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• Describe your Capstone Challenge and how you identified it. My Capstone Challenge is understanding the past and current state of public pre-kindergarten education in the state of Montana in order to advocate for increased access and equity of services. Data on pre-kindergarten services and how they are funded is scattered at best, and I want to share what I've learned about these topics with other stakeholders so that we can come together with mutual understanding and knowledge. This shared basis of knowledge will allow us to more efficiently advocate for change. I define pre-kindergarten education (also referred to as “pre-k” in this Capstone) as the social, emotional, physical, and academic learning of children the year before they enter kindergarten, per the Montana Early Learning Standards or, in the case of programs using ANB funding, Montana Kindergarten Standards. I identified this challenge based on my own experiences teaching kindergarten and my participation in United Way of Missoula’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, and was inspired with a sense of urgency after viewing the film No Small Matter.

• Describe your diverse stakeholders and how you selected them, such as colleagues, parents, students, association members, community members, state or local partners, etc. The challenge of inequity in pre-k education affects many facets of our communities. I engaged in conversations with colleagues (educators, counselors, and school administrators) in person and through a survey (Artifacts 7 and 8, Design) in order to better understand education professionals’ values and perceptions regarding pre-k. I also had conversations with MFPE professionals (Artifacts 12 and 16, Design and Do) in order to better understand the historical record and implications of previous state-funded pre-k efforts. I also had the chance to speak with a teacher education professional and researcher who studies early childhood education (Artifact 17, Do), where we discussed more recent legislative attempts to increase equity in access to pre-k in the state of Montana as well as others’ work in this area.

• Why is it important for your diverse stakeholders that the Capstone Challenge be addressed? Montana is one of six states without permanent, state-funded public pre-kindergarten education programs (Artifact 1). While we do have some programs that utilize federal funding (such as Head Start), we do not have any statewide programs to support our earliest learners. Increasing equity and access to pre-k is vital to many throughout our community. It provides young learners with opportunities to grow skills to prepare them for elementary school. It supports families who might not otherwise be able to afford pre-kindergarten for their children. It can increase parent employment options and allow more people to enter the workforce. It allows families to become connected to community resources they might benefit from earlier. It also increases the amount of self-regulation children have coming into kindergarten, which increases instructional time and benefits their educational opportunities in the long run. Access to quality, affordable, and equitable pre-k is invaluable to the families who use it and the communities where it exists.

• In what ways will addressing the Capstone Challenge promote or support the foundational competencies? The very premise of addressing this Capstone Challenge promotes equity in education because it is bringing to attention the current lack of equity in pre-kindergarten education programs and encouraging advocating for increased access and funding. By increasing access to quality public pre-k options, the inequity of access would diminish. In order to successfully address this challenge, the professionals working toward the goal of equitable pre-k access would need to work collaboratively and share existing knowledge, experience, and goals for the future, with purposeful collaboration being another foundational competency. Through greater understanding of past and present funding realities, education and policy professionals can work together to advocate for increased access to pre-k learning for all families. Finally, addressing the challenge of inequity in access to pre-k services would promote cultivating socially just learning environments because many of our underserved populations would be brought into the fold of early childhood education, thus increasing awareness of the needs our community members and giving them a voice in their child’s education before they hit elementary school.

• Is it your intention to broaden the existing vision, values and/or culture of the association or to create a cultural shift?  Explain. My immediate intention with this Capstone Challenge is to create a cultural shift locally through the learning and sharing of knowledge of pre-k funding in Montana in order to minimize the scattershot data and support collaboration.

• My eventual intention is to create a cultural shift in favor of supporting pre-kindergarten education at the state level by advocating for increased access in my local district. My hope is that MCPS as well as other districts who utilize ANB funding for early childhood learning opportunities may have success expanding their existing programs, examples from which the state of Montana can base a future legislature-supported, state-funded program. Another option (which MCPS is pursuing this fall) is partnering with Head Start to provide learning space to expand their programs and support more qualifying students. While I originally was hoping to broaden or build upon an existing vision, I have come to realize that the work of creating equity in pre-kindergarten access remains scattered and incohesive. Therefore, I believe the most efficient way to pursue this effort is through local action that leads to state-wide legislative action and support.

