0:00:00.555,0:00:02.167 I'm an historian. 0:00:02.191,0:00:06.208 And what I love about being an historian[br]is it gives you perspective. 0:00:06.687,0:00:11.206 Today, I'd like to bring that perspective[br]to education in the United States. 0:00:11.722,0:00:14.493 About the only thing people can agree on 0:00:14.517,0:00:18.374 is that the most strategic time[br]for a child to start learning 0:00:18.398,0:00:19.871 is early. 0:00:19.895,0:00:21.270 Over 50 years ago, 0:00:21.294,0:00:24.784 there was a watershed moment[br]in early education in the US 0:00:24.808,0:00:26.120 called "Head Start." 0:00:26.588,0:00:28.668 Now, historians love watersheds 0:00:28.692,0:00:31.899 because it makes it so easy[br]to talk about what came before 0:00:31.923,0:00:33.648 and what's happened since. 0:00:33.672,0:00:36.291 Before Head Start, basically nothing. 0:00:36.863,0:00:38.258 With Head Start, 0:00:38.282,0:00:43.495 we began to get our nation's[br]most at-risk children ready for school. 0:00:43.519,0:00:46.461 Since Head Start, we've made strides, 0:00:46.485,0:00:50.268 but there are still[br]2.2 million children in the US 0:00:50.292,0:00:52.632 without access to early learning, 0:00:52.656,0:00:55.844 or more than half of[br]the four-year-olds in the country. 0:00:56.613,0:00:58.255 That's a problem. 0:00:58.279,0:01:01.759 But the bigger problem is what we know[br]happens to those children. 0:01:02.180,0:01:05.650 At-risk children who reach school[br]without basic skills 0:01:05.674,0:01:08.714 are 25 percent more likely to drop out, 0:01:08.738,0:01:11.447 40 percent more likely[br]to become teen parents 0:01:11.471,0:01:14.616 and 60 percent less likely[br]to go to college. 0:01:15.278,0:01:18.187 So if we know how important[br]early education is, 0:01:18.211,0:01:20.391 why aren't all children getting it? 0:01:21.074,0:01:24.913 There are barriers that the solutions[br]we've come up with to date 0:01:24.937,0:01:26.806 simply can't overcome. 0:01:27.338,0:01:30.098 Geography: think rural and remote. 0:01:30.122,0:01:34.020 Transportation: think[br]working parents everywhere. 0:01:34.044,0:01:38.820 Parent choice: no state requires[br]a four-year-old to go to school. 0:01:38.844,0:01:43.940 And cost: the average cost for a state[br]to educate a preschooler 0:01:43.964,0:01:46.275 is five thousand dollars a year. 0:01:47.674,0:01:50.663 So am I just going[br]to keep talking about problems? 0:01:50.687,0:01:51.855 No. 0:01:51.879,0:01:56.946 Today, I want to tell you about[br]a cost-effective, technology-delivered, 0:01:56.970,0:02:01.152 kindergarten-readiness program[br]that can be done in the home. 0:02:01.176,0:02:02.532 It's called UPSTART, 0:02:02.556,0:02:07.047 and more than 60,000 preschoolers[br]in the US have already used it. 0:02:07.678,0:02:09.635 Now, I know what you might be thinking: 0:02:09.659,0:02:13.590 here's another person throwing tech[br]at a national problem. 0:02:14.102,0:02:15.749 And you'd be partially right. 0:02:16.102,0:02:21.026 We develop early learning software[br]designed to individualize instruction, 0:02:21.050,0:02:23.962 so children can learn at their own pace. 0:02:23.986,0:02:29.304 To do that, we rely on experts from fields[br]ranging from reading to sociology 0:02:29.328,0:02:33.245 to brain science development[br]to all aspects of early learning, 0:02:33.269,0:02:36.772 to tell us what the software[br]should do and look like. 0:02:36.796,0:02:38.084 Here's an example. 0:02:38.108,0:02:40.854 (Video) Zero (sings[br]to the tune of "Day-O"): Zero! 0:02:40.878,0:02:43.389 Zero! 0:02:44.245,0:02:48.529 Zero is the number[br]that's different from the others. 0:02:48.553,0:02:51.633 Seagulls: Zero is a big, round "O." 0:02:51.657,0:02:55.965 Zero: It's not like one,[br]I'm sure you'll discover. 0:02:55.989,0:02:59.376 Seagulls: Zero is a big, round "O." 0:02:59.400,0:03:00.477 (Laughter) 0:03:00.501,0:03:03.356 Claudia Miner: That is "The Zero Song." 0:03:03.380,0:03:05.075 (Laughter) 0:03:05.099,0:03:10.556 And here are Odd Todd and Even Steven[br]to teach you some things about numbers. 