Resource Directory

This is a public collection of knowledge funded and/or published by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF). Views, opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these publications are those of the authors and their respective organizations. They do not necessarily reflect the views, policies or positions of WKKF.

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Eyeing the Exit: Teacher Turnover and What We Can Do About It

January 11, 2023

In March 2022, the Mississippi State Legislature passed the largest single-year pay raise for public school teachers in our state's history, raising teacher pay by an average of $5,151. Just months later, districts reported the highest levels of teacher attrition in years: one in five Mississippi teachers opted to not return to their classroom for the 2022-2023 school year, including one-third of all teachers in districts with an "F" accountability rating. These levels of attrition constitute a sharp uptick from previous years and beg the question: why are Mississippi teachers continuing to leave the classroom in droves?Mississippi First has been studying this question for the last few years. In the months leading up to the historic 2022 teacher pay raise, we surveyed 6,496 teachers—one in five teachers statewide—about their pathway into the profession, financial well-being, career plans, and policy preferences. In this report, we present the results from the survey to provide a nuanced answer about which teachers are leaving the classroom and why. We also examine the connection between attrition risk and standard of living to make the case that financial insecurity is rampant among educators and a major driver of early exits from the classroom. Finally, we offer a series of recommendations for policymakers to address teacher turnover and strengthen every facet of Mississippi's educator pipeline

Early Childhood Education

GSRP Assessment Tool: Version 1

October 31, 2022

This is Version 1 of the GSRP Assessment Tool. The purpose of this tool is to provide a self-assessment of the capabilities and risk factors for a potential GSRP funding recipient. The scoring rubric of the assessment tool serves to provide a range of risk exposure elements related to compliant and sustainable GSRP funding in addition to identifying priorities for capacity-building training and technical assistance activities.

Early Childhood Education

2021 National Farm to Early Care and Education Survey: Farm to Early Care and Education Continues to Foster Bright Futures for Children and Communities - Brief Compilation

July 15, 2022

The resource documents collection highlights key findings from a national survey of ECE providers regarding the implementation of farm-to-ECE programs. Findings also include the challenges identified by ECE providers that are informative for the field in dissemination and advocacy. Providers can also use the information to support their efforts and seek funding.

Early Childhood Education; Food Systems; Leadership

Farm to Early Care and Education Continues to Foster Bright Futures for Children and Communities: 2021 National Farm to Early Care and Education Infographic

July 15, 2022

This infographic captures the findings of the most recent Farm to ECE survey conducted by the MSU Center for Regional Foood Systems and the National Farm to School Network.

Early Childhood Education

Plan for Creating and Deploying a Navajo Dual Language Curriculum

June 14, 2022

Framework for developing Navajo Language instruction, based on 5 mastery levels and including demonstrable skills and sample instructional and assessment activities.

Early Childhood Education

Plan for Enhancing Pre-Kindergarten Programs

June 14, 2022

Framework for developing Navajo Language instruction, based on 5 mastery levels and including demonstrable skills and sample instructional and assessment activities.

Early Childhood Education

Bloomfield Public Schools - Plan for Career Preparation Program Development

June 14, 2022

Framework for developing Navajo Language instruction, based on 5 mastery levels and including demonstrable skills and sample instructional and assessment activities.

Early Childhood Education

Exploring Models of Local Food Procurement in Farm to Early Care and Education Programs

April 21, 2022

Farm to Early Care and Education (Farm to ECE) initiatives generate similarbenefits as Farm to School programs. However, there is a lack of research aboutlocal food procurement in Farm to ECE programs. We provide a descriptiveevaluation of how 12 child care centers that participated in a Farm to ECEprogram procured local food. We found that centers purchased low volumes atthe beginning of the program, creating challenges for establishing viablerelationships with local food suppliers. Centers employed strategies such asbuilding relationships with distributors and retailers, picking up local food, andaggregating demand with other centers and families to create successfulprograms

Early Childhood Education; Food Systems

Farm to Child Care: A Detailed Guide for Farmers and Food Producers

January 14, 2022

Farm to Child Care, also called Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE), is about teaching young children where their food comes from and building their confidence to grow, select, and prepare their own fresh food. It is about celebrating our connections through food to nature, our cultures and identities, and to each other. Farm to ECE brings together children, teachers, families,staff, and local farmers and food producers in a wide network of support. 

Early Childhood Education; Food Systems

Building A High-Quality Early Childhood System of Leadership and Teaching Practice

January 12, 2022

This document serves as the Year 5 Annual report for the Building a High-Quality Early Childhood System of Leadership and Teaching Practice initiative ("the initiative"). Data summary reports with feedback on individual trainings throughout the year (e.g., Kindergarten Academy, trainings geared toward childcare providers and trainings related to COVID and better utilization ofthe OWL curriculum) are available in Appendix 1.The University of Mississippi's Center for Research Evaluation (CERE) serves as the external evaluator for the initiative. CERE evaluated the first three-year cycle of the initiative (December 2016-November 2019) and is now evaluating the three-year continuation (December 2020- November 2023; thus, we are referring to this second year of the second three-year cycle as "Year 5"). The initiative aims to change the landscape of early childhood education across the state of Mississippi by training educators across all levels and roles about evidence-based teaching for early childhood. The initiative's focus is not only on educators gaining knowledge, but also on their implementation of what they have learned in their districts, schools, and classrooms. Thus, the evaluation aims to determine the extent to which (1) participants learned from the initiative's trainings and other activities, (2) participants implemented what they learned and (3) students' literacy increased. At a higher level, the evaluation considers what training or participant characteristics impact these outcomes.

Early Childhood Education

Making the Grade 2021: How Fair is School Funding in Your State?

January 3, 2022

Making the Grade analyzes the condition of public school funding in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Using the most recently available data from the 2018-19 school year, the report ranks and grades each state on three measures to answer the key question: How fair is school funding in your state?

Early Childhood Education

Farm to Early Care and Education 2016-2021 Impact Report

December 1, 2021

Farm to Early Care and Education. Deeping a stakeholder coalition & developing a F2ECE that could be offered statewide.

Early Childhood Education; Food Systems

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