Investing in Florida’s Talent Pipeline: A Back to School Webinar
Webinar Agenda
Welcome and Opening Comments
Kim Reckley, Vice President Client & Community Relations Director, Office of the Regional President, PNC Bank
Vision for the Office of Early Learning
Shan Goff, Executive Director for the Office of Early Learning, Florida Department of Education
Legislative Briefing
Madeleine Thakur, Chief of Staff, The Children’s Movement of Florida
Update on Florida’s Grade Level Reading Campaign
Tony Carvajal, Executive Vice President, Florida Chamber Foundation
The audio recording of each speaker is available below.
Complete the form below to get a complimentary copy of the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Business Alliance for Early Learning webinar presentation from August 29, 2019.
Welcome and Overview
Vision for the Office of Early Learning


Kim Reckley
Chair, Business Alliance for Early Learning
Vice President Client & Community Relations Director, Office of the Regional President, PNC Bank
Shan Goff
Executive Director, Office of Early Learning, Florida Department of Education
Legislative Briefing
Update on Grade Level Reading Campaign


Madeleine Thakur
Chief of Staff, The Children’s Movement of Florida
Tony Carvajal
Executive Vice President, Florida Chamber Foundation
How Does Education in Your County Rank?
Research shows eighty-five percent of brain growth occurs by the time a child is three. As the child grows, research shows how access to early learning impacts their development.
- By 18 months of age, differences in vocabulary size are evident between families with higher education and income and families with lower education and income
- A child should know 15-18 alphabet letters by the end of pre-K to have a strong chance of reading on grade level by the end of 1st grade.
- Children who are not proficient readers by 3rd grade are 4 times less likely to graduate from high school on time
For information on 3rd and 8th grade reading and math scores in your community, visit www.TheFloridaScorecard.org.
Early Learning News That Matters to You
Get More Talent and Education News Join the Business Alliance for Early Learning
Current News:
Chamber Welcomes Educators Back to School During Annual Breakfast
The Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce welcomed Delray principals and teachers back-to-school during the annual Champions of Education Breakfast.
This year’s key note speaker was Tony Carvajal, the executive vice president of the Florida Chamber Foundation.
His focus was on how to impact a child by third grade. There is a state-wide goal, which is supported in Delray, of working to get kids reading on or above grade level by third grade.
Read more and share your thoughts about this article below.
Businesses Lead the Way in Providing Childcare Benefits for Employees
Four in five working parents think businesses need to lead the way in providing access to quality and affordable childcare, according to a survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Morning Consult.
Read more and share your thoughts about this article below.
Scroll down for more News.
More News for You
- Rosen invests in preschool; wonders why Florida and other businesses don’t do more as well | Commentary
Orlando Sentinel -
When children go to school ready to learn, they’re ready to succeed, too | Opinion
Miami Herald -
New Study Shows Investments in Low-Income Children’s Health and Education Yield the Highest Returns
Opportunity Insights - Why Florida’s kids are likely to be more successful than North Carolina’s
Raleigh News & Observer - Kindergarten predicts academic achievement across the primary grades
Pennsylvania State University - What’s Medicaid Got to do with Childhood Development
Pacific Standard - Measuring Results of Early Childhood Spending
Route Fifty - ‘The Single Biggest Risk Factor in Getting Expelled Is Being a Preschooler‘
Governing - Early Educators Looking at Laundries, Grocery Stores as Places to Bring Learning to Kids
Chicago Tribune
- Could New Pre-K Campus Be Secret Sauce for Attracting, Keeping Middle Class Families?
Dallas News - Most Kindergarten Students Not Ready for School, State Study Says
The State Journal Register - Initiatives From Pre-School to Third Grade: A Policymaker’s Guide
Education Commission of the States - MIT, Harvard and FSU Join Forces to Address Early Childhood Literacy
MIT News - Brain Matter Matters: Should we intervene well before preschool?
