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College of Education

Birth-to-Third Grade (B-3) Continuity Project

Funding for the Illinois Birth-to-Third Grade (B-3) Continuity project ends in December of 2019. This website contains an archive of resources and materials curated throughout the project. More information can also be found on the Illinois State Board of Education’s website. Final recommendations and project accomplishments can be found in the Maintaining the Momentum document. Additional resources around each of the B-3 strategies are also found further down on this page.

Learn more about B-3 work in Illinois: Birth-to-Third Grade Continuity Project: Looking Back Moving Forward

Project History

The Illinois State Board of Education believes that a high-quality, intentionally aligned education system from birth to third grade is essential for the success of the State’s highest-need children and is committed to ensure a high-quality, comprehensive system of teaching, learning, and support for children from birth through third grade. In order to more effectively serve Illinois children and families, the State worked to align and transform state and local systems to assure collective impact across service sectors.

In 2015, the federal Preschool Development Grant – Expansion (PDG-E) funding allowed the State to partner with Illinois State University (ISU) to establish and implement a comprehensive system of supports for the birth-to-third grade alignment, the Birth-to-Third Grade (B-3) Continuity Project. The B-3 Continuity Project launched with seven communities that received broad supports from ISU supported by this funding. In the subsequent years, the project grew to provide access to varying levels of support through annual conferences, webinars, and technical assistance to over seventy communities throughout Illinois.

The mission of B-3 state support was to strengthen Preschool Expansion communities' ability to develop a high quality, intentionally aligned education system from birth-to-third grade. This is accomplished through one or more B-3 approaches led by a team of community stakeholders. To see how your community aligns with B-3 strategies communities can use the B-3 Self-Assessment and Action Planning Guide.

B-3 Archived Trainings and Events

Click on the puzzle pieces to navigate through the areas that comprise an aligned B-3 continuum:

Resources for those in the Birth-to-Third Grade community

***Please note that included materials are not comprehensive nor endorsed by this project.***

What is meant by Birth through 3rd grade work?

Community Partnerships

To strengthen education, supports and services for children and families from early childhood programs into early elementary settings.

Comprehensive Services

Including assistance in obtaining health, mental health and dental services, nutrition services and education, and linkages to other community services.

Family Engagement

Schools and engaged families partner in children’s formal education such as school-parent communication about school programs and students’ progress, involving parents in school decision-making and school-community collaborations.

Supported Transitions

Increased access to early childhood programs and smooth transitions that focus on the continuum provided to each child and sustain gains into the early grades.

Joint Professional Development

To ensure highly-effective teaching staff whose professional development is aligned from birth through third grade and is grounded in child development and effective instructional practices.

Aligned Curriculum and Instruction

To represent a coherent system with shared expectations for student growth and a focus on both academic and social-emotional skills, support a wide range of development, and are reflective of children’s families and cultures.

Aligned Assessments

Sharing assessment practices and data across the full early childhood continuum with particular focus on the implementation of the KIDS.

Data-driven Improvements

Using meaningful child-based assessments and program data to drive instruction, identify achievement gaps, allocate resources, and determine areas for professional development.

Other General B-3 Resources

Additional Links

Departments, Schools, and Units

University Resources