 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. 
Additional key takeaways from the survey include:
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!
 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:
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:
To learn more about the Oakland EDI, take a look at: Developmental Screening in Oakland: Recommendations for an Inclusive and Effective System11/15/2022
 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.  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.  "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:
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: Candidate Questionnaire Responses Note: All candidates who were sent the questionnaire are listed below. Candidates who submitted a response have a linked document.
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Looking for data? Find it here: Oakland Starting Smart and Strong — All Reports By Year
Many of the photos on this site appear courtesy of Hasain Rasheed Photography
Many of the photos on this site appear courtesy of Hasain Rasheed Photography