0:03:10.580,0:03:11.926 And here are the Word Birds, 0:03:11.950,0:03:15.359 and they're going to show you[br]when you blend letter sounds together, 0:03:15.383,0:03:16.890 you can form words. 0:03:17.287,0:03:21.254 You can see that instruction[br]is short, colorful and catchy, 0:03:21.278,0:03:23.931 designed to capture a child's attention. 0:03:24.966,0:03:27.125 But there's another piece to UPSTART 0:03:27.149,0:03:29.892 that makes it different[br]and more effective. 0:03:29.916,0:03:34.216 UPSTART puts parents in charge[br]of their children's education. 0:03:34.601,0:03:37.179 We believe, with the right support, 0:03:37.203,0:03:42.224 all parents can get their children[br]ready for school. 0:03:43.052,0:03:45.009 Here's how it works. 0:03:45.033,0:03:48.163 This is the kindergarten readiness[br]checklist from a state. 0:03:48.187,0:03:50.463 And almost every state has one. 0:03:50.981,0:03:53.122 We go to parents wherever they are, 0:03:53.146,0:03:56.060 and we conduct a key[br]in-person group training. 0:03:56.561,0:04:02.189 And we tell them the software can check[br]every reading, math and science box, 0:04:02.213,0:04:06.398 but they're going to be responsible[br]for motor skills and self-help skills, 0:04:06.422,0:04:09.598 and together, we're going to work[br]on social emotional learning. 0:04:10.750,0:04:12.132 Now, we know this is working 0:04:12.156,0:04:15.916 because we have a 90-percent[br]completion rate for the program. 0:04:15.940,0:04:20.294 Last year, that translated[br]into 13,500 children 0:04:20.318,0:04:24.752 "graduating," with diplomas, from UPSTART. 0:04:25.792,0:04:28.258 And the results have been amazing. 0:04:28.282,0:04:30.095 We have an external evaluation 0:04:30.119,0:04:36.486 that shows our children[br]have two to three times the learning gains 0:04:36.510,0:04:39.568 as children who don't[br]participate in the program. 0:04:39.592,0:04:43.970 We have a random control trial that shows[br]strong evidence of effectiveness, 0:04:43.994,0:04:46.148 and we even have a longitudinal study 0:04:46.172,0:04:49.799 that shows our children's gains[br]last into third and fourth grade, 0:04:49.823,0:04:52.691 the highest grades the children[br]had achieved at the time. 0:04:53.191,0:04:55.017 Those are academic gains. 0:04:55.041,0:04:59.494 But another study has shown[br]that our children's social emotional gains 0:04:59.518,0:05:03.251 are equal to those of children[br]attending public and private preschool. 0:05:04.561,0:05:09.095 The majority of the 60,000 children[br]who have participated in UPSTART to date 0:05:09.119,0:05:10.881 have been from Utah. 0:05:10.905,0:05:12.791 But we have replicated our results 0:05:12.815,0:05:15.644 with African-American[br]children in Mississippi -- 0:05:15.668,0:05:18.255 this is Kingston and his mother; 0:05:18.279,0:05:20.922 with English language[br]learners in Arizona -- 0:05:20.946,0:05:23.318 this is Daisy and her family; 0:05:23.342,0:05:29.050 with refugee children in Philadelphia --[br]this is my favorite graduation photo; 0:05:29.074,0:05:31.378 and with Native American children 0:05:31.402,0:05:34.966 from some of the most remote[br]parts of the United States. 0:05:35.447,0:05:39.498 This is Cherise, and this is[br]where she lives in Monument Valley. 0:05:40.972,0:05:43.958 Now, there are skeptics about UPSTART. 0:05:43.982,0:05:47.704 Some people don't believe young children[br]should have screen time. 0:05:48.194,0:05:51.057 To them, we say: 0:05:51.081,0:05:55.460 UPSTART's usage requirement[br]of 15 minutes a day, five days a week, 0:05:55.484,0:06:00.744 is well within the hour-a-day recommended[br]by the American Academy of Pediatrics 0:06:00.768,0:06:01.970 for four-year-olds. 0:06:02.501,0:06:06.910 Some people believe[br]only site-based preschool can work, 0:06:06.934,0:06:10.845 and to them, we say:[br]site-based preschool is great, 0:06:10.869,0:06:15.873 but if you can't get a child there[br]or if a parent won't send a child there, 0:06:15.897,0:06:21.996 isn't a technology-delivered,[br]results-based option a great alternative? 