A new professional certification and education model, called P3, focuses on early intervention to ensure preschool through third grade children don’t fall or remain behind in their early learning.

For Central Valley School District, in the Spokane area, implementation of this model has led to the most dramatic improvements ever experienced within the district in reducing the percentage of children below state early-learning standards.

For example, the percentage of 4-year-old pre-K students who were below learning standards dropped to 18.7% from a baseline of 56.9% in one school year—an improvement of 38.2 percentage points under the P3 model, according to a recent article in the American Journal of Pediatrics.

P3 emphasizes the importance of connecting the pre-K world—ages 5 and under—with the K-12 world—ages 6 to 18.

The social, emotional, and developmental needs of a child up to age 8 are aligned, with a natural transition occurring around third grade to the learning needs through high school graduation. Data shows that third grade literacy scores can predict life outcomes, from the type of job a person will have, to the potential for incarceration, addictive tendencies, and homelessness.

The phrase, "Learn to read, to read to learn,” means that typical brain development, along with social and emotional development, supports learning to read and reading fluency up to age 8, or third grade.

After age 9, or fourth grade, reading is a pathway to learning more complex concepts in all subject matter.

According to the Literacy Mid-South website, “Reading on grade-level by the end of third grade is one of the most critical milestones in education. Studies show that 74% of third graders who read poorly still struggle in ninth grade, and third grade reading scores can predict a student's likelihood to graduate high school.”

A child who struggles early in their educational career likely will continue to struggle, and that deficit compounds itself. Referred to as the “iceberg effect,” what may appear to be a small developmental gap at the start masks significant underlying comprehension deficits as the student continues their education. Over time, these comprehension issues compound, complicating efforts to remediate these gaps and leaving the child increasingly behind their grade-level curriculum.

Early intervention has been shown to be the most effective. Data demonstrates that for every $1 invested in early intervention before age 5, the return on investment is sevenfold, compared to the $1 to $1 return on investment when intervention occurs in the middle and high school years.

To support broader access to early childhood education, Washington State passed the Fair Start for Kids Act. This legislation requires the continued expansion of the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program through 2026-2027, when any eligible child shall be entitled to be enrolled in ECEAP. A child can qualify for ECEAP through family financial status, being on an individualized education program, known by the acronym IEP, or through homelessness. The goal of this act is to provide intervention and support to 3- to 5-year-olds to close the achievement gap prior to entering the K-12 educational system.

Providing continuity between early learning and K-12 is a critical component to ensure effective intervention is sustained. However, early learning—birth to age 5—programs and K-12 programs are each governed by different federal and state agencies. This means we need people educated on speaking the birth-to-age-5 language, as well as the K-12 language.

A simple example of the differences can be seen in the differing ways each determines its operational funding. When talking about how many ECEAP children are in a program, the operational budget is built on “slots.” When looking at the K-12 world that is funded through the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, school districts build their annual operational budgets based on enrollment, similar to the pre-K model, however, instead of using the term “slots,” they use the term “FTE,” or full time equivalent students.

Simple differences such as this create challenging barriers when trying to bridge the two federal and state funding agencies. This barrier translates to a potential gap in services for children and their families.

So how do we bridge that divide between the various systems?

The P3 certification aims to close the gap, bringing together the entire community within a school district boundary. In addition to early learning happening within school district facilities, this includes private, nonprofit, and other community providers within the early-learning world embracing this professional development with the K-12 school districts.

Through understanding language/terminology differences, the P3 certification enables the two systems to come together to provide a seamless transition for children and prevent loss of key learning years.

The P3 approach embraces all learners, including those with varying abilities. This model is fully integrated, featuring an ideal classroom ratio of six students with IEPs and 12 peers with typical development. This mix fosters a dynamic where every student benefits from mutual learning experiences. Adults aren't the only educators; the 12 typically developing peers also contribute by modeling social, emotional, and academic milestones. This peer learning model is effective for all students, enhancing understanding and interaction for both typically developing students and those with IEPs. This foundation sets the stage for academic achievement past preschool.

To support the best life-long outcomes, the data demonstrates that early intervention is key. Providing support for our earliest learners in their pre-K years and continuing that aid seamlessly through the K-3 years is paramount to overcoming the achievement gap and providing better life-long outcomes for our families. Understanding P3 and keeping an open mind to bringing the pre-K and K-12 worlds together will help our children who need it the most, and ultimately provide the most economical and efficient outcomes for the future of our community.

Architect Melissa McFadgen is a principal at NAC Architecture. Barbara Sattler is the director of the Central Valley School District Early Learning Center.