Brookings Institute - Children gain learning boost from two-year, full-day kindergarten
Medical Xpress - Workforce of today, workforce of tomorrow: The business case for high-quality childcare
Katharine B. Stevens, AEIdeas - Pre-K: Decades Worth Of Studies, One Strong Message
Claudio Sanchez, NPR - Place Greater Emphasis on Early Learning
Gainesville Sun Opinion: James F. Lawrence - Kids Who Suffer Hunger In First Years Lag Behind Their Peers In School
The Salt — NPR - Universal Pre-K Improves Kids’ Health in a Hidden, Powerful Way, According to a New Study
Business Insider, by Rafi Letzter - High Quality Early Education Linked to Stable Employment, Better Long-term Ties with Parents
PsycheCentral, by Traci Pedersen - When Does the Racial Achievement Gap First Appear
The Atlantic - One Year of High Quality Early Education Impacts Low-Income Babies, Toddlers
Society for Research in Child Development - State Pre-K Funding 2016-17 Fiscal Year: Trends and Opportunities
Education Commission of the States - Early Literacy is Key to Reaching College Goals
Jacksonville Times Union, By Susan Main, President/CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Duval - of Chicago Pilots Local Early Learning Project
Pensacola News Journal, By Joseph Baucum - Early Learning Centers Are New Schools for Duval’s Youngest Learners
The Florida Times Union, By Denise Smith Amos
A Guide to Early Learning
Career and college readiness efforts frequently focus on ensuring high school students have the skills needed to succeed in postsecondary education or job training. However, the foundation of many skills needed for 21st-century jobs is established in the earliest years.
Early childhood education, particularly between ages 0-8, is essential for a child’s development of both cognitive and non-cognitive skills. Preparing our youngest students to learn provides a foundation for future success and helps them develop important skills such as self-discipline, persistence and cooperation–skills that are essential to their future success and a quality workforce.
- Eighty-five percent of brain growth occurs by the time a child is three.
- Participants in early childhood learning programs are 80 percent more likely to attend college.
- High quality early childhood education programs increase employability by 23 percent.
- Adults who attended early childhood programs earn 33 percent higher average salaries.
Florida’s global competitiveness depends on a quality education system, and for us, this commitment must begin early. Investing in high quality early learning can result in significant benefits.
Children Educated in Their First Years Are:
- 50 percent less likely to need special education,
- 70 percent less likely to be arrested for a violent crime, and
- 50 percent less likely to become teen parents.
Resources
- No Small Matter is a feature-length documentary film and national engagement campaign that brings public attention to this vital question by sharing powerful stories and stunning truths about the human capacity for early intelligence and the potential for quality early care and education to benefit America’s social and economic future
Early Learning Fast Facts on Child Language and Literacy Development Include Information on:
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- Brain Development
- Language and Early Literacy Development
- Book Access for Children
- The State of Preschool 2017
The State of Preschool Yearbook comparing each state program’s policies against a checklist of 10 research-based quality standards benchmarks – The National Institute for Early Education Research. - 2017 Home Visiting Yearbook
The 2017 Home Visiting Yearbook compiles key data on early childhood home visiting on the national and state levels. Developed by the Urban Institute and James Bell Associates. - The State of Preschool 2016
The State of Preschool Yearbook comparing each state program’s policies against a checklist of 10 research-based quality standards benchmarks – The National Institute for Early Education Research. - The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects
Pre-Kindergarten Task Force of Interdisciplinary Scientists Support for the consensus work was provided to Brookings by the Heising-Simons Foundation and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. Support for the larger volume to Duke University was provided by SAS. - Economist James J. Heckman: Early Education Packs a High Return on Investment
Committee for Economic Development - Five Numbers to Remember about Early Childhood Development
Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Get Involved
Securing Florida’s Future Includes You
The Florida Chamber Foundation leads the state in future-focused research and continues to be a catalyst for positive change. But, we need your help to secure Florida’s future. Getting involved is easy.