of OUSD School Board candidates completed the questionnaire. For candidates who become elected officials, the OSSS collaborative will continue the conversation to build an equitable, racially just early childhood ecosystem for Oakland’s children, families, and educators/providers. 

We’re excited to share their responses with the OSSS community and hope that this information will be a resource for you!

Ballots have already been sent to Oakland voters. Make your voice heard by registering to vote, choosing your way to vote, and tracking your ballot. 
​

Want to know your City, County, and State Assembly Districts? Look them up here:
  • City of Oakland Districts 
  • ​Alameda County Board of Supervisors Districts 
  • California State Assembly Districts
Candidate Questionnaire Responses
Note: All candidates who were sent the questionnaire are listed below. Candidates who submitted a response have a linked document. ​
Oakland Mayor
Ignacio De La Fuente

Gregory Hodge
Tyron Jordan
Peter Liu
Treva Reid
John Reimann
Seneca Scott
Loren Taylor
Sheng Thao
Allyssa Victory Villanueva
Alameda County Board of Supervisors
​D3: Rebecca Kaplan

D3: Lena Tam
State Assembly
D14: Buffy Wicks
​D14: Rich Kinney
D18: Mia Bonta
D18: Mindy Pechenuk
​Oakland City Council
D2: Nikki Fortunato Bas

D2: Harold Lowe
D4: Nenna Joiner

D4: Janani Ramachandran
D6: Kevin Jenkins
D6: Kenneth Session
D6: Nancy Sidebotham
D6: Yakpasua Zazaboi
OUSD School Board
D2: Jennifer Brouhard

D2: David Kakishiba
D2: Maximino Orozco
D4: Pecolia Manigo
D4: Mike Hutchinson
D4: Nick Resnick
D6: Valarie Bachelor
D6: Kyra Mungia
D6: Joel Velasquez
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Many of the photos on this site appear courtesy of Hasain Rasheed Photography
  • About
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