• Why might this strategy be a viable solution for your Capstone Challenge? This strategy is a viable solution to my Capstone Challenge for a few reasons. First, it gives the stakeholders time to show success in their programs and platforms. It also allows for shifts in the state legislative bodies, which are currently largely against state funding for public pre-kindergarten programs and other public services. Combined, this time allotment allows lawmakers and state executive branches to witness the positive impact these programs have on the families and communities they serve and time to build trust among legislative personnel and the general population in the efficacy and value of public
  pre-k.

• On which two Overarching Competencies will you focus in addressing your Capstone Challenge?  Why are they relevant? 
  I chose to focus on using Continuing Learning and Education and Reflective Process to address my Capstone Challenge. I chose Continuing Learning and Education because it became very clear to me that while my general knowledge of the impacts of equitable access to quality, public pre-kindergarten is strong and engaged, my understanding of how pre-k is funded and the parties working to improve access was scattered at best. I chose to pursue this competency because it was clear to me that I could only work for improved funding if I understood the past and current sources of funding. I chose Reflective Process as my second competency because I realized that other professionals working towards this goal may also have been overconfident (or underconfident) in their knowledge of pre-k in Montana and therefore unable to properly share their expertise and learn from one another. I spent a lot of time reflecting on my own knowledge (and gaps within) in order to better plan for conversations with other stakeholders. Through reflection, I was able to understand my gaps of knowledge and ask questions to strengthen my understanding of the issue of pre-kindergarten in Montana. By modeling and encouraging others to practice a similar act of reflection, I hope to encourage stakeholders to ask questions, become engaged in the issue, and join me in advocating for our youngest learners.

• Which Leadership Pathway competency will you focus on in your Capstone Challenge?  Why is it relevant? 
  I chose to pursue the Policy Pathway, specifically Policy Advocacy. Publicly-funded pre-kindergarten education will only be accepted by state legislative bodies if it is proven to be an effective use of public funds at a local level first. I chose policy advocacy as my pathway because I recognize that there is a significant lack of understanding and cohesiveness regarding pre-kindergarten education and the culture of seeing pre-k as a privilege rather than a right of all children will only be changed with cohesive, clear, and consistent data. The positive impact of pre-k as described by data and family success stories will be what tips public support and political will in favor of equitable access.

• With whom will you work in addressing your Capstone Challenge?  Who else might you recruit beyond your own cultural and/or professional identity group?
  I worked with fellow educators and educational professionals, local nonprofit specialists and organizers (especially Grace Decker of United Way of Missoula), association professionals (specifically Sarah Piper and Amanda Curtis), a teacher trainer professional specializing in early childhood education (Christine Lux), and I have scheduled a meeting with our district superintendent, Rob Watson. I would like to recruit other professionals who work with young children (such as pediatricians or child psychologists) as well as racially diverse stakeholders (especially Indigenous community members) to share their perspectives and strengthen our project.

• Which resources (such as, people, money, programs, time and space, etc.) do you have to address in your Capstone Challenge?   What resources will you need?  How will you obtain them? 
  My resources currently consist of time, space, and passionate people willing to share their knowledge and expertise. I (and our pre-kindergarten education advocates) would greatly benefit from a centralized database of publicly-funded pre-k programs (regardless of whether they use ANB funding or federal funding under IDEA) and transparency regarding which programs follow the Montana Early Learning Standards. Currently, there are no such databases. I believe that such databases will only come to exist through the collaborative work of private interested parties rather than the state Office of Public Instruction.

Artifact 1: Evidence of need: Montana NIEER State of Preschool Yearbook for 2020:

Efficacy of early childhood learning opportunities, Artifact 2: Return on Investments in Early Childhood Programs Policy Brief
(Zero to Five, United Way Missoula)

Artifact 20: Previous and Proposed Pre-Kindergarten Legislation