Facts In Action

There has been little activity on the state budget two months into the new fiscal year. The Senate and the House are still in conference trying to resolve some of the differences between their two budget proposals, and final conference figures are not expected until after Labor Day.

In other Massachusetts news:

• The Governor's Commission on School-Readiness (see Facts in Action, June 2001) has developed a preliminary draft of recommendations for improving services to children in the Commonwealth, aged birth to five-years old, in an effort to better prepare children for school. The Commission is starting the first stage of a public input period, sending surveys on school-readiness issues to randomly selected providers and parents. Once all phases of the public input period are completed and the recommendations are finalized, a report will be prepared and presented to the Governor on November 15^th.

• The Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE) has released a draft of program standards for programs for three- and four-year olds receiving funding through Community Partnerships for Children. The standards were developed by a subcommittee of the Early Childhood Advisory Council to the Massachusetts Board of Education, and are intended to be used as a tool for self-evaluation and program planning. The guidelines cover a wide range of program standards, including basic health and safety guidelines, as well as curriculum frameworks for preschool programs. DOE is seeking public comment on the draft standards through the end of September. After the public comment period, the Board of Education will vote on the standards.

For more information:
about the Governor's Commission on School-Readiness or the publicinput process, contact Valora Washington at (617) 868-6600 or OCCS Commissioner Ardith Wieworka at (617) 626-2000.

For more information:
about the program standards, contact Julie Asher, PACCT Campaign, (617) 547-1063 x244, or email asherj@ccrcinc.org. You can view the standards at the DOE web site, www.doe.mass.edu/els.

Facts in Action, August 2001