Summary Report, Good Start, Grow Smart, State Early Learning Guidelines Roundtable
From Blueprint to Reality: Early Learning Guidelines Implementation
Index: Preface, About The GSGS Initiative, Overview of the GSGS Roundtables, Summary of Key Points: Effective Collaboration; Infrastructure for Support; Dissemination of Information; Integration of ELGs into the Professional Development System; Assessment and Evaluation, Conclusion/Acknowledgements, Appendix: Agenda, Participant List, Work Group List | (This document is also available in 
PDF format.)
PREFACE
On October 13, 2004, the Good Start, Grow Smart (GSGS) Interagency Work Group sponsored a State Early Learning Guidelines Roundtable in Washington , DC. Designed to build on the success of an earlier GSGS Roundtable held in 2002, the meeting brought together 10 States to share their experiences in implementing early learning guidelines1 (ELGs) across early childhood programs. The States discussed how they have integrated ELGs into their training and professional development systems, and how their evaluation and assessment efforts are helping to show specific outcomes from these activities.
This summary report summarizes the highlights of information shared by the 10 States during the 2004 GSGS Roundtable. As each State has unique resources, legislative mandates, and goals for young children, ELG implementation activities vary and reflect the developmental stage of systems development in each jurisdiction. The information in this report is being shared to provide technical assistance to early care and education stakeholders as they work toward their own implementation of ELGs and undertake development activities to strengthen early learning. The insights offered by the State experiences described here can be helpful to other States and local communities as they continue to enhance their early care and education systems. In addition, the comments and suggestions shared during the Roundtable are helping to inform the work of Federal agencies as they continue to support the implementation of the GSGS initiative and work with States and communities to strengthen early learning.
1In this document, "early learning guidelines" (ELGs) is used to mean guidelines for what children should know, understand, and be able to do. This term is consistent with language provided in the President's original GSGS terminology, and encompasses a variety of names used by States for this concept.