0:06:22.020,0:06:25.048 And we love working[br]with site-based preschools. 0:06:25.072,0:06:28.048 Right now, there are[br]800 children in Mississippi 0:06:28.072,0:06:30.342 going to Head Start during the day 0:06:30.366,0:06:33.579 and doing UPSTART at night[br]with their families. 0:06:35.362,0:06:39.508 Our audacious idea is to take UPSTART[br]across the country -- 0:06:40.247,0:06:43.454 not to replace anything; 0:06:43.478,0:06:48.760 we want to serve children who otherwise[br]would not have access to early education. 0:06:49.940,0:06:52.418 We have the guts to take on the skeptics, 0:06:52.442,0:06:54.357 we have the energy to do the work, 0:06:54.381,0:06:55.916 and we have a plan. 0:06:56.524,0:07:00.415 It is the role of the states[br]to educate their children. 0:07:00.439,0:07:03.079 So first we will use philanthropy dollars 0:07:03.103,0:07:06.888 to go into a state to pilot[br]the program and get data. 0:07:07.451,0:07:10.077 Every state believes it's unique 0:07:10.101,0:07:14.125 and wants to know that the program[br]will work with its children 0:07:14.149,0:07:15.344 before investing. 0:07:15.874,0:07:20.731 Then we identify key leaders in the state[br]to help us champion UPSTART 0:07:20.755,0:07:23.734 as an option for unserved children. 0:07:23.758,0:07:27.189 And together, we go to state legislatures 0:07:27.213,0:07:29.693 to transition UPSTART from philanthropy 0:07:29.717,0:07:32.837 to sustainable and scalable state funding. 0:07:33.483,0:07:35.066 That plan has worked -- 0:07:35.090,0:07:37.312 (Applause) 0:07:37.336,0:07:41.333 Thanks. 0:07:41.357,0:07:42.542 Thank you. 0:07:42.566,0:07:46.174 That plan has worked[br]in three states to date: 0:07:46.198,0:07:49.038 Utah, Indiana and South Carolina. 0:07:49.062,0:07:52.115 We've also piloted the program[br]in a number of states 0:07:52.139,0:07:54.292 and identified champions. 0:07:54.316,0:07:58.085 Next, we're moving to states[br]with the greatest geographic barriers 0:07:58.109,0:07:59.550 to work the plan, 0:07:59.574,0:08:02.932 and then on to states[br]that already have early education 0:08:02.956,0:08:05.728 but may not be getting[br]great academic results 0:08:05.752,0:08:08.606 or great parent buy-in to participate. 0:08:08.630,0:08:10.388 From there, we go to the states 0:08:10.412,0:08:15.550 that are going to require the most data[br]and work to convince, 0:08:15.574,0:08:19.017 and we'll hope our momentum[br]helps turn the tide there. 0:08:19.041,0:08:22.124 We will serve a quarter of a million[br]children in five years, 0:08:22.148,0:08:27.029 and we will ensure that states continue[br]to offer UPSTART to their children. 0:08:28.351,0:08:29.996 Here's how you can help: 0:08:30.574,0:08:31.905 for two thousand dollars, 0:08:31.929,0:08:35.810 we can provide a child[br]with UPSTART, a computer and internet, 0:08:35.834,0:08:38.613 and that child will be part of the pilot 0:08:38.637,0:08:41.980 that makes certain other children[br]get UPSTART in the future. 0:08:42.521,0:08:45.502 We also need engaged citizens[br]to go to their government 0:08:45.526,0:08:51.324 and say just how easy it can be[br]to get children ready for school. 0:08:51.667,0:08:54.919 You wouldn't be here[br]if you weren't an engaged citizen, 0:08:54.943,0:08:56.869 so we're asking for your help. 0:08:58.496,0:09:04.124 Now, will all of us this make UPSTART[br]a watershed moment in early education? 0:09:04.654,0:09:07.313 I believe together we can make it one. 0:09:07.781,0:09:09.775 But I can tell you without a doubt 0:09:09.799,0:09:11.954 that UPSTART is a watershed moment 0:09:11.978,0:09:16.308 in the life of a child who otherwise[br]would not be ready for school. 0:09:16.332,0:09:17.498 Thank you. 0:09:17.522,0:09:21.634 (Applause)