Partnership Provides Latest Instructional Technology and Methods
Alief ISD is a firm believer that it is never too early for a student to begin learning. The district is looking to expand the successful partnerships with private child care centers as more and more research shows that the first few years of a child’s life is of the utmost importance in a child’s development.

The district has been partnered with the Children’s Learning Institute from UTHealth since 2017, to implement the Texas School Ready (TSR) Program to private child care centers in the Alief area. This partnership is a win-win for all involved. Students receive high quality Pre-K instruction while child care centers benefit as they receive professional development and coaching from trained early childhood personnel.

The child centers also use the same Alief ISD curriculum and classroom materials that are used by the district, making for a smooth transition once students leave the child care centers and attend Alief ISD schools.

“This exciting program allows students as young as three-years-old to begin the learning process,” said Mari Martinez, district early childhood facilitator. “Research has proven that the first five years of a child’s life is extremely important to the learning process so we are looking at ways to expand Alief ISD’s learning strategies to as many young students as possible. Parents also benefit from knowing that their child is being taught the same high quality Pre-K lessons that are being taught in our schools.”

This program has had such a successful launch that it has caught the attention of educators around the state, and the program was mentioned in the Texas Education Agency 2018 Annual Report. The report highlighted the importance of training teachers at child care centers so they are up-to-date with the latest instructional technology and methods.

The partnership includes more than 50 hours of professional development to those instructors at the private child care centers who are teaching the same lessons in the same way as Alief ISD teachers.

“We all win when students are taught by highly qualified teachers,” Martinez added. “This will give students a head start on the learning process by allowing them to come into our schools prepared and ready to learn. The TSR Program also includes a self-paced professional development to infant and toddler instructors so that the learning can begin for students at an even earlier age.”

Parents who notice that their child’s private child care center is not part of the program can contact Alief ISD’s Texas School Ready team at Carol.OlateCardenas@aliefisd.net.

Carol Olate Cardenas
TSR Coordinator
Email Carol Olate Cardenas
346-774-3788

Brittani Baldwin
TSR Coach
Email Brittani Baldwin
346-774-7764