CRESC WEEKLY UPDATE

Early childhood education isn't just about teaching colors, shapes, and letters—it's about teaching young children how to navigate feelings, share space, ask questions, and trust the adults around them. Every small victory, from a mastered zipper to a shared toy, is a milestone worth celebrating. You are building the bedrock of their entire educational journey.

CRESC CLASS OBSERVERS FILL OUT THE FORM!

CLASS Observers,

We are reaching out to share an important policy update regarding CLASS observer recertifications moving forward.

1. Recertification Expiration Tracking Please complete the form linked below as soon as possible so we can update our records with your current certification status and expiration date:

👉 LINK

2. Updated Funding & Cost Responsibility Policy Please be aware that the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) is no longer funding CLASS recertifications. Moving forward, funding for recertification will depend on your observation area and role:

• Local Lead Funding Eligibility: Local Leads are only able to cover recertification costs for observers who actively conduct CLASS observations within the CRESC service area.

• Out-of-Area Observers & Individual Responsibility: If you are conducting observations outside the CRESC area, or if you are not currently actively observing, you will be responsible for covering your own recertification fees.

Please fill out the form above so we can verify your status and determine if your recertification is eligible for coverage.

If you have any questions regarding your observer status or coverage eligibility, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for your continued dedication to supporting quality early childhood experiences!

Best regards,

Wendy Green

A great resource was shared for all OEC providers that include ABC. I wanted to specifically share this piece regarding payment remittance notices.

• The Office of State Procurement (OSP) generates automatic emails with your payment information.
• The additional information piece is important, as it details where the payment is from if you have multiple funding sources. That includes SRA, ABC, Quality Payments, etc.

You can view the full recording and slides after it is posted to the website here: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/informational-provider-calls

Have questions? We’re here to help!

Join us for a Provider Q&A with your CRESC Local Lead. This is an opportunity for providers to ask questions, receive clarification, and hear helpful updates and information.

📅 Friday, August 21, 2026
⏰ 11:30 AM Central Time
💻 Via Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88568284144?pwd=bZMOBPLrUl01DamJC6fTkiRrNNhkvV.1

Meeting Chat Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/88568284144

Meeting ID: 885 6828 4144
Passcode: 652687

✨ Bring your questions—we’d love to have you join us!

A huge thank you to the wonderful teams at Brookland, Nettleton, and Newport Pre-K for hosting the CRESC Local Lead team for recent Professional Development sessions!

• Brookland Pre-K: Thank you for your commitment to strengthening Behavior Management strategies and effectively driving Frog Street implementation to support growth and classroom success.

• Nettleton Pre-K: Thank you for your active participation and engagement during our CLASS® Overview session as we kick off the new school year together.

• Newport Pre-K: Thank you for your dedication to diving deep into the Instructional Support Domain to elevate classroom interactions and learning outcomes.

We truly appreciate your commitment to early childhood excellence and your continued partnership!

Providers,

We are proud to announce a new partnership with brightwheel through the Center for Early Learning Solutions at Forward Arkansas, the #1 childcare management software used by programs nationwide. Through this partnership, programs across our state can access brightwheel’s tools for free, including attendance tracking, family communication, billing, enrollment, reporting, and learning documentation. Brightwheel helps educators save time, stay organized, and create stronger family partnerships.

Facilities will NOT qualify if already currently use an electronic system.

Learn more: info.mybrightwheel.com/forward-ar

Best regards,

Wendy Green

Local Lead, CRESC

Now Scheduling: CLASS Observations!

It’s that time of year again! We are officially booking CLASS observations for the upcoming school year. Please take a moment to check your inbox and reply to any scheduling emails so we can coordinate the best dates for you and your team. We appreciate your prompt responses!

See the information below for details about this upcoming "Learning Year" (2026-27) at CRESC!

Dear Providers,

As we step together into the CLASS® "Learning Year," the Crowley's Ridge Educational Service Cooperative (CRESC) catchment area is launching a structured rollout designed to guide and assist you every step of the way.

Please review the three-part rollout process below, which outlines exactly how we will work alongside your facility moving forward.

Part 1: Initial Local Lead Facility Visits & Reliability Setup

• Step 1: Contact & Scheduling – A member of the CRESC Local Lead team will contact you directly by phone or email to schedule an in-person facility visit. Please note: No CLASS observer will begin conducting official observations until the Local Lead team contacts you to confirm your facility is fully ready.

• Step 2: Dual Coding & Observations – During this scheduled visit, the Local Lead team will sit down with your facility's certified observer to "double-code" side-by-side. Together, we will code all four 20-minute observation sessions.

• Step 3: The NICE Process – Following the observations, our team will remain on-site to walk through and complete the NICE process for one full cycle.

• Step 4: Supporting Independence – Once reliability is confirmed and we have completed our post-observation conversation, the Local Lead team will determine the next steps. We may schedule follow-up visits to support additional observations, or we may hand over the official CLASS booklets so your certified observer can independently conduct CLASS observations within your facility.

Part 2: Data Collection & Portal Uploads

• Step 1: Data Collection – The Local Lead team will meet with your CLASS observer or pick up completed observation data to collect the entire facility's observation records.

• Step 2: Teachstone Portal Management – To maintain consistency and reduce administrative burdens on your staff, no individual inside the CRESC catchment area will have direct portal access to upload their own data. The Local Lead team will personally enter and manage all facility observations within the Teachstone portal.

