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The California Preschool Planning Toolkit

The purpose of the Preschool Planning Toolkit is to support county superintendents of education and other state and local leaders interested in making high quality preschool experiences available to all children. The Toolkit consists of eight sections integral to the development of a comprehensive Preschool Master Plan:

	1. Planning Process
	2. Needs Assessment
	3. Program and Teacher Quality
	4. Facilities
	5. Delivery Systems
	6. Engagement
	7. Budget and Launch Projections
	8. Finance Options

With support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the Karen Hill Scott and Company (KHS) developed the Toolkit. The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) and the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment also provided significant contributions. Additional resources came from the California Department of Education (CDE), the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA), First 5 California, the California Head Start Association, Preschool California, Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP). First 5 San Francisco and the First 5 Association.

The Toolkit, while developed in California, includes many tools and templates applicable to any state. For further information, please contact Susan Muenchow, Principal Research Analyst at the American Institutes for Research (smuenchow@air.org) and Dr. Karen Hill-Scott, president, Karen Hill-Scott and Company (info@karenhillscott.com).

The California Regional Planning Workshops

This site also includes materials and presentations from four Preschool Planning workshops conducted by AIR and KHS. Sponsored by the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) and funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the workshops took place in Red Bluff, CA (October 23-24, 2006), Sacramento, CA (October 30-31, 2006), Irvine, CA (November 8-9, 2006) and Oakland, CA (December 11-12, 2006).

The workshops were designed to:

To support continued county preschool planning and the expansion of high quality programs.
To foster help counties align their planning with local, regional, and statewide preschool policy and funding opportunities.
To build on prior county-level work and promote sharing and collaboration within and among regions.

The California Preschool Planning Toolkit