Superintendent Austin Beutner unveiled the Birth to Eight Roadmap, a bold initiative to accelerate learning and ensure Los Angeles Unified’s youngest students are academically and socially ready by third grade.
“A strong foundation in the early years is critical to a child’s long-term success,” Superintendent Beutner told an audience of education leaders at Child360, a leading nonprofit that elevates the quality of early learning for more than 500 programs in Los Angeles County. “The Birth to Eight Roadmap will help ensure we continue to provide the best education possible, beginning with our youngest learners.”
The Birth to Eight Roadmap includes the following strategies:
- Develop an instructional guide for teachers so they can understand how each grade builds upon the next and can help fill in gaps in student learning.
- Expand the number of early-education dual-language programs so young students have the opportunity to continue their language development.
- Increase family engagement in connection with nearby elementary schools to give informational tours of Early Education.
- Provide kindergarten teachers access to academic and attendance information for incoming students, allowing them to better assess strengths and needs.
“The Roadmap ensures that we provide the instructional support and wrap-around services for our youngest and most impressionable students,” Interim Chief Academic Officer Alison Yoshimoto-Towery said. “All of our students have a right to a joyful and creative space where they can learn academics and begin establishing their identity.”
“The Birth to Eight Roadmap provides a framework and actions that will put all of the children coming out of Los Angeles Unified’s early education programs on a pathway to graduation and success,” Early Childhood Education Executive Director Dr. Dean Tagawa said.
Board Member Kelly Gonez, who chairs the Early Education Committee, attended the official release of the plan.
“Los Angeles Unified is investing in high-quality programs for our earliest learners, and we’re thrilled to release the Roadmap to expand and deepen those opportunities,” she said. “I’m particularly proud of our commitment to dual-language programs in early childhood, which help support all of our students and put them on the path to lifelong success.”
Los Angeles Unified operates 86 early education centers for children ages 2-4, with Child360 strengthening the quality of these programs through instructional coaching, professional development for educators and direct program support.
“Every child deserves to thrive in school and life,” Child360 Chief Executive Officer William Sperling said. “As early as infancy, ensuring children have quality interactions is crucial to learning experiences and healthy development. Los Angeles Unified is forging a better way for our youngest learners, setting them on a successful path, and Child360 is pleased to be a part of this important effort.”