Part 3: Feedback Meetings

• Step 1: Afternoon Next-Step Meetings – Once the data is securely logged in the Teachstone portal, the Local Lead team will schedule an afternoon meeting with your CLASS Observer (Director/Owner). Note: Each facility has the complete choice to include their classroom teachers in this meeting or keep it administrative. During this time, we will collaboratively review the data and map out a next-step action plan for your staff.

• Step 2: Sign-Off & Documentation – At the conclusion of this afternoon's meeting, the CLASS Observer (Director/Owner) will sign our completion form to confirm that our team has fulfilled this task. You will receive a physical copy of this documentation for your records.

❤️ We Are Here to Support You

As you can clearly see from this structured rollout, your Local Leads are here to serve as your support system. Our entire focus is on uplifting, assisting, and protecting everyone through this process moving forward.

We truly cannot wait to work directly alongside you to do what is best for your staff, your centers, and the children of our CRESC catchment area!

Warmly,

Wendy Green

Local Lead Captain

CLASS Observers,

We are reaching out to share an important policy update regarding CLASS observer recertifications moving forward.

1. Recertification Expiration Tracking Please complete the form linked below as soon as possible so we can update our records with your current certification status and expiration date:

👉 LINK

2. Updated Funding & Cost Responsibility Policy Please be aware that the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) is no longer funding CLASS recertifications. Moving forward, funding for recertification will depend on your observation area and role:

• Local Lead Funding Eligibility: Local Leads are only able to cover recertification costs for observers who actively conduct CLASS observations within the CRESC service area.

• Out-of-Area Observers & Individual Responsibility: If you are conducting observations outside the CRESC area, or if you are not currently actively observing, you will be responsible for covering your own recertification fees.

Please fill out the form above so we can verify your status and determine if your recertification is eligible for coverage.

If you have any questions regarding your observer status or coverage eligibility, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for your continued dedication to supporting quality early childhood experiences!

Best regards,

Wendy Green

Providers!

Please keep an eye on your inbox for an important email from Lisa Hardage regarding Launchpad license renewals.

What You Need to Do:

1. Check Your Email: Find the message from Lisa Hardage containing the Launchpad renewal link.

2. Fill Out the Form: Use the link in her email to complete the required information.

3. Submit All Names: Make sure to include the names of all teachers who will need a Launchpad license for the upcoming term.

4. 
   

It is critical that this form is completed as soon as possible so everyone has full access and is ready to go.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this!

Wendy Green

Starting July 2028 school year, Arkansas will require all publicly funded early childhood programs to use a curriculum from the state’s official Approved Curriculum List. The goal is to ensure every classroom has high-quality materials that support great teaching, and the state is even working to find free or low-cost options to help make this change easier for everyone.

I am more than happy to support any provider as you begin to do your research on what HQIM is best for YOUR facility!

Click on link https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Final_Approved_List_OEC.pdf IMPORTANT: Once you click the link, you can select the underlined curriculum within each box to view a breakdown of why it was chosen.

For more information, here is a helpful website: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/content--development/curriculum

Your Local Lead Team is working to get vendor information to you.

Thank you for your patience

The ABC Monthly Provider Call resumes on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 12:00 PM (CT). Beginning in August, meetings will be held on the last Tuesday of each month through May 25, 2027. Join us for important updates, resources, and provider information.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/91461066428?pwd=xvPGN0vIJ4NCTyIYvQJdJJFtgPirw5.1

Meeting ID: 914 6106 6428
Passcode: 767594

Building strong communicators starts from day one! Explore essential infant language milestones and practical daily activities like Serve-and-Return Conversations and Narrating the Day in our latest parent newsletter.

https://canva.link/rt2s6z6bm0f2vs2

As we look ahead to a fantastic school year, I want to remind you that I would love to support your upcoming community events, school Literacy Nights, or Math Nights!

CRESC will be represented at these events by your Local Lead.. My goal is to be there to support birth through Pre-K in our community with families and to help you promote the importance of early childhood education.

If you have any events or special nights coming up, please reach out and let me know the details. You can send all information directly to me at wgreen@crmail.k12.ar.us.

I can't wait to see what other amazing events you have planned!

Wendy Green

Providers,

We are thrilled to share that Crowley's Ridge Educational Service Cooperative (CRESC) was recently featured in a national LENA newsletter spotlight! This feature celebrates our incredible partnership and the measurable impact our local early childhood educators are making every day.

As your Local Lead Team, our goal is to support your facilities and ensure our providers have a strong voice in early childhood education. To put that into action, we launched the LENA Grow program pilot in 11 classrooms across two Arkansas districts.

📊 The Results Speak for Themselves:

• Massive Language Gains: Children who started the program with the least amount of talk saw the biggest gains, averaging +6.7 conversational turns per hour—which is a phenomenal 71% growth!

• Empowered Educators: Our participating teachers noticed an immediate difference—100% of them reported increased confidence, higher job satisfaction, and improved family communication.

💬 What Our Teachers Are Saying:

"I loved the LENA GROW!!!! It really helped me think outside the box exploring ways for my students to communicate with me and others around them."

— April Smallman, Lead Teacher at Trumann Preschool, AR

Thank you to all the dedicated educators who poured their hearts into making this launch such a massive success. We are so excited to continue this journey, expand our impact, and keep strengthening our early childhood community together!

Best regards,

Your Local Lead Team, CRESC

Want to learn more about how LENA Grow is shifting early literacy across the state? Check out the Arkansas LENA Grow Initiative.