The PreK-3rd movement is gaining momentum in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in the country, but the effort needs superintendents to help lead, a new issue brief suggests.

The brief lays out the basic steps superintendents should take to integrate early learning and the first grades of elementary school, including starting slow and simple, showing progress, and supporting professional development.

To show these steps, the paper focuses on three superintendents who already made impressive strides in preK-3rd, including two in Washington state: Bette Hyde, former superintendent of Bremerton, Wa., schools and now head of the state Department of Early Learning; Mark Johnson, superintendent of the Nooksack Valley School District in Washington; and Jerry Weast, superintendent of Montgomery County schools in Maryland;

For Hyde, Johnson, and Weast, the first step in developing momentum around an integrated PreK-3rd system was to build on the dedication of those already active in early learning efforts. This initial approach involves a small upfront financial investment and still allows the superintendent to concentrate on the district’s K-12 efforts. At the same time, by organizing a small group of leaders focused on the needs of the youngest learners, the superintendent sends a signal about the importance of early learning, thereby facilitating deeper trust among all partners. – “PreK-3rd: How Superintendents Lead Change.” Foundation for Child Development.

Hyde, for example, relied on the power of cookies. She met with a group of elementary school teachers, a central office administrator and preschool staff over cookies to build relationships, the report said. The report also found it took three to ten years for these leaders to make impressive progress.

Plus, the effort has to show results, the report adds, and superintendents should “establish clear measurable targets that link teaching and learning in PreK to outcomes in Grade Three and beyond.”

…As Hyde says, once the school board and others see improved student outcomes, “there is no backing away from early learning.”